Outdoor Research Revolution Mitts are very warm, Gore-tex mittens designed for use in extremely cold conditions. They have a zippered pocket on the back where hand warmers can be inserted, long gauntlets to trap wrist warmth, and glove leases so you can take them off and they won’t fly away. They have polyester insulation including a fleecy sewn-in liner, with a PU diamond pattern on the thumb and palm for enhanced grip
- Gender: Unisex
- Insulated: Yes
- Liner: Sewn-in
- Palm: Diamond Grip PU
- Glove-leash: Yes
- Touch Compatible: Claimed
- Waterproof: Yes
- Fit: True to size
- Breathable: Moderately
- Pros: Waterproof, Long Wrist Gauntlets, External Hard Wamer Pocket, Glove Leash
- Cons: Limited Dexterity, Not Touchscreen Compatible
Outdoor Research Revolution Mitts are standalone mittens with sewn-in insulation. They have long wrist gauntlets that are great for preventing heat loss around your wrists since your blood flows close to the skin there, with an elastic cinch cord so that you can pull them tight to prevent snow from entering. If you have particularly cold hands, there’s also a zippered compartment on the back of the mitten where you can insert a chemical hand warmer.
While mittens like these are very warm, they provide little dexterity when it comes to changing layers, opening and closing a backpack, or using tools like an ice axe. That’s something to consider if you’re a winter hiker because you’ll have to completely remove your bare hand for manual manipulation. My preference is to wear a liner glove inside a mitten shell, because it offers much more dexterity and protection from the cold when you need to use your hands (see Winter Hiking Glove Layering). Still, mittens like the Revolution Mitts can be very valuable at the end of the day when you’ve sweated through or soaked all of your other gloves and mittens and you have a long march back to the car. I carry a pair of very-warm single-layer gloves (no longer made) this for purpose, although they also have enough manual dexterity also to use a tool like an ice axe.
While these revolution mittens are super warm, and I’ve enjoyed using them on cold-weather hikes, I wouldn’t get too excited about OR’s claims about breathability or touchscreen compatibility. The Gore-tex in these mitts is primarily there to make the inner liner waterproof to external moisture, not to vent the water vapor your hands generate if you perspire. As for touch compatibility, that’s a non-starter. First, it doesn’t work with my iPhone or iPad, and even if it did, how would you use it with mittens? There isn’t enough dexterity with the Revolution Mitts to use a touchscreen keyboard.
Recommendation
Outdoor Research’s Revolution Mitts are very warm, waterproof, and breathable winter mittens with sewn-in liners and an optional hand warmer pocket. They have many nice technical features, including long wrist gauntlets, an elastic cinch to seal off the ends and trap warmth, and glove leashes that you can loop around your wrists so they don’t blow away when you take them off. While they provide limited manual dexterity, they’re a great mitten to wear if your hands get very cold on winter hikes, snowshoeing trips, or skiing where fine motor control is not required.
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