Pros / Reasons to Buy
- Suited for very cold climates
- Incredibly durable
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- Lacks dexterity
- Expensive
When I was a kid growing up, my outdoor pursuits were limited to snow angels and building igloos in the backyard. Through it all, I generally wore those inexpensive cotton gloves you can pick up at the grocery store or gas station.
After minutes of snow-play, they’re soaked, freezing, and caked with chunky snow and ice. As a result, I never really got into cold-weather adventures.
Well, the game has completely changed now with the Black Diamond Mercury Mitts. To go from the most generic of gloves to these top-of-the-line mittens has opened up a portal of adventures and opportunity to explore my favorite places in not-so-fair weather.
Between the removable liner to the soft fabric on the thumb for chap-free nose wiping, I’m already thinking of ways to experience the outdoors in a season that is completely unfamiliar to me. They’re excellent!
This article is part of our series on the best winter hiking gloves, view all other articles below:
Compare to Similar Products:
Helly Hansen Swift HT Ski Gloves | Rab Pivot Gore-Tex Gloves | Hestra Heli Three-Finger Insulated Gloves | Sealskinz Waterproof All Weather Insulated Glove | Hestra Fall Line Glove | The North Face Women's Apex Insulated Etip Glove | The North Face Women's Montana Insulated Ski Mitt | Black Diamond Mercury Mitt Womens | Outdoor Research Stormtracker | Carhartt Women's Quilts | Carhartt Quilts Insulated Women's Mitts | Black Diamond Guide Gloves | Helly Hansen Men's LIFA Merino Glove Liner | Wells Lamont HydraHyde Leather Hybrid Men’s | Outdoor Research Flurry Sensor | Carhartt Men's Waterproof Insulated Glove | Mechanix Wear Coldwork Original | Arc'teryx Rho Liner Glove | Trendoux Winter Gloves | icebreaker Merino Oasis 200 Glove Liners | Cotopaxi Teca Fleece Gloves | Burton Touchscreen Glove Liners | |
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Buying Options | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Our Rating | Best Overall Winter Gloves | Warmest Winter Gloves | Best Insulated Gloves | Best Winter Gloves for Touchscreen | Best Winter Gloves for Men | Best Winter Gloves for Women | Best Waterproof Winter Gloves | Best Women's Technical Ski Mitt | Best Liner Gloves | Best Touchscreen Gloves | Best Budget Winter Gloves | |||||||||||
Type and Shape | Performance/technical/ski | Performance/technical/ski | Performance/technical/ski | Hiking/general sport | Performance/technical/ski | Hiking/general sport | Hiking/general sport/ski | Performance/technical/ski | Hiking/general/ski | Hiking/general | Hiking/general | Performance/technical/ski | Performance/technical/ski | Work | Hiking | Hiking | Work | Performance/technical/ski | General | General | General | Performance/technical/ski |
Warmth | High | Very High | Very High | Medium | Very High | High | High | Very High | High | Medium | Medium | Very High | Medium (Liner) | Medium | High | High | Medium | Medium (Liner) | Medium | Medium (Liner) | Medium | Medium (Liner) |
Water Resistance | Waterproof | Waterproof | Waterproof | Waterproof | Waterproof | Water Resistant | Waterproof | Waterproof | Not Waterproof | Waterproof | Waterproof | Waterproof | Not Waterproof (Liner) | Water Resistant | Not Waterproof | Waterproof | Water Resistant | Not Waterproof (Liner) | Not Waterproof | Not Waterproof (Liner) | Not Waterproof | Not Waterproof (Liner) |
Wind resistance | High | High | Very High | High | Very High | High | High | Very High | High | Medium | Medium | Very High | Not Windproof (Liner) | Not Windproof | Not Windproof | Windproof | Not Windproof | Not Windproof (Liner) | Not Windproof | Not Windproof (Liner) | Not Windproof | Not Windproof (Liner) |
Fit | Fits true to size/High Dexterity | Fits true to size/High Dexterity | Fits true to size/Medium Dexterity | Runs Small/High Dexterity | Run Small/Medium Dexterity | Fits True to Size/High Dexterity | Fits True to Size/Medium Dexterity | Runs Tight/Medium-Low Dexterity | Runs Small/High Dexterity | Runs Small/Medium Dexterity | Runs Small/Medium Dexterity | Runs Small/Low Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Runs Large/High Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Runs True to Size/High Dexterity | Fits Slightly Tight/High Dexterity | Fits True to Size/High Dexterity | Fits True to Size/High Dexterity |
Durability | High | Very High | Very High | High | Very High | High | High | Very High | High | Medium | Medium | Very High | High | High | Medium | Medium | High | Very High | Medium | Medium | Medium | High |
Price | $70.00 | $155.00 | $127.96 | $73.35 | $139.99 | $59.90 | Price not available | $97.88 | $95.14 | $27.99 | $27.99 | $143.96 | Price not available | $15.08 | $31.47 | $28.29 | $32.99 | $40.00 | $7.99 | $40.00 | Price not available | $14.67 |
See the Black Diamond Women’s Mercury Mitts in more detail:
Analysis and Test Results
My hands started warm before I put the mittens on and stayed toasty warm throughout the testing. Where we live when we aren’t on the road, we experience seasonal winds in excess of 40-60 miles per hour and there was no breeze to be felt from my forearms to fingertips.
