Getting your gear ready for a cold weather bow hunting trip isn’t the easiest thing in the world.
There are so many decisions to make, and one of those decisions is what sort of gloves to pack. Thankfully, that’s one decision you don’t have to agonize over anymore.
Here, I have the best cold weather bow hunting gloves for you to check out.
Top 5 Best Cold Weather Bow Hunting Gloves 2024
Sitka Men’s Fanatic Whitetail
Over the years, Sitka has made a name for itself as a company that makes excellent hunting gear. It’s no wonder that Sitka made the glove that tops this list— because, seriously, what did you expect?
The Sitka Whitetail hunting glove tops this list because of three reasons. It’s cheap (relative to its quality), warm, and very grippy. Those are the three requirements a decent cold weather bow hunting glove must satisfy, and the Whitetail does this quickly.
So, what, exactly, makes this glove so unique? First off, it’s built from 4-way stretch-woven polyester. This material provides the perfect blend of warmth and dexterity, allowing your hands to deeply feel the external world while protecting it from extreme weather conditions. It’s, simply put, one of the best insulated hunting gloves.
While hunting, hunters (myself inclusive) sometimes have to fiddle with GPS and smartphone screens. Sadly, many hunting gloves aren’t compatible with touch screens, which leads to pulling on and pulling off the gloves. To solve this problem, many gear making companies started adding synthetic tips to their gloves in the hopes that they would be touchscreen compatible. The results weren’t impressive.
Some worked, and others, well, flopped. Sitka tried something entirely counterintuitive to solve this problem— they removed the thumb and index fingertips completely. This way, you can navigate through your GPS and smartphones without a care in the world while retaining the gloves’ warmth.
Additionally, the glove is water repellant. And lastly, the gloves’ design is the only concealment pattern scientifically engineered to confuse the vision of deer. It would be kryptonite if Superman were a deer.
Pros
- It’s affordable
- It has cut out fingers that make it great for touch screens
- The glove is water repellant
- Its 4-way stretch-woven polyester makes sure your hands stay warm
Cons
- The half fingers removed for the touchscreen compatibility may leave your fingers exposed during extreme weather conditions
Takeway
This is simply the best cold weather bow hunting glove you could get.
Badlands Hybrid Hunting Glove
Anyone who’s gone hunting, or has the experience, knows that finger dexterity is almost as necessary as warmth when choosing the right cold-weather glove for bow hunting. A glove that keeps your hands warm is useless if it doesn’t have the required skill that your bow needs.
It seems Badlands knows this as well. That’s why the Hybrid Glove features an Ax Suede palm. It is durable, super grippy, and makes it very easy to pick things up. The material of the glove is made from Badlands Hybrid fleece. The fleece is warm, quiet, and, most importantly, comfortable. It isn’t easy to get all these qualities in one material— but sometimes everything just clicks, and that’s precisely what happens with these gloves.
Notably, the tops of the gloves are also touchscreen compatible. Most people have to check out their phones and GPS systems while hunting, and this makes it easy for you as you don’t have to go through the trouble of putting the gloves off. The gloves’ design is also a masterpiece, as it’s made from a natural color palette that adapts to your surroundings seamlessly. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the jungles or the snow. The glove will blend in very quickly.
And lastly, the gloves are so strict that Badlands sells them with a lifetime unconditional warranty. However, you should know that the gloves are pretty pricey and may take a chunk of your gear budget.
Pros
- The Badland Hybrid fleece is quiet, comfortable, and warm
- The tips of the gloves are touchscreen compatible
- It comes with an unconditional lifetime warranty
Cons
- It’s really, really expensive
Takeway
The price of these gloves would probably put you off, but you shouldn’t. Quality doesn’t come cheap, and if you want something outstanding, you’d have to pay a really good amount of money.
Drake Waterfowl Unisex
If you want to stay as warm as you can while hunting in cold weather, this is one glove you should undoubtedly be looking at. It’s waterproof, insulated, and will keep your hands super warm when it gets chilly cold.
Unlike other gloves that are waterproof and unbreathable, these gloves still manage to be breathable. They are sewn with Refuge HS shell fabric, and they are coated with Durable Water Repellent (DWR) that helps shed water from its surface.
The insulation of this glove isn’t just a footnote. It has 200g insulation on the back of the hand and has 140g insulation on the palms. The two insulation zones help create lower bulk and adds better grip to the palm. This is what makes the gloves so, so warm, even in extreme conditions.
Pros
- It has two insulation zones, which means the chance of your hands getting cold while in the glove is near zero
- It is waterproof— and breathable
Cons
- It’s ridiculously expensive
Takeway
If you ignore the price, this glove is the best choice for you. However, it’s tough to ignore the price, so you may want to go for a cheaper alternative.
Mossy Oak Lightweight
Mossy Oak, the makers of this glove, understands how vital camouflage is for hunting. That’s probably why they released five different camo styles for this glove: Greenleaf, Obsession, Original bottomland, original tree stand, and break-up country. So, it doesn’t matter what sort of terrain you hunt in. You’ll always find a design that fits your terrain completely.
