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Review: Outdoor Research Alti mitts

Written by Fiona

April 24 2023

I am always in search of winter gloves to keep my hands warm. I suffer with Raynaud’s Syndrome and it has become worse over the years, so I am happy when I find gloves or mittens that keep my hands and fingers warm. I was sent a pair of Outdoor Research Alti mitts to try.

The Outdoor Research Alti mitts are designed for for 8000m peaks and Arctic expeditions. Constructed with breathable and waterproof Gore-Tex, highloft Moonlite Pile™ fleece and PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation, they also have removable liners, water-repellant Pittards® leather palms and Kevlar stitching for durability.

Other details include:

  • Removable leash
  • Glove clip
  • Carabiner loop
  • Elasticated wrist
  • Cinchable gauntlet
  • Pull off finger loop
  • Male and female sizes
  • Price: Around £200.
  • Buy from: Outdoor Research and other on-line retailers.

My thoughts: Outdoor Research Alti mitts

I have large hands – long but slim – and I have found the size medium female mitt fits perfectly. I tested the gloves in Switzerland, Canada and France while skiing. I have also used the gloves while walking in Scotland’s mountains in winter.

Temperatures dropped very low in Canada (-20 C at times) and there were days of heavy snow, rain and high winds throughout the winter.

I found the mitts were excellent at keeping my hands warm. It was only when temperatures dipped below -10C and there were high winds that I found I needed a more insulated glove. I have a larger and thicker mitt I use for more extreme conditions.

What I did find however, that while most of my hand stayed warm for the majority of the time, my thumb was subject to becoming very cold. I feel there needs to be more insulation in the thumb area. The thumb is obviously on its own, while the fingers are bunched together inside the glove for extra warmth so it seems like it would be a better design if there was more insulation around the thumb.

The Gore-Tex outer kept my hands dry in heavy snow and rain. The outer fabric and the leather palm are very durable and despite wearing these gloves for many weeks this winter, they still look almost new.

The fleecy liner is a great idea. It is useful because it means you can take off the outer layer of glove, when your hands warm up, yet still have protection from the weather. The liner can be washed in the washing machine without the need to put the whole mitt in the machine, too.

The liner stays put thanks to good quality velcro attachers inside the glove. A complaint I have of other gloves with liners is that the liners become tangled inside the glove when you take them on and off with hot hands. The Outdoor Research Alti gloves did not have this issue.

The wrist gauntlet section is long and fits over my jacket arms so my wrists stay warm. They are easy to adjust around the wrist to fit snugly and I appreciate the leash that can go around the wrist so that when you take off the gloves they do not fly away or fall to the ground.

The website says there are heat warmer pockets in these gloves but I can’t find any on my mitts so perhaps this is a new addition for next season.

The Outdoor Research Alti mitts are not cheap but they are very good quality and I would pay this price to have warm – and not cold – hands. I have been impressed with the winter mitts, especially warmth and durability.

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