Hestra CZone Alpine Mitt

The Hestra CZone Alpine Mitt is a short-cuff ski mitten built around a CZone membrane — genuinely waterproof, not merely water-resistant. The trade-off is at the wrist: a neoprene cuff that tucks under a jacket sleeve, with no gauntlet and no snow lock to seal over it.

Fabric and construction

The backhand is Hestra's Niak polyester — windproof, breathable, softly brushed. The palm is impregnated goat leather, which Hestra classes as water-resistant: it sheds snowmelt and takes pole-grip abrasion, but is not waterproof on its own. The waterproofing is a separate part: the CZone insert, behind Fiberfill insulation (100% polyester) and a brushed polyester lining.

Closure is plain: a neoprene cuff with a Velcro strap, elastic at the wrist, a puller at the cuff, attachment points for handcuffs. Hestra lists no removable liner, so the mitt dries as one piece.

Warmth and weather

Waterproof, windproof and water-resistant are three different claims. On a Hestra glove the difference is the membrane, not the fabric. Hestra's definition of the waterproof spec: "The glove features a waterproof membrane that prevents moisture from reaching your hands, keeping them dry in wet and snowy conditions." The Powder Short shares this mitt's Niak backhand, goat leather palm and Fiberfill — but without the insert, Hestra lists it Waterproof: No. This mitt has the insert.

Warmth comes from the Fiberfill and the shape: four fingers in one chamber run warmer than four separate, and you pay for it in dexterity. Hestra has not published a warmth rating for this model — new for 26/27, spec page not yet live — so no number is quoted here.

Fit and sizing

Measure your hand's circumference just below the knuckles, thumb excluded, and match it to the size number. Sport gloves stretch very little, so size it right the first time. Hestra wants a small gap between hand and material — that trapped air is insulation, and a mitt pulled on too tight runs colder, not warmer. Between two unisex sizes, Hestra recommends the larger.

The size run is 5–12. PTO stocks sizes 7, 8 and 9 in every colourway — Black, Beige and Candy.

Who it suits, and who should not buy it

It suits the skier who wants a waterproof mitt that disappears under a jacket cuff: resort laps, wet snow, cold hands a five-finger glove never quite solves.

Do not buy it for dexterity — a mitt is the wrong tool for buckles, zips and phone screens, and Hestra's CZone Mountain 5-finger runs the same fabric and membrane with fingers. Do not buy it for deep days spent sitting in snow, either: the CZone Mountain mitt adds the long cuff and snow lock this one leaves out.