I have poor circulation (a touch of Reynaud’s syndrome) as well, and I’ve tried a great many products in the context of cycling, ice climbing, and just general being outside in the cold. The short answer is that there are no gloves that will reliably keep your hands warm and allow you to retain dexterity if you’re not getting your heart rate up to promote circulation. Mittens work better, by far. In no particular order, here are some more long winded tips:
1) Use mittens whenever possible. Ones that allow skin-to-skin contact between your fingers work best.
2) Keep gloves in your pockets and switch from the mittens to the gloves when you need dexterity.
3) Cut off a pair of small wool socks to make wrist warmers. This helps but isn’t a panacea.
4) Use chemical handwarmers when necessary.
5) If you have to use gloves, some relatively cheap options that work well include, in order of warmth: a) freezer gloves, b) lined elk skin gloves (available at large hardware stores), c) Gore Windstopper gloves, available in outdoor shops.
6) Try to keep your heart rate up when outside, with your hands below your heart. This helps a lot.
7) Never wear wet gloves. If you’re going to get wet, alternate two or more pairs of gloves and keep the extras inside your jacket where they will stay warm and dry out a bit.
8) Consider vapor barrier gloves or mittens from RBH Designs if you want to spend some real money. I have not personally tried their handwear, but their vapor barrier socks are impressively warm and perform as advertised.
I have poor circulation (a touch of Reynaud’s syndrome) as well, and I’ve tried a great many products in the context of cycling, ice climbing, and just general being outside in the cold. The short answer is that there are no gloves that will reliably keep your hands warm and allow you to retain dexterity if you’re not getting your heart rate up to promote circulation. Mittens work better, by far. In no particular order, here are some more long winded tips:
1) Use mittens whenever possible. Ones that allow skin-to-skin contact between your fingers work best.
2) Keep gloves in your pockets and switch from the mittens to the gloves when you need dexterity.
3) Cut off a pair of small wool socks to make wrist warmers. This helps but isn’t a panacea.
4) Use chemical handwarmers when necessary.
5) If you have to use gloves, some relatively cheap options that work well include, in order of warmth: a) freezer gloves, b) lined elk skin gloves (available at large hardware stores), c) Gore Windstopper gloves, available in outdoor shops.
6) Try to keep your heart rate up when outside, with your hands below your heart. This helps a lot.
7) Never wear wet gloves. If you’re going to get wet, alternate two or more pairs of gloves and keep the extras inside your jacket where they will stay warm and dry out a bit.
8) Consider vapor barrier gloves or mittens from RBH Designs if you want to spend some real money. I have not personally tried their handwear, but their vapor barrier socks are impressively warm and perform as advertised.