Best touchscreen gloves 2020: keep your fingers toasty while texting

In a nutshell, the best touchscreen gloves enable you to operate a touchscreen without you having to expose your hands to the cold every time you need to use your phone or other gadget. These gloves come in a variety of designs, with some  tailored to outdoors pursuits like hiking and mountain biking, and others ideal for general use and running errands in cold weather.

Touchscreen gloves are made from conductive material that has a low resistance, so they can easily transfer electricity from fingertips to a smartphone screen. Although it might seem like a simple sell, since all touchscreen gloves enable you to activate a touchscreen through material, there are predictably a huge range of styles. 

There are thermal touchscreen gloves so you can stay in touch (literally) with your phone while you’re in arctic conditions, but there are also less serious (and more stylish) touchscreen gloves designed for general daily use.

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So what are the best touchscreen gloves? As always, it’s going to be down to you and your own personal preferences, but here’s what you need to know to help you narrow down the best touchscreen gloves for you...

The first issue is fingers. While some of the best touchscreen gloves are entirely conductive across all fingers, some are conductive only on the pads of thumbs and index fingers. That might seem limited, but in practice, that’s all you really need to access your phone on the go. 

However, if you want to type with your gloves on, you’re going to need to find fully conductive gloves that enable you to use all your fingers on the touchscreen. Whatever you decide, we've rounded up some of the best touchscreen gloves to get you started on your hunt for frost-free phone flicking.

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The best touchscreen gloves to buy now

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 ten digits, doing what you need to do on any smart device while keeping your hands toasty and warm will never have been easier – definitely a reason to put these North Face gloves at the top of our list. 

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. 

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Most touchscreen gloves are made for the convenience of operating your phone in middle wintry conditions. Not the Mujjo Double-Insulated Touchscreen Gloves, which use a wind-resistant double-bonded Micro Fleece and 3M Thinsulate for three layers and double insulation. Pleasantly soft inside, they're comfortable and feature a silicone pattern across the palm that gives a good grip on big phones. Even better, there are fully conductive thumbs that also work really well for big screens. As a bonus, they look super-sleek. 

These unisex touchscreen gloves come in size small through to large, and have full conductivity on all 10 digits plus the palms, giving you complete control over your phone or other touchscreen tech. 

If you’re a little clumsy with your gadgets, these gloves have your back thanks to an anti-slip touchscreen grip; basically, silicone grip dots on the palms of the gloves to prevent your phone or other gadget slipping out of your hand. 

If you're heading to the mountains over winter, these should have you covered through some pretty, wet and cold conditions (anything extreme, go more specialist). Montane promise that the use of the Polartec Power Stretch Pro fabric will keep your hands warm and dry, while the silicone printed palm will allow you to cling onto those poles. 

If you’re looking for a glove that is a little more everyday wear, head back to product number one or two, but for those who like to do a little winter exploring, these are a good option as a single or underlayer and are the best touchscreen gloves for sports on our list.

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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. 

The Denali Etip Gloves are all about operating gadgets in the great outdoors. Named after the highest mountain peak in North America, they’re warm, yet wind and water-resistant. They’re also conductive throughout, so you can theoretically type on a tablet as well as tap on a phone. 

However since they’re more substantial than most conductive touchscreen gloves, they’re for checking a message rather than tapping-out a long reply. 

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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.

Investing in a decent pair of gloves is just as important when you’re cycling. 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.

The last glove in our best touchscreen gloves buyer's guide combines style and technology to deliver impressive warmth, freedom of movement, and the ability to send a text without removing your gloves on a wintery hike. 

They’re also primed as a liner glove, too, with Arc’teryx including a clip-in point for cold weather adventures that require additional protection. These gloves are ideal for stuffing into your backpack when heading out on day hikes or a longer stroll in the country, as well as when adventuring in the mountains.

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