How to Keep Your Hands Warm Without Gloves in Cold Weather

Limit time outside, shelter from wind and wet, and warm your whole body with dry layers. Keep moving gently and take a warm-up break; use properly fitted gloves as soon as they are available.

For a temporary DIY pair, use a dry, close-fitting liner under a roomier outer glove, provided it does not restrict circulation or movement. Avoid improvised materials that get wet easily, and use purpose-made protective gloves for prolonged cold or hazardous work.

Fingerless gloves can warm the palm and wrist while leaving fingertips exposed, so they are a poor choice when the fingertips are the part getting cold. Consider a mitten or a convertible design that covers fingers when needed.

Fingers should reach the ends without being cramped, and the glove should not feel tight around the palm or wrist. Test a fist and normal hand movements, including any liner you plan to wear.

Check the care label, blot excess water and let them air-dry in a ventilated spot away from direct heat. Dry removable liners separately only if the manufacturer permits it.

The gloves may be damp, too tight, too thin for the conditions or exposed beyond your jacket cuffs. Warm your core, check the fit and dryness, and switch to a warmer mitten or take shelter if cold persists.