When it comes to winter running, a must-have (yet much-overlooked) piece of gear is a solid pair of running gloves. The best running gloves utilize modern materials to keep your hands warm without trapping sweat, go on (and pull off) easily, and—ideally—let you use whatever phone, smartwatch, or fitness tracker is keeping tabs on all those miles.
Above all, they need to fit. While you (probably) won’t end up trying them on in court, OJ-style, ill-fitting gloves tend to be the root cause of running glove annoyance. Which explains why many of our picks are from running brands that ditch a one-size-fits-all approach.
The Best Running Gloves, According to GQ
Wanna race to the checkout? Here, our top-pick running gloves to help you cross the finish line.
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And while the sea of running glove options isn’t quite as deep as the seemingly-infinite ocean of running sneakers, there’s a lot to sift through, and no easy way to try things on. Plus you need to know what to prioritize: tactility or warmth? Waterproofing or wind-blocking? Do you actually need…mittens?
Regardless of where you run, how you run, or whether you run cold versus hot, we’ve found a pair of running gloves we’re confident will keep your hands safe until the temps are high enough to let them feel the breeze once again.
The Best Running Gloves Overall: SmartWool Merino Glove
Merino wool remains unbeaten when it comes to handling the complicated thermodynamics of cold days but potentially sweaty hands. SmartWool remains the king of leveraging the natural fiber for chilly outdoor pursuits, but we also love the brands merino running gloves because they’re touchscreen compatible and come in five sizes, so just about anyone find a close-to-perfect fit. They’re also blessedly simple aesthetically, which I appreciate.
Heads-up that at the moment, Amazon seems to have oddly limited sizing, while REI has the full run, plus a lighter gray colorway.
The Best Upgrade Running Gloves: Satisfy Justice CoffeeThermal Gloves
Satisfy is one of the most stylish running brands in the game right now, marrying a fashion-influenced design with some innovative thinking around performance textiles. The brand’s Justice CoffeeThermal gloves are wonderfully thin and water-resistant—and, I suppose, somewhat coffee resistant, though I did not test that, so don’t quote me. But that’s not the reason for the name.
The gloves have coffee-charcoal infused fibers that naturally retain heat, which lets them stay warmer than similarly lightweight running gloves. Those lighter-gray circles at the thumb are actually there to wipe away sweat (okay, probably also some snot), which is nice. The fact that there are only two sizes is at least somewhat mitigated by the fact that the CoffeeThermal fabric is nicely stretchy, so should accommodate a wide range of hands.
The Best for Data Nerds: Bandit Softspeed Gloves
Bandit started as a sock brand, so it’s no surprise that they are crushing it with other accessories. The Softspeed gloves utilize their silky smooth nylon/spandex blend that wicks sweat and feels like a second skin. The touchscreen-compatible fingertips are immensely useful, but the winning feature here is the watch window, which allows the gloves to be pulled past the wrists without hiding your watch and its all-important data.
The Best for Extreme Cold: Pearl Izumi PRO Amfib Lobster
Ok, so these are technically for cycling, but if they can keep a cyclists white knuckles warm, they’ll keep a runner’s hands even more toasty. The lobster style gives you a bit more dexterity than you’d normally get with a pair of regular mittens and the softshell exterior keeps wind, rain, and cold at bay with ease. We also love the microfleece thumb panel for wiping away snot and spit.
The Best Minimalist Gloves: Hoka Airolite
For those of us whose hands tend to run a bit sweatier, a beefy, thick glove really isn’t necessary. The Hoka Airolite is the antidote, providing a lightweight layer of protection to keep your fingers from numbing over, but not too much to make your fingers and palms sweat profusely. The fingers are actually quite dextrous, which makes the tech-friendly fingertips all the more useful.
The Best Running Gloves for Everyday Use: Lululemon Fast and Free Fleece Running Gloves
With reflective details, silicone grip on the palms, and tech-ready fingertips, Lululemon has a pair of feature-packed running gloves on their hands (sorry). They are made from water-repellent brushed fleece and have a handy clip to keep them together when you take them off. Unlike a lot of aggressively sporty running gloves, the Lululemons’ low-key look means they’ll sync up nicely with your everyday puffer or overcoat whether you’re heading to work or out on a date.
The Best Hi-Vis Running Gloves: Nathan HyperNight Reflective Gloves
A top pick for low-light conditions and running at night, Nathan’s Hypernight gloves are fleece-lined and impossible to miss in the dark thanks to all-over reflective dots and bright yellow color. They’re also available in a blacked-out that’s covered in the same light-catching dots and logo, in case you’d like to be a little more stealthy during your daylight runs.
The Best Lightweight Gloves: Defeet ET Dura Glove
The DeFeet Duraglove is a hard-wearing pair gloves made from a combination of lycra, nylon, and polyester. Since they’re knit and unlined, they’ll let in a breeze, which makes them best for mid-range temps or folks who only need a little extra warmth. All those little black logos on the palm are silicone grips, and the fingertips are infused with silver yarn to make these gloves touchscreen compatible. They also come in five sizes, so you’ll definitely get the right fit.
6 More Running Gloves We Like
Hestra’s been making gloves in Sweden since 1936, and it’s one of the world’s best in the keeping-hands-warm game. The brand’s bread and butter models tend to be either hardy work gloves or teched-out ski gloves, which explains why these feel like they borrow a little bit from both.
