You often email us and ask: Are they really waterproof?
Yep!
You don’t need to wax them. They are completely waterproof anyway.
So to the question:
Do you need waterproof winter gloves?
Good question. It probably depends on who you ask. For me, having spent countless hours with freezing hands in soaking wet gloves, the answer is pretty simple.
Wet fingers = cold fingers.
It’s so obvious when you say it out loud. Yet, tons of “warm” winter gloves are sold that lose all insulating ability as soon as they get wet. Some might handle a little light snowfall, but if it starts raining or you accidentally dip your hand in wet snow – well, then the game is over. And honestly, I was so damn tired of that.
Why do gloves get wet?
Most gloves let water in through the seams. That’s where moisture creeps in first. Not through the top of the hand, not through the fingers – but right through those tiny holes that hold everything together. There’s really only one type of glove that doesn’t have that problem: rubber gloves. And I guess, like me, you don’t want to walk around in rubber mittens all winter.
So how do you make a leather glove that really keeps water out?
All the failed attempts (and why they didn’t work)
I wish I could say we just sat down and “figured out” how to make a waterproof leather glove. But it wasn’t that simple. We tried. And we failed. Over and over again.
- We tested impregnated leather – worked okay, but didn’t hold up in wet snow.
- We tried taping the seams – helped a bit, but it was still damp inside.
- We tested different insulation materials – some got too thick, others lost warmth when wet.
Every time we thought we were close. And every time we discovered new problems. We got stuck, cursed ourselves, and kept trying.
How we finally solved it
So how did we finally succeed? We did something that seemed so obvious in hindsight – we put a waterproof membrane under the leather. Not on top, like impregnation, but inside, between the lining and the outer layer.
That means you can:
- Dip your hand in an ice fishing hole and stay dry.
- Be out in pouring rain and still have dry fingers.
- Handle wet snow without getting a damp inside.
And that wasn’t all. We made sure the gloves were properly insulated and reinforced the areas that usually wear out quickly.
So, do you need waterproof winter gloves?
Honestly? If you’re only out for half an hour sledding or taking a short walk, you might get by with almost anything. But if you:
- Are outside for hours in winter weather
- Fish, snowmobile, or do outdoor activities
- Work outdoors in snow and rain
… then you probably want gloves that won’t let you down. That’s exactly why we created Arvidsjaur Mitts – because we needed them ourselves.
Want to try them yourself?
Arvidsjaur Mitts are 100% waterproof, keep warmth down to -35°C, and are made of durable goatskin and Cordura. Packed with extra features like snow locks, carabiners, larger cuffs, and reinforcements.
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