Hestra Army Leather Gore-Tex XCR Glove

One of the warmest gloves I've owned. I try to size up a little for my cold weather gloves and give my hands a little extra room to stay warm. So I'm wearing a 10 in these, whereas I'd go for a 9 in a lighter glove.Bottom line though is that they are keeping me warm and dry and the leather is subtle, so I get excellent grip.

This is definitely one of the best ski gloves out there in terms of product quality (fabric, stitching, design, etc.) and the fact that there are 6 different sizes to choose from allows the user to find the optimal size for his/her hands. The snow lock and velcro enclosures are designed so that one can tighten them easily with one hand. The gloves feel a bit stiff at first, but they do loosen up (not in a bad way) after a day on the slopes. My one major complaint is that it's being advertised as the glove for extreme weather. I was skiing last night between 10~15F weather, and my hands did get cold...not as bad as my toes were feeling and I'd say it was bearable...but for the money, you'd think they'd throw in a liner (but considering some Hestra liners will cost you up to 40 bucks...I guess that's too much to ask). And why isn't backcountry selling Hestra glove liners?

the army leather glove looks good but didn't do the job exchanged to mittons by the same company and these are excellent

hestra glove looks good but didn'd do the job. the mittons are much better by the same company

Using these gloves for two season, I love these gloves. Gotta love a full weather glove with Gore-Tex, it keeps my hands warm when I'm riding on those cold Jackson Hole days. These are are the best overall gloves I've ever had. The only negative thing I can think of is they are too warm for spring/warmer winter days, for that I use the Hestra Fall Line gloves.

Nice contruction and design. I originally though the idiot staps were a little weird compared to OR's system, but after using them a bit, this sustem is much better. I havn't used them in really cold weather yet, so I cant say how warm they are. Waiting for the chance.Just used these in mid 20s and my hands were toasty.

The warmth of a glove really depends on how much you are wearing of your body. If you body doesn't have enough insulation, it will cut the heat from your hands and they will easily feel cold. If your wearing a huge down coat, you can probably get away with thin gloves in very cold temperatures.

I was looking for a warm glove to replace my worn out Swanys. I have a pair of old Hestras, and I never thought they were warm, but well-built and sturdy, so I took a shot based on all of the good reviews. I ordered the same size as my old pair, and the fingers on the new gloves are quite a bit longer, which is making it much harder to hold my ski poles. If I could return them after one use, I would and get the next size smaller. That said, they are very warm and the quality is high.

I love my Hestra Army with thin Ibex wool liner, otherwise, while your hands are dry thanks to Gore, they will not be warm on really cold days. But, again, think "liner."The Hestra offers lots of dexterity. The velcro cinch around the wrist is excellent and the end around your forearms cinches perfectly with a simply pull of a cord. The size chart is correct. If you are in the middle of two sizes, go up to the next size.Great all around glove.

Update. Cold day skiing...fingers were cold. Glove seems good down to about 10 degrees with a liner. Now I need to find a warmer glove. I still really like the Hestra.

I paid half price for these gloves, still making them the biggest waste of money of the season. They are not good for anything under 20 degrees. They are not waterproof and they fall apart. I ski about 100 days a year in Vermont so I want a glove that is warm, can handle being bashed through spruce trees and don't get wet. I wore these for a week in December. My hands froze in 10-15 degree weather. had to use my black diamonds. I Put them away until Feb. While I was using them for a backcountry tour, when I pulled my hand out the lining came with my hand, and I was unable to get it back in (used to happen to the 5 dollar thinsulate gloves I had when I was a kid). Had to ski out with no glove (had a spare liner luckily). Happened again several more times. Also the stitching came apart in the index finger and thumb. Returned to Hestra. They did not replace them, instead I Received the same gloves with some new stitching. Used them for a week in April and tore them apart again. I am going to send them in again, maybe they will send me a new pair that I can sell to one of these gapers who likes them.

My hands ALWAYS get cold. My hands are always cold on and off the mountain. I actually stopped searching because I gave up hope on finding the perfect glove. Until ... A friend gave me these hestra gloves. He got won a pair of hestra gloves at a benefit & his new ones matched his steeze better.

These gloves have given me the warmth I need on the mountain. I would recommend them to anyone.

