Peter Macfarlane awarded the Keela Extreme Gloves his Best in Test for winter gloves after rigorous testing. Find out why.
The Extreme Gloves are an insulated gauntlet style but are still light and very packable, easily fitting into a small rucksack lid pocket.
Peter Macfarlane’s Best in Test
The Primaloft insulated lining is warm, the shell is tough and the price is good.- warm
- dexterous
- packable
- none
| Quick specs |
|---|
| Price: $69 | £59.95 (available from Keela) |
| Weight: 146g (pair, size L0 |
| Materials: nylon shell, PU palm, polyester fleece lining |
| Features: primaloft insulation, SDP waterproof lining, touchscreen index fingers |
| Sizes: S-XL |
| Men’s version: Unisex |
| keelaoutdoors.com |
The palms are a textured PU material with two-way stretch across the width of the palm. I’ve found its rubbery feeling surface very abrasion resistant and grippy on ice axes and poles even when wet. The rest of the shell is a DWR treated nylon which has proved durable and is still shedding water after much repeated use. The tips of the thumb and forefinger have patches of a synthetic suede material which adds grip and dexterity when adjusting zip pulls or drawcords.
Overall, the gloves are soft to handle, and I can easily feel what I’m doing through the layers of the glove. The index fingers have touchscreen compatible zones under the fingertip, partly achieved by thinner insulation in this area. I have to consciously line my finger tip up with the conductive spot for this to work well.
They are waterproofed using Keela’s own SDP system which works well. The largely synthetic construction means that if I do overload the gloves with sweat, they do dry out quickly. The back of the thumb has a soft material overlay which acts as a nose wipe, a brilliant feature on a winter glove that’s often overlooked.
The wrists are loosely elasticated, enough to keep the gloves in place. I can wear liner gloves under the Extremes and they’re lightly curved for a good resting position fit with a pleasant feeling fleece lining throughout. The long cuffs have drawcord closures and fit over or under a shell jacket cuff. There are loops to attach lanyards and allow you to clip the gloves together.
The Extremes feel stripped down and lack additional reinforcing for long term ice axe use but the Primaloft insulated lining is warm, the shell is tough and the price is good.
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.
