Warm and reliable, the Alpkit Sheil gloves are an excellent back up glove to keep in your pack, says Peter Macfarlane.
The Alpkit Shiels are very light and pack down very small indeed, I can stuff them into any clothing or rucksack hipfin pocket to keep them handy.
Peter Macfarlane’s verdict
Warm and reliable, they’re an excellent back up but just not tough enough for dedicated winter use.- light and packable
- warm
- dexterous
- durability with hardware
- not touchscreen compatible
- not waterproof
| Quick specs |
|---|
| Price: £32.99 (Shiel mitts available from Decathlon) |
| Weight: 64g (pair, size L) |
| Materials: nylon shell, polyester insulation, leather palm and thumb |
| Features: Primaloft Gold recycled insulation, lycra cuff, reflective logo |
| Sizes: XS – XL |
| Men’s version: Unisex |
| alpkit.com |
They’re nicely warm with a soft Primaloft insulation which lofts well when the gloves are worn. The inner surface is a soft fleece which is pleasant against the bare skin. The outer shell is a light nylon ripstop fabric which is windproof and it has an exceptionally good DWR treatment which reliably repels even heavy rain for long periods. The Shiels aren’t waterproof though, moisture does eventually creep in, especially through the numerous stitched seams.
The palm and thumbtip have lightweight leather reinforcing which helps protect the glove from the contact points with walking poles and to some extent ice axes. The lightweight construction of the Shiel has seen me be very careful with them when I’ve used them with ice axes and when scrambling and it’s this aspect that makes them less than perfect as a dedicated winter glove.
The overall fit is excellent with gentle pre-curving on the fingers and volume is perfect on my hands for wearing on their own or over a very light liner glove. There is an elasticated section on the inner wrist which helps hold the Shiel in position without any detectable pressure on my wrist. The cuff is short and low profile with lycra binding and it slips under shell jacket cuffs easily and I can fit it under over various midlayers depending on the weight of fabric.
There’s a small buckle to attach the gloves to each other and the small loops at the cuff that the swing tag is attached to can be uses to add cords if you want to add a security element. The Shiels are excellent gloves and are always in my pack.
Warm and reliable, they’re an excellent back up but just not tough enough for dedicated winter use.
How we tested
Peter used these gloves regularly last winter and on colder days throughout the year. They’ve been tested with ices axes, crampon straps and walking poles as well as on tricky tasks such as deer fence repair with wire and tools as part of his ranger work. This review was first published in the January 2026 issue of The Great Outdoors. To compare it with similar models, browse our guide to the best winter gloves.