My hands ALWAYS get cold. My hands are always cold on and off the mountain. I actually stopped searching because I gave up hope on finding the perfect glove. Until ... A friend gave me these hestra gloves. He got won a pair of hestra gloves at a benefit & his new ones matched his steeze better.

These gloves have given me the warmth I need on the mountain. I would recommend them to anyone.

As for size, I usually wear a women's medium. For the men/unisex medium, I wear my north face etip liners and hestra gloves and it provides the snug fit that I prefer. Plus, by wearing the NF etip / liner, it provides the snug fit but also lets me use my iphone without exposing my hands.

Well this is not so much a review but
a note to buyers, I have never worn these but I did see several and I mean over 2 dozen climbers on Mount Everest, yes that correct. with these gloves on, I don't know if it was this particular glove but it was the Hestra brand ! As I have a thing for gloves and always look at other climbers gloves to see what they have on. It was 40 below that morning . The glove does have a removable liner so it could have been this shell with a different liner.
Any how i'm asking around because many seem to put lots of trust in the companies gloves.

I like the quality of Hestra, so far they have kept dry....used them for weeks in wet snow......proof will be known by the end of next season.

These gloves are my go to gloves. I've had them for 2 years now and they are still holding up fine with no cuts or rips. I really like the arm strap and the gauntlet fits over my jacket sleeve. After the first year the warmth has decreased, but I just added some lamb's wool to them and they are great down to the single digets. I was at Winter Park today and my fingers would get cold after 3-4 runs, but it was -6F and very windy.

Bottom Line:

Unmatched durability.
I could see buying this again, but would need another glove for very cold temperatures.

Bought these gloves recently and just got back from a week skiing with them. Was worried before I went after having bought them and then reading that they were sometimes cold. This was definitely not the case. Skiied in weather that got below 0 degrees celsius and were still warm. On a mild day my hands were boiling! Gore-tex worked great, it rained at the bottom of the mountain some days and my hands were bone dry when others in my group had freezing cold wet hands! Was reassured as well when I saw local ski instructors with the same gloves and they know the gear better than anyone.
Love the cuffs and the tightening straps and the durability of the leather. Will be taking these with me for many years to come!

Very warm and great fit. I decided to go with a size 9 instead of a size 8 because I did not want them too tight. These gloves are worth the money. My hand is about 7.5-inches from the top of my middle finger to the end of my hand.
Dan

I used these gloves at -18 celcius (Sorry you americans have to do the math but its 4 degrees Fahrenheit) at Whistler BC last month. Not only were my hands comfortable, but my buddy with glove warmers and his northface dilithium gloves and liners complained all day about cold fingers. I was by no means sweating, but I was warm.

I have also used these gloves on warmer days (-2 celcius, like 28 Fahrenheit) and they breathed well enough and my hands did not get over sweaty or wet.

I am a snowboarder so I spend alot of time with my hands in the snow, so I would recommend this glove for anyone.

For the guy that complained and said he needed thin liners to make the gloves warm, I have no idea why you would even need liners with this glove unless you are concered ease of regular cleaning.

I just got these gloves to go with my norrona onesie and they're fantastic. Really really good build quality. The extra leather over the thumb and forefinger where you pick up your skis is a particularly good afterthought. Very very warm and yet breathable these are a true all conditions glove which can be dressed up with an inner in very cold conditions. I was wearing these easter skiing last week though and my hands didn't get sweaty at all except on hikes when I simply slipped them off and let them hang by their elastic cuffs - why don't more manufacturers use these great things that we used to have as kids?!

Really happy with them. (The cuff is very long....)

The moisture management on these gloves is the best I have used in any piece of winter clothing.

They have never soaked through (although they are a little to warm to wear in warm spring skiing).

Sometimes a little snow will get inside the glove when I am putting them on/off, or after a big crash...it takes only minutes for the water to evaporate, and the glove remains warm. I have never seen a glove transfer water so quickly.

Comfortable and good dexterity, but that's about it. These gloves packed out and don't keep my hands warm below 20 degrees. By the second winter, a hole developed in the finger of one glove. Contacted Hestra, sent them close-up pics of both gloves, and shipped them back per their request. That was in February. Received email from Hestra on April 26, 2011 that they will not repair or replace glove. This small hole was not from damage, but rather a defect in the leather. Hestra said that they'll send my gloves back, but as of May 18, 2011, no gloves!! Very poor customer service!

