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What is your favorite snowmobile gloves?


Pipeman
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I have been using Klim Fusion gloves for several seasons because I like the two different chambers this glove offers, one for dexterity and the other for added warmth. But now I need another pair, before I buy the same model I wanted to hear what others prefer. Thank you!

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Hi Pipeman,

The first decision is what material do you want, synthetic, leather, fur or some combination.  The second decision is price range or maybe the other way around.

Last year I purchased a pair of beaver mitts from Bilodeau.  These are the warmest gloves / mitts I've had.  The disadvantage is the left hand I have to slide under the brake lever from the side, due of the thickness of the mitt, instead of just grabbing onto the handlebar.  They are stiff but I expect them to soften with use and conditioner.

I also have a pair of Choko mitts I got from Bill a few years ago.  These are very good too but not as warm as the Bilodeau mitts.  Lastly I have an ancient pair of Ski Doo leather gloves.

My hands get cold in the gloves so I use these on warmer days.  The Choko ones in between and the Bilodeau's most of the time.  If you do get fur mitts, find a place like Bilodeau that will custom make them for you.  You want the pelt to lay back towards your wrist and you can have them made a little longer so the wrist area extends up past your jacket.

Jack & Sandi

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I have Klim Fusion gloves. Didn't like them at first but now they are ok. On cold days I put my gauntlets on the handlebars anyway and I barely need to have the heated grips on. I never could find another pair of the old Ski Doo gloves I use to have. I would have bought 10 of those and stock piled to have the same ones the rest of my life. Those were great gloves. 

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So back in that cold winter of 2015, I was on Tug Hill with my wife.  We were on our way back to the truck from a nice ride and it was about -10.  My wife was wearing a pair of the ladies Klim mittens I had bought her as she always had cold hands.  I had a pair of Klim Togwotee gloves.  At that temp I needed my gauntlets on, but since we only had about 10 more miles to go, I toughed it out.  My hands were freezing by the time we got back to the truck.  Several times on the way, I stopped and asked my wife if her hands were cold and if she wanted her gauntlets on.  Nope she'd say, keep going.  When we got back to the truck and loaded,  I said my hands are freezing, and yours aren't.  Nope, she took her hand out and put it on my cheek and they were just as warm as toast.  Shortly after that I ordered a pair of Klim Caribou mittens and haven't used gauntlets since then.  I still carry them and a spare pair of gloves on bag trips just in case.  The point is, mittens are way warmer than gloves.  I've taken some ribbing the past few years, but now there are 4 in our group of 6 wearing mittens.  

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 I have had fur mitts-lynx- for going on 7yrs. At -20 may need a bar or two on the thumb warmer. But never needed anything more. Even at -40 with 45mph winds. Last season I  got new liners. As Jack said they can be stiff to start out but soften right up. They are not for off trail or boondocking they can be cumbersome. 

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I have an old pair of Altimates. Last year I felt they weren’t that warm anymore. Well I changed my windshield this season and it has better coverage for my hands and this past weekend when it was very cold was toasty warm. 

So remember to consider that as well. 

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Not sure this is advice, just what I do. For sure, any glove with a built in liner is useless, try getting wet/moist hands into them, not easy. Maybe a separate liner into another glove is a good idea, but I haven’t tried it. 

When it’s cold, say 10F or less, i use gauntlets with thin gloves like manzella. This has a lot of advantages, thin gloves make the hand warmer very effective, during most stops you can leave the gloves on (maps, pictures, etc) and most importantly, I can keep one finger on the brake for extended periods of time. Maybe gauntlets are another debate, and u need the right ones for sure. Once above 10F or so, I use slightly thicker wind proof gloves alone that still allow easy one finger breaking. Either way, I always carry gauntlets in case I need them, or a thick pair of gloves in case the hand warmers break. Except the one time I forgot my gauntlets on a very cold railbed run and Florida Snowman loaned me his gloves till his hands got too cold, lol.

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15 hours ago, revct1 said:

Hi Pipeman,

The first decision is what material do you want, synthetic, leather, fur or some combination.  The second decision is price range or maybe the other way around.

Last year I purchased a pair of beaver mitts from Bilodeau.  These are the warmest gloves / mitts I've had.  The disadvantage is the left hand I have to slide under the brake lever from the side, due of the thickness of the mitt, instead of just grabbing onto the handlebar.  They are stiff but I expect them to soften with use and conditioner.

I also have a pair of Choko mitts I got from Bill a few years ago.  These are very good too but not as warm as the Bilodeau mitts.  Lastly I have an ancient pair of Ski Doo leather gloves.

My hands get cold in the gloves so I use these on warmer days.  The Choko ones in between and the Bilodeau's most of the time.  If you do get fur mitts, find a place like Bilodeau that will custom make them for you.  You want the pelt to lay back towards your wrist and you can have them made a little longer so the wrist area extends up past your jacket.

Jack & Sandi

Just a question, how do you  get to the brake in a hurry with the beaver mitts?

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7 hours ago, viper2 said:

Just a question, how do you  get to the brake in a hurry with the beaver mitts?

Hi Rick,

I noticed that the thicker mitt does have me sliding my hand in from the side and under the brake lever instead of just rolling my hand around the bar.  The mitts are getting softer and I can roll my hand around the bar now more than I could the first day.

I still brake by moving my hand to the outside and then squeezing the end of the brake lever with my first two fingers.  It is probably a split second slower but then you have more leverage at the end of the lever.  Whether this would make a difference in an emergency or not?  I don't know.

I see a lot of other people using the mitts and no one else has complained.  I think as the mitts age, they will get softer and probably not make any difference.  It was just something that I noticed and thought it was worth mentioning.

I would compare it to using gauntlets.  I have used those in the past on cold days.  The gauntlets keep your hands a lot warmer but gauntlets like the newer SkiDoo gauntlets with the stiff plastic window have a certain amount of restriction.  Depending on how the gauntlets were stored, sometimes there will be a fold in the gauntlet right over the brake lever.  Again whether this would ever make a difference or not?

Jack & Sandi

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I use the Choke two finger claw leather gloves for all temps down to -10 or so, below that, Usually the Skidoo gauntlets and/or a pair of hydro guard mitts.  

I like a loose fitting leather Choko, two finger glove, as I can remove my left hand glove by wedging it between my leg and seat on the roll, to adjust my gps and put it back on without stopping.

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I wear Klim Fusion gloves and they are good down to the coldest temps you want to ride in. But when it’s really cold and the trucks are the light at the end of the tunnel I have a pair of Quebec fur mittens buried in the depths of my gear bag. If it’s too cold for them, the trip will have to be extended while I get a message and the finest dinner within reach  

I have tried on Kilm Ultras and I bet they are worth a try, just too rich while I’m already riding around with $500 in gloves. Soon enough I’ll loose one of Fusions and buy the Ultras. 

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