We gotta hand it to our team of experts: These touchscreen gloves are everything.
Cold weather is already here for much of the US, which means it's glove-wearing season as we all try to keep our hands as warm as possible amid the winter chill. Keeping your fingers toasty while using your phone can be a bit of a hassle. But, that feeling of frozen fingers while using your phone is a thing of the past. Touchscreen gloves not only keep your hands warm during outdoor activities, they also allow you to use your phone without hassle. These next-generation accessories feature conductive materials in the fingertips, creating a responsive connection between your fingers and your device — without exposing your hands to the cold.
Some touchscreen gloves work better than others, so we consulted a team of outdoor enthusiasts and travel experts to learn their tips and tricks when shopping for a high-quality pair. And then we tested over a dozen top-rated options to see which of these hand warmers truly deserve a round of applause. Considerations included grip, warmth, durability and, of course, how swiftly and smoothly they allow for swiping. Keep reading to learn more about the best touchscreen gloves. And for more winter warmth, consider adding a new winter coat or a fresh pair of snow boots to your wardrobe.
Update, Nov. 15, 2024: We checked all product prices and availability. Our number one pick for best touchscreen gloves remains unchanged.
Sizes: S to XL | Color: Black | Materials: Nylon, acrylic, copper, spandex
Unlike most options that only let your thumbs and pointer fingers do the work, this innovative pair from Glider Gloves has conductive threads throughout to mimic human touch on your entire hand. Not only did they feel ultra-soft and cozy thanks to thermal insulated layers, I loved their snug fit and anti-slip palm grip, which kept my phone firmly in my hand. The gloves have a knitted cuff that prevents cold air from entering, and they are breathable and lightweight.
While no touchscreen gloves are going to give you 100% accuracy, the capabilities of this pair were, by far, the best of the bunch. Thanks to their thin, snug fit and copper conductor threads, I could type and scroll seamlessly. Although they kept my hands during testing warm, their slim design isn't super-insulated, so I wouldn’t recommend them for below-freezing temperatures. They are, however, perfect as liners under a thicker ski glove when you need extra warmth in frigid conditions — allowing for access to that same touch-screen capability, without exposing your fingers to the cold.
Sizes: M to XL | Colors: 40 | Materials: Acrylic, Polyester, Spandex
This colorful and affordable option proves you don’t need to spend a ton of money on a great pair of touchscreen-compatible gloves. The top-sellers have conductive fibers on three fingers, plus silicone grips throughout the design. There are 40 (!!) colors to choose from — so it should be easy to find a pair, or two, that suits your style. And you can’t beat the price. I honestly didn’t have high hopes after seeing how inexpensive they were, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well they worked.
They were breathable, soft and warm and fit well for the most part. The thumbs were a little too long for me, which caused me some dexterity issues with typing but I had no problems typing and scrolling with my middle and pointers. I found them to be warm enough for walking my dog or commuting on cold mornings, but if I plan to be in sub-zero climates for long periods, I would use them as a liner under a pair of thicker ski gloves.
Sizes: S to L | Color: Black | Materials: Leather
These leather gloves are so sleek and stylish, the fact that they are touchscreen-compatible is just an added bonus! While the cuffs aren't fitted, they are much longer than most gloves, so the ends easily fit inside my coat sleeves to prevent cold airflow from entering. The gloves are made from supple nappa leather and both the thumbs and pointer fingers work on touchscreen devices. They are true to size and I had no issues with extra fabric at the ends or the fingers sliding around while I typed. This high-end pair has a soft and cozy lining that helps keep your hand warm and the simple leather design adds a luxurious touch to any cold-weather look.
Since the gloves are so fashionable, I didn't have the highest hopes about their functionality, but found them to be very accurate. It was easy to type and scroll on my phone and they also worked beautifully on my car's touchscreen panel, making them a stylish and functional pair of driving gloves too.
