New Collaboration Agreement with Vallerret Photography Gloves
Excited to announce I have been asked by Vallerret Photography Gloves to join them as their newest collaborator. Be watching for a review of both pair of gloves I have coming my way. Truly excited and proud to be a part of the group.
I wanted to get some basic information to everyone from the Vallerret website since winter is here and it’s time for gloves when out shooting.
Consider these Three things:
When choosing the best gloves for your winter photography you need to consider these Three factors:
WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
This is the obvious. Will you be in Arctic or in the UK? All of our gloves come with a general season rating (Arctic winter, Deep winter, Mid-winter, Mild winter, and Light winter), so start by selecting a winter rating depending on where you will be. Consider wind chill and humidity too, how cold will it feel?
WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING?
Does your photography require you to sit still for long periods of time e.g. waiting for the light with landscape photography, or are you actively running or moving in order to get your shot?
This is the less obvious factor, which is often overlooked. Think about how much clothing you will need to wear. If you need many layers for your body, you probably need to layer up your gloves too. And vice versa; if you are going to be very active and taking off layers, perhaps you don't need a heavy duty glove.
DO YOU RUN WARM OR COLD?
We all have different tolerances to the warm and cold. Some people get cold faster and feel colder in warmer temperatures. Do you live in Florida and travelling to Iceland? You may be more susceptible to the cold than someone who lives in Northern Europe.
Combined, these three factors will determine more than anything which gloves are going to be the best for you.
You may find that you chose a Mid-winter glove to start with, and by asking the next 2 questions you have moved to a Deep winter glove.
From here you can move onto the options within that Winter Rating.
In a Hurry? Here Is A Quick Glove Overview:
ARCTIC WINTER:
Alta over mitt: For when you really need that extra layer. If you are wearing 4-5 layers on your body (i.e multiple jackets) you are most likely needing to wear multiple layers on your hands as well. This is for the Arctic and extreme cold weather climates. (Note: The Alta Over mitt is designed to be combined with another glove model)
DEEP WINTER:
Tinden, Hatchet and Skadi Zipper Mitt PSP: Deep winter gloves. Use these when you have to handle snow and/or are shooting in colder environments.
MID WINTER:
Ws Nordic and Markhof Pro V3: Our "everyday gloves", a great choice for most winter days. W’s Nordic is made to fit slimmer hands. The Markhof V3 can be used from the streets to the peaks with great dexterity.
MILD WINTER:
Milford & Urbex: Designed for Mild Winter and Touch Screen compatible. The Milford is designed for windy & wet environments, has 3 FlipTech fingers and is a vegan glove choice. The Urbex is designed for the urban street photographer with focus on style and functionality.
LIGHT WINTER:
Power Stretch Pro Liner: Durable and warm liner made from Blue Sign Certified materials. Great for light winter or as a base layer so you can add some extra warmth and get that versatility. Touch screen compatible.
Alrighty, let's go through our Photography Gloves one by one and outline our recommendation for best use.
Let’s start with our warmest gloves first.
Detailed Glove Overview:
Alta Over Mitt:
THE GLOVE FOR YOUR GLOVES
Rating: Arctic Winter
Use: Taken from our days mushing dogs in the Arctic, this glove will keep you warm in the coldest, darkest of days. Just like you’d layer up with a puffy jacket for your upper body, the Alta is meant to be used in the same way. An extra down coat layer for whatever glove you’re already wearing. Wear the Alta Mits over your gloves and when you’re ready to shoot, unzip the palm to free your fingers or simply drop the gloves which will hang suspended on our included harness.
Materials: Like a sleeping bag for your hand, a fluffy Primaloft insulation layer keeps the cold out and the warm in. With goat leather, laminated soft twill and suede with DWR, this glove gives excellent wind protection and insulation. The glove features a FlipTech YKK weatherproof zipper opening to expose your inner glove and gain access to your dials. This glove also includes a carabiner, steel eye loops, lens cap or cloth holder, and a glove harness all to aid with the ease of getting those arctic shots.
Fit/Sizing: The Alta Mitt is meant to fit over all of our Vallerret Photography Gloves, which are sold separately. This glove is offered in S - M - L - XL
Tinden
FOR THE DEEP WINTER DAYS
Rating: Deep Winter
Use: The Tinden is a heavy-duty glove, and one of our warmest glove alternatives, providing extra protection against the elements when the temperatures drop down. A great glove choice for a trip to Iceland or if you plan to spend a lot of time in the snow. “Tinden” is one of the many names for a peak in Norwegian, and just like the namesake, The Tinden photography glove will get you to the top of your winter photography during the darkest and coldest days of the season.