It's Hestra, so hard to go wrong. For same price point, I opted to go with the Heli Glove and paired them Hestra liners. That combo provided consistent protection down to minus 10 F last week in Montana. The XCR's seemed to be slightly less dextrous than the Heli's.

Thought they were a little expensive but big the bullet and bought a pair. Man was I wrong. These are awesome and totally worth it. Coldest i've used them in is zero degrees with 30mph of wind and i was totally warm and cozy. i even dropped half a snowball in one while on the life, stuck my hand in and it wicked away the water like it never happened. A BIG tip, they came literally exactly as per the sizing chart so they are actually a tad tight on me and very tight at the wrist area. I would consider going for one size above your chart size. On mine, the fit is so precise that the velcro wrist strap is not needed one bit, its already there. My fingers aren't short but they aren't long. there is no extra space at the end after your finger which is brilliant. Its as thought they were tailored for my individual hands. A lifetime purchase. Gauntlets are great also, perfect length. I'm sold for life. even bought another lighter pair for sprint and a pair of the shorter no gauntlet version for my wife which she totally loves. SOLD!

I'm going on my third season riding these gloves. Previously, I was buying a new pair of gloves every season. I abuse my gear. These gloves have stood up to everything I have thrown at them... or in my case everything I have thrown myself at. Trees, board edges, rocks, bindings. This is the first pair of gloves I have owned in 16 yrs of riding that have not pulled apart at the seam between the thumb and index finger. I won't be replacing them anytime soon. The only time I have been able to get them wet is when I take them off for a safety meeting, deep in the trees somewhere swimming in pow. It can be hard to get the snow out of the fingertips of the glove without a removable liner. Minor complaint though. They can be slightly on the cold side some days. A thin low profile liner would be a good idea for colder weather. Still the best glove I have ever owned. When I do end up replacing them, I'll end up buying the same glove, maybe in the mit style to keep the fingers a little warmer.

Skied about 20 days on them so far in conditions ranging from 0 to 40 degrees. Really well built glove. Love the retainers. I have cold hands and use a liner on colder days. Dexterity is improving, but they take a while to break in.

Great gloves... love hestra!! The wrist strap are the best in its type, they are big hold on great and extremely comfortable. Keep hands warm, and dry with gore tex, altough I used a leather impermeabilization spray on the glove (I use it on all my gear.wore them -15c, and felt the cold but extremely comfortable (compared to other gloves I used), many people in the group used hand warmers, I did not felt the need. The only thing to be careful is the sizing chart that goes really small, so buy a size bigger than the size the chart recommends. my brother bought a different brand the same size and is a lot bigger, mine fits tightly, otherwise excellent...

Just like the other reviewers stated these gloves don't mess around, or disappoint!

Bought these for a quick trip to Steamboat and found them to be really warm and well designed gloves. Work great all over the mountain and kept my digits warm and dry.

The sizing to me runs a little smaller so keep that in mind.

Great glove!

Thanks to Hestra and Backcountry. Great product on the Best Site!!!

Gloves are great, warm, and waterproof. I've used them a few times now in 10 - 20 degree weather. I'm prone to getting cold fingers and didn't have an issue with these gloves. Only complaint is that plastic piece on cuff broke first weekend out (minor issue and doesn't affect performance). Other then that the gloves are amazing.

Always heard great things about Hestra - decided to give them a shot. They have lived up to the expectations. I am a pretty warm person so can't speak to the cold issue - but after a lot of damp/wet eastern conditions last year - I always had dry hands!

These are bombproof construction, waterproof, nice attention to detail, fit well. Only problem, they don't do their primary job: keep my fingers warm. Never had an issue with my various old gloves, some with fiber, some with fleece liners, but when it's below mid-20's and I'm skiing fast, the wind just wicks the heat right out of these. Below mid-teens, you're facing serious fingertip pain, no joke. And these are supposed to be premium "guide" models. I won't buy Hestras again.

Hestra, need I say more? Ironically, I bought this glove @Sundance the one time I skied there last year b/c I left my other gloves at home. My other gloves are now permanently left at home. These gloves fit great and are extremely warm. Easy to put on and takeoff. Love'm.

