Best cold water swimming gloves for tackling open water in 2026

If you’re keen to keep swimming through winter but haven’t done so before, there are a few things you’ll need to get – namely, cold water swimming gear. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the best cold water swimming gloves on the market today.

Once you’re sorted with some gloves, you’ll also want to invest in some additional cold water gear to protect the extremities and a changing robe to keep you toasty for when you’re out of the water.

Meet our tester

220 Triathlon editor Helen Webster is a Level-2 qualified Open-Water Swim Coach and keen cold water swimmer herself, so she’s extremely well versed in what makes swim kit good and bad.

Best cold water swimming gloves for winter 2026

1. Orca Thermal Gloves

Price	$75/£47
Features	3mm thickness
Sizes	XS-M women’s, S-L men’s

The fit of these Orca Thermal gloves was superb and I found they were close-fitting enough to still allow some dexterity in my hands, useful for things like pulling my goggles on and doing my wetsuit up!

The cuffs were long enough to again slip inside my wetsuit preventing water ingress. One key thing with neoprene gloves is having them flexible enough to easily remove after your swim too and I found the soft wrist part easily peeled off.

The neoprene is 3mm here but they don’t feel bulky, maybe because they don’t feature a rubber pattern on the palms.

The women’s version comes in XS to M and the men’s version S to L at the same price. They are pricey but as someone who struggles with cold hands I think they’re worth it.

2. Zone3 Active-Flex Swim Gloves

Price	$40/£29
Features	3mm thickness
Sizes	S-L

The price makes these Zone3 Active-Flex Swim Gloves an attractive option and there’s a lot to like in the design here, too.

The palms have a grippy rubber design on them. While this might not be necessary for swimming it does open them up to paddle sports – or for getting a good grip on hand rails if you’re a bit unsteady after a chilly swim!

The 3mm neoprene was soft and very flexible and the wrist straps made from elastic with a Velcro tab mean you can get a good seal to prevent water ingress without needing to tuck them inside your wetsuit sleeve.

Again they’re a bulkier option for swimming and I found the smallest size (they come in S-L) was much too big for my small hands.

3. Zoggs 3mm Neoprene Swimming Gloves

Price	£42 (US pricing N/A)
Features	3mm thickness
Sizes	XS-XL

There’s a lot to like about these Zoggs 3mm Neoprene Swimming Gloves. They’re thick at 3mm so will keep your hands toasty warm, plus the seams are bonded to protect from any water ingress.

The cuffs can be cut down if you want them shorter, but as they stand are plenty long to tuck inside a wetsuit sleeve to prevent leaks, plus they also have a popper on each glove so you can join them together.

Sizing is from XS to XL and I tried a size S based on the size guide, but they were a little large and I did have some water seep in through the cuffs over longer swims which sizing down will likely solve. The rubber patterns help with grip.

These are a large glove though so if you like to ‘feel’ the water you might prefer a thinner option.

---

---

4. HUUB Neoprene Swim Gloves

Price	$45 / £34.99
Features	3mm thickness; reflective detailing
Sizes	S-L

Coming in three sizes, S, M and L, these gloves share many design features with the brand’s cold water swim socks.

They’re made from 3mm neoprene and have silver graphics, which also act as a grippy surface – handy for holding on when getting in and out of cold water (you definitely don’t want to slip and fall in suddenly!).

I’ve used these gloves several times in the past and like the long but soft wrist, which makes them easy to tuck into the cuffs of your wetsuit.

They’re also also one of the easiest pairs of gloves to pull off again after your swim.

While that’s a real plus it does come at the cost of preventing water ingress though, as the size small was still a little big for this female tester and on longer swims I had a bit of water ingress.

But it’s not a deal-breaker on a very easy-to-use pair of gloves.

5. Zone3 Neoprene Heat-Tech Swimming Gloves

Price	$59 / £39
Features	3.5mm thickness; Velcro fastening; hand grip
Sizes	XS-L

Zone3 aren’t messing around with their Heat-Tech range, and in last year’s test we said these gloves were our new gold standard for cold swims.

The 3.5mm neoprene with titanium lining makes them very warm and, with a liquid seal finish, I got a really snug yet flexible fit with no water ingress.

In fact, your hands emerge from your swim dry, which is an odd feeling!

The long cuffs make them easy to tuck into your wetsuit sleeves, but, uniquely, those extra Velcro straps give an extra layer of security and make them ideal for non-wetsuit swimmers as no water can flow in.

My only note is that, like the brand’s swimming socks, they’re very tricky to get off, so if you aren’t comfortable asking for help or have any issues with mobility in your hands, these may not be for you.

6. 2XU Propel Neoprene Gloves

Price	$59.99 / £44.99
Features	3mm thickness; Velcro fastening; ‘X’ hand grip
Sizes	S-L

These are well-considered gloves, with several features that drew me to them straight away. First up, there’s that wrist band and longer length, which means you can achieve a more snug fit.

This prevents water seeping in and also helps keep the gloves in place, but without having to size down to a point where the gloves are difficult to get on and off.

If gloves are too big they will ‘balloon’ and be chilly and at risk of falling off. That said, three sizes are available (S, M and L) and the size small felt a good fit on this female tester.

