On choosing ski gloves

There are basically two schools of thoughts when it comes to choosing your ski gloves: one emphasising a technical Goretex glove with a removable liner and the other preferring a simple work glove. For as long as I remember I have been part of the first group: my current gloves by Arcteryx have a Goretex membrane, they mix goat skin with nylon, have a removable fleece liner – and a long arm that can be tightened on top of the ski jacket.

With this in mind, I was pretty intrigued by the chance of testing a ski glove, which represented a polar opposite to what I was used to wearing: a no frills leather work glove without a removable liner or a technical membrane.

 

Handjob Gloves

Handjob Gloves is a company hailing from Finland, which was launched in 2021 by ski instructor Ville Strandman. Ville and his family are now residing in Chamonix and and he is currently undergoing studies to become a certified ski guide.

The company was initially based around Ville´s preference on using a simple high quality work gloves, while skiing, touring, travelling and also as an everyday all round choice in town. That, and the name –  a joke in the beginning, which was eventually deemed good enough to base the whole brand on. (It is funny, but be prepared to see oddball search results in Google.)

 

 

First Impressions

I received a pair of size L Handjob Gloves in my mail box in mid-February. Right out of the package the gloves look really nice, the leather seems to be of very high quality (the company states they are made of goat leather), they fit well and the finishing on the seams appear to be well-made. There is an additional layer of leather on the palm and right below the thumb. This should add to the durability in skiing, where one usually tends to clench the ski poles, either on the way down or skinning back up. There is also a non-removable white polyester liner, which feels soft and somewhat warm next to your skin.

 

The test

Part one: skiing and touring

I used the Handjob Gloves extensively, while skiing and touring from mid-February to mid-March. The lift-accessed skiing was mainly done at the local small ski area and the touring either in the same ski area or in the woods just next to where I live in Helsinki. The temperatures and conditions varied from -15 degrees C powder to + 2 slush – and everything in between (we had a very strange winter 2023).

 

 

 

My overall impression on the gloves, how they felt and performed while both skiing and ski touring was very positive: they kept the elements outside, regulated the body heat pretty well and just felt comfortable. They are also very quick to get out of and back in again, when for example stopping for photos.

 

 

The biggest surprise for me was how warm they were, even at temperatures like -15 degrees C: I was expecting to freeze my hands, but nothing of the sort happened, and my hands remained dry and warm – without any additional layers (you could not really fit much underneath either – maybe a silk liner).

Overall, the Handjob Gloves felt comfortable enough that you did not pay much attention to them. And this coming from someone, who is used to wearing expensive technical gloves with removable liners.

One of my only complaints regarding skiing with the Handjob Gloves is, that due to the relatively short arm of the glove, you can quite easily expose the wrist area in your hands, letting the cold wind get in. I tried adjusting the velcro cuffs of my Patagonia Triolet jacket, but neither the cuff over the glove or the glove over the cuff really solved the issue. Having said that, this is not something necessarily related to Handjob Gloves, but all ski gloves with a short arm.

 

The test

Part 2: all-round use in town

The good thing about the Handjob Gloves is that, unlike many other ski gloves, they look good enough to also wear in town. I pretty much wore them everywhere for a month – from pulling the kids on a sleigh to kindergarten, remote-working in cafés to attending the christening of a friend´s newborn baby.

 

 

 

Once again, the gloves regulated heat very nicely and adjusted to a variety of temperatures and moisture levels (from 15 degrees C dry winter weather to +5 torrential rain). They feel comfortable and look smart enough to pass as city wear.

I have not used the gloves in rain for prolonged period, but knowing that they do not feature a technical membrane, they will probably get wet after a while. This can, of course, be helped by applying beeswax or similar, which the company advices to do. Applying the wax will also prolong the lifespan of the gloves and should give them a nice patina, as well.

 

Overall conlusion

After a month of testing, the Handjob Gloves have won me over on the simplicity of their design: you don’t always need a big and technical ski glove to do the job.

The quality of both the leather and the workmanship has proven to be very good. (Now, after a month of nearly everyday use, the fingers show some sign of wear and tear, but this is just the fading of the yellow color, which cannot be really helped with mechanical abrasion.)

I was surprised to see how well a simple glove like this works for skiing and touring and they blend outdoor and in town use. When you can even wear the gloves in a formal dress code event, it means that the gloves REALLY are multifunctional.

I think this could be the number one selling point of this glove: it’s a real do-it-all ski and everyday glove. So, if you want a simple ski glove without the bells and whistles, or you’re tired of buying several different gloves for different purposes, the Handjob Gloves could be a perfect fit.

They are available for 49 euros here.