🧤 Tricks For Keeping Your Hands Warm In Cold Weather

Despite that little tease last week, winter's not through with us yet. We may have lows in the teens again mid-week. 🥶

When I go out in the cold to walk or run, I pull my sleeves down over my hands and hold them closed. That keeps my hands warmer than gloves, which I rarely wear because I can keep my fingers warmer when they're snuggled up with their buddies.....

....except when we have the kind of cold temps we had back in January.

A researcher looked into the best way to keep our hands warm and--news flash!--it's not gloves!

Mittens performed better than gloves in keeping fingers warm--even when the gloves had hand warmers. Chemical hand warmers made gloves less effective, possibly due to creating a pocket of air at the wrist that allows outside air in.

Mittens allow the fingers to keep each other warm. A thin lining (like silk liners) can provide even more protection.

Gloves provide a greater surface area in contact with cold air but the tradeoff is better dexterity. If that's necessary, give heated gloves a try.

My latest discovery.....

These rechargeable hand warmers got great reviews in Wirecutter. I gave them to my daughter for Christmas and she raved about them. They have 3 settings and a full charge can last as long as 5 hours. They're compact, easily fitting in your palm or pocket, and they magnetically attach to each other, making it easier to keep track of them. Katie raved about them so I got myself a pair!

I have Raynaud's syndrome. Despite being hot-natured, when I get especially cold, the blood vessels in my fingers spasm. Blood flow to my fingers shuts down and I have trouble using them. It happens a lot when I go into grocery stores with open frozen food sections--even in the summer.

The hand warmers are the perfect size to fit in a pocket year-round!
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Winter strategies

Cover as much exposed skin as possible. It’s not true we lose more heat through our heads than through our bodies, but there’s still heat loss.

You lose heat according to how much of your body is exposed — whichever part of the body it is. So wear a hat in the winter, and cover the rest of your body, too!

A neck gaiter can keep warmth from escaping and be pulled up over your face. It's easier to use than a scarf and much more effective at keeping you warm.

Remember the 3 layer rule for winter: a base layer for removing moisture, a mid-layer to keep you warm, and an outer layer to protect you from rain and wind.

Whether you’re layering up, swapping gloves for mittens, or investing in rechargeable hand warmers, small adjustments can make a big difference.

As the temperatures drop again, stay prepared, stay well, and most importantly, stay warm!