Hestra Fall Line Winter Mittens Review

If I were packing for a ski trip And can only choose one glove, the choice will be easy. Whether I’m jet-setting to Europe, Japan, or the Mountain West, I’ll choose Hestra’s Fall Line Mittens ($190). This design is not new or revolutionary. In fact, they’ve been in Hestra’s lineup for over a decade. Proof, in buried form, that you don’t always need to reinvent the wheel.

In short: Hestra’s fall line collection includes a glove, mitten and 3-finger glove (all in both unisex and women’s). The collection was created for the freeride skier, with the goal of prioritizing warmth and agility over a clean, aesthetic look. All styles feature a timeless cow leather shell and an undercuff design, so they slide seamlessly under a shell. Based near Jackson, Wyo., I field-tested the Fall Line mittens, and they did not disappoint. The insulation in the Fall Line mitten sits in Hestra’s medium warmth tier (a 7/8 rating compared to the 5/8 rating given to the five-finger glove iteration).

See how these mittens stack up to other options in our Best Winter Mittens buyer’s guide.

Hestra Fall Line Mittens Review

Durable with quick break-in

On the outer shell of the Fall Lines Mitts, treated cow leather provides solid protection. The pre-curved shape makes the poles easy to grip. I found that they felt mildly stiff right out of the box, but quickly softened and molded to my hands. In just 2 days of resort skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, I felt like I’d been wearing them for years.

Inside, a layer of brushed polyester fleece provided warm relief from the cold. The lining felt just like a new hoodie – soft, comfortable and luxurious. If given the choice, I always choose gloves over ski gloves.

Finger Divider – Proved Me Wrong

And I have to admit that I’m a bit of a skeptic when it comes to gloves with finger dividers. What’s the point of wearing gloves if you can’t even put your hands inside them?

But after testing half a dozen pairs of winter gloves this season, I realized that finger dividers provide a fairly significant increase in dexterity. Comparing Fall Lines Mitts with Finger Dividers and a Same Size Pair Gordini Polar MittsI found it very easy to get my ski boot buckles up. It was also easy to reach for a snack from my pack and pull up my ski goggles. Although I went into it with skepticism, I have to admit that the Fall Line Mitts impressed me.

Low profile, yet delicious

Between the cozy sweatshirt-like lining and the cowhide leather, the G Loft synthetic insulation kept my hands completely toasty—even for a few days in the teens—and despite the fairly low-bulk design.

These mittens may be low profile, but pack plenty of warmth inside, primarily on the tops of the hands. Mostly, I skied with these mitts at resorts, but one day on Teton Pass I found myself touring with them. I was pleasantly surprised to see how short of breath he felt even during the climb.

However, I should add that I run in very cold weather and almost never use liner gloves for climbing – perfect protection for my digits only. I climbed about 1,500 feet with these mittens on a 20-degree Fahrenheit day, and found that they regulated my hand temperature quite well.

queen of all-roundness

The undercuff design is sleek, slipping easily under all the shells I wore with it. But I will say that it doesn’t hold up that well for very intense days. I still think gauntlet-style ski gloves and mitts are what I’d want if it was positively nuclear and snow was flying into any little crack in my kit. But this is a special situation. If we stick to the most holistic logic, fall line mitts are still the queen.

There is a much-needed wrist strap inside the cuff, which has saved me many times from having these mitts fall off the chairlift into oblivion. The women’s version (which I tested) features a more slim fit than the unisex Fall Line Mitt, as well as additional fun, bright colors.

Hestra’s Leather Balm seriously boosts water-resistance

Like all of Hestra’s cow leather gloves and mittens, fall line mittens Come with Hestra’s Leather Balm (for goatskin and cow leather products only). It contains beeswax, lanolin, carnauba wax and neatfoot oil to keep the leather supple and increase its water resistance.

I went skiing with them for a few days before applying (which wasn’t immediately necessary, but I wanted to evaluate the process). This was easy to do at home, and a good way to increase water resistance after a heavy storm cycle.

In fact, I laid it on a little thicker, using more than half the bottle the first time. As a result, I had to soak the leather in balm for a few days before taking them back out. Next time I’ll probably start a little lighter, with just a teaspoon. The good news: It gave the leather’s water resistance a serious boost!

conclusion

Of course, Fall Line mittens aren’t as completely waterproof as some other gloves and mittens with Gore-Tex inserts. But since I’m mostly dealing with snow, not rain (at least in an ideal world), I’ve never really noticed any major drawbacks.

This might be different if I were skiing in Washington state, and it’s something to consider if you’re skiing in a humid climate. But for the Mountain West, even during a year that may have been the hottest and wettest in decades, these mitts proved to be a solid line of defense against any storm.

Mittens aren’t the heaviest gear piece in the wardrobe, so needing to choose just one pair for extended periods may seem a little unrealistic. Yes, you can spare a few square inches of space to pack two or three pairs for a dream ski trip.

But if you, like me, find deep joy in packing lightly and efficiently, Hestra’s Fall Line Mittens – aka the queen of well-roundedness – is the obvious choice.