Touchscreen Gloves Explained

Capacitive screens respond to conductive material, not to pressure. Touchscreen gloves work by putting conductive fibers or a conductive coating at the fingertips. The construction determines whether they still work in year two.

1. 1

   Coated tips: cheap and short-lived

   A conductive coating printed onto the fingertip. It works well when new and abrades away with use, usually within a season of regular pole handling. Most inexpensive gloves use this method.

2. 2

   Woven conductive fiber: durable

   Conductive thread knitted through the fingertip fabric so the conductivity is structural rather than surface-applied. It cannot rub off because it is part of the material. Black Diamond and Outdoor Research use this on their better liners and it is the reason those tips still work after two seasons.

3. 3

   Why they fail in cold and wet

   Two causes. A wet glove surface confuses a capacitive screen, producing phantom touches. And cold thick gloves reduce the contact patch, so the screen registers nothing. Neither is a defect — both are limits of the technology.

4. 4

   The fix nobody mentions

   Fit. A glove with fingers cut too long puts empty fabric where your fingertip should be, so the conductive panel never contacts the screen properly. If touchscreen function is poor on a glove that should work, check the finger length before blaming the coating.

   Sizing guideGetting finger length right

   Read Guide →

Touchscreen Performance