REASONS TO BUY
Warm
Dexterous
Versatile liners
Cozy and comfortable
Stylish
Great fit
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Limited features
Not suited for wet climates
Hestra Heli Three-Finger - Women's Review
This lobster-claw design is a perfect balance of warmth and dexterity for both the resort and the backcountry
Hestra Heli Three-Finger - Women's
Credit: Hestra
RELATED: Best Ski Gloves for Women of 2024
Our Verdict
The Hestra Heli Three-Finger provides a unique balance of warmth and dexterity for any women looking to charge hard on the slopes. We love its breathable Hestra three-layer polyamide fabric and fully gloved liner. The three-finger design provides more warmth than any gloves, and more dexterity than any mittens tested in this review. It is made of the exact same materials as the Hestra Heli Mitt, a warmer full mitten option, also providing a similar level of performance. To top it off, it comes in cute colors with a female-specific design. Take this unique, three-fingered glove anywhere you please this winter.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Heli Three-Finger by Hestra is built for women looking for a nice balance of warmth and dexterity. Being best suited for dry climates and bluebird days, it's a great addition to any girl's outdoor ski or snowboard wardrobe.
Performance Comparison
The Hestra Heli Three Finger Glove provides both warmth and dexterity in all sorts of mountain terrain!
Credit: Amber King
Warmth & Breathability
Providing a remarkable blend of warmth and breathability, the Heli Three-Finger glove features a plush, removable Bemberg polyester lining that breathes and wicks well. The Hestra three-layer polyamide fabric keeps water out while allowing water vapor to escape efficiently. As a result, this glove stays warm and dry inside all day long. Similar to its cousin the Hestra Heli Mitt, it has an additional snow lock closure around the wrist and an extra long cuff that keeps snow out on the deepest of powder days.
Adventure into the unknown or on the resort with a pair of reliable gloves this winter. The Hestra Three Finger provide great warmth and breathability for all adventures into the wild.
Credit: Ryan Manuel
The three-finger model did not score as high as the Hestra Mitt in warmth because the inner liner features a gloved configuration, while the shell is a lobster claw. Typically this means that heat energy can't be generated as efficiently as a full mitten. As a result, we found that on the coldest days the Heli Mitt is warmer than the lobster claw. Wear it on the coldest days at the resort or in the backcountry when temperatures dip well into the double negatives.
Water Resistance
Featuring Hestra's three-layer polyamide outer, this glove keeps moisture out — similar to the Hestra Heli Mitt. The cowhide leather on the palm is pliable and soft which keeps moisture out and hands dry in the field. Even though it proved to do well out in the field, our at-home tests didn't have the same result. In our dunk tests, this mitten-glove hybrid absorbed more water than the Hestra Heli Mitt (4.45 oz vs. 2.8 oz). Like the mitt, it also leaked along the seams of the finger after being submerged and squeezing just ten times.
Here we see where water leakage occurred during our dunk tests.
Credit: Amber King
Out in the field, we didn't have any issues with this mitt. In fact, it stayed dry and warm after seven-hour skin sessions and during all weather at the resort. Our testing primarily occurred in dry climates; based on our in-house testing, we would only recommend this glove for dry climates because of its performance in our dunk tests.
Dexterity
The three-finger construct provides better dexterity than a mitt, but not as good as a glove. We loved that we could easily do up boots, jackets, and tie shoes. Many of our testers preferred this glove in the backcountry in comparison to the Hestra Heli-Mitt simply because it was easier to perform simple tasks like removing skins and taking a quick snack out the backpack without removing the gloves.
The three-finger construct allows free use of your pointer finger and thumb, providing more dexterity that most mittens out there. In addition, the thin leather allows you to feel the objects you're dealing with, providing (once again) more dexterity than other contenders in this review.
Credit: Amber King
After a day on the mountain, Amber enjoys a nice cold drink. These gloves allow you to grab bottle, zip up jackets, and more!
Credit: Amber King
Features
Like the Hestra Heli Mitt, this glove isn't loaded with features like the Burton Gore-Tex glove, but it does stand out for its removable and interchangeable liner. Since you can switch the liners out, this is truly an autonomous contender. In addition, the liners are quick to dry. We also love its removable leashes (also found on most gloves in this review) and the carabiner loop that keeps the pair of gloves together when not in use.
We love the wrist cinch strap that provides a better fit, in addition to the carabiner clip that keeps gloves together when not in use. In addition to these features, we love the removable (and interchangeable) liners and leashes.
Credit: Amber King
Durability and Construction
Our main author is a long-time Hestra user. She has owned a pair of gloves for the last five years that have shown just minimal levels of wear and tear from abrasion. Since these gloves feature a highly durable cowhide leather palm, it's important to make sure they are treated regularly to maintain the integrity of the leather. As an added bonus, Hestra offers a lifetime warranty on all its products. The only reason this glove did not earn a perfect ten in this metric is that the stitching isn't 100 percent seamless, resulting in some water leakage that we observed directly in our at-home tests. Other then that, we think these gloves are super bomber! It will last years if you choose to invest in them!
The leather palm and beautiful craftsmanship makes this an incredibly durable glove with a fantastic warranty!
Credit: Amber King
Best Application
If you're looking for a balance of warmth and dexterity, we believe this contender is the best option out there. Given its fantastic warmth and slimmer profile specific for women's hands, this is a favorite among our testers. It performs well at the resort, whether you're skiing the greens or double black diamonds. If you prefer to explore in the backcountry, we would highly recommend this product given its interchangeable and removable liners and enhanced dexterity (in comparison to the Hestra Heli Mitt). If you're in super wet climates that see heavy, wet snow, this glove may not be the best option. But if you're only planning on skiing on bluebird days, it's a perfect fit!
The Hestra Three Finger is versatile with a great fit and incredibly warm. The shell is super waterproof and dries out quickly. Our main author is pictured here using the gloves on a long backcountry ski tour.
Credit: Jared Vilauer
Value
Even though this price tag is high at $145, we believe this glove is worth every penny. Given its fantastic durability and warranty, you will get your money's worth.
Conclusion
If you're in search of a glove that provides warmth and dexterity, this hybrid mitten-glove (aka the lobster claw) may be the perfect addition to your winter wardrobe. Take it with you on long ski tours or up and down the lift lines all day long.
—
Amber King
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