Sheepskin mittens are warmer than sheepskin gloves, because keeping your fingers together lets them share body heat instead of each one losing warmth on its own. Gloves, on the other hand, give you far more dexterity to grip, text, or handle small objects. The right choice comes down to what your hands actually need to do in the cold.
We get asked this a lot by our customers who are trying to decide between the two. There isn't a single right answer, but there is a clear way to think it through.
Why mittens are warmer, in simple terms
It comes down to surface area and shared heat. In gloves, each finger is its own separate compartment, surrounded by leather and wool on every side. That means each finger has to generate and hold its own warmth, and thin digits lose heat quickly because they have a lot of surface area relative to their size.
In mittens, your fingers sit together inside one pocket. They warm each other, the trapped air heats up as a single mass, and there's simply less surface area exposed to the cold in total. Add genuine sheepskin into that equation - dense wool fibres on the inside trapping warm air, with a natural leather or suede exterior blocking wind - and you get a combination that's noticeably warmer than an equivalent pair of gloves in the same material.
This is exactly why sheepskin mittens tend to be the choice for the coldest jobs: standing at a bus stop, dog walking on an exposed field, or working outdoors for long stretches where warmth matters more than fine motor control.
Why gloves still win on dexterity
The trade-off is real, though. With your fingers separated, gloves let you grip a lead, use a phone, turn a key, or handle tools in a way mittens simply can't match. If your day involves a lot of hands-on tasks in the cold - driving, cycling, working with your hands outdoors - gloves are usually the more practical option, even if they run slightly cooler than mittens of the same quality.
Our fingerless sheepskin shooting mitts and fingerless sporting gloves sit in between the two, keeping the back of the hand and wrist warm while leaving fingertips free - a popular option for anyone who needs warmth without giving up grip entirely.
How to decide which is right for you
Choose mittens if:
- You feel the cold badly, or have hands that are always the first to go numb
- You're mostly walking, waiting, or standing still outdoors rather than using your hands constantly
- Warmth matters more to you than fiddly tasks like texting or handling keys
- You want the warmest option genuine sheepskin can offer
Choose gloves if:
- You need to grip, drive, cycle, or handle objects while wearing them
- You're happy to trade a little warmth for everyday practicality
- You want something you can keep on for most of the day, including indoors
Sheepskin makes either option genuinely warm
Whichever style you choose, the material does most of the work. Genuine sheepskin insulates because wool fibres trap warm air and adjust naturally as conditions change, while the leather backing blocks wind in a way that knitted wool alone can't. That's a real point of difference from synthetic fleece gloves or mittens, which tend to warm you briefly before trapping moisture and leaving hands clammy. With simple care - no machine washing, just occasional airing - a well-made pair of sheepskin mittens or gloves can stay comfortable for years, so the choice you make now is one you'll be living with for winters to come.
If you're still unsure, our mittens and gloves collection is worth browsing side by side, and our size guide is there to help you get the fit right whichever you pick.
FAQs
Are sheepskin mittens really warmer than sheepskin gloves?
Yes, generally. Keeping fingers together in one pocket lets them share warmth and reduces the total surface area exposed to cold air, whereas gloves isolate each finger, so they lose heat a little faster even when made from the same material.
Can I get some of the warmth of mittens with more dexterity than gloves?
Fingerless styles are a good middle ground. Our fingerless shooting mitts and fingerless sporting gloves keep the palm and back of the hand insulated while leaving fingertips free for grip.
Do mittens or gloves fit differently?
Mittens are generally more forgiving on sizing since there's no need to match individual finger lengths, while gloves benefit from checking palm circumference against our size guide before you buy.
Which is better for children?
Mittens are usually the easier choice for children, both for warmth and because young children often find individual glove fingers awkward to put on themselves.