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FlyLow Oven Mitt Review

A tough, trendy, and affordable choice for resort or backcountry skiing
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flylow oven mitt ski gloves review
Credit: Backcountry
Price:  $50 List
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Manufacturer:   Flylow
By Travis Poulin ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Dec 1, 2022
44
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#21 of 21
  • Warmth - 25% 5.0
  • Dexterity - 25% 3.0
  • Water Resistance - 25% 4.0
  • Durability - 15% 7.0
  • Features - 10% 3.0

Our Verdict

The FlyLow Oven Mitts are not only trendy but handy. For a mitten, they surprisingly exceeded in several dexterity tests including knot tieing. They are also relatively warm and do well in windy conditions. They do come coated in Sno-Seal, but persistent reapplication is necessary as the leather dries out. These are not great for warm days as they sweat out easily, but for those with cold hands, they are a great price point option. For the price, the Oven Mittens are well-rounded. They work best in the backcountry if you carry a liner glove because once your hands warm up in these there is no cooling back down without removing the mittens. The name "oven" is in the name for a reason but they find their place in cold temperatures.
REASONS TO BUY
Tough
Waterproof
Warm
Dexterous for a mitt
REASONS TO AVOID
Sweats out easily
Must apply Sno-Seal often to avoid soaking up water
Editor's note: We updated this review with new comparisons and recommendations to aid in purchase decisions on December 1, 2022.

Compare to Similar Products

 
flylow oven mitt ski gloves review
This Product
FlyLow Oven Mitt
Awards  Best Buy Award Best Buy Award   
Price $34.99 at Evo
Compare at 2 sellers
$70 List
$69.99 at Amazon
$42.22 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers
$50 List
$34.89 at REI
$19.98 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Pros Tough, waterproof, warm, dexterous for a mittWarm enough, weatherproof, reasonable priceWarm, great features, comfortable, inexpensiveVery dexterous, breathable, great fit, fair priceTough, windproof, durable
Cons Sweats out easily, must apply Sno-Seal often to avoid soaking up waterPoor dexterity, slightly tight fit around the knucklesNot dexterous, bulky and cumbersomeNo wrist leash, soft-shell construction can wear out quickly, overall durabilityBulky stitching, not very warm, not waterproof
Bottom Line A tough, trendy, and affordable choice for resort or backcountry skiingA warm and fully featured ski glove for a great priceA quality mitten that is super warm, comfortable, and relatively inexpensiveA more dexterous but less durable deviation from hardware store leather gloves, this model is an OK choice for resort, side-country and short backcountry missionsTrendy and stylish, but lacking in key aspects of versatility for skiing, these gloves are solid winter work gloves, so don't hesitate if you're looking for that utility
Rating Categories FlyLow Oven Mitt Gordini GTX Storm T... The North Face Mont... REI Co-op Guide Ins... Flylow Ridge Glove
Warmth (25%)
5.0
7.0
8.0
1
2.0
Dexterity (25%)
3.0
4.0
2.0
10.0
7.0
Water Resistance (25%)
4.0
8.0
7.0
4.0
4.0
Durability (15%)
7.0
8.0
7.0
2.0
6.0
Features (10%)
3.0
9.0
8.0
4.0
3.0
Specs FlyLow Oven Mitt Gordini GTX Storm T... The North Face Mont... REI Co-op Guide Ins... Flylow Ridge Glove
Double or Single Glove Single Single Single Single Single
Gaunlet or Cuff? Cuff Gauntlet Gauntlet Cuff Cuff
Palm Material Pigskin leather Polyurethane Synthetic leather Leather Cowhide leather
Waterproof Material SnoSeal beeswax Gore-Tex DryVent None SnoSeal beeswax
Insulation Type Spaceloft Micropuff Megaloft Back of hand: 250g Heatseeker Eco
Palm: 160g Heatseeker Eco
Polyester fibers Spaceloft Micropuff
Nose Wipe? No Yes Yes Yes No

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Oven Mitts are one of the more simple product designs we tested, but they hold up well for their price. The Primaloft insulation works well in cold weather but sometimes too well in warmer conditions.

Performance Comparison


flylow oven mitt ski gloves review - field testing ski gloves in colorado.
Field testing ski gloves in Colorado.
Credit: Laraine Martin

Warmth


The Oven Mitts were first tested in warm, early-season conditions where they did not seem to be a good fit due to the inability to breathe well. These mittens sweat out easily when touring or resort skiing on days above 30F and take a while to dry. That said, in colder conditions, the Primaloft insulation performed great. These mittens are ideal for temperatures between 0F-20F.

flylow oven mitt ski gloves review - the oven mitts trap heat well despite having relatively little...
The Oven Mitts trap heat well despite having relatively little insulation. They are not the warmest mitts, but they are still warm.
Credit: Travis Poulin

Water Resistance


The Oven Mitts wetted out fairly quickly in the ice bath/submersion test, which was expected given their simple construction and lack of a waterproof membrane. However, they held up well in the ice portion of the test and kept our hands warm longer than some of their pricier counterparts, even when saturated.

flylow oven mitt ski gloves review - the mittens were quick to let water in during our submersion test
The mittens were quick to let water in during our submersion test
Credit: Rachel Croft

Dexterity


As far as mittens go, the Oven Mitts were plenty dexterous. Gripping ski poles is where they stood out most due to the grippy pigskin leather and thin construction. Zipper adjustments were significantly easier with these than with some competitors and getting them back under your jacket sleeve was as easy as it should be.

Durability


The pigskin leather is what gains the Oven Mittens all the durability points. A long-trusted material, the leather holds up extremely well against weather, ice, wind, and sharp edges. Before one of our testers converted from the dark side (snowboarding) many years ago, these were the only mittens that did not wear out prematurely from carrying a snowboard. Stitching is where the Oven Mitts begin to lose points. It does not appear to be up to the higher standard of more expensive options.

flylow oven mitt ski gloves review - a tough mitt that wets-out easily.
A tough mitt that wets-out easily.
Credit: Rachel Croft

Features


There isn't much to be said about the Oven Mitts' features because of their simplicity. They are simple leather mittens, after all. The elastic cuff fits great on the wrist but the hands can feel a bit loose inside the mittens. This is because of a lack of insulation filling up space, which also contributes to its above-average dexterity.

Should You Buy the Flylow Oven Mitt?


The Oven Mitts don't stand out in any of our performance metrics. Overall, they are very simple and basic, but they are also affordable. If you're going for the mitten look and want a decent level of dexterity at a reasonable price, these may be a good fit.

What Other Ski Gloves Should You Consider?


If you are a dedicated mitten-wearer, you can get the much better The North Face Montana Ski Mitt for just a little more money. If you want the warmest mittens that money can buy, the Black Diamond Mercury Mitt is super warm, waterproof, and durable. If you aren't committed to mittens, we like The North Face IL Solo Pro for a lightweight pair of ski gloves that excels in a variety of conditions and is great for the backcountry.

Travis Poulin
 

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