Warmth 
Even when temperatures were still well above freezing on the mountain, we found our hands getting chilled while wearing the Trift, and during the ice bucket challenge, we noticed the temperature change within 10 minutes, and by the 20 minute mark our fingers were painfully cold.  They did keep our hands completely dry during the ice bucket challenge, however, making them a great choice for spring skiing days when the snow is especially wet.

Grip 
The Trift feature goatskin leather on the entire palm of the glove, which, combined with outseams on the fingers and the thin layer of insulation allow for a good grip on ski poles. The gloves are designed with a pre-curved shape which makes it even easier to get a tight hold on the poles, but the overall grip could be improved with leather reinforcement patches on critical areas of the palm, thumb, and forefinger and a more form-fitting design.

Dexterity 
Soft and supple leather combined with a relatively thin design gives the Trift good dexterity. The fingertips of the gloves have a somewhat boxy shape, however, that detracts slightly from the gloves’ dexterity.  

Durability 
While the majority of the glove is leather, it’s not as thick as many of the gloves in the test and without additional layers of leather, the Trift gloves might not withstand the same kind of punishment as the gloves that ranked higher in this category. 

Comfort 
The Trift features a soft fleece inside which is comfortable, but there isn’t much padding or insulation to provide cushion for long days gripping ski poles. 

Features & Design 
The Trift doesn’t seem to be form-fitted across the palm and the material is loose and bunches up as fingers are rolled into a ball. While the Trift do feature a glove clip and a Velcro wrist cuff that cinches down tight to keep the snow from getting inside, the simple design doesn’t include any added features such as nose wipe on the thumb or glove leash. Another major design flaw is that the lining tends to pull away from the shell when the gloves are removed while your hands are sweaty. 

Although they are often not given much thought, ski gloves are one of the most important tools in a skier’s arsenal. To give readers a better appreciation of how gloves perform in different conditions, we tested these gloves in every possible real-world skiing condition we could – from blue-bird days on the resort to cold, wet, blizzardy conditions that keep most sane skiers home. Because warmth and waterproof are such critical elements, we also subjected each of the gloves to an ice-bucket challenge where the gloves were worn for 30 minutes while submerged in a bucket of icy water.