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FlyLow Oven Mitt Review

A tough, trendy, and affordable choice for resort or backcountry skiing
FlyLow Oven Mitt
Photo: Backcountry
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Price:  $50 List | $49.95 at Backcountry
Compare prices at 2 resellers
Pros:  Tough, waterproof, warm, dexterous for a mitt
Cons:  Sweats out easily, must apply Sno-Seal often to avoid soaking up water
Manufacturer:   Flylow
By Travis Poulin ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Jan 17, 2020
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51
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#19 of 21
  • Warmth - 25% 7
  • Dexterity - 25% 4
  • Water Resistance - 25% 4
  • Durability - 15% 7
  • Features - 10% 3

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 very warm and do well in windy conditions. They do come coated in Sno-Seal but persistent reapplication is necessary as the leather drys out. These are not great for warm days as they sweat out easily but for those with cold hands, they are a great pricepoint option. For their 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.

Compare to Similar Products

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FlyLow Oven Mitt
This Product
FlyLow Oven Mitt
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Top Pick Award Top Pick Award Top Pick Award 
Price $49.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers		$199.00 at REI$424.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers		$179.00 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers		$135.96 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers
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Pros Tough, waterproof, warm, dexterous for a mittWarm, water resistant, durable, dexterous, lightweight and packableGreat fit and dexterity, weather resistant, electrical heat works, great glove even when turned offExcellent dexterity and durability, fairly warm, water resistantSuper warm, extremely tough, great weather resistance, removable liners help them dry quicker, our go-to expedition glove
Cons Sweats out easily, must apply Sno-Seal often to avoid soaking up waterExpensive, lacks some featuresDoesn't get as warm as other heated gloves, expensiveExpensive, lacks some nice featuresNot very dexterous, take time to break in, if in between sizes you should consider sizing up
Bottom Line Functional for in the backcountry or at the resort, but have a relatively small temperature rangeTop-tier performance, coupled with exceptional versatility across a wide range of conditionsWell-built ski gloves that perform even when the heat is turned offA good choice for warmth and weather resistance in a dexterous packageIf rugged capabilities and warmth top your list of importance, think about investing in this pair
Rating Categories FlyLow Oven Mitt Arc'teryx Fission SV Hestra Power Heater Glove Arc'teryx Sabre Black Diamond Guide
Warmth (25%)
7
7
8
7
8
Dexterity (25%)
4
8
8
9
4
Water Resistance (25%)
4
10
8
8
8
Durability (15%)
7
9
9
9
9
Features (10%)
3
7
6
4
9
Specs FlyLow Oven Mitt Arc'teryx Fission SV Hestra Power... Arc'teryx Sabre Black Diamond Guide
Double or Single Glove Single Single Single Single Double
Gaunlet or Cuff? Cuff Gauntlet Hybrid Cuff Gauntlet
Palm Material Pigskin leather Leather Goat leather Leather Goat leather
Waterproof Material SnoSeal beeswax Gore-Tex CZone Gore-tex Gore-Tex insert
Insulation Type Spaceloft Micropuff 133g Primaloft Gold Eco and 200g Primaloft Silver Eco Fiberfill polyester Primaloft 170g PrimaLoft Gold and 100g boiled wool fleece lining
Nose Wipe? No Yes No No Yes

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


Gear reviewer Travis Poulin field testing.
Gear reviewer Travis Poulin field testing.
Photo: 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 being said, in colder conditions the Primaloft insulation performed great. These mittens are ideal for temperatures between 0F-20F.

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.
Photo: Travis Poulin

Water Resistance


The Oven Mitts wetted out fairly quickly in the ice bath/ submersion test, which was expected given their construction. 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.

The mittens were quick to let water in during our submersion test
The mittens were quick to let water in during our submersion test
Photo: 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 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 gloves that did not rip from carrying a snowboard. Stitching is where the Oven Mittens begin to lose points as it seems to be a cheap, imported stitching job with the intention of moving product.

A tough mitt that wets-out easily.
A tough mitt that wets-out easily.
Photo: Rachel Croft

Features


There isn't much to be said about the Oven Mitts' features because of their simplicity. 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.

Value


The Oven Mittens do their job well for their price and are a great option to have in the quiver if you switch out gloves often. They are carried in most ski shops so they also make for a great impulsive buy if you realize you forgot your gloves and don't want cold hands from a cheap alternative.

Conclusion


The Oven Mittens are no award winners but they are a great product that can be trusted for backcountry, sidecountry, and cold-weather resort skiing.

— Travis Poulin