Perfectly plush for cold, dry days in the hills and mountains
Credit: Hestra
1
2
3
4
5
Price: $145 List | $144.95 at Backcountry Compare prices at 2 resellersPros: Warm, comfortable, durable, water resistant, replaceable liners Cons: Limited features, limited dexterity, not best for wet climates Manufacturer: Hestra
By Amber King ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Dec 18, 2019
Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Learn more
The novel Hestra Heli Mitt stole our hearts with its cozy liners and amazing thermoregulation. Of all the gloves tested, it has the BEST fit with an incredibly high level of versatility. It performs well across all metrics, keeping hands warm into the double negative digits. Its full mitt liner is thinner than most, offering decent dexterity for a mitt, with ample warmth. We went to the resort, took them into the backcountry, and even cross-country skiing in Quebec, Canada. In all cold weather conditions, our hands are quite happy. This mitt is well constructed, durable, but eventually saturates in wet weather. If you want full mitt construction, with a removable liner and leashes, this is the one to buy.
If you prefer more dexterity, check out the Heli Three-Finger with a split-finger design.
Google wipe on thumb, touch screen compatible liners, removable wrist leash
Nose wipe
Fit
Fits small
True to size
True to size
A little smaller, size up if you're unsure
True to size
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Heli-Mitt by Hestra is complete with a goatskin palm, three-layer polyamide shell, and a removable liner. In addition to exceptional warmth and comfort, this glove is incredibly versatile and a perfect option for the resort skier or backcountry explorer.
Performance Comparison
On this warm day, we took off the shells to increase breathability and wore just the liner. This is a huge plus with this glove. Alternatively, if its a little wet outside, you can simply take the liners out from the shells, and just wear the shells.
Credit: Jared Vilhauer
Warmth
We assumed going into our tests that mittens would score higher in warmth than most gloves, but this contender really surpassed our expectations. The Fiberfill insulation feels really nice on your fingers and does an amazing job with thermoregulation. The one-pull tightening and release system at the hem of the mitten retains warmth when it gets really cold outside (like -40F cold).
The removable liners of the Hestra Heli Mitt are soft and warm. Our tester has notoriously cold hands, and this is one of the only mittens able to keep her hands cozy and warm all day long while skiing multiple laps at the resort.
Credit: Amber King
Furthermore, the cinch strap around the wrist provides another point to regulate heat again. When performing tests where we had to put our frozen hands into a glove or mitt to see which one warmed up the quickest, the Hestras came out on top. If you find the liners aren't enough for you, add another thin-wicking liner, or switch it out for a different liner that keeps your hands nice and warm. One of the best upsides of this glove!
Warm fingers on a ski lift? Priceless.
Credit: Amber King
Water Resistance
Make sure to treat Hestra products with a leather treatment to retain water resistance. Hestra makes it easy as they send a small sample to you with any purchase.
If you're living in a dry climate, the Heli Mitt is a must-have piece of gear. Featuring Hestra's Triton 3-layer polyamide fabric, we experienced little to no water permeation while skiing in the mountains. It comes with reinforced soft cowhide leather palm, which doesn't allow water to pass through the material, nor does it get "swampy" after continual use. Even after multiple exposures to water, the leather has not cracked or sliced away (with proper treatment). In addition, the polyester liner wicks away moisture well. If you accidentally get your hands wet and need to slide your hand back inside, it does not stick to the liner but easily goes back in.
The fabric provides decent water resistance, but during our dunk tests we learned that this mitten does leak at the seams.
Credit: Amber King
Even though this glove is great for dry climates, we wouldn't recommend it for places that are wet all the time. During our dunk tests, we were a little surprised to learn that after just 15 squeezes underwater, this mitt began to leak at the seams by the tips of the fingers. By the one-hundredth squeeze, the mitts were completely soaked inside and took a while to dry out. In addition, on wet days in the mountains, we noticed the mitts becoming a little bit saturated, but not so bad that we lost warmth. On dry days, it was just fine.
The mitt on the right was worn throughout the day while the mitt on the left was not. It absorbed a little water, but we never felt anything get down to the liner over a seven-hour ski session. What does this mean? Waterproof!
Credit: Amber King
Dexterity
During our testing, we found that when a glove excels in one area, it tends to lack in another. For the Heli Mitt, dexterity is not its strong suit. As with all mittens, when the liner and shell are together, you don't have any individual digits available to zip zippers or tie shoes.
When removing the liners from the shell, we were able to grab the skins and pull them off without a problem. No liners = more dexterity = more versatility. Win!
Credit: Jared Vilhauer
In comparison to other mittens, we really like how the thinner leather provided better dexterity than mittens that are thicker. When we took out the liner and used just the shell of this mitt, we found that it performed well. We were able to zip up our jacket, pull off climbing skins, and even tie a shoelace.
Hestra has an outstanding fit system that utilizes a different sizing technique than other companies. Simply measure your hand and get the size that fits you perfectly.
Features
This product has the features that you really need, whether you're sitting on lift chairs, battling deep powder, or heading out on a long adventure tour. The long cuff design features a one-pull hem cinch and release, which keeps snow out on deep, deep powder days.
The Hestras come with features like a one-pull tightening system, removable wrist straps, and wrist adjustment. Not only that, but is has a long gauntlet that fits over your jacket comfortably to keep snow out.
Credit: Amber King
The removable wrist straps are helpful for those worried about losing gloves on the chairlift.
Here the Hestra Heli Mitt is pictured with a detached leash.
Credit: Amber King
One of our very favorite features of the Heli Mitt is the versatility of the liners. Add them in, switch them out, or take them out completely. The mitt allows enough room for you to choose a warmer or cooler liner, giving you autonomy in how you regulate your body heat on the slopes. If you're looking to hike uphill, take out the inserts, and just wear the shell. If you want a liner that allows you to stay warmer, switch it out altogether. You can even wear a thin glove liner underneath both the mitten liner and shell to accommodate a more dexterous experience in the hills.
One of the standout features of the Heli Mitts is that you can take out its liner, add your own, just use it as a shell, or just use the liner independently. Being able to manually regulate your body temperature makes this perfect for backcountry skiing and resort riding.
Credit: Amber King
Durability and Construction
Like any product made with leather, the Hestra model needs special treatment to maintain its waterproofing. The author is a long-time Hestra owner and knows that these mittens and gloves need to be sealed one to two times a season to maintain top performance. Since she first purchased a pair of Hestra mitts five years ago, she has noticed only simple abrasion, but no cracking of the leather or unraveling of the seams. The liner has now packed out (after six years of use and forgetting some treatment for one season), but it is easily replaceable by simply going to the website. The construction is simply bomber, which adds to its overall value.
This is the way the Hestras looked after intensive use. There is no sign of wear and tear and the liner looks like new! The goatskin leather is highly durable and will last for years with proper treatment.
Credit: Amber King
Value
This highly durable and warm mitten is more than worth it! While the initial price might seem high, its durability is stand-out. The liners will eventually pack out after many years (or one hard year) of use, but luckily, Hestra offers removable replacement liners at a lower price. This amps up its value. If you're a lady in search of a warm pair of mitts, with a removable mitt liner, this is the one to buy.
Our author tearing it up at the base of Sheep Chute in the San Juan mountains of Colorado. The Hestra Mitt keeps her hands healthy and happy.
Credit: Amber King
Conclusion
This dreamy and adorable mitten is one of our favorites. It features a wonderful balance of warmth, thermoregulation, versatility, and quality. The price is just right, and we know it will be accompanying us on many snowy adventures to come. It's just not our favorite for wet winter recreating.
This article is designed to guide you through the purchase...
Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by Testing.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
