10 Best Touchscreen Gloves Reviewed & Compared
By Mike Valverde
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One of the greatest technological achievements of modern time is the smart device. As microchips became more and more advanced in smaller and smaller sizes, we developed handheld tablets and smartphones that would grant us instant access to information and connect to anyone in the world. However, these were designed to be used with our bare hands, which can present a hazard to those who need gloves in the cold weather. To address this need, many apparel manufacturers have cleverly designed gloves that mimic the feeling of bare fingers in order to allow the wearer to use their smart devices without removing them.
- YQXCC
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Our rating - Variety of Color Options
- Price: See Here
- Lonew
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Our rating - Comfortable Fit
- Price: See Here
- X-CHENG
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Our rating - Microfiber Fabric
- Price: See Here
10 Best Touchscreen Gloves
YQXCC
YQXCC designed a pair of gloves that would look right at home on the hands of a pro skier or avid biker. Thanks to the use of PU leather, both form and function are harmoniously achieved. The design of the glove’s inside also avoids the common touchscreen glove trend of awkwardly coloring a few of the fingertips to indicate the compatible digits.
Features
The capacitive material used for touchscreen functionality is located on the thumb and forefinger of each glove, allowing for a somewhat limited but still effective versatility. Aside from that, the solid construction make these excellent gloves for a variety of outdoor activites including cycling, hiking, and skiing.
Specs
The outside-facing lining of these gloves are made from PU leather, providing equal parts style and functional durability. The inside is lined with faux fur which helps to further insulate the hands while also keeping them comfortable. The fingers are all 3D tailored to provide a snug and ergonomic fit, resulting in a very well put-together pair of gloves.
Value
The cost for these YQXCC gloves varies depending on which color option customers choose. This is a confusing discrepancy that can only be explained by limited available for certain styles. However, the standard cost for an ordinary black pair is incredibly reasonable when considering what went into it.
- Fashion and function thanks to a primarily leather build
- Variety of color options to accommodate different stylistic preferences
- Comfortable and warm inside made from faux fur
- Varying prices for different color schemes
- Touchscreen functionality limited to two fingers
Lonew
The first stylistic aspect that stands out on these gloves is the power symbol placed on the front of the index finger. Both index fingers and thumbs are designed to accommodate touchscreens and have been colored silver as a signifier. This is an appealing aesthetic but can come across as gaudy to some.
Features
As previously mentioned, only the index fingers and thumbs of these gloves are touchscreen compatible. This is enough to handle most basic smart devices but can be inconvenient for some multitouch tasks. Other than that, these gloves also feature a slip-resistant silicone coating on the palm to avoid cracked screens.
Specs
In order to provide their much-touted breathability, Lonew designed these gloves from a combination of lycra and cotton with electric shock cloth providing the touchscreen compatibility. 3D tailoring helped to provide a snug fit that is consistent across the entirety of the glove, ensuring comfort without risk of slippage.
Value
These aren’t the cheapest gloves on the market but are still reasonably priced. The main justification for the slightly increased cost seems to be the style; while the techy elements are aesthetically pleasing, the strange stitching around the wrist is a bit tackier. Regardless, these gloves will accomplish their intended goal without causing much of a hit to the wallet.
- Silicone on the palm reduces risk of slippage
- All materials used to design these gloves are highly breathable
- Snug and comfortable fit with 3D tailoring
- Polarizing stylistic choices can come across as tacky
- Higher price than average for little justification
X-CHENG
In a word, these gloves are tacky. With a design closer to a Halloween costume than a pair of gloves, these will only be appropriate in situations involving the kind of sports that are associated with energy drinks. The biggest crime is that this gaudy fashion undermines the impressive material used for its construction.
Features
These gloves are touchscreen compatible on the thumbs and index fingers, which should be enough to handle most basic smartphone tasks. Additionally, part of these gloves contain microfiber fabric which is soft enough to clean smudges and fingerprints off a touch screen without scratching it.
Specs
The material used for these gloves is spandex, lycra, microfiber and velcro. In addition to being very breathable, these fabrics provide decent durability and a comfortably tight fit. In addition to touchscreen functionality, X-CHENG’s cycling gloves also offer screen wiping and shock absorption.
Value
These are fairly expensive in regards to gloves but aren’t necessarily expensive in general. Limited sizing options is partially to blame for this price hike, meaning that the demographic that would most appreciate these cycling gloves is teenagers with their mom’s credit card number.