Just got back from a backcountry trip to Baldface, BC. Weather wasn't that cold, so I can't testify to the cold factor as others have, but the comfort, dexterity, and snow/waterproofing is undeniable.

More than once, I accidentally packed the glove with snow, while leaving them hanging off my wrists and climbing up into the snowcat. Each time, I woudl just stuff my hand in, melt the snow, and within minutes the entire inside was dry again.

I also would notice at the end of the days, that the outside was pretty wet, but nothing crept to the inside. Another guy in my group had an older pair of Hestras, and I can't recommend this brand enough.

I used to have dakine gloves with an inner liner and they don't even come close to these. The leather and quality of the glove is simply the best. Even the the coldest powder days my hands stay warm and comfortable. Highly recommend these gloves for anyone who has issues with cold hands.

Over the past 3 decades I've tried Gordini, Manzella, OR gloves. These are the warmest gloves by far, and they "fit like a glove"! Just finished a week skiing in Park City, UT - cold temps and snow, and my hands stayed toasty warm. Thank God for the handcuffs that keep the glove secured when you remove them - my buddy was army crawling through waist high powder when he dropped his glove from the lift chair.

The movement in these is nice. I use them for snowboard mountaineering and really any time i go into the mountains. They never get wet and they are very very warm. I got them off the steep for about 65% off so it was a really good deal. I like them and i would even have paid full price if i would have known how nice they are!

This is my first winter in Minneapolis, and it get's cold here. I've used these gloves shoveling, skiing and running in temps down to -30 and they were great. Decent mobility, nice extras, and as long as you're active plenty warm.

My hands get chilly but I hate mittens, so the XCR 3-Finger w/ super thin liners and a handwarmer is perfect. I just buy $5 liners and use them for a few weeks at a time. I've been pretty good about balming the hell out of them during the week, and they've held up very well. I can't speak for what would happen if you don't.

As for wetness, I haven't run into an issue. But I would never put them under a warmer because of the leather. Just hang them by the handcuffs from a hook overnight- you should be fine.

It's a little annoying getting the skirt to go in my jacket sometimes, but that's really the only issue I have.

4 stars because they're just too expensive.

These gloves are great. Wore them skiing in the rain. Others in the group were wringing the water out of their inners, and my hands were completely dry and warm. The gauntlet on these gloves is big enough to easily slip over the cuff on your jacket. I have had other gloves where you had to try and stuff the jacket cuff under the gauntlet while trying to pull them one which is a pain in the ass. The handcuffs are excellent too. Because they are elastic and not a cord with a sliding lock, you can take them completely off with one hand. My hand is 7.5 inches and find the size 9 maybe a little big, but perfect if you use a thickish liner, like the also excellent Hestra Polartec Power Dry Waffled Glove.

I have used these gloves for skiing, hiking, snow camping, and general outdoor cold weather work... they are my favorite gloves! I am glad that I got the Gortex version, as the exterior has gotten quite wet when performing activities such as building snowcaves or when it's raining/wet snow. The Gortex has proven to be impearmeable...I have even submerged them under water (up to the top of the cuff) just to test them... the inside remained dry, even when pressing hard against the exterior of the glove. I love the leash/cuffs- I forget I'm wearing them they are so comfortable. Only 1 gripe- in the mid teens and lower, there is noticeable cold transfer- when you grab something cold such as the metal safety bar on chairlifts, the cold permeates the gloves- this has resulted in cold fingertips. Liners help this, but for the price, the gloves should insulate a little better without the need for liners...they are otherwise bombproof.

I recently bought these and have not hit any bad weather so I do not have feedback there. I bought a size 10 and they are just a tiny bit tight on me. I normally wear a L/XL and I would say that a 10 is about equivalent to a L in most of brands.

These gloves are by far the best I have ever had. I chose them based on the positive reviews here, and I am very pleased. These things kept my hands dry despite my bad habit of sometimes touching the uphill slope while in a tele turn. They kept my hands warm without even a liner in 10F weather. I really like the elastic hand strap too. It is easier to use than the typical glove wrist strap, and it feels more secure. These gloves come with leather wax to apply to the leather palms. I am a little concerned that the wax will not last too long, but only time will tell.

