The best touchscreen gloves in 2020: Stay connected AND cosy

The colder months bring many problems for us all, from having to wear proper shoes again to the sudden requirement for hats. However, while gloves might seem a great idea to keep the chill at bay, they don't do so well at operating touchscreens. Unless you go for a pair of the best touchscreen gloves, that is.

Just a few years ago, touchscreen gloves were a bit of an urban gimmick, but with an increasing number of touchscreen devices making their way into outdoor environments, the touchscreen glove is absolutely here to stay. The need to operate smartphones, hiking GPS, GoPros and even the odd camera in wintry conditions is pretty much a given, and if the new breed of touchscreen gloves can look good doing it, so much the better.    

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So what are the best touchscreen gloves? Well, the big question – as ever – is what you need them to do. Around town pretty much any of this list will see you relatively warm and toasty, but begin to venture onto the hillsides in inclement weather and you might be looking for something more beefy (need to sacrifice the touchscreen element for ultimate warmth? These are the best cold weather gloves instead). 

As with all gloves, don't be tempted to go too hefty if you're doing big cardio such as walking or running – you'll warm up pretty quick, start to sweat, and lose a bunch of that insulation through it wetting out. Finally, touchscreen gloves most commonly have just a conductive finger and thumb, which does limit what you can do on a smartphone, so bear this in mind if you're planning more elaborate tech-usage, such as one or two-hand typing on a tablet, for example. Whatever you decide, here are the best touchscreen gloves available right now.

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The best touchscreen gloves to buy now

The Arc'teryx gothic glove is a classic touchscreen glove that's simple but effective. A beautifully warm merino glove that's low profile and easily stowed in a pocket for use around town, featuring conductive pads on the thumb and forefinger – easily enough to navigate most phone functions. The breathability but warmth of merino makes them solid candidates for rail runners too. The Gothic is also designed as a liner glove for more outdoor, full-winter escapades, not only allowing you to operate the GPS without losing a finger to frostbite, but also giving you the ability to wear a heavier waterproof mitt or glove over the top. In short, this is a two-for-one touchscreen glove that'll handle urban as well as winter mountain adventures all in one – which is always cheering, till you leave them on a bus.  

The Berghaus touchscreen glove does what it says on the tin – conductive tips on the thumb and forefinger, Polartec material, no frills. Although the cut is generous to accommodate the generalised sizing (running S,M, L and XL into two sizes), these are designed to crossover between town and country use just fine. A key element here is the double-thickness cuff to keep the blood flowing, increasing warmth substantially compared to a thinner cuff. Because these are entirely man-made material, they'll shrug off light rain and drizzle, and remain fairly warm even when soaked, as well as drying quickly. Finally, they're very light indeed, coming in at a mere 42grams – that's real bang for buck in warmth terms. 

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.   

If you’re after a decent all-round pair of touchscreen gloves that you can wear on your way to work or out and about, these ones are perfect. Featuring windproof technology thanks to The North Face’s specialist Windstopper fabric, your hands will remain warm, yet free enough to carry out everyday activities easily, including answering your phone. With the conductible material incorporated in all 10 digits, doing what you need to do on any smart device while keeping your hands toasty and warm will never have been easier. 

If you’re looking for an everyday glove that you can put on no matter where you’re going or what you’re doing, you can’t go wrong with this touchscreen glove. Made from Polartec Power Stretch fabric, they promise warmth and freedom of movement – great if you want to transition between holding the dog’s lead to answering a call.  The design of the glove has been optimised so it fits precisely – a great characteristic for a touchscreen compatible pair. You’ll find the compatibility in the finger and thumb – which is all you need, really. 

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.

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.

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 encourage 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. 

Investing in a decent pair of gloves is just as important when you’re cycling – in fact, we have a whole separate guide dedicated to the best cycling gloves. However, if you're after the best touchscreen option, here's our recommendation. In addition to being touchscreen compatible, the design of these gloves has been optimised for autumn and spring cycling, with Northwave thinking about fabric, grip and padding so the rider’s experience is the most comfortable it can be. With even the most advanced of cyclists rating these gloves highly for how comfortable they are on the bike, the addition of the touchscreen element means that these gloves are the best touchscreen gloves for cyclists on our list.

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. However, those clever bods at Tracksmith also ensured that there are extra-soft patches of material on the parts of the forefingers and thumbs most likely to come into contact with skin when runners are wiping away sweat on the face, minimising the need for Chapstick. We also love the quick-drying blend of micro-nylon and elastane – not that this will stop us putting our gloves on the tops of radiators, to be clear. After all, nothing beats the feel of a toasty-warm glove. For more options, head to our dedicated guide to the best running gloves.

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