- Microfiber fabric helps to clean touch screens without scratching
- Shock absorbent and breathable design perfect for hardcore cycling
- Snug and supportive fit through the use of lycra and spandex
- Tacky design makes these gloves look like a Halloween costume
- Expensive cost and limited sizing
Nike Lightweight Tech
Nike is most well-known for their superior fashion and stylistic design. These gloves are a reflection of that ethos with an aesthetically pleasing and low-profile style that comes across as classy.
Features
Unlike many popular touchscreen gloves that ranked higher on this list, these gloves only offer touchscreen functionality on their thumbs. This is going to cause increased difficulty performing certain functions such as texting but should be functional enough for emergency calls.
Specs
Nike predominantly made these gloves out of their Dri-Fit technology, commonly used in their Air-Max running shoes. This helps to keep these shoes lightweight and breathable while also allowing it to be machine-washable.
Value
These are some of the most expensive touchscreen-compatible gloves on the market for seemingly no reason. Nike is known for offering high-quality products at a reasonable price so the unreasonably high cost for these gloves is a bit of an anomaly.
- Dri-Fit technology offers breathability and moisture protection
- Fantastic style as is custom from Nike
- Tight fit ensures comfortable stability during physical activity
- Touchscreen compatibility limited to the thumbs
- Unreasonably high price for lackluster features
TrailHeads Power Stretch
As previously mentioned, these gloves don’t feature the same design trappings typical of touchscreen compatible gloves. Despite offering compatibility in each thumb and forefinger, all five fingers on each hand are the same color. With a single elegant design on the palm, these gloves are reminiscent of luxury apparel designed by companies like Louis Vuitton or Gucci.
Features
In addition to the aforementioned smart device functionality on the thumb and forefinger, these gloves provide excellent resistance to a variety of environmental hazards. The use of Polartec Power-Stretch fabric for the outside protects the wearer from wind chill or scrapes from rough impact while also providing excellent moisture management.
Specs
The material used for the majority of these gloves’ construction is Polartec Power-Stretch, a proprietary fabric made in the United States that provides fantastic durability and breathability. Silicone was also added to the palms of this TrailHeads product in order to provide a better grip on the wearer’s smart device and prevent dropping.
Value
While these aren’t the most cost-effective gloves on this list, they are also far from the most expensive. They’re also well-worth the price they’re listed as thanks to their impressive smart device-compatible features and a fantastic design aesthetic. For those with the cash to spare, these are definitely a good buy.
- Subtle and visually appealing style
- Grippy palms prevent dropping smart devices
- Fantastic durability and wind protection due to Power-Stretch fabric
- Lack of noticeable visual cues may cause confusion with non-compatible gloves
- Touchscreen functionality limited to two fingers on each hand
Fenvella
Aside from some unfortunate stitching around the wrist cuff, these are some very spiffy gloves. Fenvella went with a design that heavily incorporates negative space, placing small accents in key areas to great aesthetic effect.
Features
The digits on these gloves that are touchscreen compatible are easily recognized due to their shiny reflective tips. Although they are limited to the thumbs and forefingers, this should be enough to accomplish basic smart device tasks. The most impressive feature present in these Fenvella gloves by far, however, is their waterproofing.
Specs
The material used for these gloves is mostly polyester with some additional fabrics added in to provide the additional features. This includes the conductive metal fibers that give them their smart device compatibility and the silicone added to the palms in order to increase grip.
Value
When considering all of the benefits that come with these gloves, the cost for purchase seems incredibly reasonable. Especially due to the fact that this Fenvella product is waterproof, these gloves are an excellent value purchase.
- Waterproof construction makes these gloves ideal for winter activities
- Extra grip prevents slippage thanks to silicone palms
- Fantastic value for all the contained features
- Polarizing design choices on the fingers and wrist cuff
- Polyester fabric may irritate individuals with skin sensitivity
QXQY
Perhaps the biggest draw to these QXQY gloves is their style. All-black PU faux leather makes these gloves look like any other, without any silly accents on the compatible fingers or dorky power button logos on the back. This does mean that the common practice of adding slip-resistant silicone has been omitted as well, however.
Features
In a move that is disappointingly uncommon among gloves with smart device compatibility, QXQY designed these PU leather gloves with full functionality in all five digits. This makes it significantly easier to accomplish more nuanced tasks on smart devices, such as multitouch and digital zoom for pictures.