My only caveat being it did take a while to tuck them under the cuffs of my wetsuit!

Like the swim cap, the neoprene is 3mm and here a grippy ‘x’ design on the palms helps feel for water as you swim, but in my book was also very handy for grabbing on to cold, slippy rails post-swim.

7. Lomo Swimming and Triathlon Gloves

Price	£21 (UK only)
Features	3mm thickness; sealed seams; wrist cuff
Sizes	XS-XL

What you can’t see from our photos here is that these gloves from top budget swim brand Lomo come in two other colourways – bright pink and bright orange.

While that might not make them the first choice for many triathletes, we love a bit of colour for increased visibility in open water, it all helps to keep you safe.

Still, for those wanting a traditional black these come in at the same price.

They’re well worth that price, too, with sealed seams and a gasket at the wrist meaning no water can get inside, while stretchy 3mm neoprene is as warm as any of the others on test but without the price tag.

Sizing is good too, with these coming in XS through to XL. My test pair were maybe a little large but I could have sized down and they still did a great job of keeping water out.

Also consider…

8. TWF Neoprene Gloves

Price	$39 / £14.50
Features	3mm neoprene; glued and blind stitched; palm grip; Velcro fastening
Sizes	2XS-XL

These TWF gloves can be found on Amazon and are made from 3mm neoprene, which should be fine for cold water swimming from spring to autumn-time.

For added durability, TWF claim that the gloves are blind-stiched and glued, which should also reduce water ingress.

The soles of the palms are designed with a textured print to aid grip and safety. You can also buy these as a bundle with matching neoprene TWF swim socks.

9. Mares Flexa Classic Gloves

Price	$38 / £29
Features	3mm neoprene; palm grip
Sizes	2XS-XL

Made from double-lined neoprene, these dive gloves claim to be ‘reliable and durable’. With a palm designed to stop any accidents when clambering out of the water thanks to the rubber print, these gloves should keep you safe and warm in all waters.

10. Decathlon Olaian Neoprene Gloves

Price	$38 / £29.99
Features	3mm neoprene; glued and blind stitched
Sizes	XS-XL

Unlike other gloves mentioned here, these 3mm surf gloves are made from 100% neoprene from elastomer foam, which should help keep your hands remain warm in the water, ‘for sessions up to two hours’ say Decathlon.

On top of this, the gloves are lined with synthetic fabric and are both blind-stitched and glued, which aims to make them more durable and prevent unwanted water ingress.

11. Blueseventy Thermal Swim Gloves

Price	£40 (UK only)
Features	2mm stretch neoprene; metal cell liner; long length cuff
Sizes	S, L

These open-water specific gloves have a keen thermal focus thanks to a ‘metal cell liner’ which should work to reduce heat loss through the fingers and maximise warmth.

Thanks to their longer sleeve length, water ingress should be minimal.

The wrist cuff design should also mean easy removal and Blueseventy claim that these gloves are also a great tool for keeping fingers ‘dry in foul bike riding weather.’

How we tested

Many of these cold-water swimming gloves have been tested across multiple winter seasons.

Any newer products have been worn for multiple swims in temperatures down to 5°C (41°F), with swim distances ranging from 1,000m to 3,000m (0.5-2mi), depending on water temperatures at the time.

The testing has been carried out by 220 Triathlon editor and open-water swim coach Helen Webster, who’s been reviewing swimming gear for over 10 years. She tested these products based on the criteria listed below…

Features to look for in swimming gloves?

Neoprene thickness

In terms of warmth, the thicker the better is generally the rule. However, this can be at the expense of mobility and fit.

A general standard in gloves for cold water swimming seems to hover around the 3mm thickness of neoprene, but we’d go .5mm either side.

Much thicker than 4mm and you’ll lose dexterity in the water, which is crucial if you actually intend to swim rather than paddle in the gloves.

Fastening system

What can help is a strap at the top of the glove to help seal the cuff and prevent too much cold water entering into them, though this feature may add a few bucks to the price.

Seams

Look for gloves with good, ‘welded’ seams too, which will add waterproofing.

Fit

Finally, ensure you get a good, close fit. Gloves will give a little in the water usually and if you end up with water sloshing around inside them not only will that feel cold, but it will also make swimming feel cumbersome.

Why do neoprene gloves help when cold water swimming?

When we put our body into cold water (defined in the UK as water below 15°C), our body protects our core by sending blood from our limbs to the centre of our body.

This means our arms and legs are effectively ‘amputated’ and will have less warmth circulating within them.

Our fingers especially feel the cold as they have a large surface area to mass, which means they are very exposed to the cold water and chill quickly.

Add to that the fact that they are moving in and out of the water (if doing front crawl) and therefore being exposed to wind chill, and you start to see how gloves can be very welcome!

Even swimmers who don’t wear wetsuits year round will often add a pair of swim gloves and boots to protect the sensitive extremities and keep the swim more comfortable.

How to warm up safely after cold-water swimming

In search of more triathlon kit to improve your swim and keep you warm afterwards? See our round-up of the best swimming robes.

Recent updates

• 15 October 2025: we added a specs table for each product, updating the header image to our original tester imagery, and expanded our key features section.
• 2 December 2025: we added three more reviews.