Short answer: Choose a winter hat by its composition and lining, and gloves by how you will move and the size of your hand. NORDBLANC hats are knitted, half of them 100% acrylic and the rest blends, for example with wool, merino wool or nylon, and some have fleece inside. All the hats are size UNI. Winter gloves that are not ski gloves are fleece, powerfleece, softshell, knitted and ultralight, in sizes 4-11. You determine the number from the height and width of your palm in cm. Ski gloves have a guide of their own.
Which winter hat and gloves should you choose for how you will use them?
When you are moving, your head and hands warm up and thinner pieces are enough; when standing and walking slowly you need warmer ones. The table is an indicative recommendation based on the activities listed on the products.
| Situation | Head and neck | Hands |
|---|---|---|
| Town and short walks | knitted hat, neckwarmer | fleece or knitted gloves |
| Winter hiking | knitted hat, neckwarmer | powerfleece or knitted gloves |
| Cross-country skiing and running | headband or thin hat | ultralight or powerfleece gloves |
| Skiing | hat or headband under a helmet, neckwarmer | ski gloves |
The whole outfit for a hike is described in the guide What to wear hiking; for skiing there are ski gloves, which are covered by the guide Ski gloves or mittens.
What should a winter hat be made of: acrylic, wool, merino or with fleece inside?
All NORDBLANC hats are knitted. They differ in composition and in what is inside:
- Acrylic. Half of the hats are 100% acrylic; the others are blends, for example acrylic with wool, with merino wool or with nylon.
- Wool and merino. Only some hats and headbands have wool in the composition. Only a few hats have merino wool in the composition, always as a blend of 50% merino wool and 50% acrylic. Wool keeps you warm even when damp, and merino is softer on the skin than ordinary wool; the guide What is merino wool has the details. Always check the composition on the product.
- Fleece inside. Some hats have an inside of soft fleece according to the description, and one has a fleece edge. The fleece sits between the knit and the skin.
- Bobble. Only exceptionally does a hat have a bobble; look for it in the photo on the product.
Warmth is not given on NORDBLANC’s indicative scale for hats or gloves. You can therefore compare them only by composition and lining. Wash hats according to the label; general advice is on the page Product care.
A hat, a headband or a neckwarmer?
Each piece covers something different, and NORDBLANC has all three:
| Piece | Covers | In the range | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hat | head and ears | knitted, women’s, men’s and also with no gender in the name | UNI |
| Headband | ears and forehead | knitted from acrylic, knitted from acrylic with wool and fleece with a hook-and-loop fastener | UNI, fleece S and L |
| Neckwarmer | neck | knitted from 100% acrylic, according to the description with fleece inside | UNI |
UNI is one size. The descriptions do not give the head circumference, so it is better to try a hat on in our stores. Most hats, headbands and neckwarmers have skiing listed on the product. You will find the selection in the collections hats and headbands, winter headbands and winter neckwarmers.
Which winter gloves should you choose?
Winter gloves differ in material and thickness. An overview based on the details and descriptions on the products:
| Type | Material | Activities listed on the product | From the product description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultralight | polyamide with spandex | running, cross-country skiing, cycling, skiing, everyday wear | ultralight stretchy material, elasticated cuffs, non-slip print, conductive fingertips |
| Powerfleece | polyester with spandex, on some models genuine leather on the palm and fingers | cross-country skiing, hiking, everyday wear, on some models cycling | stretchy material with an inner microfleece layer, elasticated cuffs, conductive fingertips |
| Fleece | polyester, on some models blended with polyamide and polyurethane | hiking and everyday wear, no activity stated on most models | fleece, on most models an anti-pilling finish, on some an elastic at the wrist |
| Softshell | 100% polyester | cycling, the description also mentions cross-country skiing and running | according to the description, insulated with fleece |
| Knitted | 60% wool and 40% polyurethane | hiking, everyday wear | knitted material, TECNOPOLAR® fleece |
As a general rule, gloves with separate fingers give more feel and mittens are usually warmer; the ski gloves guide mentioned above covers the difference. Check the shape of the fingers in the photo on the product. A thin glove suits movement, but it cools down faster when you are standing outside in the cold.
You will find the selection in the collections fleece gloves, powerfleece gloves, softshell gloves and knitted gloves, all together in the collection gloves.
Which glove size should you choose?
Winter gloves come in sizes 4-11. The number is determined by your hand, not by your clothes: you measure the height and width of your palm in cm. The measuring procedure step by step is described in the guide Ski gloves or mittens; compare the values with the size charts.
The size charts page has separate tables for fleece and softshell gloves, both marked Unisex. The numbers in them are not the same: size 8 corresponds, for fleece gloves, to a height of 20-22 cm and a width of 22-23.5 cm and, for softshell gloves, to a height of 18-19.5 cm and a width of 22-23.5 cm. So use the table for the type of glove you are buying. For powerfleece, knitted and ultralight gloves the page has no table, but these gloves have a table of the model’s dimensions on the product page. You can try gloves on in our stores.
Which hat and gloves for running, cross-country skiing and town?
- Running. Running warms you up, so thinner pieces are enough. Ultralight gloves have running listed on the product, and softshell gloves mention winter running in the description. Hats and headbands mostly have skiing listed on the product, and none of them lists running, so for running choose a thin hat or headband and check the composition on the product. The whole outfit is described in the guide What to wear running in winter.
- Cross-country skiing. Powerfleece and ultralight gloves list cross-country skiing among their activities, and softshell gloves mention it in the description. The whole kit for cross-country skiing from head to toe is covered by the guide What to wear cross-country skiing.
- Town. Knitted and powerfleece gloves list everyday wear among their activities. The descriptions of hats recommend them for the outdoors and for town.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use a touchscreen in winter gloves?
Only in gloves with conductive material on the fingertips. The description mentions it for several gloves: powerfleece, ultralight and some fleece models, always on the tip of the index finger and thumb. For other gloves, conductive material is not mentioned in the description.
Is a headband a good substitute for a hat?
A headband covers the ears and forehead and tends to be thinner than a hat, so it suits movement and wearing under a helmet. For slow walking and standing in frost, a hat that covers the whole head is the safer choice. The range includes several headbands: knitted from acrylic, knitted from acrylic with wool and fleece with a hook-and-loop fastener. The activity listed for them on the product is skiing.
Does a knitted hat itch?
It depends on the material and on your skin. For some hats the description gives fleece inside, which separates the knit from the skin, and for one of them it says explicitly that this is so that the hat does not itch. Before buying, try on a hat with no fleece inside in a store.
Which hat or gloves should I buy as a gift if I do not know the size?
Hats and neckwarmers are size UNI, and so are headbands apart from the fleece one, so you do not have to guess the size. The descriptions do not give the head circumference, though. For gloves, the height and width of the palm decide. More ideas and how to go by size are in the guide Gifts for skiers.