Hestra Ferox CZone Jr

The Hestra Ferox is a junior ski glove built around a real waterproof membrane. Hestra's spec block rates it Waterproof: Yes, warmth Toasty (5 of 8), durability Dependable (4 of 8). The trade-off is the palm: polyurethane grip instead of leather, which keeps it supple and washable but wears through sooner on a child who is hard on equipment.

Fabric and construction

The backhand is Hestra Appas polyester, which Hestra calls a windproof and waterproof fabric. Palm and fingers are a polyurethane grip, 55% polyester and 45% polyurethane. A stretch softshell panel adds give; Hestra rates that fabric wind and water resistant, not waterproof. Insulation is Primaloft Gold over a brushed polyester lining, whose raised surface traps air. The glove is machine washable, one of only two features Hestra lists.

Warmth and weather

This is a membrane glove. The structured Performance block reads Waterproof: Yes: "The glove features a waterproof membrane that prevents moisture from reaching your hands, keeping them dry in wet and snowy conditions." The membrane is CZone, Hestra's own waterproof and breathable insert. Many gloves at this level are water-resistant only; this one is not. Wet snow and slush are inside its brief.

Warmth is Toasty, 5 on Hestra's 8-point scale: noticeably warm, built for sustained exposure to cold. The scale continues through Insulated, Extreme and Expedition, so it is a genuinely warm resort glove, not Hestra's answer for the coldest days.

Fit and sizing

Hestra measures hand circumference around the widest part of the palm, and calls a recommended size only an indication. For this junior model it links no hand-measurement chart at all, publishing an age guide instead: size 3 for ages 4-5, 4 for 6-7, 5 for 8-9, 6 for 10-11, 7 for 12-13. Hestra builds it in sizes 3 through 7. PTO stocked sizes 5, 6 and 7, roughly ages 8 to 13, and both colourways run all three sizes.

Who it is for, and who should not buy it

Buy it for a child who skis or rides resort days, plays hard in wet snow, and still has to work a zipper. Mobility is rated Agile, 6 of 8, high for an insulated glove.

Do not buy it if your child's hands run cold. Hestra makes the same glove as a mitt and rates it one step warmer, Insulated (6 of 8) rather than Toasty, but mobility drops to Moderate (3 of 8). That is the trade, and it is physics rather than preference: fingers share heat in a mitt and give up dexterity to do it. Look elsewhere too if you want a gauntlet over the jacket sleeve: the Ferox closes short, with a neoprene cuff and a Velcro tab.