Winter and Cold Weather Gloves

Insulated and lined gloves certified to EN 511 for cold storage, chilled processing and outdoor work, including waterproof membrane constructions for wet cold conditions.

How to choose a cold weather glove

Cold degrades hand performance long before it causes injury. Grip strength and fine motor control drop as the hands cool, which turns a comfort problem into a safety problem. The right glove keeps the hands warm enough to work without making the work impossible.

Reading EN 511

EN 511 has three digits, and unlike EN 388 all three are genuinely independent.

An X means the property was not tested. Note that the third digit is pass or fail only, so it tells you whether the glove keeps water out, not for how long or under what pressure.

Cold storage is not the same as outdoor cold

A cold store sits at a stable temperature, usually well below zero, with dry air and heavy contact against frozen goods and metal racking. Contact cold and dexterity dominate, and a waterproof membrane is often unnecessary.

Outdoor cold is variable, wet and windy, and the temperature may sit near zero rather than far below it. Convective cold and water resistance dominate, and a glove that soaks through at four degrees will chill hands faster than a dry glove at minus twenty. Wet insulation is barely insulation at all.

Waterproof membranes

A membrane laminated between the shell and the liner blocks liquid water from outside while allowing water vapour from the hand to escape. That breathability is the point. A fully sealed unbreathable glove keeps rain out and then soaks the liner in sweat, which produces the same cold hands by a different route. Membranes only work if the outer shell is not permanently saturated, so pair them with a durable water repellent treated or coated shell for sustained wet work.

The insulation and dexterity trade off

This trade off is real and it cannot be engineered away. Every additional millimetre of insulation costs fingertip feel and grip precision. Two honest approaches work better than trying to find one perfect glove.

Fit also matters more in the cold. A tight glove compresses the insulation and restricts circulation, which makes it colder than a correctly sized one, whatever the EN 511 rating says on the cuff.

Winter & Cold range

Frequently asked questions

What do the three digits of an EN 511 rating mean?

The first is convective cold, resistance to cold carried by moving air. The second is contact cold, thermal resistance against a cold surface. The third is water permeability, scored 0 or 1, where 1 means no water penetrated within 30 minutes of testing.

Do I need a waterproof glove for a cold store?

Usually not. Cold store air is dry and stable, so contact cold and dexterity matter most. Waterproofing earns its place outdoors and in wet processing, where a soaked liner loses most of its insulating value and chills the hands faster than a colder dry environment would.

Why do my hands still get cold in a heavily insulated glove?

Two common causes. The glove may be too tight, which compresses the insulation and restricts blood flow, or the liner may be damp with sweat because the glove cannot breathe. Correct sizing and a breathable membrane construction usually fix more than extra insulation does.

How do I balance warmth against dexterity?

Specify for the task rather than the lowest temperature on site. A lighter glove the worker keeps on, combined with scheduled rewarming breaks, usually maintains better hand temperature across a shift than a heavy glove that is removed every time fine work is needed.

Request a quote

Send the sizes and quantities you need and we will come back with a written quotation. Contact Knight Safety Gear.

Other glove types

Industries using winter & cold gloves