Kayaking gloves or pogies? Which is best and why - Dave explains

When it's cold on the water, your hands are one of the most exposed parts of your body.

Water and wind go along way to reducing the temperature in your hands and can, if not dealt with, make for a very miserable paddling trip.

So what can you do?

Let's find out!

Paddle with pogies attached - ready for the snow!

Important! Keep your core body warm and use layers!

Before you even think about keeping your hands warm, you need to consider what you are wearing to keep the rest of your body warm.

As an extremity, your hands (and feet) are one of the last parts to be kept warm by your body.

When it's cold, your body will prioritise keeping your critical organs warm (mainly in your torso) and any remaining warmth will be sent to your extremities - if there is any left over!

So - if your main torso is cold - your body has to prioritise energy to warm it so, chances are, your hands and feet will remain colder for longer - with or without gloves or pogies!

Brrr... snow on my car (March 2023)

Solution: Wear plenty of layers of clothing on your core, a hat and keep moving to generate heat from exercise. Focus on keeping your core (torso) warm and dry.

Doing this maximises the chances of being able to keep your hands and feet warm when you do use gloves or pogies.

Caveat: I am NOT a doctor so the above is my basic understanding and experience!

What are paddling pogies?

Pogies are a type of mitten that fits over the shaft of the paddle and encloses your hand when paddling.

The pogie is secured around the paddle using velcro - as seen in the photo below.

The pogie is usually made of neoprene or waterproof material and can have a fleece lining for extra warmth.

They are a tight fit to minimise any excess air movement and maximise warmth.

Pogies - one on the paddle and one showing the velcro fastening

What are paddling gloves?

Gloves are commonly found and used in cold and winter environments. In a kayaking context, they are gloves that are worn whilst paddling.

They are usually made from neoprene or a strong waterproof material - like those in the photo below.

Some have fleece linings for extra warmth.

It's critical that they are waterproof - or capable of keeping your hands warm when wet (like neoprene does).

Ed's Top Tip!

Here's Ed showing how he keeps his hands warm when not paddling. This simple trick is to put your hands behind the main panel of your buoyancy aid - see photo.

It keeps your hands out of the wind and provides some warmth from your body. Try it!

Which is best?

Choosing between gloves and pogies is mainly down to personal preference and the type of water you are paddling on.

For flatwater, gloves or pogies would be ideal. They will keep the wind off your hands and enable you to grip and control the paddle easily.

For whitewater, gloves can give a separation between your hands and the paddle and make paddling more difficult and give less 'feel' from the water.

The risk of your hands slipping from the paddle shaft is perhaps greater with gloves although some have extra grips on the palms.

Pogies are better on whitewater as your hands remain in contact with the paddle shaft. They can feel restrictive for paddle strokes where hand movement or wrist twisting is required (during a roll for instance).

Both gloves and pogies are cheap to buy and it's recommended that you try both to decide which works best for you.

Here's a link to some great pogies that we use: Amazon Link

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