Hestra Women's Fall-Line 5-finger Glove Review

With an all-leather outer and high-quality construction, this is a top-shelf version of a basic glove. With the addition of a leather treatment, this glove is sufficiently dry and warm for most days on the ski hill. While this glove does not have many bells and whistles, it gets the job done well for a premium price.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The Fall Line Glove is filled with Hestra's G-Loft synthetic polyester insulation, foam panels on the back of the hand, and warm, lofty fleece. Unlike some types of insulation, the synthetic fibers will keep you warm even when wet. When combined with the additional warmth of the lofty fleece liner and a tight-fitting neoprene cuff, we found this insulation to be adequate down to about 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

While ski touring uphill with this glove we were struck by how warm our hands got and how quickly this happened. The lofty fleece and wind-blocking leather construction of this glove are effective to the point of impeding breathability. Unfortunately, the fleece and leather combination seemed to trap moisture along with the heat while exerting. For more downhill-focused days and short hikes, however, this is a minimal issue.

We also noted that the foam panels, while supportive and warm, also had the capacity to restrict movement. When blood flow to the fingers is disrupted in this way it can make finger tips get a little frosty in very cold conditions. Overall, we found this glove to be warm enough for the skier who is exerting heavily downhill in most temperatures. That said, these are not the warmest gloves, and if you struggle with cold hands or it's super cold where you ski, these may not be the best fit.

Water Resistance

With the main resistance to water being a waterproofing treatment applied to the cowhide leather exterior of this glove, we found there was some room for improvement here. Unlike many other premium-priced gloves on the market, the Fall Line Women's does not have an additional waterproof breathable insert. This means that the leather exterior is the only thing keeping water from reaching the hands, and if/when it becomes wet your hands might get wet as well.

Testing this glove on long days in the field in Colorado, digging snowpits, and taking snowpack observations, we found that the leather could become saturated even when treated with the included water-resistant coating. This also draws into question the performance of this glove in very wet maritime snow conditions. In the drier and colder climate of Southwest Colorado, this glove kept our hands dry as long as we weren't digging with our hands in the snow all day on a long boot pack or snow study mission.

Dexterity

As an all-leather glove, the Fall Line has the benefit of breaking in over time and becoming a very dexterous glove. We found that it was fairly supple to start with, but as we used it more it became more dexterous, and additional treatments with wax only made it better.

The Hestra women's fit is specifically designed to be narrower around the hand to accommodate the typically smaller female hand measurement. We really like how this cuts down on extra bulk around the palm and part of the hand where fingers join the palm. This was especially useful for sliding hands into pole hand loops or helping to put on a jacket.

During testing, we found this glove was capable of buckling boots, grabbing zipper pulls, and adjusting helmets, but it took a little bit of getting used to. The foam panels that contribute to the burly construction of this glove held back finger dexterity slightly. The foam panels on the back of the glove made it challenging to grab the smallest items, like a pencil for snowpit observations or a very small zipper pull. These situations aside, and once the leather had a chance to break in, this glove has the potential to be dexterous enough for most applications both on and off-piste.

Durability

Hestra gloves seem to always impress with their extremely high quality and rugged construction and the Fall Line is no different. The trade-off for the higher price point of this glove appears to be in how long it will serve you on the slopes.

We found that the seams of this glove were tightly sewn, and there was no sign of weakening over extensive testing. Notably, the hook and loop closure and the double-stitched hem on the cuff have a burly construction. The high-use areas between the thumb and first finger have an additional leather patch for reinforcement. This leads us to believe that this glove would also perform well if used with ropes for ski mountaineering or any other purpose.

As with any all-leather glove, as long as you diligently apply a water sealant to the leather we think these gloves should have a long lifespan that helps to justify their price. In super wet conditions or if the leather gets saturated regularly we could see it breaking down more quickly, so it is up to the user to take good care of these gloves for the best results.

Features

The Fall Line is a pretty bare-bones glove as far as features are concerned. While they are clearly well-made, this glove is akin to your basic hardware store selection when it comes to the details.

The Fall-Line is equipped with an adjustable hook and loop closure wrist cuff and a wrist leash that allows you to go glove-less without worrying about losing a glove off the lift. These features are about it, however, so if you love to have extra bells and whistles, you may want to look at other options in this review for your pick.

Should You Buy the Hestra Fall Line Women's Glove?

The Fall Line is an excellent example of a classic, no-frills ski glove. If you are in need of a daily driver that will be warm and dexterous enough for the majority of your ski days, this is an excellent option. The Fall Line inspires confidence with its reliable construction, quality materials, and streamlined design.

What Other Ski Gloves Should You Consider?

If you are looking for a top-of-the-line glove that excels at both water resistance and dexterity, look to our favorite overall women's ski glove, the Arc'teryx Fission SV Glove. If you like the all-leather construction but are operating on a super tight budget, check out the Kinco Pigskin Leather, a super basic but perfectly functional option.