Tired of taking off your gloves every time you want to use your phone? These top touchscreen gloves will work with any iPhone or Android device.
Touchscreen gloves are pretty much a must-have for the colder months - as anyone who's ever had to text while out and about will agree.
Walking in a bitter wind, a glove clamped between your teeth so you don't lose it, while texting with one frozen finger is not the way to do winter.
Touchscreen gloves let you use your phone outdoors without having to expose your fingers to the elements - or risk losing your gloves. A conductive wire woven into the gloves' fabric transmits the electrical charge from your body to the sensors on your capacitive touchscreen.
Although they're a fairly simple device, there are still a few elements that vary between brands and types. Sometimes, the conductive element is sewn into the entire glove (so you can use any part of your hand on the screen), at other times it just appears on some or all of the fingertips. The gloves may also have a textured, grippy surface to help you keep hold of your phone.
Don't forget that if you use fingerprint ID to unlock your phone, that obviously won't work through gloves. So, in the winter months, you might want to change your lock mechanism to something more low-temperature friendly, such as face ID or a PIN.
Mujjo Touchscreen Gloves with 3M Thinsulate
- $49.95
Dutch design company Mujjo was one of the first makers of touchscreen gloves, and has a wide range from standard to double-layered and leather. These look like something from a James Bond movie.
Many touchscreen gloves are restricted to a couple of fingers for their operation. The Mujjo gloves work on all parts of the hand: fingers, knuckles, palm or heel - so you can swipe and tap easily.
The latest generation has had a major redesign, with a slimmer, stretchier construction that makes for a much more comfortable fit. The internal fleece is topped with 3M Thinsulate for a glove that's warm despite being lightweight, with a grippy silicone pattern to help save your phone from unfortunate drops.
This 2019 version is actually triple-layered, featuring improved insulation with an extra layer of Polar fleece. A new thumb construction optimises the gloves for larger screens.
The only real downside is the price - these are Mujjo's most expensive gloves, although they're still cheaper than plenty of others out there. They look functional rather than fashionable, with the slightly cat burglar vibe of wearing skintight black gloves.
In our tests, we could use a phone freely while wearing the gloves, which felt both comfortable and warm.
Mujjo Knitted Touchscreen Gloves
- $34.95
If you'd rather spend a little less, you might want to look at one of the older Mujjo designs that's still on sale: the double-layered knitted touchscreen gloves, which include a woollen lining.
These are thicker than the later version, but the charcoal grey finish and leather-lined clasp mean they look a bit more attractive, and don't give off quite as strong an impression that you're on your way home from strangling someone in a dark alley.
Just as with the other Mujjo gloves, these are conductive all over, so you can use any part of your hands on your phone's screen, and they also feature a grippy finish - here in the form of small dots all over the palm and fingers.
Moshi Digits Touchscreen Gloves
- $29.95
Another pair we've tested are the Digits gloves from Moshi.
You get a choice of grey colours, but they're locked into specific sizes for some reason: so the light grey gloves (pictured) are in small and medium, while there's a darker grey pair only available in a large size.
If the tip of your middle finger measures 15-17cm to your wrist, you need small. Medium is 17-19cm, and Large is 19-20.5cm. If you're at the high-end of either, we'd recommend going for the slightly larger pair.
They're dual-layered (with a seriously soft micro fleece lining), although we found that the layers pulled apart a little when taking the gloves off, so you might find the need to straighten them out again each time.
These have a conductive layer on all ten fingertips, so you can use any finger for your phone tapping and swiping (but obviously not fingerprint unlocking), and there's a grippy pattern across the palm. However, the conductive thread does leave the inside of the gloves with an almost sparkly finish, so bear that in mind.
Honyar 360° Whole Palm Touchscreen Winter Knit Gloves
- $9.99
At the less expensive end of the touchscreen glove market are these perfectly serviceable knitted touchscreen gloves.
While they're not for extremely cold weather, they are great for standard autumn and winter temperatures. They are available in either Black & Khaki, Black & White or Rose.
They feature conductive threads, not just on the five fingertips but over the whole palm and other parts of the gloves, and boast a soft lining inside to keep your hands warm while driving or walking about.
There's an anti-slip silicone grip design on the palm, which actually looks quite stylish, and should stop your precious phone from slipping from your hands.
They also have a thick elastic cuff at the wrist, to prevent cold air getting in.
North Face Revelstoke Etip Gloves
- $60
These gloves from North Face are a bit different, as they're designed specifically for winter sports like skiing or snowboarding - or just more serious winters than we tend to face here in the UK.
Waterproof, breathable, and insulated, these should keep you warm even in fairly intense cold, although they won't compete with the absolute best skiing gloves.
Still, they have the benefit of the Etip technology, which means you'll be able to check your phone without taking your gloves off on the slopes. Just note that it's only the tips of the thumb and forefinger that are covered, not the whole palm or any other fingers.
North Face Denali Etip Gloves
- $30
Also from cold-weather specialist North Face are the men's Denali Etip Gloves. These are fleece-based, with durable Taslan over the knuckles and fingers for added strength, and a silicone gripper palm.
North Face rates them as suitable for "Cold" but not "Very Cold" conditions. They come in small, medium and large sizes.
They work well with a touchscreen, and we were able to type reasonably fast while outside in the cold.
Acdyion Women's Leather Touchscreen Gloves
- $19.99
These Acdyion women's winter gloves are made from leather, with a warm cashmere lining.
We found leather touchscreen gloves to be a little harder to type in as the fingertips are tougher than wool, but they do the job and are probably more fashionable than a big pair of woolies.
An elastic cuff design and the slit on the side should make pulling them on and off easier.
They're available in four colours: brown, black, red and grey.
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