Mountain Hardwear’s Cloud Bank Gore-Tex Gloves appear within our guide to the Best winter gloves for hiking and walking. The Cloud Bank is aimed squarely at resort skiers who suffer from the cold, these gloves feature tons of PrimaLoft Black insulation – so much that there’s a discernible trade-off in dexterity. The padding is bulky, and even moving my fingers takes work, let alone gripping things.
Price: £100 | Weight: 191g (L) | Materials: nylon/goatskin shell, Gore-Tex insert, PrimaLoft Black insulation | Features: Touchscreen-compatible, karabiner loops, hook and loop cuff closure | Sizes: S,M,L | Men’s version: Yes
On the plus side, if all you are doing is taking pictures with your phone whilst having fun on the slopes, then the cloud bank gloves have got you covered, because there’s built in touchscreen capacity, which is impressively sensitive.
As well as the PrimaLoft, there’s also a sumptuous pile and microfibre lining, which wicks moisture well, and a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane. There’s a generous nose wipe, karabiner loops and reinforced palms. The cuff is short and kept closed with a business-like hook and loop tab. The fit is fairly snug, but it’s hard to fill the fingertips – a problem made worse by the annoying presence of a seam right across the ends of each finger, which further reduces dexterity. I can’t help feeling that the brand has missed a trick here, as this is relatively easy to remedy with more thoughtful design.
Written by Lucy Wallace
Lucy had these on an extended test in the Scottish mountains, walking and mountaineering, since early 2022, during one of the wettest and wildest winters in memory.