These things are the best...especially after the leather breaks in. Be warned that you want to buy them snug...they will loosen up as they break in. I hate tight gloves, but I wish I would have bought the next size down to allow for the breakin. This model is really warm...too warm for spring, so I'm planning to buy another model of Hestra's for spring skiing and wearing around town.

The gloves are well constructed and fits great. My hand's lengths is 6.75" and perimeter is 7.5". However I was afraid that it would be too tight because the perimeter for size 7 is listed at only 7". I tried both size 7 and 8, and 7 fits me just right. Hestra's gloves sizing guide is at http://www.hestrausa.com/sizing_guide.pdf.

Hestra XCR Glove...possible the best glove of all-time. The burly construction, the goat leather, the cuff restraints, the fit, the warmth, ...all together on one glove. Choice of Chugach Heli Guides for a reason. I had Hestra XCR short...awesome glove for mild temps. Gauntlet version will take you way beyond sub-zero. And the glove is a total custom fit ...thanks to the leather construction...molds to you hand with time...like a over baked Intuition Liner for your hand. $130 bucks?...I'd pay $200!!

I'm a glove destroyer. Cheap gloves in the $50-$70 range don't usually last a full day for me. The fairly spendy Dakine Apollos lasted 3 days. Between grabs and, dragging my hands on fast turns and pushing off of trees, my gloves die a quick but painful death.

Enter the Hestra Army Leather Gore-Tex XCR Gloves. Nice thick leather on the palms, burly double stitching, substantial attention to detail. I'd show up for a gun fight in nothin but my Hestras and go home unscathed. Yup, I submit that they're so burly, they can stop bullets. Oh and they're warm too. And did I mention that the gauntlet is plenty big enough without being overly bulky like some gloves? Yeah, these gloves rock. Worth every freakin penny. Buy some, stop cold, stop wet, stop rips and stop bullets.

These gloves are built to last a lifetime (almost). I used them for 7 days skiing. They are warm. My fingers did get cold on the lift when air temps (not wind chill) dropped down to -18F, but I don't think any glove would keep your fingers warm in those temps on the lift. No discomfort while skiing. They are expensive, but I think they'll outlast several $100 gloves. I wear out a lot of gloves.

I waited a long time to drop this kind of coin on a pair of gloves and have to say it was well worth it. From the minute I pulled these bad boys on, I was hooked. The leather is sweet, the claw grip fits perfectly and the liner is soft and warm. I've skied them only a couple of relatively mild days but would guess they'll keep me warm well into the teens and maybe even single digits. (I tend to get cold hands fast.) Hit some powder and all was good. Did I say I love the leather? Very nice.

The handcuffs are a great feature. I didn't even notice them on my wrists. All in all, these are great gloves. If you can pick them up at a good price, go for it.

These are well made gloves with good features. But despite the reviews I read here, these are not especially warm. I used to use my Outdoor Research Coulier gloves, which are toasty. But I wore a hole in the thumb. The last few cold days, I have taken the gloves with holes over these.

If your hands don't get cold, these are great. But don't get these if you want extra warmth.

these are simply the best glove on the market in every single way. I will only use hestra gloves from now on.

These are great gloves, comfy, warm, and slick looking. The only problem is the end on the cinch cord broke day 3.

I had these gloves in Vail, CO for a week of skiing. The gloves were great. The temperatures ranged from -10 F to 25 F. These gloves held up really well and kept my hands warm and dry. I did not have any issues with these gloves getting wet and they stayed warm.

Don't have too many days of use on these yet but they so far are great. They are extremely well made and I have no complaints yet. Compared to some gloves I have had they do fit a bit on the small side, but not a huge difference.

I'm very happy with my XCR gloves - performed well over three weeks of Utah powder and cold weather and BC cat skiing.

Two changes I'd make. Hestra sizes based hand length rather than girth - so they're a bit snug - too snug to be able to wear liners, particularly around the wrist. A "fat" version would be nice! They are great for dexterity though. I was also surprised at how warm they are. The other change - removable liners to dry them faster.

