The Outdoor Research Arete II gloves feature in our Best winter gloves for hiking and walking and are the only men’s ones reviewed that come with separate liners and leashes. They’re also the only ones with long, wide gauntlet cuffs designed to fit over jacket sleeves. The gauntlet is adjustable.
Price: £90 | Weight: 265g (L) | Materials: 88% nylon/12% spandex, WR goat leather, 100G EnduraLoft polyester, Tricot polyester, Gore-Tex; liner glove: 40% wool, 35% acrylic, 25% polyester | Features: Nose wipe, touchscreen-compatible liner gloves, clip together | Sizes: Men S-XL, women S-L
The leather protection on the palm, thumb and fingers is more extensive than on the other gloves too, covering the whole area and wrapping over the fingers, completely in the case of the first two. This doesn’t make the gloves stiff though as the leather is flexible and the rest of the shell material is soft and stretchy.
The outer glove is lightly insulated and quite warm on its own. Add the wool mix liners and the combination is very warm indeed. The liners are basic, the only features being touchscreen-compatible patches on the thumb and first finger. They attach to the outers with Velcro at the wrist. Designed for Alpine climbing, these gloves work fine for hillwalking but would be especially good for hillwalkers who venture onto easier-graded winter climbs.
Written by Chris Townsend
Chris tested these gloves in the Cairngorms in cold, wet, windy, and sometimes snowy weather in winter, spring and autumn. He says “All of these gloves are so warm, I could only wear them comfortably in those conditions”.