These winter hunting gloves are made with 90% polyester/10% spandex blended ultralight material. It also comes with an extended cuff and a rubber palm that keeps your grip firm and hard. This means that you’d be able to hold your gear solidly without worrying about slipping. The gloves’ stretch material is pretty comfortable too and will fit your hands amazingly— just like it did mine. The gloves’ lightweight material is very breathable, and the inner mesh thumb means that the gloves are also suitable for warm-weather hunts.
That’s right. These gloves aren’t just cold weather bow hunting gloves— they can also be used for warm weather hunting. And is there anything better than gloves that can be used at all times? Not really. One more reason why this glove made this list is the fact that it’s super affordable, so you don’t need to take a chuck out of your gear budget to get it.
Pros
- It’s incredibly affordable and is probably the cheapest glove on this list
- It’s suitable for cold weather and warm weather
- It’s touch screen compatible
Cons
- It’s not insulated, so that it may be inadequate in extreme conditions
Takeway
These gloves are great if you’re on a budget— but they will not so great if you’ll be hunting in icy conditions.
DeCoyPro Touchscreen Lightweight
The great thing about these gloves is that they come in one size fits all model. The standard model will fit people with L to XL glove sizes. The bad thing is that there’s only one size, so if you have small hands, you may have to look elsewhere for your gloves.
Thankfully, sizes aren’t the only things this glove has going for it. The glove itself is pretty good. For one, it is made with textured handgrip material that makes it easier for you to maintain your grip on the bow. It comes with touchscreen tips that allow you to operate your smart devices while on a hunt. However, I’ve tested it out, and it works maybe 70% of the time. Other times, you’d have to pull off your gloves to be able to touch your screen.
The glove is made with noise-reducing material, which means that it won’t make a lot of noise. If you’ve gone hunting, you’d know that it’s important to be silent while tracking game, and this glove does precisely that. However, it would be useless if you don’t try to stay as silent as possible.
Pros
- It’s a full glove, so it’ll keep you warm in cold weather
- The material makes it super easy for you to maintain your grip on the bow
Cons
- It comes in only one standard model, so people with small hands would probably not enjoy using it
Takeway
If you’ll be hunting in extreme conditions/cold weather, this is the glove you should be using. It works just as well as a regular bowhunting glove, and it will keep your hands warm.
Buying Guide
If you’re new to cold weather hunting, you may not necessarily know what gloves to add to your gear. And trust me, I know that the choices can be confusing. However, there’s an easy way to cut through the marketing noise and get to the best extreme cold weather hunting gloves. Here are the four features you must consider before you get a glove.
Fit
The first thing you must think of is whether the gloves would fit or size you. No matter how great a glove is, it’s useless if it doesn’t fit you. If they are too small, you may lose mobility in your fingers, and if they are too large, you’ll have loose fabric getting in your way, and you won’t be able to get anything done.
However, the gloves you get don’t need to be the exact right size for you. Many gloves get the right fit through different methods. Some gloves can have made with elastic materials, while others could use adjustable fastening. All these are methods to get a glove to the right fit without disturbing the fabric’s size.
Seamless
This point may be inconsequential to amateur hunters because of lack of experience, but it’s rather Important. The best gloves are seamless. This is because seams tend to pinch between your fingers when you draw the string, and this may disturb the accuracy of your shot.
Scent Control
You may not have noticed this, but your hands produce a lot of chemicals. And these chemicals don’t come in the form of sweat alone. They produce oil too— in fact, this oil is what you leave behind when you leave a “fingerprint”. Of course, these chemicals have their scent, and this scent can catch the wind and bring it to the noses of the game you’re tracking. You could also leave it behind on trees, trails, and whatnot. This scent could alert game to your presence, and as such, make your hunting a lot more complicated than it needs to.
Some gloves are made with materials that are designed to mask this smell. It’s a decent feature, and you should probably take note of gloves with it.
Warmth
This is probably the most important thing you should keep an eye out for when buying cold weather gloves. The glove must keep your hands as warm as possible because you don’t want cold hands during a hunt. However, there are different kinds of gloves for this, and your choice should depend on your environment. If you are hunting in extremely cold environments, you should get the warmest hunting gloves you can find. If you are dealing with rain and snow, you need gloves with moisture wicking.
Camo
Many people take time to get camo gear, but when it comes to choosing their gloves, they just go with generic designs. People who do this are wrong, as it’s essential to camouflage your gloves, it may be more important than wearing a regular camo outfit. Your gloves don’t necessarily have to match the rest of your camo, but they must match your environment.
FAQ
Are leather gloves suitable?
Gloves made with leather are incredibly durable. However, they aren’t great for cold weather hunting simply because they aren’t as warm. For cold weather hunting, you need gloves made with materials like fleece and polyester. These materials are super warm. That’s why the best cold weather bow hunting gloves are made with them.
Are fingerless gloves good for cold weather bow hunting?
The answer is no. They aren’t. If you are hunting in cold weather, you certainly shouldn’t be getting a fingerless glove.
What of the three-finger glove?
The three-finger gloves are what traditional archers use with recurve and longbows. It would be best if you didn’t consider them during cold weather bow hunting because they offer little warmth.
Summary
It’s not easy to cut through the marketing nonsense when searching for the best cold weather bow hunting gloves. Thankfully, this article does just that by listing the very best five on the market and giving you a buying guide to boot. This helps you know what to look for if you ever venture into the market on your own.