If I were packing for a ski trip and could only choose one mitten, the choice would be easy. Whether I was jet-setting to Europe, Japan, or the Mountain West, I’d choose Hestra’s Fall Line Mittens ($190). This design isn’t new or revolutionary. In fact, they’ve been in Hestra’s lineup for more than a decade. Proof, in mitten form, that you don’t always need to reinvent the wheel.
In short: Hestra’s Fall Line Collection includes a Glove, Mitten, and 3-Finger Glove (all in both unisex and women’s). The collection was built for freeride skiers, aiming to prioritize warmth and dexterity in a clean, aesthetic look. All styles feature a timeless cowhide leather shell and an undercuff design, so they slide seamlessly under a shell. Based near Jackson, Wyo., I field-tested the Fall Line Mittens, and they didn’t disappoint. The insulation in the Fall Line Mitten sits in Hestra’s moderate warmth tier (rated a 7/8 compared to the 5/8 rating given to the five-finger glove iteration).
See how these mitts measure up to other options in the Best Winter Mittens buyer’s guide.
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A wrist strap has saved me quite a few times; (photo/Max Ritter)
Specifications
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Toasty warm for stormy days
- Wrist straps help keep track of your mittens
- Versatile weight is ideal for the whole season
Cons
- Not fully waterproof
- Undercuff is less protective on deep days
Hestra Fall Line Mittens Review
Durable With a Quick Break-In
On the outer shell of the Fall Lines Mitts, treated cowhide leather provides solid protection. A pre-curved shape makes it easy to grip poles. I found they felt mildly stiff out of the box, but softened quickly, molding to my hands. In just 2 days of resort skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, I felt like I’d been wearing them for years.
Inside, the brushed polyester fleece lining provided a warm respite from the cold. The lining felt akin to a brand-new hoodie — soft, cozy, and luxurious. If given the choice, I always choose mittens over ski gloves.
Finger Dividers — Proved Me Wrong
And I have to admit I’m a bit of a skeptic when it comes to mittens with finger dividers. What’s the point of wearing mittens if you can’t even ball your hands up inside them?
But after testing a half-dozen pairs of winter mittens this season, I realized that the finger dividers provide a pretty significant boost of dexterity. Comparing the Fall Lines Mitts with the finger dividers and a similar-sized pair of Gordini Polar Mitts, I found it far easier to do up my ski boot buckles. It was also easier to reach for a snack from my pack and pull my ski goggles up. While I went into it with skepticism, I have to admit the Fall Line Mitts swayed me.
Low Profile, Yet Toasty
Between the cozy sweatshirt-like lining and the cowhide leather, the G Loft synthetic insulation kept my hands perfectly toasty — even on a few days in the teens and despite a fairly low-bulk design.
These mitts may be lower profile, but a ton of warmth is packed inside, primarily on the tops of the hands. Mostly, I skied in the resort with these mitts, but found myself touring with them one day on Teton Pass. I was pleasantly surprised at how breathable they felt, even while climbing.
Though, I should add that I do tend to run pretty cold and almost never use liner gloves for climbing — only full protection for my digits. I climbed up about 1,500 feet with these mitts on a 20-degree Fahrenheit day, and found they regulated my hand temperature quite well.
Queen of Well-Roundedness
The undercuff design is sleek, sliding easily under all the arms of shells I wore with it. But I will say it doesn’t stand up quite as well to ultra-deep days. I still find that gauntlet-style ski gloves and mitts are what I’d want if it was positively nuking and snow was blowing into any little crevice of my kit. But that’s more of a special circumstance. If we stick to the most well-rounded argument, the Fall Line Mitts still reign queen.
Inside the cuff is a much-needed wrist strap, which saved me quite a few times from dropping these mitts into oblivion off the chairlift. The women’s version (which I tested) features a slimmer fit than the unisex Fall Line Mitt, plus extra fun, bright colors.
Hestra’s Leather Balm Seriously Boosts Water-Resistance
Like all of Hestra’s cowhide gloves and mittens, the Fall Line Mittens come with Hestra’s Leather Balm (only for goatskin and cowhide products). It contains beeswax, lanolin, carnauba wax, and neatsfoot oil to keep the leather supple and boost its water resistance.
I skied with them for a few days before doing the application (which wasn’t immediately necessary, but I wanted to evaluate the process). It was easy to do at home, and a nice way to boost the water resistance after a heavy storm cycle.
Actually, I laid it on a bit too thick at the first go by using more than half the bottle. As a result, I had to let the leather soak up the balm for a couple of days before I took them back out. I might start a little lighter next time, with just a teaspoon or so. The good news: It gave a serious boost to the leather’s water resistance!
Conclusion
Sure, the Fall Line Mittens aren’t fully waterproof like some of the other gloves and mittens out there with GORE-TEX inserts. But since I’m mostly working with snow and not rain (at least in an ideal world), I never really noticed a big drawback.
That might be different if I were skiing in Washington State, and it’s worth considering if you ski in a wetter climate. But for the Mountain West, even during this year, which might have been the warmest and wettest in decades, these mitts proved to be a solid line of defense against any storm.
Mittens aren’t the bulkiest gear piece in the closet, so the need to choose just one pair for an extended period of time may seem a little contrived. Yes, you could spare a few square inches to pack two or three pairs for a dream ski trip.
But if you, like me, have found deep joy from packing light and efficiently, Hestra’s Fall Line Mittens — aka the Queen of Well-Roundedness — are the unequivocal choice.
