What are winter warm hand gloves made of? What material is best?

Winter gloves are fashionable pieces of clothing designed for use in cold weather to cover the hands with an aim of protecting them from the harsh cold conditions. All of them are produced in various materials and this in turn provides certain level of insulation, durability, comfort and water resistance. In general, the best glove manufacturer will consider users needs to pick the best material to produce gloves for different groups, including ski gloves, winter running gloves and so on. We better know about the materials that have been employed in the production of the gloves will assist us in buying the best warm gloves.

Natural Materials

Natural materials are derived from animals or plants and have been used for centuries in making hand warmer gloves. These include:

Wool

Wool is one natural fiber that is from the animals, mainly the sheep. Due to the above properties, it is favored for use in clothing due to its insulation abilities, breathability, and ability to transport moisture away from the skin. Wool gloves can warm the hands even if they are soaked, so useful for wet climate conditions.

Types of Wool

Merino Wool: This is softer wool as compared to the aforementioned and it is commonly used to make warm but comfortable garments. Merino wool generally gives less itching and offers warmer as compared to normal wool gloves.
Lambswool: Slightly finer and less dense than pure wool it originates from the first shedding of a young sheep known as lambs. It is also quite warm, as well as very comfortable, and I think that it is perfect for sleeping.

Leather

Leather is another typical fabric of cold weather gloves; the material is produced from animal hides. It is extremely wear resistant, windproof, and quite form fitting. Leather can be used to make gloves with inner lining which includes wool or fleece to ensure that the hands are warm.

Types of Leather

Sheepskin: Soft and very pliable, sheepskin leather is applied especially in making luxury waterproof winter gloves for men.
Deerskin: This type of leather is soft, and has a good grip to it because of this, it is appropriate for outdoor use.
Cowhide: Widely used in work gloves, cowhide leather is very durable and strong.

Synthetic Materials

These are man-made fibers that are incorporated into the hand gloves for winter to make them more functional and long lasting. They consist of polyester, nylon and spandex fabrics which are specifically designed to provide effective insulation, underwater and elasticity.

Polyester

Polyester is one of the synthetic fiber material which is used in manufacture of wears especially thermal hand gloves. It is also very light in weight, immensely strong and can be made to be completely airtight or just somewhat leak proof. Clothlined polyester gloves are available with lining material like Thinsulate for insulating the gloves and to have a warming effect on the hands.

Types of Polyester

Fleece: Polyester fleece is soft to the touch, remains warm during the winters and is also very comfortable while travelling. They also apply it as a lining material to gloves.
Microfiber: Soft fibers of polyester that are fine in nature giving good insulation. It is also possible to treat microfiber gloves with some chemicals that will make them water proof.

Nylon

Another synthetic material found on winter warm gloves is Nylon. It is strong to bear loads, lightweight and can thus attend abrasion. While nylon gloves can be standalone gloves they are often incorporated with other materials for extra stiffness and weather proofing.

Features of Nylon

Waterproofing: To avoid hands getting wet nylon can be coated to make them water proof.
Windproofing: Good protection from wind chill is some of the benefits that people get when using this type of clothing.

Insulating Materials

An insulating layer is very important when it comes to the warm hand gloves as they serve to retain heat especially during winter. These materials are created to trap the air and also is very necessary for preventing heat loss for the provision of thermal insulation. They include:

Thinsulate

Thinsulate is an insulation material that is in the synthetic variety and is produced by the multinational firm, the 3M company. It is extremely efficient in capturing warmth while virtually not adding any substance which would hinder the free movements of fingers in gloves.

Benefits of Thinsulate

Warmth: Excellent thermal insulation.
Breathability: Permits sweat to evaporate thus leaving the hand dry.
Lightweight: It does not contribute to thickening the gloves.

Primaloft

Other synthetic insulation materials include Primaloft commonly used because it is warm, water-resistant, and has high breathability. It is used commonly in the hand warm gloves for winter since it provides high thermal performance in those types of gloves.

Benefits of Primaloft

Water Resistance: It also makes the product possess insulation properties regardless of the fact that it may be wet in some cases.
Softness: Is comfortable in regards to the fit.
Thermal Efficiency: It has K or high heat absorbing energy.

There are a wide and vast types of winter warm hand gloves, the major material that are used includes Merino wool, leather, Thinsulate, Primaloft as well as polyester fleece though each of them has specific features in their performance. Thus, knowing the properties of these material you can choose the proper pair of gloves that will cocoon your hands during the winter season.

What are winter gloves made of?