Arc'teryx Fission SV Glove Review

Warm, comfortable, and dexterous. This lightweight glove is our top recommendation for its breathable construction that offers warmth all day long. Whether you're skiing at the resort, hiking for lines in the backcountry, or doing virtually any other winter activity, this glove has it all, if you can justify the price.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

Rated for "severe weather," the Fission SV is Arc'teryx's warmest glove in their line. Built for skiing and snowboarding in cold Canada winters, this glove's warmth comes in the form of high-quality insulation with the ability for the glove to breathe and vent. We have tested it down to zero degrees Fahrenheit, where it fared just fine. For ladies that run a little bit cold, you might want to add an additional thin glove for a little extra insulation, as it's not built for winter in the Arctic circle, but best for active warmth while you're adventuring in the winter wonderland.

We've had the opportunity to test this glove while backcountry skiing, shoveling snow, and riding chairlifts at our favorite resorts. The coldest day we got to test it reached down to about zero degrees Fahrenheit in the high altitudes of Colorado. One of the first things we noticed about this glove was its super lush liner. The material in the liner is quite breathable, and also loaded with insulation, feeling a lot like a down-filled construction. When flipping the glove inside out, we noticed that the interior has a fleece-lined palm to help wick away sweat. This feature is huge as sweaty hands can lead to cold hands when standing still.

While hiking uphill on a warm day, we immediately had to take this glove off. It is much warmer than the previous version of the Fission glove. That said, we are impressed with its wicking ability, which exceeds that of other gloves, and even more impressed that the material offers sufficient breathability right through the thickness of the fabric. Loaded with 200 grams of PrimaLoft Silver insulation and 133 grams of PrimaLoft Gold, it offers plenty of warmth for its surprisingly lightweight design.

If you're a lady that runs warm and needs a glove that both breathes and offers great warmth, this is our top recommendation. For the vast majority of North America, this glove is suitable for skiing at resorts or in the backcountry.

Water Resistance

Built with a waterproof exterior, this glove is incredibly water and weather-resistant, absorbing only a tiny bit of water during our tests, and offering exceptional performance while skiing in wet weather.

The exterior shell (the colored part) is made from a material that Arc'teryx calls Fortius 1.0. This is a 160 g/cubic meter of Nylon (84%) and elastane (16%) that stretches and protects. The exterior is treated with a DWR treatment, which promotes the beading of water upon contact. Given that Nylon is absorptive, we imagine that once this treatment wears off after use, the material may be prone to saturation without additional treatment. Arc'teryx's products tend to bead water longer than most other brands, but an at-home DWR treatment before every winter isn't a terrible idea.

The palm and high abrasion areas are built with a pliable double layer of goat leather that offers great weather protection. During our water tests, we submerged the glove and squeezed our hand 100 times, trying to agitate the glove to see if water leaked at the seams. After this test, the water absorbed a little bit into the Nylon material but never penetrated into the liner. In fact, it only absorbed about 2.2 oz of water in this test, showing its ability to resist water. Water didn't leak anywhere inside the glove.

This observation is further validated when we took the glove outside. When shoveling snow, skiing, and doing chores around our house, it protected our hands, keeping them dry and warm. If you live in wet climates or need a glove that is very water-resistant, we'd recommend the Fission SV. Just be sure to treat the leather, and reapply the DWR treatment once it wears out to retain performance.

Dexterity

The Fission SV's performance in this metric is truly a class of its own. This glove is extremely dexterous! We were able to zip up zippers, unclip boots, put skins on, take them off, and all the rest. This is largely attributed to its thinner design that strategically places the lofty yet compressive insulation in particular parts of the glove. The digits don't feel "stuffed," and the fingers have a huge range of motion and mobility. If you need a glove that you don't need to take off while digging snowpits, making transitions in the backcountry, or adjusting your helmet, this is one of our favorites. It would function well as a belay glove while climbing as well.

As a unisex glove, it's not built specifically for women's hands. The fit of a glove can affect dexterity significantly. If you only need this glove to simply grasp your ski pole, adjust your helmet, or put your boots on, then it's not a big deal if the sizing of the glove isn't perfect, and this still might be an easy choice to make. Just be sure to expect that the fingers of the gloves are longer with a wider profile around the width of the hand. Be sure to consult the sizing chart on Arc'teryx's website before buying these gloves. If anything, be sure to measure your hand and possibly size down to ensure the proper fit, and thus, the dexterity that you need.

Durability

After extensive testing both at the resort and in the backcountry, we can say the Fission SV has impressed us with its durability, quality construction, and materials. Just like the previous version we've found them to be bomber.

Looking at the craftsmanship alone, these gloves look absolutely beautiful. The shell is constructed of materials that look quite durable, with seam construction that looks flawless. It is constructed with kevlar seams throughout the palm and in high-wear areas. The location where you'd hold a pole offers reinforcement of materials that add an extra layer of protection in these high abrasion zones.

After some heavy use, the materials still look new, and the interior insulation hasn't packed down. In fact, PrimaLoft is a highly durable synthetic insulation, with the Gold and Silver offering some of the best durability on the market. We imagine that the warmth of this material will continue, however, as we said before, time will tell.

Features

This glove is fairly streamlined and has all the bells and whistles you'd want for resort skiing.

It has a single-glove construction, meaning that you can't remove the liner. It has enough room inside the glove to add a thinner liner of your own if you'd like a little extra insulation. It comes with a carabiner loop on the finger, meaning you can clip it to a harness, making it an excellent belay glove option if you prefer hanging out at crystallized water walls in the winter.

We also appreciate the one-pull cinches that are around the medium-length gauntlet cuff and the simple and removable leashes that any resort skier can appreciate when they save you from dropping your gloves off the chairlift.

These gloves are not smartphone adapted, so be prepared to take off your glove if you need to text on the chair. They are also unisex in sizing, so you can share them with your partner if you have the same size hands! Score? Maybe not.

Should You Buy the Arc'teryx Fission SV Glove?

It's not too much of a surprise that the highest-performing glove is also quite expensive. These have been a longstanding favorite for their impressive combination of warmth, breathability, and dexterity, making them our top recommendation in both our men's and women's glove reviews. With excellent craftsmanship, we suspect this glove will last you for many years when treated with care and occasional maintenance, helping to justify the high price tag.

What Other Women's Ski Glove Should You Consider?

If you're not willing to spend top dollar for the Arc'teryx gloves but you want your hands to stay warm in the coldest weather, the Black Diamond Mercury Mitts are super warm and cozy, although you make a serious sacrifice in dexterity moving to mittens, though they cost significantly less money. Another interesting option is the Oyuki Chika GTX Gloves. These sleek and low-profile gloves provide surprising warmth in a streamlined package with a Gore-tex insert that keeps the hands dry.