Specs
The use of PU faux leather makes these gloves function nearly identically to any article of clothing or accessory made from real leather. This means that special care must be taken when cleaning it: not just for the sake of the leather but also for the sake of the touchscreen compatible fabric.
Value
With such a low price and so many features present in their design, many customers may be suspicious of these gloves from QXQY. However, beneath the garbled English found in the online posting and on some suspicious product reviews, the consensus seems to be that they perform as to be expected.
- High-quality leather design provides equal parts style and warmth
- Full touchscreen compatibility in all five fingers
- Incredibly low price for the provided design and construction
- Delicate washing practices required to avoid damaging gloves
- Poorly translated instructions left by retailer on product page
BOODUN
The use of velvet on these gloves place them in a strange category– not quite fancy enough to be formal wear due to their design accents, but also not quite utilitarian enough to come across as dedicated exercise gloves. This is sure to turn off some of the more aesthetically-oriented shoppers.
Features
As is custom for a budget pair of smart device-ready gloves, these only offer compatibility in two of five possible digits. Despite having softer fabric, these gloves are fully machine washable without needing to exercise a significant degree of caution.
Specs
The primary material used for these gloves is soft velvet mixed in with lycra spandex. This surprisingly effective combination results in heat insulation, comfort, and a tight fit. Despite using softer materials like velvet, the large amount of lycra allows this Boodun product to be machine washable.
Value
These gloves are reasonably priced but still find themselves on the higher end of the glove cost spectrum. Individuals who care first and foremost about fashion will likely be dissuaded from making the purchase but those who wish to buy them anyway won’t be disappointed with the level of comfort and heat protection provided.
- Soft and comfortable due to use of velvet material
- Secure and snug fit due to lycra spandex
- Machine washable without needing to exercise excessive caution
- Higher than average cost for little justification
- Bizarre stylistic choices bound to turn off fashion-oriented customers
HEAD Sensatec
The combination of fabrics used to assemble these gloves result in an appearance similar to that of most popular yoga pants. It’s a style that coordinates well with other clothes and accessories but is stark and utilitarian in a way that may be unappealing to some.
Features
In addition to compatibility with touch screens on the thumbs and index fingers, these gloves have a small clip that can be used to make storage more convenient while they aren’t being used. At least, convenience was the intention; many customers have complained that they had trouble separating these gloves after clipping them.
Specs
These HEAD Sensatec gloves are made from a combination of mostly polyester and nylon with bits of spandex added in. The polyester helps to make them machine washable, the nylon greatly improves their durability, and the spandex provides enough compression to ensure a snug yet comfortable grip.
Value
Due to limited availability of some colors and sizes, certain models of these gloves will cost a bit more than others. This may be a problem for some runners, as can the fact that the included clip doesn’t usually function as intended. HEAD’s Sensatec product can really only be recommended at its lowest cost.
- Fantastic combination of fabrics to create a functional set of gloves
- Basic style that is easily coordinated with other outfits
- Lightweight and comfortable fit makes them perfect for running
- Included clip doesn’t work very well
- Prices vary wildly for different sizes and colors
Nike Thermal Tech
While many apparel designers will fall flat in their attempts to make a minimalist aesthetic that doesn’t look flat and boring, Nike manages to pull off this impressive feat in a manner that looks effortless. Subtle flashes of red and white break up the majority black material to accomplish this.
Features
Some runners will likely be disappointed by the fact that these gloves are only touchscreen compatible on the thumbs. This will still allow for extremely basic functions but texting is essentially out of the question. A nice additional feature that makes up for this is a small pocket useful for storing tiny items like keys.
Specs
These Nike gloves are almost entirely made from polyester, with very small amounts of elastane, rubber, and nylon mixed in. As a result, no extra care needs to be taken when machine washing these gloves.
Value
Much like the men’s version of these gloves that can be found slightly higher up on this list, these are listed at an unreasonably expensive price. There are some nice features that come with the astronomical cost but the majority of runners can get by with a much cheaper option that offers more features.