My last pair of $75+ gloves just split at the base of the fingers so I decided to invest in some gloves that should last for more than a season (40+ days). They arrived just before the 10 feet of powder that got dumped here at Snowbird. I have large hands and purchased the size 11's. They fit nicely, not too big or small and good dexterity. The leather is not has heavy duty as the high end Black Diamond gloves but is well stitched and appears to be solid (the palms have already received some small nicks and cuts from carrying my skies from the car to the slopes). I applied a coating of the leather conditioner that came with the gloves before heading up. With the heavy snow and constant powder, the leather became saturated in places by the end of the first day but my hands stayed dry. I applied another thin coating of a more heavy duty leather conditioner each additional day that I skied but continued to have saturated spots that grew to the whole palm of the glove by the end of the day (my hands never became wet). This may be unusual due to the heavy amount of wet snow, constant use and the time that my gloves spent in direct contact with the snow. I am not thrilled with the cuff of the glove, my last ones had a thin layer of insulation that kept my wrists protected in high winds, these are just the thin layer of gortex. Love the wrist straps, no more worrying about dropping them. One of the downsides of wrist straps is that when you pull the glove off it hangs directly below your arm so any snow that falls off of you has a good chance of dropping into the glove and lodging in the tip of the fingers. The glove seem to dry out quickly over night and accepts leather conditioner well. The temp was between 7 degrees and 21 degrees, my hands kept warm but I suspect that if temps drop below zero that your fingertips would get cold, on the higher temps the glove was too warm and I found myself removing the gloves a lot to cool off. So after 8 plus days of powder over the last 2 weeks I am pretty pleased with the product, not perfect but better than most. If the glove lasts more than a few seasons I will be thrilled.

These gloves have been in high winds,driving rain, and Texas blue northers. The construct is top notch. I highly recomend them.

-Dexterity: 3 turns. Very soft leather construction, easily manipulated.

-Removable liner: 0 turns. No liner

-Wrist fit: 4 turns. Great wrist strap, found on underside of glove instead of on top, wider material. Best in class

-Palm material: 3 turns. Great leather construction

-Overall Construction: 3 turns. great idiot strap similar to the Cloudveil a model to follow.

-Verdict: 2.6 turns. Minus points for lack of a liner.

I've been skiing twice in these and they are really comfortable. They keep your hands warm and dry even when they get wet, have hook-and-loop wrist cincher straps for a snug fit, long cuffs with a thin nylon cinch line to keep all the snow out if you're in deep powder or wiping out. Elastic "handcuffs" with straps let you take them off on the lift without worrying about them dropping 25ft into nowhere. Great colors too.

These are great gloves, with real leather palms, reinforced with additional leather on the lower forefingers. Pre-curved, they are extremely comfortable, warm and allow pretty good dexterity. Idiot straps are comfortable elastic. I wish I had bought them one size larger so I could use liners with them.

These appear to be one of the better constructed gloves I have owned and will likely hold up to a few seasons of abuse. The keeper straps are useful as I am always popping the gloves off to tend to other matters such as text messages or nature. I was on the fence whether these would be warm enough for me (I get cold hands) and the reviews here were split. In the end they were not warm enough for me on days where the temps were below freezing without the use of a wool liner or some serious cardiovascular output on my behalf. They do dry quickly but the that may be because they are very waterproof so any moisture that needs to evaporate is doing so from the face fabric and the leather (after extended contact with the snow). I sized these at a 9 based on the chart and they felt clunky at first with somewhat poor dexterity but after packing out a bit they are increasingly dexterous and useful. I also own a pair of Hestra Heli Mitts for the coldest of days.

Such a great glove. They're bombproof construction. Extremely warm and give the manual dexterity you need for skiing. These gloves have kept me warm into temps below 0 easily and without a liner underneath. Hestra is known for their quality so that's not something you need to worry about. They breathe extremely well too for those semi-warm days where you're torn between gloves. For a spring day these are just too much, that's when I move to my Dakine Dukes.

They're an awesome cold weather glove when you still need some manually dexterity and bombproof construction.

I've purchased several gloves over the years, constantly looking for that 1 glove that keeps my hands warm. These gloves come the closest by far. I worn them in about 10F weather and even though my hands weren't toasty, they sure held up quite well compared to all my other gloves. Loved the wrist cuffs, was able to take off the gloves without worrying about dropping them while on the life. I am a snowboarder by the way.