The mittens-or-gloves question is a contemporary debate among snowboarders everywhere. Some prefer gloves for hand and finger dexterity, while others prefer mittens for simplicity and warmth. Most glove manufacturers market styles for both tastes, and it seems like no matter how the question of "best" is answered, the debate will continue. Likely, a rider's personal preference will determine the outcome.
Warm Fingers or Cold Dexterity
Mittens tend to be warmer for some people, but restrict dexterity, according to Weather.com. Gloved fingers do allow a degree of dexterity. However, unless you are wearing a thin "pipe glove" or spring weight glove that is low profile and not designed for cold temperatures, you will certainly loose a great deal of dexterity with any insulated fingered glove. Leather is known to provide a bit of sensitivity, but when any material is packed with heat-retaining insulation, it becomes bulky and imprecise. Gloves do provide close to normal finger and hand use when adjusting your helmet, binding straps or goggles, while mittens require some getting used to.
Your Body will Tell You
Snowboarding on a day when the temperature dips into the single digits and below will result in cold extremities, like fingers and toes. While toes are packed snugly into a sock or two within a heavily insulated boot, gloved fingers are isolated away from one another, and the blood flow to individual fingers won't last long before it recedes to more important parts of the body that it needs to protect from the cold. In mittens, all of your fingers are kept in close contact with one another, sharing their warmth and encouraging circulation. Gloves may also reduce blood flow just by their fit, even if it is non-restricting. Disrupting circulation spells discomfort in the cold, and overall, mittens don't seem to have this effect.
Slave to Fashion
Like many popular sports, snowboarding can at times be governed by trends and fashion. Don't let this get in the way of being comfortable. Function should dictate above all what you choose to include in your normal outerwear and equipment selection. In many circles, mittens are actually considered to be fashionably correct over gloves, based on their pure practicality in cold temperatures. If fashion is hindering someone from being warm, then possibly the fashion is the problem and not the person's choice of gear.
Spring Ski: Fingers Free
Mittens are known to be warmer, but that can have its drawbacks, as well. Spring conditions are a good example of when and where not to wear a mitten. Warmer days will cause your hands to perspire, and your body sweats to cool itself off. But if the sweat can't evaporate, it will become to cold, according to Alpineadven.com. When the temperature drops, your hands will stay wet and the chilly air will create evaporative cooling that will cause your hands to become uncomfortably cold.
Layers
Both gloves and mitten systems can be worn in layers. Glove liners designed to wick or pull away moisture keep hands dry. When worn with an insulating layer that keeps warmth in, this is an adaptable system. A shell outer layer is used to protect from wind, snow and moisture. This three-part system covers a broad range of temperatures and can be adjusted through out the day to the current conditions by adding or removing layers.
Rider Preference
Like so many other aspects of snowboarding, the mittens or gloves debate is best answered by the individual. Many snowboarders may opt to own both styles, saving a layer mitten system for backcountry and cold, unpredictable weather days and wearing gloves for other normal conditions at the resort or in warmer temperatures.
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