Vegan Technical Winter Gloves
Last updated 4/14/17
Whether you’re ice climbing, mountaineering or just hiking around in the winter, you need to make sure you have gloves suited to your activity level that also keep your hands warm, safe and happy. Many climbing and mountaineering gloves are made with leather palms and it can be frustrating trying to find a pair that are all synthetic. But don’t worry, I’ve found these for you!
Please read this disclaimer before purchasing.
Outdoor Research
Outdoor Research Alti Gloves
* Laminated stretch
* Lightweight PrimaLoft® insulation
* Tough AlpenGrip palms resist abrasion
Outdoor Research Arete Gloves
* Waterproof & breathable
* Grippy palms
* Heat pack pockets
* Removable liners
* Also available in Women’s
Outdoor Research Men’s Centurion Gloves
* Waterproof and Windproof
* Moisture wicking
* Hook/Loop Wrist Closure
Outdoor Research Meteor Mitts
* Waterproof & breathable
* Grippy palms
* Fleece liners can be used without shells; pulling back the thumb and finger hoods exposes all 10 digits
Outdoor Research Mount Baker Modular Mitts
* Goretex
* Waterproof and breathable
* Machine Washable
Outdoor Research Revel Shell Mitts
* 100% Nylon
* Quick drying
* Durable
Outdoor Research Shuksan Mitts
* 100% nylon
* Waterproof, windproof
* Breathable, Quick drying
Burton
Burton Women’s GORE-TEX Gloves
* Waterproof, windproof & breathable
* Touch screen compatible
* Heat pack pockets
* Removable liners
* Also in men’s
Manzella
Manzella Women’s Adventure 100 Gloves
*Water resistant & breathable
*Grippy palms
Is this list missing your favorite gloves? Let me know in the comments below!
If you’re finding the information I’ve shared here helpful, go ahead and enter your email address below. That way you’ll be up to date on all the vegan outdoor gear I find!
Thanks for compiling this list! One thing I noticed while looking at the Outdoor Research website is that the Alti gloves are listed as having a “hybrid leather fourchette construction”. I don’t see anything suspicious listed in the fabric list on the website, but do you know what the “hybrid leather” entails?
http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/alti-gloves.html
Thanks for the heads up, Cory. I don’t remember seeing anything about that when I was doing my initial research, but I definitely do now. I’ll take them down and get in touch with OR. Can’t imagine it would be anything we would be ok with. Sorry about the confusion. ~ Jessica
Hey Cory,
I just finished talking with both REI and OR. There is definitely a lot of confusion regarding the Alti gloves, as both companies initially told me there was no leather included. But the bottom line is that there is leather on the finger tips. I sincerely apologize for this oversight.
Thank you again for bringing this up.Two sets of eyes are definitely better than one!
~Jessica
Dear Jessica,
as I am currently also looking for a warm, technical and vegan pair of gloves for iceclimbing/mountains, I stumbled upon your article.
Do you know by any chance whether the ALti glove now actually is vegan? I can’t read leather anymore in the materials, just says “alpen grip palm”, and from the photos they do look synthetic. Since you still have the alti glove up on your list despite this earlier conversation, I thought maybe the newer version is vegan. That would be great! Thanks a lot for your helpful website. Best, Luisa
I have the OR Mt. Baker shells +liner. Very warm; sufficient down to a bit below freezing. Even warmer, though just mittens really needing a shell, are the mittens from Apocolypse Design, a tiny company in Fairbanks. Their mittens are available in 2 layers of 300 wt. fleece!
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Jim! I compile these lists, but I haven’t tried out every product, so it’s always great to find out what’s awesome and what isn’t. 🙂 I’ll have to check into Apocolypse Design… maybe a good reason to visit Alaska! ~ Jessica
Just as a heads up, I’m not sure you can call any product by The North Face vegan. The way they treat the animals that produce the insulation for other products (Goose Down, Wool, leather goods) is appalling, and despite this new “Traceable Down” regulation this is a product that either comes from “Live Plucking”, tearing out feathers from live birds, or is a direct bi-product of raising geese for food. Just some food for vegan though.
Hi Alex, thanks for the comment. I agree, it’s unfortunate that these companies make other products that contain cruelly obtained animal products. And I leave it up to each individual to make the choice whether or not to purchase from a certain company. Unless a company is completely cruelty-free there will always be this kind of situation. I just want to compile a list of all animal product-free options so people searching for something in particular can use this site as a starting point. >> Jessica
I have owned the Outdoor Research Meteor mitts for a few years now. They are super warm and have good waterproofing. Great for snowboarding and winter hiking. Mountaineering too if you can sacrifice the dexterity of using a mitten. I’ve ice climbed with them with the liners removed and they were okay but a bit sloppy due to the loose fit. The only thing that can be an issue is that they don’t breath very well at all. It’s easy to end up with some really sweaty hands with these things.
Hey Brian! Thanks for the info! I always bring gloves and mittens when I’m out winter hiking or camping and trade off depending on how cold my hands are and what I need to be doing at the moment. I’ve got a good pair of REI mittens, but I need a better, warmer pair of gloves. I just need to decide which to get! ~ Jessica