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With top-tier performance across the board, the only downside to our favorite ski glove is finding the right size
The overall bend of warmth, construction quality, and dexterity make the Arc'teryx Fission SV gloves a great choice for many winter activities, including skiing.
The Arc'teryx Fission SV is an impressive glove for the discerning skier. Across the board, these gloves excelled in almost every testing metric. They are warmer than most other products in our review, except for the battery-powered heated options. They are also among the most water-resistant gloves in our review, thanks to a well-designed construction and a Gore-Tex membrane. They are amazingly dexterous for the warmth, and few other gloves provide as much dexterity with the same amount of insulation. That makes the Fission SV a versatile glove for a variety of conditions and activities, from skiing and sledding to shoveling and urban use. These gloves also stand out for their durability, which we found to be among the best on the market. If you are looking for a warm, protective glove for cold resort skiing, or any other activity for that matter, the Fission SV is one of the best.
REASONS TO BUY
Warm
Waterproof
Durable
Dexterous with the right fit
REASONS TO AVOID
Odd sizing
Expensive
A Note on Sizing
The Fission SV is a bit all over the place. It's a unisex glove, yet we feel the sizing doesn't accommodate wearers with very small or very large hands. Some women with smaller hands who tested this glove found that even the XS was still too big. Although an XL was accurate according to Arc'teryx's size charts, the gloves fit tighter than most other men's XL gloves we tested. You may need to order a different size, but if you get it right, these gloves are everything they're chocked up to be.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Arc'teryx consistently makes some of the highest-performance winter gear on the market, and the Fission SV is an all-around masterpiece. We loved its warmth, weather resistance, and durability. It is also lightweight and stylish.
Our team has worn multiple pairs of the Fission SV gloves over several years of testing, putting them through laps at resorts and on backcountry adventures. Credit: Ethan Maxcer
Warmth
The Fission SV is best used on cold days at the ski area – our hands stayed warm even on days when the temperature dropped below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If temperatures are much warmer, or you are skiing bumps or hiking for turns, this glove might be too warm.
Its warmth is especially impressive, given that the insulation doesn't compromise dexterity. This glove isn't as warm as the electronically heated options we tested, but it isn't far behind, either. We've had multiple testers try different pairs of this glove over many winters, and all have rated it among the warmest gloves they've ever worn.
The insulated gauntlet keeps our hands extra warm and protected from any snow coming in through the top of the glove.
As our lead tester and IFMGA Mountain Guide, Jeff Dobronyi, notes, “I pack these gloves in the bottom of my backpack during the winter just in case I need to get my hands warm quickly.” While there were slight scoring discrepancies among some testers, we suspect a proper fit was the reason rather than the glove's design.
We used a laser thermometer to check the internal temperature between ski runs. We also sealed a small thermometer inside to track heat loss over time in a controlled freezer test.
Dexterity
The Fission SV proved to be one of the most dexterous gloves in our review. We were blown away by how well we could use our fingers without taking off our gloves. The fingers are fully insulated and stay warm on the coldest days, yet they also offer more dexterity than most other gloves we tested. Overall, the Fission SV features a snug fit from the fingers to the wrist, excellent tailoring, and reasonably soft leather. Out of the box, the leather is a bit slick, but its grip improves as it breaks in.
We also like that the stretchy, softshell exterior fabric allows for a tight fit while still stretching with your fingers. However, it's important to remember that dexterity depends heavily on fit. Some testers with small to medium-sized hands have had to size down, while those with XL-sized hands experienced a very snug fit. Finding the correct size is a bit trickier with this glove, but when it's perfect, the dexterity is outstanding.
We were able to grab even small jacket zippers on the first or second try. Credit: Ethan Maxcer
Water Resistance
The Fission SV is one of the most water-resistant gloves we have ever tested. Many other “waterproof” ski gloves include an internal waterproof membrane, but the outer shell may not be particularly water-resistant. In wet conditions, water can saturate the insulation between the shell and the membrane, reducing their effectiveness and resulting in cold hands.
In the case of the Fission SV, the Gore-Tex membrane ensures that no water penetrates to your hands, and the shell fabric is tremendously water-resistant, thanks to the tight weave of the softshell. All seams on the leather palms and fingers are watertight, and the gauntlet cuff is well-tailored and effective, whether worn inside the jacket or out. And if the interior of the gloves gets wet, they dry quickly thanks to the softshell's breathability.
Our dunk test proves that waterproofing on the Fission SV extends to the ends of the gauntlets, providing full-coverage protection in wet conditions. Credit: Chris Maxcer
Construction Quality
Many of the most expensive and highest-quality gloves in our review feature a leather palm, and the Fission SV does as well, but this model stands out for its durability. The leather is soft and supple straight out of the box, but it resists wear and tear.
The stitching is tight, the materials are strong, and the construction is solid. There are leather reinforcement patches on high-use areas of the palm, fingers, and knuckles. Even after using these gloves for technical ski tours — including plenty of rope work, like rappelling and lowering — the leather palm showed no signs of wear. The glove's weather resistance has not been affected by use, either.
The softshell seams use hidden stitches, which helps protect them, and critical leather seams are double-row stitched for durability. Credit: Chris Maxcer
Features
The Fission SV includes a decent number of features useful for both resort and backcountry skiing. It features an elastic wrist gasket (but not an adjustable wrist cinch), a storm gauntlet with an elastic pull cord, and a clip to keep the gloves together when traveling or to hang when drying. It also features a small loop on the ring finger for hanging the gloves cuff-side down if you need to attach them to a backcountry or mountaineering pack.
The low-profile elastic wrist leashes are adjustable, so you can leave them loose for comfort or cinch them tight for security. The lack of an adjustable wrist cinch is less important because the oversized, well-insulated gauntlet effectively keeps out drafts. Unlike many other gloves we tested, this one doesn't include a soft nose wipe. While we could use the soft shell back of the glove to wipe our noses, it's not very comfortable after a cold day out.
While it's not a critical feature, the adjustable wrist leash is convenient for taking your gloves off without dropping them from the chairlift. Credit: Ethan Maxcer
Should You Buy the Arc'teryx Fission SV?
The Fission SV is a top-notch ski glove for cold, wet weather, with a high-quality construction that's sure to last a long time. Arc'teryx is known for its high-quality products (and the high tags that usually accompany them). However, in this instance, the price is only slightly higher than that of similar gloves and significantly lower than that of heated models. For the occasional resort skier, these gloves probably aren't worth the price, as you can find a glove that suits your needs at a much lower cost. We consider the Fission SV a great value, but not necessarily a great deal.
The Arc'teryx Fission SV may be overkill for a casual skier. But if you want a warm, waterproof glove that will likely last many seasons, it's worth the investment. Credit: Ethan Maxcer
What Other Ski Gloves Should You Consider?
It's worth comparing the Fission SV with the Hestra Army Leather Heli, a similarly tough glove that's a bit more versatile thanks to a separate liner you can use to regulate warmth. If warmth is your top priority, the Black Diamond Guide is the warmest non-heated glove we tested, and nothing can beat the battery-powered warmth of the Outdoor Research Prevail Heated Gore-Tex Gloves. For casual skiers and families on a budget, we suggest the similarly stout The North Face Montana Ski Gloves – their price-to-performance ratio is outstanding.
From resort to backcountry skiing, we've put a few pairs of the Fission SV to work over the years, and they continue to impress us. It's our favorite ski and snowboard gloves on the market. Credit: Jeff Dobronyi
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Arc'teryx Fission SV versus top competing products:
