Cold hands can make yard chores tricky and painful. Wearing gloves is the obvious solution, but it can be hard to find the right ones, which you don’t have to take off to do some jobs. To help you find a pair of gloves that will protect your hands from the elements whatever winter tasks you’re doing, our team of testers have put nine pairs through their paces.
Each pair has been used for yard work over the past 10 weeks and is given a mark out of five for fit, performance and value for money. This gives an overall score out of 15.
Waterproof test: Some of the gloves claim to be waterproof. These gloves were subjected to our own waterproof test as well as being used for tasks such as washing off hooves and soaking hay. While wearing the gloves the back of them was held in water for one minute. Then the test was repeated with the palms of the gloves in water. Finally, the whole hand was submerged into water for a minute. Any comments about the glove’s waterproofness are in its individual test report.
1. Equetech Storm Waterproof Gloves
RRP: £39.50
Colour: Black
Sizes: XS-L
Fit: These are smart gloves that fit really well and are true to size. The elasticated cuff and fastening around your wrist provide a secure fit. These gloves are lightweight and not bulky to wear. 5 stars
Performance: My hands stay lovely and warm when I’m wearing these gloves — the inner microfleece lining is so cosy. They aren’t restrictive and I can do all my yard chores, including tacking up, without having to remove them. Another big plus point of these gloves is that they are waterproof — I’ve worn them while washing off hooves, handling wet rugs and out in the pouring rain, and my hands have remained dry whatever I’ve been doing while wearing them. 5 stars
Value for money: These are a great pair of winter gloves — they do their job effectively and are well worth the money. 5 stars
Total score: 14.5
2. HY Equestrian Thinsulate Rainstorm Gloves
RRP: £24.99
Colour: Black
Sizes: XS-XL
Fit: These gloves fit perfectly and are easy to pull on. They are lightweight and not too thick. The knitted cuff is comfortable. I’m not sure the touch-tape fastening is needed, but it looks smart. 4.5 stars
Performance: My hands stay lovely and warm while wearing these gloves. I don’t need to take them off to fasten rugs and other fiddly jobs. They have proved to be waterproof — particularly useful when removing ice from water troughs. Nothing sticks to them and I’ve worn them in some nasty weather and my hands have stayed dry. They are comfortable and not at all restrictive. Plus, the touchscreen-compatible fingers work well. 4.5 stars
Value for money:Very good value – a great pair of practical winter gloves. 5 stars
Total score: 14
3. Mountain Horse Flash Glove
RRP: £29.50
Colour: Silver/ black
Sizes: XS-XXL
Fit: These are a good fit, although some of the fingers are generous in length. They are easy to pull on and off and no other fastenings are needed to hold them in place. The gloves are thicker than others in the test, but they aren’t too bulky and it doesn’t affect the fit. 4 stars
Performance: These are a bit like ski gloves – lovely and soft inside, and they keep your hands snug. I did have to take them off for fiddly jobs, but they have an elastic stay strap that you slip over your wrist and when you take them off they hang off your wrist, ready for you to slip them back on. These gloves have kept my hands dry while getting horses in from the field in the pouring rain. A nice extra is that the back of the glove is made from a reflective material. 4.5 stars
Value for money: Great value, practical winter gloves. 5 stars
Total score: 13.5
4. Uvex CRX700 Gloves
RRP: £42.99
Colour: Black
Sizes: 6-10.5
Fit: I can’t fault the fit of these gloves. They are close fitting but not tight and the material stretches as your hand moves. The back of the glove extends nicely over your wrist and a touch-and-close fastening secures the glove in place. 5 stars
Performance: Comfortable and warm to wear even in cold weather – the material against your skin is lovely and soft. What I really like about these gloves is that my hands don’t get too warm wearing them. The back of the glove, which is a softshell material, is definitely waterproof – water just runs off. However, there was a little leaking when the palm got wet. I can easily do all the jobs on the yard without having to take the gloves off, so my fingers don’t get cold. 4.5 stars
