Cold weather glove liners do more than just add an extra layer between your hands and the elements. Certain liners can provide higher degrees of warmth, greater dexterity, additional protective qualities, and different levels of comfort.
Insulation liners in gloves work to prevent heat from naturally leaving your hands by trapping air within the insulating layer and reflecting this heat that you lose through your skin back to your body.
Having the appropriately lined cold weather glove for the temperatures and your application has a dramatic impact on dexterity, productivity, and overall worker morale.
Working outside in the cold can already be a tough endeavor, but having the right PPE can make the experience more efficient, safe, and manageable.
Different liners, different functions
Fleece liner
Fleece is a good starting point as a cold-weather liner for fall when the temperatures are just starting to drop. Gloves with a fleece lining could also be sufficient for indoor workspaces that are kept at cooler temps.
HexArmor® gloves with a fleece liner: Helix® 2073, Helix® 2077, Thin Lizzie™ Thermal 2091, Thin Lizzie Thermal 2099
Waterproof liner
Often combined with other cold weather liners, waterproof liners naturally offer protection from windy conditions, giving workers some warmth properties, too. Gloves with waterproof liners only are ideal for slightly cooler temperatures when you need more dexterity and work in an application where your hands may get wet.
Best thing to remember about this liner is that dry hands maintain their heat up to 25 times better than wet hands.
HexArmor® gloves with a waterproof liner: Rig Lizard Arctic® 2023X
Thinsulate™ liners - C40 and C100
These offer optimum warmth when hands are active, without overdoing it. All Thinsulate™, no matter the level, has breathable and moisture-resistant qualities. Another bonus? It’s launderable.
C40 Thinsualte™ is a high-activity liner designed to perform well on hands frequently in motion. This liner has about one and a half times the warmth of down and nearly twice the warmth of high loft fiberfill insulation. It’s what most workers need and will use in the colder elements. Normal liners can cause hands to sweat and become overheated, but because of the thinness of C40, this is a non-issue.
HexArmor® gloves with a C40 Thinsulate™ liner: Chrome Series® Arctic Leather 4082, Chrome Series® Arctic 4086, and Rig Lizard Arctic® 2023X (also includes H2X®waterproof liner)
C100 Thinsulate™ is a liner designed to perform well in slightly colder conditions where more warmth is needed, depending on the activity level on the job. It's rapidly becoming the choice for harsher conditions, such as those found in parts of Canada, North Dakota, and Alaska. The added protection does add a little bulk and reduces dexterity, so testing the glove is imperative to make sure you need that much thermal protection.
HexArmor® gloves with a C100 Thinsulate™ liner: Chrome SLT® Cold Weather 4063, Chrome SLT® Cold Weather 4064, Chrome SLT® Winter 4066W, Chrome SLT® 4067W, and Chrome SLT® 4073W
Picking the right cold-weather glove
Remember, to correctly identify the type of glove and liner necessary for your environment, you need to analyze the temperatures in which you will be working, the application you’ll be performing, and the amount of activity necessary. These factors have a direct impact on what type of liner may be best for you.
Being aware of environmental factors like humidity, altitude, wind speed, and duration of exposure is crucial to staying safe when temperatures drop.
Keep in mind that your body may be different than your coworker's, and may react differently to cold temperatures. Gender, metabolism, activity level, and size can impact your resistance to the cold, so a glove that may be sufficient for your coworker, may not work for you.
Also, note that wearing a tight glove can cut off circulation, particularly in the fingers - so find a glove size that offers a little more room. The more blood that flows to the fingers, the warmer you will be.
HexArmor® can help
Have questions about what cold weather PPE may be right for you? Understanding the PPE you need for your workplace environment is imperative to any cold weather or cold stress safety program.
Download our cold-weather work glove solutions and see what product may be the best for you and your application, or learn more about our cold-weather technology.
Let us know if you need help or if you're ready to start a trial - our Solution Specialists are ready to work with you. Call 1.877.MY ARMOR or send us a message.
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