Top-Level Leather: Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger Glove Review
Hestra makes over 400 different styles of gloves and mittens. We think the newly redesigned Fall Line 3-Finger Glove might be the best of the bunch.
The Fall Line has long been one of Hestra’s top-selling gloves. Known for its maximum versatility in a broad range of temps and weather conditions, this glove carries a rock-solid reputation.
In recent years, the brand’s products have thoroughly infiltrated American ski culture, partly due to a partnership with high-profile American skier Cody Townsend. The stark white leather of Hestra has become synonymous with ski town living and “skid“ culture.
Still, despite customer satisfaction, Hestra decided to alter the design of the Fall Line in 2021, adding a fully removable liner.
According to Hestra, the latest Fall Line redesign increases the utility and sustainability of the entire glove. Now, the liners can be swapped out for thinner or thicker options according to the weather.
Beginning in fall 2022, the brand will sell liners of its own. When the liner wears out, there’s no need to throw out the longer-lasting leather shell — simply pop in a fresh one and keep on skiing.
In short: We tested the latest version of the Fall Line in the 3-Finger lobster-claw style and new Bordeaux color. After a week of skiing in Crested Butte and testing out a massive pile of gloves and mittens, the 3-Finger Fall Line ($165) emerged as one of my very favorites. It feels great, looks even better, and, most importantly, keeps my hands happy.
Perks of a 3-Finger Glove
Many skiers and boarders struggle to decide between gloves and mittens. Gloves own the dexterity crown, but mittens reign supreme on the warmth front. Lobster-style mitts, or three-finger gloves, are an attempt at uniting the best of both worlds. We don’t love every pair of glove-mitten hybrids on the market, but Hestra simply nailed it with the Fall Line.
The three-finger design has separate compartments for the thumb and first finger, while the middle, ring, and pinky fingers are housed together mitten-style. The liner, which is made from Hestra’s proprietary G-Loft insulation, looks like a standard glove and has five separate fingers.
We enjoyed that each finger is individually swaddled by insulation. It’s a feature that most mittens and lobster-style gloves don’t offer. Plus, the polyester weave of the G-Loft is wonderfully soft against the skin. It’s airy and light yet impressively warm.
I wore the Fall Line in temperatures as cold as 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and I never needed to switch to a thicker liner. Still, I was glad to have the option, and the leather outer glove seems to have plenty of room for more substantial insulation if need be.
On a warm afternoon in March, I wore the Fall Line in 50-degree F temps. As snow turned to slush beneath my snowboard, I did feel my hands begin to overheat. Of course, I don’t consider this a flaw — gloves are meant to keep the hands warm, not cold. Still, it’s impressive that these remained comfortable in relatively warm air up to 45 degrees F. The leather breathes well, and there’s no waterproof membrane to stifle airflow.
In the palm area, the Fall Line has a reinforced second layer of leather. Dexterity is plentiful, and I can easily feel the contours of ski poles through the glove and included liner. There’s a large seam that runs along the top of the fingers. This external seam creates a roomy and seamless feel for the fingers within, though it could potentially become a structural weakness in the long term.
On the back of the gloves, a layer of foam offers additional insulation and supports the glove’s overall structure.
The mid-length cuffs are easy to slide under a jacket sleeve. They’re made of neoprene, which Hestra (somewhat dubiously) claims “warms the blood as it flows into the hand.” The Velcro strap is sticky, and an additional strip of Velcro on the interior helps to hold the liner in place.
All Hestra snow gloves come with an aluminum carabiner that joins the pair via two stitched-on eyelets. This subtle feature is a sign of the brand’s attention to detail: the carabiner method is far superior to the chintzy little plastic clips that most ski gloves come with.
As for sizing, Hestra uses a unique numbered scale that correlates with shoe sizes. I wear a men’s 10 shoe, but the size 9 glove fit better than the 10. In any case, your shoe size is a good starting point for Hestra sizing. Ultimately, trying on gloves is the best way to pick a size.
Conclusion
Overall, I’m a big fan of these gloves and have detected very few flaws. The wine-colored pigment bled slightly when the gloves got wet.
Also, there seems to be potential for wear along the main seam that joins the glove together at the fingertips, though I didn’t experience any while testing. (And Hestra did change the layout of the seams for better reinforcement last season.)
If you’re seeking a well-made glove to serve as a quiver of one in the long haul, I highly recommend the 2022-2023 season Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger Glove ($165).
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