How to Keep Your Hands Warm in Winter: 10 Practical Tips

The best way to keep your hands warm in winter is to keep the rest of you warm first, then protect your hands from wind and wet. Wear warm layers and a hat so your body does not need to cut blood flow to your fingers, choose gloves that fit with a little room to spare, close the gap at your wrists, and keep a spare dry pair with you on wet days. Keep your hands moving, warm them gently rather than on a radiator, and try to avoid long spells holding cold, metal or wet things with bare fingers.

This guide is about cold hands outdoors: the commute, the school run, dog walks, cycling and working outside. If your hands get cold at a desk, our guide on how to keep warm working from home covers typing and indoor tips.

Why do your hands get cold so quickly?

When you get cold, your body protects your core by narrowing the blood vessels near the skin, especially in your hands and feet. Less warm blood reaches your fingers, so they cool down fast. Hands also have a lot of surface area for their size, and fingers are thin, so they lose heat quickly in wind and rain.

That is why the first tip below is not about your hands at all.

How to keep your hands warm in winter: 10 practical tips

1. Keep your core and head warm

If your chest and back are cold, your hands will be colder too. Wear several thin layers rather than one thick jumper, add a windproof outer layer, and wear a hat and scarf. Warm hands often start with a warm body.

2. Choose gloves that fit properly

Gloves that are too tight squeeze your fingers and leave no space for warm air, which can make your hands feel colder. You should be able to curl your fingers into a fist and wiggle them comfortably. Gloves that are too loose let cold air in at the wrist and make it harder to grip.

3. Pick the right gloves for the weather

UK winters are often more wet and windy than very cold, so the material matters as much as the thickness:

• Dry, still days: knitted or fleece gloves are fine for a short walk.
• Wind and drizzle: a windproof or water-resistant outer makes a big difference, because wind strips heat from your fingers.
• Heavy rain or a long time outside: look for waterproof gloves, or wear a thin liner glove under a waterproof outer.

If you use your phone a lot outdoors, touch screen gloves save you taking them off, which is when your hands get coldest.

4. Consider mittens on the coldest days

Mittens keep your fingers together, so they share warmth instead of each finger losing heat on its own. They are clumsy for keys, buttons and phones, but for a long cold walk, a football match or waiting at a bus stop, they are usually warmer than gloves of the same thickness. Some people wear thin gloves under mittens so they can slip the mittens off for fiddly jobs.

5. Close the gap at your wrists

A strip of bare wrist between your glove and your sleeve lets cold air in and warm air out. Choose gloves with a longer cuff, tuck the cuffs under your coat sleeves, or wear a jacket with adjustable cuffs. Wrist warmers can help too.

6. Put your gloves on before your hands get cold

It is much easier to keep warm hands warm than to rewarm cold ones. Put your gloves on before you step outside, and if you can, warm them first. Arthritis UK suggests warming your hands before putting gloves on, and keeping the gloves somewhere warm, such as an airing cupboard, beforehand.

7. Keep your gloves dry and carry a spare pair

Damp gloves draw heat away from your hands, so once they are wet they stop doing their job. On a rainy commute or a long dog walk, keep a dry spare pair in a coat pocket or bag. When you get home, dry your gloves at room temperature so they are ready for the next day. Our guide on how to wash winter gloves also covers drying them without spoiling the shape.

8. Keep moving and use your hands

Walking briskly, swinging your arms and clenching and opening your fists all help push warm blood back into your fingers. If you are standing still, for example on the touchline or at a bus stop, make big arm circles every few minutes or tuck your hands under your arms for a while.

9. Use hand warmers wisely

Disposable or rechargeable hand warmers are useful for long spells outdoors. They work best inside a glove or a coat pocket rather than held in a bare hand. Follow the instructions on the pack, and do not hold them against bare skin for long periods, as some get hot enough to irritate the skin.

10. Avoid gripping cold things with bare hands

Metal handlebars, buggy handles, car door handles, ice scrapers and garden tools draw heat from your hands quickly. Keep gloves on for these jobs where you can. For cycling, padded windproof cycling gloves or bar mitts help; for scraping the car, stopping the windscreen freezing in the first place means less time outside with cold hands.

How to keep hands warm without gloves

Sometimes you have forgotten your gloves or need bare fingers for a moment. A few things help:

• Put your hands in your coat pockets, ideally fleece-lined ones, or under your arms.
• Pull your coat or jumper sleeves down over your hands.
• Hold a warm drink in a travel mug.
• Keep your fingers moving: clench, open and wiggle them.
• Keep bare-hand jobs short, then cover up again.

Warming up cold hands safely

When you come in with very cold hands, warm them gradually. Hold them under your arms, wrap them around a warm (not hot) mug, or run them under lukewarm water. The NHS advises against putting your hands on a radiator or under hot water to warm them up, as this is linked to chilblains. Warming up too fast can also be painful.

When cold hands might need a GP

Most cold hands are simply cold hands. But if your fingers often turn white or blue, then red, when you get cold, or your symptoms are severe, getting worse or only affect one side, read the NHS page on Raynaud's and speak to a GP. The same applies to sores or itchy patches on your fingers that do not clear up.

Gloves for everyday winter use

For commuting, the school run and dog walks, a pair of lightweight, water-resistant gloves you can wear every day is often more useful than a bulky ski pair. Our black touch screen thermal gloves have an SBR water-resistant coating, conductive fingertips for using your phone and a non-slip silicone palm for grip. The product page notes that they are not fully windproof and should not be immersed in water, so on a very wet or very cold day they are best paired with a dry spare. You can see our other hats, socks and gloves in the winter collection.

Frequently asked questions

Are mittens warmer than gloves?

Usually, yes. Mittens keep your fingers together so they share warmth, and there is less surface area losing heat. Gloves are better when you need to use your fingers.

Why are my hands cold even when I wear gloves?

Common reasons are gloves that are too tight, gloves that are damp, a gap at the wrist, or the rest of your body being cold. Try a looser fit, a dry pair, longer cuffs and an extra layer on your core.

How can I keep my hands warm when cycling in winter?

Wear windproof cycling gloves with a long cuff, put them on before you leave, and consider bar mitts or a thin liner glove underneath on the coldest mornings. Keep a dry pair at work for the ride home.

What is the quickest way to warm up cold hands?

Tuck them under your arms or wrap them around a warm mug, and keep your fingers moving. Avoid radiators and hot water, and warm them gradually.

Warm hands, better winter days

Keep your body warm, choose well-fitting gloves for the weather, close the gap at your wrists and keep a dry pair to hand. Those few habits make the walk to work, the school run and the evening dog walk far more comfortable this winter.