Highlander Mountain Gloves review: for toasty hands on frosty hikes

Highlander Mountain Gloves: first impressions 

Pull these hiking gloves on at the first sign of a chill in the air and your fingers will stay toasty during cold days on the trail. These gloves are waterproof and windproof and fend off the worst of the elements even in challenging conditions, while a soft fleece lining feels cozy and wicks away moisture when you’re climbing up steep slopes so you won’t have to whip them off if you break a sweat. A super handy velcro strap plus pull-cord elasticated cuff makes it really easy to cinch these gloves around your wrist even when you’re wearing multiple layers so they seal out a biting wind. 

Though these might not be the most ultra-technical hiking gloves on the market, they have a durable Taslan palm which holds up against rock surfaces and other wear and tear, wick sweat nicely and protect you against the elements, which is mostly what you want from a glove, really. Don’t expect to be able to use your phone with them on, but you’ll have enough finger dexterity to handle buckles on your backpack, and for such a budget-friendly price, we think they’re more than adequate for cold hikes. 

Though these might not be the most ultra-technical hiking gloves on the market, they have a durable Taslan palm which holds up against rock surfaces and other wear and tear, wick sweat nicely and protect you against the elements, which is mostly what you want from a glove, really. Don’t expect to be able to use your phone with them on, but you’ll have enough finger dexterity to handle buckles on your backpack, and for such a budget-friendly price, we think they’re more than adequate for cold hikes. 

Highlander Mountain Gloves: in the field 

I definitely have my favorite hiking gloves, so it took me a little while to come around to the idea of trying out a new pair, but when I did I was glad I had them. Though the temperatures on my winter hike across Earl’s Seat near Glasgow were forecast to be a balmy 6°C down in town, once I got up high the 50 - 70 mph winds meant that the wind chill was significantly lower and I was being hammered with sideways snow and hail for the last hour.

Here’s how they performed:

Fit and comfort

I don’t have big hands, but I do have long fingers so I sometimes size up in gloves, but it turns out I needn’t have in this case. I wore a medium and found there was about an inch of extra space at the end of the fingers. Don’t size up, and I think these will be true to size and still leave room for glove liners if you need them.

The soft fleece lining means these gloves are super cozy, with no annoying rubbing seams or scratchy fabric anywhere.

Temperature regulation and breathability

I actually didn’t realize how cold it was on my hike thanks to these gloves. Between the weather protection and insulation, they really kept my hands toasty. However, I did stop and remove them so I could take photographs for this review (all a bit deconstructive, really) and my fingers were instantly nipping pretty badly, which was painful but let me know how well these work. Once my fingers were frozen, it did take a little while for them to warm back up after I pulled the gloves back on. I doubt they’d hold up against arctic conditions, but if you’re heading to the arctic you shouldn’t be looking at £18 gloves and these definitely offer enough protection for any winter hiking I’m likely to do in the UK and I’d trust them when I’m back in Colorado too.

The ascent for this hike is about as steep as they come and I was warm on the way up. My hands got a little sweaty, but the moisture wicking fleece lining meant that didn’t matter at all. They were ever-so-slightly more difficult to pull on when my hands were damp, but I’ve experienced much worse on that front.

Weight and bulk  

These light gloves certainly don’t add any weight to my pack, and are on the lighter end of those we’ve tested without being feather light. They’re nowhere near the bulkiest gloves I’ve worn, but they’re not the thinnest either, so I didn’t have the best finger dexterity wearing them, but I didn’t have to pull them off to clip the straps on my backpack.  

Other features

What I like most about these gloves is that they have this velcro strap to cinch them tight around the wrist. It’s a little different from the velcro on most hiking gloves, which I often find quite difficult to adjust when I’m wearing gloves and loads of hiking layers, and really easy to use and effective at sealing out the wind. In conjunction with pull-cord elasticated cuffs, it’s really easy to make them snug over a fleece, down jacket and waterproof jacket, ALL of which I was wearing.

They’ve also got tough palms made from a durable, slightly textured fabric called Taslan which gives you a little grip and they held up against a few tumbles I took on the hill. These aren't the highest quality gloves, but they'll withstand plenty of rough adventures and they have a clip to keep them together when they’re not on your hands.

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