Sizes: S/M and M/L | Colors: Black | Materials: Microfleece, conductive fiber
These knit touchscreen gloves from Moshi have a grippy texture on the fingers and palms to prevent items from slipping out of your hands. A microfleece lining makes them super cozy. The gloves fit snugly to make typing easier and all 10 fingers are touchscreen compatible! Lisa Ockinga, chief product officer at Ling app, uses touchscreen gloves a lot as a product developer and app designer and these are her top pick for cold conditions.
I decided to give them a try after she recommended them and was pleasantly surprised but not only how well they worked on my phone but how warm and soft they were too. The silicone grippers on the gloves kept my phone in place and I didn't notice any unwanted shifting in the fingers. The typing dexterity was great in these gloves, thanks to their slim fit and thin seams, making it easy to type and scroll on both my phone and my laptop's trackpad. I found them true to size but did notice the gloves' thick design made my hands look huge, but the fact that they were so warm and accurate made it worth the bulky look.
Sizes: XS to XL | Colors: Black | Materials: Recycled polyester and spandex
If you’re looking for a great pair of touchscreen gloves to wear for outdoor sports and activities, read on. Whether you're jogging or going for early morning walks in the cold, this pair from The North Face is a great extra layer for exercising outside. I found them to be super breathable and lightweight and gave just the right amount of warmth for when you're working up a sweat but need to fight off the chill. However, I would say they are too thin for just wearing for long periods of time in the super cold.
The gloves fit well, though I did have some issues with the seam on the tips of the thumbs. At times they would get in the way of when I was trying to type causing some typos and difficulties. But I had no issues when typing with my pointer or middle fingers. One feature that I did like was that they have a clip on the sides that lets you attach them when not in use so you don't accidentally lose one — which has happened to me several times in the past.
Sizes: S/M and M/L | Colors: Four | Materials: Elastic, Fleece, Leather
If you are looking to keep your hands incredibly warm and still be able to quickly answer phone calls, scroll through messages and snap photos, consider these heavy-duty mittens from Andorra. The mittens fit nicely and have toggle closures at the cuffs and hook and loop straps to make them as loose or tight as you want them. While I found the touchscreen capabilities were great on the thumbs when scrolling, I did have difficulty when it came to typing, so I wouldn't recommend them as a pair you reach for when you need to send texts or emails, but if you just want to snap some pics and take calls while enjoying winter sports, they are a great option because of how warm and durable they are.
The mittens also have wrist straps attached so if you do need to quickly send a message you can take off the mitten and let it hang off your arm without holding it. Another bonus is that they have small pockets on the tops to hold your ID, cash or credit card.
Sizes: Medium to XXL | Colors: Three | Materials: Silicone, Thermoplastic Polyurethane
If you want waterproof protection and extra warmth, these are an excellent option that will protect your hands from the elements. I was easily able to scroll and answer calls when wearing them, but I did have difficulty typing with them as you would if you were wearing any thick layered glove. According to the brand, they will keep your hands warm and protected in -10℉ weather thanks to patented Thinsulate insulation. Plus, the ultra-warm gloves are both wind and waterproof.
While I didn't test them in windy conditions, I did run them under my sink's tap and can confirm my hands stayed completely dry (I could actually see the water repelling off them) and they dried fairly quickly. Another nice feature of the gloves is they have a zipper at the cuffs that expands the size if you feel like you need more wiggle room. Because of how warm and waterproof they are, I would recommend wearing these anytime you'll be outdoors in freezing temperatures for long periods of time, like when you're skiing or shoveling snow.
Sizes: M to XL | Colors: Nine | Materials: Acrylic and spandex
These Trendoux gloves are a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon with over 42,000 five-star reviews from happy customers, and after testing them it was easy to see why they're so popular. The knit gloves are thicker than they look and offer a good amount of warmth. The thumbs, pointer and middle fingers are all touchscreen compatible and I had no difficulties typing or scrolling with any of them.
