If you’re looking for the best leather gloves (for men, naturally), we’ve got you covered. In this article we’re covering seven excellent options, each with distinct features.
As the weather cools down, you’ve gotta take a few extra steps to prep yourself for the elements: Special moisturizers, extra layers, winter accessories (like gloves), and so on.
When you level up the little things, something as monotonous as putting on your gloves can be a delightful experience… and a satisfying one too, because you know you’re taking care of yourself!
And it goes without saying (regardless of weather), a good pair of leather gloves is often necessary for personal construction projects or yard work around the house.
Let’s Get Into It: The Best Leather Gloves We Could Find
Whether it’s style, practicality, or both, all priorities are represented here. Check out our favorites!
Men’s Everyday Leather Gloves
Our two choices for great everyday leather gloves combine great looks with workwear utility. So if you need to handle a heavy load before heading off to happy hour, you won’t need to baby these gloves. They can take the (occasional) beating, no matter the weather.
Deerskin Shorty Gloves from Sullivan Glove Co.
No style of glove perfectly balances elegance and ruggedness like a riding glove. It has an old world charm, but is wholly unstuffy, with a hint of athleticism.
Oregon-based Sullivan Glove Co. is one of the last US-made glove-makers on the market. Their riding-style Deerskin Shorty is a functional and stylish choice.
Its short cuff is more versatile than a long formal-looking cuff, or a thick overly-tactical cuff. This makes it easy to wear with most outfits and casual jackets.
This specific model we tried is made of American deerskin. Deer leather actually offers excellent finger dexterity even though the fit isn’t as body-con as an airy driving glove. This is because deerskin is lightweight, soft, and pretty supple.
Made in the US from lightweight, soft, and supple American deerskin. Available in 4 colorways.
Still, these guys are also abrasion-resistant. I wouldn’t wear them for shellfishing, but they can tolerate a day of moderate rain. If you do accidentally soak them though, the good thing about deerskin is that it doesn’t stiffen up as it dries.
Since the Deerskin Shorties are unlined, they’re also meant to be mild-season fashion gloves, as much as practical accessories.
One of my favorite qualities about the Sullivan Glove Co. Shorties are the vibrant tones. They do this through drum dyeing, which is a color-imbuing process that tumbles the leather in a rotating drum, while fully immersing it in the dye.
These gloves even come in a bright yellow, if that’s your style.
Duluth x Best Made Co.
Duluth x Best Made’s Deerskin Lined Gloves are exceedingly utilitarian, with a casual but rich-looking aesthetic.
Like the Sullivan Glove Co. Shorties, these gloves are made with supple and resilient deerskin that’s seamless at the palm, for a full range of motion. They also have a practical and easy-to-wear short-cuff.
They learn harder into the function side though, which makes sense since Duluth and Best Made focus on workwear.
Fleece-lined and made from a scrape-resistant deerskin leather, the Duluth x Best Made leather gloves look smart while still being functional and utilitarian.
Along with its scrape-resistant upper, these gloves are also lined with a soft polyester fleece for extra warmth on cold days. The lack of bulk also works in milder temperatures.
Best Made prides itself on the elasticity of these gloves. Since the deerskin doesn’t interrupt your dexterity, you can easily grip tools, even in high-impact situations like hammering or axing. Plus, the shirred wrists protect you from dirt or sawdust.
If you’re looking for an everyday glove that’s flexible and strong, go for these Duluth x Best Made Deerskin Lined Gloves.
Men’s Insulated Leather Gloves for Winter
Sometimes extra warmth is just as important as good looks. Here are our favorite leather gloves for those moments.
Hestra Utsjo
Here’s some industry intel: Elk leather is stronger and more lithe than cow leather, on top of being super rugged.
This is what makes the Hestra Elk Utsjo Gloves such an effective winter accessory. Unsurprising, since Swedish Hestra focuses on freeskiing and Alpine use.
Its Scandinavian elk exterior naturally insulates from the outside, while the synthetic polyester microfiber lining insulates from the inside. The fine fibers inside the glove trap heat pockets, similar to what down does. It’s also comfortably soft.
The elegant details—button strap, extended lining at the collar, and strong stitching—make for a smart-looking and extremely warm leather glove.
The button closure further helps keep cold out, but also adds a classy but industrial touch. It’s this overall approach to the style of these gloves that I love so much.
The Hestra Elk Utsjo Glove definitely has a thick, winter aesthetic about it. But the combination of that button strap, the hint of lining that accents the collar, and the neat but strong stitching, gives this glove an elevated Aspen-esque elegance.
