Gloves and mittens designed for use while skiing are a lot more complicated than your average, run-of-the-mill styles. These hand coverings have to contend with extreme cold, wet, wipeouts, ski edges and rope lifts, all of which can take a major toll. To deal with these various challenges, ski gloves and mittens have to be tough, warm, waterproof and difficult to lose. A skier will often have a loyalty to one brand or another, but the fact is that there are a number of high-quality brands out there who manufacture hand coverings designed for skiing.

Of course, the first question that must be addressed when buying hand covering is the age old question of gloves or mittens. Both have their advantages. Gloves allow for more manual dexterity, which can be useful when dealing with various other pieces of ski equipment. However, because gloves house the fingers and thumbs in separate little compartments, they are almost always comparatively colder than mittens. These more classic coverings have the advantage of a single pocket for all four fingers, which allows each finger to contribute to the warmth of the other. Whether a skier opts for gloves or mittens often depends on how prone he or she is to losing feeling in his or her digits.

On either gloves or mittens, waterproofing is probably the most important factor to consider, because it is directly related to warmth. After all, if your hands get wet, then all the insulation in the world isn't going to do you much good. There are many levels of waterproofing available, and if you're looking for the best, be sure to purchase gloves or mittens with fully taped seams. Fabrics such as Cordura Ventia, Ventia, treated leather and Deluge DWR-treated polyester will all keep you plenty dry. These can be expensive, but they are worth it if you tend to fall down a lot or favor skiing in deep powder. The next level down consists of gloves and mittens with critically taped seams and shells of leather, nylon, polyester or Ventia. These are less expensive and still provide an acceptable level of waterproofing.

Aside from waterproofing, insulation is your best bet for maintaining feeling in your hands. There a few different materials used in ski gloves and mittens. Fleece is one of the most popular fabrics because it is light and quick-drying, and it provides excellent warmth. There are many kinds of fleece, including Polar fleece, also known as microfleece, and Primaloft, a synthetic microfiber thermal insulation material. Another, more traditional material used is wool. It has the advantage of trapping heat while allowing the hands to breathe, but its bulkiness can be a deterrent.

Ski gloves and mittens need tough exteriors to deal with things like sharp ski edges and rope pulls. To that end, many are made with tough outer materials, such as leather, durable synthetics or a combination of both. These materials cannot totally prevent rips and tears, but they do delay such problems, adding to the gloves' or mittens' lifespan.