I just got off the phone with a customer overwhelmed by all of our choices of Hestra gloves. What really is the difference between the Hestra Heli Glove, the Heli Ergo Grip, the Patrol Glove, and the XCR Glove? After I answered his questions and hung up the phone (he opted for the Hestra Heli, by the way), I realized my 5th grade teacher was right: If one person has a question, other people have that same question. Here’s my attempt at setting the record straight:
| Model | Price | Construction | Insulation | Features | Selling Point |
| Heli | $130 | impregnated army goat leather, Triton/entrant wind/waterproof fabric | removable insulated bemberg/polyester | eagle grip, wolf paw, snow lock, snap hook, velcro closure, handcuffs (also available in mitten and 3-finger) | Removable and replaceable liners; wider cuffs to fit over jacket sleeves |
| Heli Ergo | $175 | impregnated army goat leather, Ergo Grip construction, wind/waterproof Triton polyamide fabric | removable fleece | snow lock, snap hook, velcro closure, handcuffs | Increased dexterity due to extra stitching along knuckle joints |
| Patrol | $125 | impregnated army goat leather, Triton/entrant wind/waterproof fabric | removable insulated bemberg/polyester | snow lock, snap hook, velcro closure, handcuffs | Slimmer, zippered cuff fits more easily under jacket sleeves than the wider, larger cuff of the Heli |
| XCR | $175 | impregnated army goat leather, Flextron softshell wind and waterproof fabric with Gore-Tex | non-removable fiberfill | Gore-Tex XCR wind/waterproof insert, eagle grip,snow lock, snap hook, velcro closure, handcuffs (also available in mitten and 3-finger) | Gore-Tex |
The Lineup: Heli, Heli Ergo, Patrol, XCR
Hestra Vocabulary
Army goat leather – highly water-resistant, durable leather for tough conditions
Eagle grip – pre-curved finger design for a natural fit on the hand
Ergo grip® – varying levels of pre-curved finger construction for optimal grip and fit
Hestra handcuff – elastic fabric cuff to secure gloves to wrist
Removable liner – allows the glove to dry faster and increases the life of the gloves
Snap hook – small carabiner used to attach gloves together
Snow lock – wrist closure to trap in heat and keep out snow
Wolf Paw® – patented wrapped fingertip reinforcement design
My Two Cents
Personally, I’m a big believer in the Hestra Heli. The liners are very soft (dare I say cozy?) and I love that I can take them out to dry quickly while I eat lunch. …not that they get wet often. I have yet to have moisture seep into the gloves through the shell. If moisture sneaks in it’s due to my hands sweating (uncharted territory for me — my hands have never been warm enough to sweat in any other glove/mitt) or snowflakes falling in while I adjust my equipment and they dangle at my side, attached to me via the handcuff. Paired with my Patagonia Powderbowl (massively wide wrist-holes) I can still get away with fitting the XL cuff into my sleeve. Since I could give a flying banana about dexterity, the mitten version is perfect for me and I wear it a size larger than recommended. I’ve worn my mitts in all conditions and for quite a few wintry activities. I’m even wearing them in this photo:
Questions? Comments? How’s my driving?
So what do you think? Do you feel a little more comfy cozy with the Hestra Alpine Pro line? If not, shoot me an email at info at powder7 dot com or call us at three-oh-three 237-7547. I’m happy to guide you through it, but anyone here can help, which is a good thing because the snow is falling here and my neon green saucer sled is calling my name.
Keep it fun,
Amy
Hi,
Thanks for your review/ advice.
Im looking at purchasing Hestra gloves or mittens for powder skiing in Japan. My current ones just don’t keep me warm enough and cold fingers are no fun!
A couple of friends highly recommended the Hestra Heli mittens.
Im not sure whether to get gloves or mittens, plus Im considering the ergo model.
Did you go up a size for any specific reason?
Do you think the gloves will keep fingers warm enough?
Ive read a couple people say they are amazing, whilst others say they still got cold fingers.
Another comment or two I saw, related to gloves being a tight fit.
I have long skiniish fingers, so maybe Ill be luckier.
Any advice appreciated.
Japan tends 0 degress celcius to -15 celcius
Regards
James
Hi James, for warmth, mittens are always the warmest. It’s hard to say whether gloves would be fine for you because everyone’s temperature is different. I’ve heard from several guys that the glove is warm enough. For the Heli series, you don’t need to size down. They are very true to size (using our Hestra size chart: ). Also take a look at our video where Zack explains the sizing: . -Katie