Mammut Arctic Mitten Review

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Mammut’s Arctic Mitten features a combo of 600-fill goose down and synthetic fill. Together, the insulation is designed to keep your hands toasty regardless of the temperature or type of adventure.  I am a good mitten/glove tester because my hands are typically colder than most, even when sitting around the evening fire. Therefore, I have been putting the Arctic Mitten to good use on some early-season alpine skiing and snowshoeing outings.

The Arctic Mitten is super lightweight and highly compressible, making them a perfect mitt to stuff in your pack for when the temp really drops. The mittens weigh in at 290 grams (10.2 ounces) and are able to save weight with the combination of goatskin and Pertex Quantum fabric. The goat skin covers the palm, delivering enough stick to easily hold onto ski or trekking poles. The upper is made from Pertex Quantum; for those of you unfamiliar with this fabric, it is Pertexs’ lightest, and offers the best strength-to-weight ratio. One trade-off is its abrasion resistance; while tougher than it appears, this fabric is more prone to tears. After about 2 months of use, I don’t have any tears, but I have been cautious with how I use and store them. I like the combination of the two fabrics, but wish that the goat skin came up and over the fingertips, which would offer a little more wind protection to your tips when skiing downhill.  Note that, while these mittens are water-resistant enough for snow sports, they are not waterproof.

The mittens are available in sizes 6 to 12 (European sizing).  Below is a chart with coinciding American sizes – extremely helpful for finding your fit.

I tested out a size small, which corresponds with the lengths given in the chart, so the Arctic Mittens run true to size. Even with the appropriate size, these mitts are best suited for activities where there is not a lot of need for hand dexterity due to the high loft of the insulation. I typically wore a liner underneath and slipped off the mitts to zip or unzip my jacket or pit zips. The mittens feature a nice gauntlet cuff to go over top just about any jacket, and easy pulls to cinch and seal the mitten. There is also a velcro tab over-top which also helps decrease the bulk a tad, however, even at the tightest position, I required more Velcro to get a proper, snug fit.  I would have also appreciated a wrist loop, so instead of holding them when I took them off, I could let them securely dangle while I fussed with my jacket zipper or phone.

According to Mammut, the Arctic Mitten is optimally suited for expeditions. If you are more weekend warrior than arctic explorer, you will find the Arctic Mitten equally suitable for your next hut trip, backcountry day trip, skiing at the resort on a cold day, or even shoveling the drive. These mitts kept my hands plenty toasty and I didn’t have to use hand warmers with them, which is a rarity these days.

For more info on the Arctic Mitten and other Mammut products, visit www.backcountry.com or www.amazon.com/mammut.