Materials: The Tinden features an inner combination of Primaloft insulation and a 100% Merino wool lining, DWR fabrics with a laminated membrane, and a gauntlet under-cuff keeping your wrists warm and looking tidy as it fits under your jacket cuff. A combination of Goat's Leather and 2 Ply Twill creates a durable & water-resistant shell with excellent wind protection. With Primaloft Gold insulation, there is a 260gsm insulation layer on the back of the hand and 170gsm on the palm, ensuring toasty warm digits. Also, there is a true suede wipe - a soft suede cloth on the back of the thumb for the emergency lens wipe. Plus, a pocket for your SD-Card or hand warmer with a Tripod Key.
Sizing/Fit: The Tinden is bulkier than our Markhof Pro V3 and W’s Nordic but is still a relatively tight-fitting glove. It has an ergonomic fit - a pre-curved glove to ensure a great fit and camera control. With overlapping FlipTech finger caps, you’re ready to shoot in seconds. Wear it on its own or pair it with a liner for those super cold days. This glove is offered in sizes XS-S-M-L-XL-XXL.
Hatchet
WHEN YOU ARE HEADED INTO THE WILD
Rating: Deep Winter
Use: Warm. Tough. Robust. This glove is giving you the durability you need when your photography takes you into the wilderness, off the beaten trail. Whether scrambling through the bush, building the campfire or capturing the scenery, the hatchet is your trusted tough and reliable tool to get the job done.
Materials: Full leather photography glove, with 100% Merino Wool Inner, nature’s best weapon against the cold, ensures a fitted and warm glove optimized for photography. Primaloft Gold insulation, with a 133gsm insulation layer on the back of the hand and grip control insulation on the palm, ensures toasty warm digits. Also, DWR Goat Leather, genuine goat leather treated with a durable water-repellant, resists water and provides tough protection during your winter adventures. Last but not least, there is a True Suede Wipe - a soft suede cloth on the back of the thumb for the emergency wipe.
Sizing/Fit: The Hatchet is bulkier than our Markhof Pro V3 and W’s Nordic but is still a relatively tight fitting glove. An extended Jersey Cuff keeps your wrist warm, and the ability to Slip on and slip off with ease. With overlapping Flip-Tech finger caps, you’re ready to shoot in seconds. When it comes to magnets, you can keep the Flip-Tech open and out of the way, increasing your access to your camera. The Hatchet has an ergonomic fit. It's a pre-curved glove to ensure a great fit and camera control.
The Hatchet is available in sizes XS-S-M-L-XL-XXL (Tan colour is available in S-XL).
Skadi Zipper Mitt PSP:
FOR ULTIMATE VERSATILITY 2-in-1 MITT & LINER
Rating: Mid-Deep Winter conditions
Use: This glove provides ultimate versatility for winter photographers. The zip on the side allows you to easily free one or four fingers to ensure complete camera usability. Built to fit the needs of team shoot Lukas Riedl who dedicates days on end to filming in cold conditions. Lukas was seeking the best photography gloves for winter allowing for ultimate versatility to ensure he could roll the film even on the coldest days. Wear it as a mitt for warmer days or pair it with the included Power Stretch Pro Liner for cold days.
Materials: This glove is made with Merino Wool and Primaloft insulation, goat leather, laminated soft twill, and a 2 ply DWR suede resists water and gives excellent wind protection. The included liner is comfortable and thin Power Stretch Pro Liner with wind panels on the back to protect against the elements. The non-slip grip on the palm ensures a great camera grab and the FlipTech on the thumb compliments the side zip to make sure all of your fingers are usable. Like previous gloves, the Skadi features an SD card pocket with an included tripod key.
Fit: The Skadi is offered in XS-S-M-L-XL
Markhof Pro V3
FOR YOUR EVERYDAY WINTER PHOTOGRAPHY
Rating: Mid-Winter
Use: From the streets to the peaks, The Markhof Pro V3 is your versatile “take everywhere” functional and stylish glove. The Markhof Pro V3 is a great choice for most winter days and that's why we call it our "everyday glove". It has that perfect Mid-weight thickness: Thick enough to protect you from the elements on most winter days yet thin enough to keep dexterity and a great feel with your camera.
Materials: The Markhof Pro V3 features a 100% Merino Wool Liner, nature’s best weapon against the cold, that ensures a fitted and warm glove optimized for photography. A combination of DWR fabrics with a laminated membrane and genuine Goat leather, resist water and provides excellent protection against the elements. A Thinsulate mid-layer adds that extra warmth to battle Mid-Winter temperatures. Handy storage pocket to use for spare SD card, a hand warmer or microfibre cloth and comes embedded with a handy tripod key. Also, there is a true suede soft cloth on the back of the thumb for the emergency wipe.
Fit/Sizing: Like the previous version, this glove is designed to fit snuggly to maximize camera usability. It's a warm and fitted glove with an excellent camera feel. However, it can still fit a merino liner underneath for added warmth. This glove features our FlipTech caps and magnets of the index fingers and thumbs to allow easy camera access. Our uniquely printed Super grippy palm print, provides stress-free camera control. An extended cuff keeping your wrist warm, with the ability to Slip-on and slip off with ease.
