Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero Gore-tex Down Mitts

I’ve had these 2 years now, and still going strong, which says a lot. These contain within them the absolute latest in waterproofing technology (ala the Gore-Tex), and the most proven in insulation technology (ala 850, yes, 850 fill goose down), combined with PrimaLoft Gold infused with Aerogel.

Now, most folks know Gore-Tex to be a breathable waterproof fabric, and most folks know goose down. But not many have heard of PrimaLoft Gold. So I thought I’d touch lightly on it so you can understand what actually goes into these mitts. The following is an excerpt taken directly from the PrimaLoft website:

“The current products in the PrimaLoft® Cross Core Series utilize Aerogel for increased thermal performance. Originally developed by NASA for use in aeronautical applications, silica aerogel is composed of more than 95% air and is the lightest solid material known to man and one of the most effective insulation materials.

PrimaLoft engineers have found a way to integrate aerogel material into the fibers, allowing PrimaLoft to develop apparel insulation that withstands the extreme challenges of outdoor garments. When Aerogel is fused with PrimaLoft® Insulation, it provides a significant boost in warmth without increasing weight. This enables PrimaLoft customers to achieve both enhanced warmth and decreased weight, allowing for the freedom to design both highly technical apparel and fashionable pieces with a variety of silhouettes.”

I couldn’t put it any better myself.

So what this means, is they couldn’t decide between the most ancient and proven method of insulation (goose down), and the most modern and effective method of insulation (aerogel), so they just said “To heck with it. We’ll just use both.” And so they did.

When you fuse ancient with modern, using the best properties of each, you get these mitts. Hand warmth in the coldest environments this planet has to offer. Somebody call David Attenborough.

With any mitt like this, the one tradeoff is the near total lack of finger dexterity. I mean, you can perform the most rudimentary tasks while wearing these. Wiping your nose. Punching a snowman. Stuff like that. But you’ll occasionally have the need to remove these in the cold.

The best advice I can give is to wear a glove liner with these (I use a pair of Isotoners for glove liners, and they work well for that) because not only does a glove liner boost overall performance, but it allows you to remove your hands briefly from your mitts and not have them begin to get frostbit almost immediately. So even though these are warm…REALLY warm…a good glove liner will pay dividends when you have to take them off briefly. And any task requiring even a modicum of dexterity will require their removal.

In short, these mitts are just incredible. I would feel as at home wearing these on the summit of K2 as shoveling my driveway. They so far (2 years) seem to be lasting, and they’re the warmest things I’ve ever had my hands in. Toasty warm and actually waterproof, these are 5 stars all the way.

These are incredible mittens. They feature:

1) Pittards leather. Pittards lasts and lasts. I have gloves that are made of Pittards that are many years old and still work fine. Pittards makes its own gloves, but it is also used in a variety of gloves by other manufacturers where there’s a need for a supple, thin, long-lasting, abrasion-bearing leather. So I have cycling gloves by Pearl Izumi with Pittards leather in them, for instance, and gardening gloves, and now these mittens. Just wash in soap and water for care.

2) Gore-tex lining. I got my first Gore-tex product years ago when Gore-tex first came out for apparel usage–it was in an incredibly expensive (for the time) parka from LL Bean. And I still wear that parka today forty years later. I don’t think any breathable fabric–and many have tried–beats Gore-tex for durability and just plain waterproofing ablity.

3) 800 fill power down insulation. This is as warm and comfortable as insulation gets. 800 fill power is the hightest possible normal rating for down. Some very fancy sources claim 900 and even 1000 fill power down, but their prices are incredible and down above 800 comes only from a few special and rare souces.

These are great mittens for back country sports and work. Just great. They are soft, spacious and incredibly warm. And they’re thin enough to wear with trekking or ski poles. I got a unisex medium pair and they fit me perfectly. In fact, they feel kind of large inside.

If you want to stay warm and dry, these are the mittens for you.