FAQs
Why do Hestra gloves cost more than typical winter gloves?
Hestra is a Swedish family glovemaker, and the price buys construction: leather palms and designs meant to be maintained rather than replaced. That's also why Hestra sells leather balm and small replacement accessories — the assumption is you'll keep a pair for years and look after it. The range is wider than the reputation suggests, though: merino liners start around $40, wool gloves and mitts run $70 to $85, and the classic leather ski models sit around $185 to $210. You're only into serious money with the heated line.
Which Hestra gloves are best for skiing?
The Army Leather Heli Ski is the classic — around $185, and available in five-finger, three-finger, mitten, women's, and junior versions, so the whole family can wear the same design. The Fall Line is the other staple ski model. If you run cold, the Army Leather Extreme mittens (around $210) push warmth further, and the heated models are the last resort for hands nothing else fixes. Worth adding: Hestra handcuffs (about $12) strap the gloves to your wrists so a dropped glove doesn't disappear off the chairlift.
What is a three-finger glove?
A hybrid between a mitten and a glove: your index finger gets its own slot, and the other three fingers share a pocket. You keep most of a mitten's warmth — grouped fingers warm each other — while gaining enough dexterity to work a zipper or buckle a boot. Skiers who love mittens but hate fumbling tend to land here and stay. Hestra makes the Heli in a three-finger version, and there's an insulated three-finger liner as well if you'd rather add warmth inside a shell you already own.
How should I care for leather Hestra gloves?
Leather gloves last as long as you treat the leather. Let them dry at room temperature after wet days — never on a radiator or heat vent, which stiffens and cracks leather. Once dry, work in a small amount of leather balm (Hestra sells a jar for around $20) a few times a season, more often in wet climates. Check the product page for care specifics on your model, since wool and fabric styles follow different rules than full-leather ones.
Does Hestra make heated gloves?
Yes — a full heated line. The Battery Heated Liner gloves and mitts (from around $200) are thin heated layers worn under a shell glove you already own, and the Heater Gauntlet (around $575) is a complete standalone heated ski glove or mitten. The honest guidance: try a warmer conventional option first — for most people a mitten or the Army Leather Extreme solves it for less. The heated models are for hands that go numb no matter what you wear, and for those hands they're the fix.