The Markof Pro V3 comes in sizes XS -S - M - L - XL - XXL
Women’s Nordic
CUSTOMIZED TO FIT FEMALE HAND SHAPES
Rating: Mild-Winter
Use: This glove is suited for everyday use, from running around town to a day up the slopes.
Materials: Our W’s Nordic is made from 100% Merino Wool and Thinsulate insulation for maximum comfort. Laminated soft micro twill and suede with DWR resist water gives you excellent wind protection. The back of the glove features a pocket with an embedded tripod key, or use the pocket for a spare SD card or microfiber cloth. Our non-slip silicone grip gives you the best handle on your gear.
Fit/Sizing: While all our gloves are unisex, this one is custom made to fit the slightly narrower hands of a woman. We’ve added extra insulation for comfort and fitted the glove to be tight fitting to reduce bulk and increase camera dexterity. This glove features our signature FlipTech finger caps with magnets to ensure you can quickly access your dials and touchscreens. The W’s Nordic comes in XS-S-M-L
Milford
FOR THE MILD, WINDY & WET DAYS
Rating: Mild-Winter
Use: This glove is suited for those wet and windy winter conditions. Especially, when the weather turns stormy, or the precipitation is less than frozen.
Materials: Polartec® Windbloc® Fleece provides maximum weather protection from wind, water, and cold conditions. Polartec’s unique polyurethane membrane holds strong against the harshest elements, while still allowing moisture vapor to permeate outside. In addition to that, there is a 10K Ripstop Shell, tucked away in the pocket of the Milford fleece glove, so you can slip on the rain cover for extra protection.
Fit/Sizing: The Milford is a unisex glove and is designed to fit close to the hand to maximize camera usability. There's conductive PU on thumbs and index fingers on both hands for that easy-to-use touch screen capability. Also, flip-caps on the Thumb, Index and Middle finger (for the first time ever), helping you easily access as many dials as your heart desires, and keep the flip caps held back with elastic strips. Our uniquely printed grippy palm print, provides stress-free camera control. The Milford comes in XS-S-M-L-XL-XXL.
Urbex Street Glove
FOR THE URBAN EXPLORER IN MILD WINTER
Rating: Mild Winter
Use: The Urbex is built for Street Photographers looking for both style and warmth. It's the perfect glove for transitioning from the cafe to the back alleys of the urban tundra.
Materials: The Urbex features genuine goat leather in a timeless tan colour. The suede conductive fingertips on the index finger and thumb make this glove touch screen compatible. The Urbex is insulated with a 100% merino woold liner and a comfortable long cuff and snap button strap to keep the glove nice and snug.
Sizing/Fit: The Urbex is a unisex glove and is designed to fit close to the hand to maximize camera usability, however, it can still fit a merino liner underneath for added warmth. If adding a merino liner, we suggest choosing the same size liner as the glove. The Markof Pro comes in sizes XS -S - M - L - XL
Power Stretch Pro Liner
THE VERSATILE ADDITION - FITS INSIDE ALL VALLERRET GLOVES
Rating: Light Winter
Use: Add as base layer to any of Vallerret’s gloves for extra warmth or wear on their own in very light winter conditions when you just want to take the chill of the skin. Soft, warm, durable and that extra layer of protection.
Materials: This glove is made from a durable advanced dual knit construction from Polartec®. Moisture-wicking, warm and comfortable, this a great glove for light winter or early spring days.
Sizing/Fit: The Power Stretch Pro liner is a unisex glove and comes in XS-S-M-L-XL-XXL
Photography Glove Recap:
Alta Over Mitt: For when you really need that extra layer. If you are wearing 4-5 layers on your body (i.e multiple jackets) you are most likely needing to wear multiple layers on your hands as well. This is for the Arctic and extreme cold weather climates.
Tinden, Hatchet and Skadi Zipper Mitt PSP: Deep winter gloves. Use these when you have to handle snow and/or are shooting in colder environments.
Ws Nordic and Markhof Pro V3: Our everyday use gloves, a great choice for most winter days. W’s Nordic is made to fit for slimmer hands. The Markhof can be used from the streets to the peaks with great dexterity.
Milford & Urbex: Designed for Mild Winter and touch screen compatible. The Milford is designed for windy & wet environments, has 3 FlipTech fingers and is a vegan glove choice. The Urbex is designed for the urban street photographer with focus on style and functionality.
Power Stretch Pro Liner: Durable and warm liner made from Blue Sign Certified materials. Great for light winter or as a base layer so you can add some extra warmth and gets that versatility. Touch screen compatible.
There you have it: our thorough recommendations for the best gloves for winter photography. Hopefully, this quick guide helped clear up a few questions but like always, if you have any further questions or want any additional information, leave us a comment or send us an email.
Happy Winter shooting!
JBP