Shinola x Geier Glove Company
With its uncomplicatedly clean design and effective insulation, the Shinola x Geier cold-weather glove is perfectly on-brand for both the collaborators.
If the Hestra glove is too thick or complex for you, this piece of Shinola x Geier gear offers just as much insulation with an understated, straightforward look.
It’s not without character though, since this glove is decked with the signature Shinola rivet right next to a pilot-like collar dip at the hem of both gloves.
That cut also makes these gloves easy to take on and off.
Clean, understated, and straightforward leather gloves with ample insulation for the coldest winter weather.
The interior is lined with a polymer called polypropylene, which has the lowest thermal conductivity of any typical apparel textile.
Put a deerskin exterior on that, which we already know is strong yet elastic, and you’ve got the perfect armor to keep you warm and dry.
And no worries about the lack of a tightening strap. Shinola offers half sizes, so you get more nuanced fits.
Touchscreen Leather Gloves For Men
Make no mistake: Taking off your gloves just to swipe on Instagram is a pain none of us should endure (#firstWorldProblems). Well, with these touchscreen leather gloves, you won’t have to. Stay warm and swipe, effortlessly.
Lands’ End Leather Gloves
Old world elegance meets contemporary functionality with the Lands’ End Leather Gloves.
The index finger features EZ-touch fabric, which means you can scroll on your phone or tablet without the extra step of having to take off your glove. Besides, on those extra frigid days, you don’t want to take it off, even for a minute!
Lands’ End combines a soft fleece lining and finger perforations in these touchscreen-compatible leather gloves, resulting in the perfect amount of temperature and moisture control.
Relatedly, Lands’ End has a clever approach to temperature control here. The interior is lined with warm and soft fleece, but the fingers are perforated so that moisture isn’t trapped and you don’t get overheated.
My favorite part about these gloves is the timeless aesthetic. They’re even decked with three decorative points on the surface, giving them that gentlemanly tone.
They come in three handsome color variations: A chic and dressy black, an Americana-style brown, and a fun but sophisticated navy.
Men’s Leather Dress Gloves
If you’re looking for the best leather gloves to match a more business or formal ensemble, consider these options:
J.Crew
Leave it to Ivy League-favorite, J.Crew, to build a refined dress glove that’s also appropriate for smart casual outfits. These leather gloves can go with a dapper black trench coat, or a relaxed but classy quilted hunting jacket.
Like the Lands’ End version, J.Crew’s leather gloves sport the time-honored point decorations on the surface, as well as tech-friendly index finger tips.
A refined dress glove perfect for smart casual to formal outfits. Versatile enough to be worn with a cashmere overcoat or a quilted hunting jacket.
These gloves are leveled up a bit though. The Italian sheepskin leather exterior, the same kind used on luxury designer purses, is lightweight yet lush. Sheepskin actually has hollow fibers, which make it breathable and supple.
Color-wise, these come in a warm sienna shade and a stark black. Sure, they’re pretty standard dress colors, but they are drum-dyed, which again, ensures the hues are rich and vibrant.
Finally, the interior is decked out in super soft cashmere.
Dents
Since 1777, UK-based Dents has been making fine leather gloves for aristocrats and movie stars. These Hampton gloves have been made with the same exacting standards for decades, eschewing even the smallest cost-cutting shortcut.
Dents actually uses peccary leather, which is soft, gets softer over time, and bends and wrinkles beautifully. Since it’s so strong, peccary ages better than most leathers, so these gloves will likely last you forever.
The peccary leather used in this pair of gloves gets softer over time, and bends and wrinkles beautifully. Peccary ages better than most leathers, so these gloves will likely last you forever.
This durability also means that only master glove makers can cut and stitch peccary correctly. And since each pair is hand-made, each pair is also a literal piece of art.
Featuring an immediately recognizable three-pronged pore grain, peccary leather is considered a status symbol. Plus, they’re sustainably harvested.
The Hamptons are lined with cashmere and come in classic black, and in yellow, which looks more like mustard.
They aren’t cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for here!
Which Leather Gloves Are The Best… For You?
We hope this was helpful!
If you’re wondering which of these pairs are the very best leather gloves, it really depends on what you’re looking for. Need something simple but insulated? Go with the Shinolas. Want a more luxurious investment piece? You can’t go wrong with the Dents.
The great thing here is that several of these options can belong in the same glove drawer. After all, you often need different gloves for different situations, and they don’t take up that much space!
What’s your favorite pair of leather gloves from our list? Let us know by hitting us up on Facebook or Instagram!