- Excellent sense of style, courtesy of Nike’s brilliant design team
- Polyester fleece maintains warmth while also being machine washable
- Small pocket allows for convenient storage
- Astronomically high and unjustifiable asking price
- Touchscreen functionality limited to the thumbs
The Criteria We Used to Find the Best Touchscreen Gloves
This idea for a smartphone-compatible glove may have started with one company but it quickly became adopted by many apparel manufacturers. Because of this, it can be hard to find the best touchscreen gloves on the market due to oversaturation. In order to address this concern, we’ve listed the 10 best options on the market based on the following criteria:
Style
Despite function being an incredibly important part of any pair of gloves, style is almost equally important to some individuals. Hands are a very noticeable part of the human body so it makes sense to want to adorn them with an article of clothing that is visually appealing. This section evaluates the color options available as well as the overall visual aesthetic of the product.
Features
The most obvious feature needed from a pair of touchscreen gloves is its ability to work on a touchscreen. However, there are variations in execution worth mentioning, such as whether all five digits will work on the screen or just a few on each hand. Additionally, these gloves are evaluated based on how well the function as gloves, including how comfortable they feel and how warm they can keep the wearer’s hands.
Specs
This is the more specific information that should be known before making a major purchase. When evaluating the specifications of each glove, we analyze what kinds of materials are used to manufacture each model as well as how they can be washed. Bonus points are given to those that can be washed easily or resist attracting bacteria.
Value
This is perhaps the most important factor for a significant portion of the people reading this guide. No one wants to waste their money on an inferior product, so this section evaluates the asking price for each product. We also compare the cost to other brands in order to determine where each product lies on the cost spectrum.
Other Important Factors to Consider
For the majority of customers looking to purchase a pair of touchscreen-compatible gloves, the criteria outlined above will be enough for them to make an informed purchase. However, some individuals reading this will need some more information before making a decision. These factors aren’t always necessary but can certainly help to inform your purchasing decision.
Allergies
Some individuals have allergic reactions to common materials used for making gloves, such as wool or cotton. These cases are rare but are still worth mentioning. For some of these people, exposure to these allergenic materials could lead to severe discomfort at the best and serious health concerns at the very worst.
Warranty
In addition to a fair return policy, many customers will want to know if they have some sort of coverage of their product. This is less important for relatively inexpensive items like gloves but can still be nice in case there is an issue. If a more expensive product offers a better warranty than a cheaper model, it could end up saving you money in the long run.
Hygiene
How easy is it to clean these gloves? How long can they be worn before they need to be washed? Do they attract odors after a long time or do they contain elements that resist bacterial accumulation? These are all hygiene-related issues that are important for just about any article of clothing, including gloves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do touchscreen gloves work?
A: Most modern devices use what is called capacitive touchscreens. These screens are able to respond only to skin contact and no contact with your clothes because your body naturally conducts electricity. Touchscreen gloves use capacitive fabric on key areas, such as the index fingers, in order to reproduce the same effect.
Q: Can I make ordinary gloves touchscreen compatible?
A: With a bit of work, you can make an ordinary pair of gloves touchscreen compatible by sewing in a conductive fabric. This is a costly and time-consuming practice that can be inconvenient to the layman, so in many cases, it makes more sense to simply invest in a pair of touchscreen gloves.
Q: What devices are compatible with touchscreen gloves?
A: Any device that uses a capacitive touchscreen will work with traditional touchscreen gloves. This means that just about every modern smart device that has a touchscreen interface will work with these gloves, although some touchscreen combination laptops may not.
Q: Will touchscreen gloves damage my smart device?
A: Touchscreen gloves will not damage your screen or cause your smart device to stop working. The material used to make these gloves are fine enough to be used on your device’s screen without scratching or disrupting its electronic functionality.
Q: Will my touchscreen gloves stop working one day?
A: There is the possibility that some of the conductive fabric used to make touchscreen gloves can fray and separate from the glove, causing them to no longer work on your smart device. Interacting with Velcro can exacerbate this process so it isn’t recommended. Ultimately, the average lifespan for touchscreen gloves is around one year.
Sources
- , Touch Screen Gloves Reviews, Website,
- , Best Touchscreen Gloves, Article,
- , Best Touchscreen Gloves Winter, Website,
- , Best Touchscreen Gloves of 2017, Article,
- , Best Touchscreen Gloves Winter, Website,
- , Best Touchscreen Gloves, Website,
- , The Best Touchscreen Winter Gloves, Article,
- , Best Touchscreen Gloves, Article,
- , Best Touchscreen Gloves for Texting, Article,
- , Best Touchscreen Gloves on Amazon, Article,
- , Six Best Touchscreen Gloves, Article,
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