Best Touchscreen Ski Gloves for Using Your Phone on the Chairlift
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The best touchscreen ski gloves build a genuine conductive fingertip into a glove that's still properly waterproof and insulated — Hestra's Touch Point leather gloves and The North Face Montana Etip are the two I'd trust to still work mid-February after a full season of abuse.
I can't count how many times one of my girls has stripped a glove off at the lift just to show me a photo or check the time, and her hand is a popsicle by the time we load. Touchscreen ski gloves solve that, but a lot of them are really just a fashion glove with a cheap conductive patch slapped on — fine for walking the dog, not for a cold chair in January. Here's what's actually built for the mountain.
A true capacitive fingertip woven into the glove's construction, not a stick-on patch glued over leather — the glued-on kind peels and quits working by February
A real waterproof/breathable membrane (Gore-Tex or an equivalent like DryVent) rather than just a DWR coating on the shell, which wets out in wet snow
Insulation type and placement matched to how cold you actually ride — PrimaLoft or Thinsulate in the fingers and palm, not just the back of the hand
Leather or synthetic palm with enough grip for a pole strap and a phone screen at the same time, since thin fabric palms get slick when damp
Skip cheap 'touchscreen glove' listings aimed at everyday commuting — they're rarely insulated or waterproof enough to survive a full resort day
Best overall
Hestra Army Leather Heli Ski (Touch Point)
Hestra's Touch Point construction is sewn into the glove, not glued on as an afterthought, and the Army Leather shell is some of the most durable goatskin in skiing. It's an investment piece, so if you only ski a handful of days a year it's more glove than you need.
Touch Point conductive fingertip built into the seam, not a surface patch
Durable goatskin leather palm that breaks in and holds up over multiple seasons
This is the glove I'd point a casual weekend skier toward — it's genuinely waterproof and insulated, not just a repurposed city glove, and the Etip fingertips work reliably in moderate cold. Dedicated powder chasers who run gloves hard for 50+ days a season will wear through the palm faster than a full-leather option.
DryVent waterproof/breathable insert
Etip conductive fingertips on thumb and index finger
Removable liner, easier to find in retail than some niche brands
Built with Gore-Tex and a snowboard-specific cut that doesn't bunch up under a jacket cuff, plus touchscreen-compatible fingertips for checking conditions or your buddy's location without stopping at the lodge. It runs a little less warm than a full winter mitten, so deep-cold riders may want something heavier.
Swany's been making ski gloves for decades and the X-Cell gives you a waterproof insert and touchscreen fingertip at a more approachable price than the leather options above. The leather palm isn't as premium as Hestra's, so expect it to show wear sooner if you ski hard, often days.
Waterproof insert with touchscreen-compatible fingertips
More accessible price point than premium leather gloves
Good entry point for someone trying touchscreen gloves for the first time
Do touchscreen ski gloves actually work with phones in freezing temps?
Yes, if the conductive fingertip is properly built in — capacitive touchscreens respond to the slight electrical charge your finger carries through the conductive fabric, and that still works in the cold. Cheap stick-on patches tend to lose conductivity and stop working reliably after repeated wetting and drying.
Are touchscreen ski gloves warmer or colder than regular ski gloves?
There's no inherent temperature penalty — the touchscreen fingertip is just a different fabric at the tip of the finger, and a well-made glove like Hestra's Touch Point or Burton's [ak] Clutch is just as warm as a non-touchscreen version in the same weight class.
Can I add touchscreen capability to my existing ski gloves?
Yes, aftermarket conductive glove patches and sprays exist, but they're a temporary fix at best and tend to peel off or stop working within a season. If you use your phone on the mountain often, it's worth buying a glove with touchscreen fingertips built in from the start.
What's the difference between touchscreen gloves and liner gloves for skiing?
A touchscreen ski glove is a full, insulated, waterproof outer glove with a conductive fingertip. A liner glove is a thin, often non-waterproof inner layer meant to be worn under a shell mitten or glove, and most liner gloves aren't touchscreen-capable or warm enough to wear alone on a cold lift ride.
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