Value for money: A great pair of gloves that definitely live up to the manufacturer’s claims, but they are expensive. 4 stars
Total score: 13.5
5. Steeds Winter Working Gloves Worker
RRP: £9.49
Colour: Black
Sizes: XS-XL
Fit: These gloves fit nicely – no frills, just pull them on. The elastic cuff is deep and extends comfortably and snugly over your wrist. The lining inside is soft and doesn’t add any bulk to the gloves. 4.5 stars
Performance: A true pair of yard gloves that you can wear to do all your jobs – working gloves, as the name suggests. They keep your hands protected and fairly arm. On really cold days my hands did get cold. They are flexible and nothing really sticks to them. They are still in good condition, having been worn for mucking out, carting hay and other tough jobs. 4 stars
Value for money: For under £10 you won’t go far wrong with these gloves, especially for doing all the dirty jobs around the yard. They just aren’t the warmest option on the market. 4.5 stars
Total score: 13
6. Le Mieux Waterproof Lite Gloves Black
RRP: £32.50
Colour: Black
Sizes: S-XL
Fit: These gloves are a good fit and easy to pull on and off. The generous elasticated cuff extends over your wrist to help hold the gloves in place. There is also an additional touch and close strap, which can be adjusted on the back of your hand. All the fingers are a good length and the thumb is also generous in length. The gloves are flexible and not bulky. 4.5 stars
Performance: Doing most jobs is easy wearing these gloves apart from more fiddly tasks such as doing up a bridle. This was mainly because I couldn’t use my thumb very well. The gloves are comfortable and warm to wear — and they are also waterproof. The generous cuff also helps to keep out the cold. 4 stars
Value for money: These are a good pair of winter gloves, at a fair price. 4.5 stars
Total score: 13
7. Ariat Insulated Tek Grip Gloves
RRP: £40
Colours: Bark, black
Sizes: 6-11
Fit: A great fit — the material is slightly stretchy, which enhances the comfort and overall fit of the gloves. They are easy to pull on and take off, and there’s also an additional touch-and-close fastening around your wrist. The material is not too thick, and it’s flexible too. 4.5 stars
Performance: These gloves are comfortable to wear and keep my hands warm. The fleece inside the gloves is soft but it’s not too thick, so you easily carry out fiddly jobs such as fastening rugs without having to take the gloves off. I’ve worn them in all weathers, and they are water-resistant and windproof. Also, nothing sticks to them — a big plus when you’re filling haynets. 4.5 stars
Value for money: These are on the pricey side but they are a practical pair of winter gloves that do the job well. 4 stars
Total score: 13
8. Posh Muckers Riding Gloves
RRP: £45
Colours: Granite grey, original navy
Sizes: XS-L
Fit: The fit of these gloves is good — I found them a little snug and rigid to start, but this improved with wear. They are easy to pull on and off. The deep knitted cuff is snug and secure. I have the large (equivalent to a size 8); if they did a larger size it would have been good to compare the fit. 4.5 stars
Performance: I can’t fault them for warmth and comfort, even on very cold and windy days. The outer fabric is waterproof: I’ve worn them for washing off hooves and soaking haynets and my hands have remained dry. The softshell outer material seems to repel dirt and nothing sticks to them. I found the gloves a little thick when fastening rugs, but fine for all other yard jobs. 4.5 stars
Value for money: These feature-rich gloves are pricey, but they do the job well. They are well-made and proving durable. 4 stars
Total score: 13
9. Harry Hall Polartec Gloves
RRP: £34.95
Colour: Black
Sizes: S-L
Fit: Lightweight, stretchy gloves that fit well, although a few of the fingers are a little short for me, so I can feel the seams of the glove on the top of my fingers. Easy to pull on and off, and a good cuff. 4 stars
Performance: The Polartec material is soft and comfortable to wear. These gloves aren’t overly thick but are surprisingly warm. I initially thought that hay and bedding would stick to them, but I was wrong – any bits that did stick were easily brushed off. Doing all the usual yard tasks was easy and I didn’t need to remove the gloves at all. 4.5 stars
Value for money: Good value, although I would say that the sizing of these gloves isn’t overly generous. 4 stars
Total score: 12.5