The list of materials is top notch (100% recycled polyester shell, 100% goatskin leather palm, 100% recycled polyester lining, 10% polyester and 90% recycled polyester fill with a 100% TPU insert) and the combination of said materials gives you confidence to enjoy extended adventures knowing that your hands will remain toasty warm and dry.
Performance Comparison
Warmth
The Black Diamond Women’s Mercury Mitts are made from high loft fleece, Cross-Core Primaloft, EMPEL DWR, Ripstop Poly, goat leather, recycled content, and the BD Dry material. Considering my heavenly ascent from grocery store gloves to these expertly-crafted wonders of warmth, they felt like a bit much for the sheer fact that they’re the nicest mittens I’ve ever held in my hands.
From a chilly morning in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains to a windy walkabout, my hands were toasty warm! They were also perfect on a backpacking trip in Sequoia-Kings Canyon, which had a bad cold front climbing out of Deadman Canyon, up and over Elizabeth Pass, where we had snow flurries.
Water Resistance
This is my first time experiencing BDdry, Black Diamond’s waterproof technology, designed to keep you comfortable and moving in tough conditions. My experience, at least with waterproof shoes, is that waterproof = whatever comes in, stays in, whatever stays out, stays out. That is true with BDdry.
The removable insulated liner, filled with Primaloft Gold Cross Core, dries quickly, and insulates even when wet. Black Diamond also includes a packet of NikWax waterproofing wax for the leather portions of the gloves which is super easy to apply and seems to hold up quite well under the wettest conditions.
Wind Resistance
To put this into context for folks that will never find themselves navigating through 40-60mph gusts by choice. Grab a pair of these mittens and on the coldest day, go for a ride in the car and stick your hand out the window.
Between the waterproofing layer and the insulation, you won’t feel any breeze or outside air at all. The bottom of the mittens have a drawstring cinch so you can tighten them around your forearm for additional protection and draft resistance.
Comfort and Fit
According to the size chart, my short fingers landed me in an extra small pair of the Black Diamond Women’s Mercury Mitts. While they fit my hands perfectly right out of the package, the elastic wrist is a bit tight for my sensory preferences, but between breaking them in and layering accordingly, I’ll take the peace of mind knowing that these mittens are staying put!
Ease of Use
Considering these are mittens with multiple layers and no material on the fingertips that would make using my phone possible, I didn’t even bother pulling out my phone for the testing, but in a pinch, I could activate and use the camera via the side buttons.
My dexterity with the full mittens on (liner and insert) was enough to hold onto trekking poles and unlock the bite valve on my water bladder, but anything else would be difficult. Outside of the tight elastic on the wrist that requires a little wiggling to get on, these mittens are easy to put on and take off.
Materials
As mentioned earlier, the Black Diamond Women’s Mercury Mitts make use of premium materials. These are comprised of 100% recycled polyester shell, 100% goatskin leather palm, 100% recycled polyester lining, 10% polyester and 90% recycled polyester fill with a 100% TPU insert.
At $119, these mittens feel in line with the pricing. The materials are luxurious, and the combination of materials used resulted in the warmest hands I’ve ever had in my outdoor pursuits.
Appearance
These mittens are beautifully constructed, and the azurite color in combination with the tan goat leather is durable and stylish without feeling chunky. Though they are not really suited for day to day wear and they feel like they sit more on the specialist side to me.
Features
These gloves come with an impressive feature set. They say they can handle temperatures up to -18C, which makes them suitable for pretty serious adventures.
They’re a great glove for colder parts of the year and serious ascents. They’re also seriously good at stopping any cold, wet or snow from getting in around the wrist. The inclusion of the Primaloft liner is brilliant too, which does help the price question somewhat!
Durability
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that these gloves aren’t built to last. They’re stitched impeccably, and there are no areas that show any signs of wear and tear.
With proper care and attention to the leather, these gloves will stand the test of time and become better with further wear. They are built to withstand harsh conditions, that’s for sure!
Sustainability
These gloves feature substantial recycled content, which is great to see. This obviously gives them great sustainability marks. Of course, they are very robust and built to last, so this gives them extra points too. It’s also great to see that Black Diamond have a specific focused section on the sustainability of these gloves in the product description too.
Price
At $119, the Mercury Mitts are on the pricey side, but if you’re like me and making moves from grocery store gloves to these luxury mittens, you’ll be satisfied for years to come. Given the combination of the finest materials available on the market and their performance, these mittens are most certainly worth the price.
Conclusion
I’m obsessed with these mittens and I’m already eyeing new adventures in colder and wetter climates than I’ve explored in the past. Having the right equipment for the season makes all the difference, and I’m excited about the opportunity to explore in all four seasons now, knowing that I won’t be limited by my gear (or lack thereof).
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