The best touchscreen gloves allow you to stay connected when you're out and about, enjoying adventures in the cold seasons. Standard gloves don't work with touchscreen devices, but the best ones have conductive material woven into the fingertips, making it easy to use your phone or a hiking GPS or even go through your GoPro without exposing your fingers to the elements.
Before you buy, you'll need to think about how you plan to use your gloves; nearly all will be suitable for day-to-day use, but if you're planning on a big outdoor expedition in the depths of winter, you'll probably need something a bit more rugged. And it might be that you'll need to sacrifice touchscreen compatibility and aim for maximum warmth instead, in which case, see our guide to the best cold-weather gloves. We also have dedicated guides to the best hand warmers and best ski gloves for reference.
Just like with any other gloves, don't go for the chunkiest option if you're planning a big adventure with lots of walking or running; you'll soon warm up, start getting sweaty and lose the benefit of all that insulation (see our guide to running gloves for some specialised alternatives). Also, remember that most touchscreen gloves only have conductive fingers and thumbs, which is fine for basic tapping at your phone or smartwatch, but if you're thinking about typing on a tablet, you should look for gloves with 10 conductive digits.
The best touchscreen gloves to buy now
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The best touchscreen gloves for most people are the Rab Ridge gloves. This brand is perhaps best known for making some of today's best winter coats, with a particular focus on quality and warmth. These gloves stand out for the same reasons. The charcoal grey knitted outer, with tan detailing and quilted palm reinforcement, looks city-smart but feels durable, while the fleece lining adds extra warmth and a water-resistant finish provides protection from the elements. Be aware that these aren't naturally 'clingy', and you'll need to make sure they fit pretty snugly in order to use the touchscreen functionality easily. The touchscreen sections, on the tip of the thumb and index finger, are quite small, so if you have narrow fingers or your finger doesn't reach right to the end of the glove, they can be a bit unweildy. If you're looking for a general-use touchscreen glove that'll last, this is it.
The Furnace Pro gloves might look like the equivalent of a school-teacher's tweed jacket, all leather patches and home-spun goodness, but there's serious tech lurking in these traditional knitted gloves. The first hint that ‘Furnace' might be appropriate is the weight – 110 grams (medium) is quite a heft for a pair of gloves, and there's an excellent reason for that – a Primaloft Gold insulation layer. That outer is indeed wool, just in an acrylic mix to keep damp at bay, while an X DRY Extremities membrane ensures the inner stays dry.
In a final minor masterstroke the conductive touchscreen fingertips mirror the pu leather palm-pad, creating a vintage look that'll blend in with any event, from office to hillwalking. Most importantly though, these will keep you downright toasty whatever the weather throws at you – a modern classic.
Our pick for the cosiest touchscreen gloves around right now is the Montane Prism gloves. With an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, these pack down into a parcel just a little bigger than an apple, ready to sling in your rucksack just in case they're needed. The index fingers and thumbs are conductible and pre-curved to make them nice and dexterous, too. PrimaLoft GOLD insulation traps heat remarkably well, and the Pertex Quantum shell offers a good amount of wind resistance while still allowing the fabric to breathe. While these aren't quite hardy enough for proper expeditions, for running, hiking and general casual glove-wearing, they'll work a treat.
Read our full Montane Prism gloves review.
Designed for winter sports use but actually pretty handy for any very cold weather, The North Face Montana FUTURELIGHT Etip are our pick for the best touchscreen gloves for skiing and snowboarding. These are gauntlet-style gloves with many features you’d expect to see on a pair of dedicated mountain gloves – plus, of course, the touchscreen-friendly ‘etip’ overlays on the thumb and forefinger. There's a synthetic leather palm for durability and flexibility, plus medium-weight insulation to keep things supremely cosy. These also include a layer of FUTURELIGHT, TNF’s flagship waterproof-yet-breathable membrane, which also makes an appearance in the brand's best waterproof jackets.
Read our full North Face Montana FUTURELIGHT Etip gloves review.
Before you buy, make sure you check The North Face discount codes page to help lower the cost of your order.
For active types who need a liner glove or a lighter-weight option for milder days, these Marmot touchscreen gloves are well worth a look. These are made from Polartec Power Stretch fabric, which promises ultimate freedom of movement, and Marmot promises moisture-wicking technology to prevent clammy hands, too. On their own, these aren't built for all-out warmth – instead, they're geared towards active use, milder weather, or for wearing underneath a pair of ski gloves. The big logo means they might not be everyone's top choice for urban wear, though.
These stylish gloves do what they say on the box – plus a whole lot more. The curved design of the fingers and thumbs make it effortlessly simply to type, without risking bunched-up fabric impeding freedom of movement, and a goat leather-reinforced pad provides extra grip in tough conditions. A hi-tech outer layer (something known as PONTETORTO Tecnostretch, to give it its full name) guarantees a snug, but most importantly, comfortable fit, and a ceramic-inspired print gives you a helping hand (excuse the pun) in the style stakes. Reviews score these slightly lower on 'warmth', so if that's your priority you might want to look elsewhere though.
These gloves are multi-tasking miracles – designed to keep hands toasty warm while also making it easy to use phones or fitness trackers, thanks to 'phone tips' on the forefingers and thumbs. Those clever bods at Tracksmith have added extra-soft patches of material on the parts of the forefingers and thumbs, so you can wipe snot or spit away without irritating the sensitive skin around your nose and mouth (gross, yes, but we all do it, right?!). The blend of micro-nylon and elastane is designed to be quick-drying, too.
Are you headed somewhere wet? Designed to be ultra-water repellent, these lightweight, single layer, mostly fleece gloves from waterproof specialists SealSkinz have an extra feature. On the palms is a silicone print for added grip, which is a nice feature considering all wearers will likely be packing a phone. However, only the index fingers and thumbs are conductive, so this is pair for checking a phone, but not for maximum productivity. Also, note that these are water repellent but not waterproof, which means in a downpour you're still going to get wet hands – for ultimate waterproofing, you'd be best investing in some ski gloves.
Do you need to type and tap in the cold? Available in light grey and dark grey, and in two sizes, these touchscreen gloves from Moshi have conductive fibre on all 10 fingertips. That gives you great versatility, but also safety; the Moshi Digits also have an S-shaped pattern on the palm and fingers that offers a decent grip of handheld devices, which Moshi calls GripTrak. Meanwhile, inside is a microfleece lining for softness and warmth, which is what all gloves should be about. These have a slightly lower price point, and a few reviews have flagged up issues with fraying, so if you need something ultra-durable you might be better looking elsewhere in our ranking.