The elastic cuffs locked in warmth and the silicone grippers throughout the gloves kept my phone in place and prevented it from falling. There are nine colors to choose from and they are all versatile enough to mix and match with the rest of your cold-weather outerwear. Like the other knit gloves on the list, I probably wouldn't reach for them when outdoors for long periods of time, as they aren't weatherproof, but they would be great for chilly commutes and running errands.
To figure out which touchscreen gloves actually work, we consulted a team of outdoor enthusiasts and shopping experts to get the scoop on what to look for when picking out the right pair for your needs. We then combed through hundreds of customer reviews to see which options are the most popular amongst shoppers. Finally, we sourced and tested over a dozen of the most top-rated pairs to see which ones are actually worth your money. Considerations during our testing included grip, warmth, durability and, of course, how easily the touchscreen gloves allow for swiping, scrolling and typing.
Isotoners: While these looked and felt nice on, I found I had too many accuracy issues with touchscreens when wearing them. The gloves' inner lining isn't fully attached to the exterior of the gloves, so while my fingers fit the lining perfectly, there was a lot of extra space on the tips of the exterior of the fingers. This made it difficult to type with accuracy. It may have been a sizing issue that caused my problems though, as our Gift Guide Editor Amanda Garrity owns them and says she “can easily navigate Google Maps, make calls and check text messages" with them.
L.L.Bean: I was very impressed with the warmth of these PirmaLoft gloves from LLBean but they were so loose-fitting that I wasn't able to do anything touchscreen-related with them. They were very lightweight and comfortable though, so if you just want a nice pair of winter gloves that are easy to pack, they would be a great option.
Smartwool: The touchscreen accuracy on these Smartwool gloves was great when they stayed in place, I, however, had some issues with the fit. Even though I ordered a size small, I still found the fit around the palms and fingers to be a bit loose. This caused the gloves' fingers to slide around a bit, so I had to keep moving them back into position.
Simari: Another sporty glove option, the touchscreen capabilities were good as long as the fingers stayed in place. And since the glove's fingers were pretty wide on me, they slipped often. Otherwise, they were very similar to The North Face option above but since the fit of the North Face was better, they made our list instead.
Carhartt: I could tell immediately that these Carhartt gloves were well-made and designed to last but the fit, once again, caused me to have some issues with touchscreens. I ordered a medium and probably should have gotten a small due to how much the fingers slipped around when on. Otherwise, they were soft, warm and very comfortable. I would just double-check the sizing chart before you order.
"The fingertips of the gloves are made with conductive material, allowing the absorption of electrical currents produced through touchscreen devices," Warren Young, Backcountry gearhead told us: "When you interact with a touchscreen while wearing a touchscreen glove, the surface allows for the absorption of electrical currents, much like the use of a bare finger."
iPhone:
Go to the “Settings."
Scroll down and tap on "Accessibility."
Select "Touch."
Tap on "Touch Accommodations."
Android:
Open your "Settings."
Tap on "Extensions."
Toggle on "Increase touch sensitivity."
Conductive Threads: Conductive threads are key for touchscreen gloves, as they "mimic human touch so you can use your phone without exposing your fingers," said travel expert Jackson Groves. They are usually made of silver or copper as these types of threads will transmit electrical impulses from the skin to touchscreens the best.
Material: Groves recommends opting for gloves made from spandex or fleece blends as they "offer stretch and snugness for dexterity," while Young says water-resistant options like polyester or nylon are ideal if you will be spending a lot of time in the snow or working up a sweat.
Thickness: While thicker gloves tend to keep your hands warmer, "for better touch accuracy, opt for thinner gloves," said Lisa Ockinga, chief product officer at Ling app. "Thicker doesn't always mean better performance," agreed Groves. "You want warmth plus touch sensitivity. [Anything] too bulky may compromise precision. It's about balance." Spandex or fleece blends offer stretch and snugness for optimal dexterity.
Warren Young, Backcountry gearhead
Jackson Groves is a professional adventure photographer, drone pilot, travel expert and owner of Journey Era
Lisa Ockinga, chief product officer at Ling app
