About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the mittens, which I purchased with my own money in November of 2021.

My take

I think the Hestra Army Leather Extreme Mittens are the warmest gloves one can buy. In my opinion, not only does Hestra make the best gloves on the planet, but these are the warmest they can get. These are for either a skier who wants a glove for cold cold days or for deep powder skiing.

About the gloves I own

• Model: 2022 Hestra Army Leather Extreme Mittens
• Size: 10

About me

• Height: 6’0’’
• Weight: 185lbs
• Experience: 26 years skiing

Test conditions

• When I bought them: November 2021
• Days used: 15
• Weather conditions used in: Blizzards, Ultra Cold Days, Powder Days
• Where I’ve used them: Mt. Bachelor, OR, and pow skiing in Japan
• Terrain: Pow, blizzard, and ultra cold conditions

How they perform

What I was looking for

I was looking for the warmest gloves available from Hestra, knowing they make the best gloves. I was also looking for a glove that could stand a super cold day of skiing—whether in the backcountry or in the resort. I like a mitten more so for cold days, so these were an excellent fit.

Why I chose this gear

Having put them on for the first time, these Army Leather Extreme Mittens were the comfiest and warmest gloves I had ever used. I liked the black on black colorway, and the durability of the glove and the texture. I wanted a glove to go ski deep powder Japan with and have warm hands all day. The long cuff also helped, as I knew that would keep powder out of my jacket.

What I love about them

• Fit: These gloves run a little bulky for me, but then again I have fairly slim fingers and hands. The fit and cut are good for a standard hand. The long cuff comes up about five inches up the arm and has an elastic pull to tighten.
• Comfort: The glove is super comfy and the inner material is very soft and cozy for all-day riding.
• Ease of movement: They feature great movement, as I am sure Hestra designed that in their engineering. The ease of movement of the fingers is great, and I never felt like I am inhibited in motion by these gloves.
• Warmth: In my opinion, the warmth of these gloves is unmatched. At times, my hands are almost too warm. The long collar helps to keep all that heat inside.
• Waterproofing: Made with waterproof, three-layer polyamide fabric backhand, these gloves can take on moisture really well.
• Conditions: I’ve used these on cold weather and dry powder days. Otherwise, these gloves overheat. They were designed to keep Canadian heli-ski guides warm in the backcountry, so for ordinary skiing, these are a little too warm.
• Features: These Heli Army Five Finger offer a lot of great features. They come with a carabiner to carry them on one’s belt together, an elastic wrist leash, and they feature a removable liner or shell to swap either out if one gets too wet or too warm.
• Quality: Exceptional material on all of these Hestra gloves, especially the Army Leather Heli. They include goatskin leather and waterproof material for the outer. The inner lining is G-Loft Bemberg synthetic wool to keep my hands warm.
• Durability: I now have three pairs of these Hestra Army Leather Heli gloves, and they are awesome. Skiing over 100 days a season, these gloves hold up great. The leather breaks in nicely and forms to one’s hands.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Breathability: Being that they’re pretty waterproof, warm, and have some leather covering a majority of the glove, these gloves aren’t so breathable.
• Touchscreen compatibility: Because they’re made from thick leather, these are not touchscreen compatible, as there is no heat transfer from leather to screen.
• Other: They’re not an excellent everyday glove, as they almost get too hot. My hands got sweaty real quickly when I used these on a normal ski day.

Favorite moment with this gear

Taking these on a backcountry ski trip to Japan might have been the best decision of that entire trip. It was so cold and dry that my normal gloves were not cutting it, so I am glad I had my Hestra Army Leather Extremes. They are a great backup because they were so warm and allowed me to enjoy my ski day without being uncomfortable or cold. They kept my hands warm, and when we stopped to have a beverage, the wrist leash was great because I could just let them hang off my wrists and not worry that they were going to drop into the snow.

Value for the money vs. other options

These are the best gloves out there, so there is no argument that they aren’t worth it. These Army Leather Extreme Mittens are epic. They are great for backcountry and powder and worth every penny. Otherwise, Black Diamond makes a great glove similar to these, but Hestra will outlast them.

Final verdict

The best available gloves for the coldest days. Whether I am dog sledding, shoveling the driveway, or skiing deep powder, the Hestra Army Leather Extreme mittens will keep me warm.