Hestra Merino Wool Liner Long

The Hestra Merino Wool Liner Long is a five-finger merino knit liner made to be worn under a ski glove, not instead of one: Hestra rates it 8/8 for Mobility ("Second skin") but only 2/8 for Warmth ("Moderate"), and its Performance block lists Waterproof: No.

Fabric and construction

The Merino Wool Liner Long is a single layer of merino tricot — 85% merino wool, 15% polyester, 210 g/m² — with no insulation and no membrane, which is why it disappears inside an outer glove. The cuff runs long over the wrist; Hestra lists it machine washable, with a puller loop and a touchscreen print on thumb and index finger.

Bulk is the thing to plan for with the Merino Wool Liner Long. Hestra's own guidance is that a glove needs a gap around the hand, because "the air trapped in this space helps insulate and retain warmth." Push 210 g/m² of wool into a glove that already fits close and the hand ends up colder, not warmer.

Warmth and weather

Hestra rates the Merino Wool Liner Long 2/8 for Warmth, or "Moderate": "minimal lining for cool conditions or high-exertion use." It raises the ceiling of whatever glove goes over it, and will not keep hands warm on its own.

The Performance block for the Merino Wool Liner Long reads Waterproof — No. In Hestra's words, "the glove does not include a waterproof membrane. It may offer water resistance from its outer material but is not designed to keep hands dry in sustained wet conditions." Hestra makes no windproof claim for this liner either; weather protection stays the outer glove's job.

Fit and sizing

Hestra sizes the Merino Wool Liner Long by hand circumference, "measured around the widest part of the palm", noting that "the recommended size is an indication." No measurement chart is published for this liner; go by the Hestra size you already wear. Hestra lists sizes 6 through 11; PTO stocks one colourway, Black, in sizes 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Who it is for, and who should not buy it

The Merino Wool Liner Long is for a skier extending the range of a glove they already own, or anyone wanting a touchscreen layer that stays on when the outer glove comes off.

The Merino Wool Liner Long is the wrong purchase as a standalone glove. Hestra rates it Waterproof: No and Durability 2/8 — "Light use", meaning "gentle everyday wear with minimal abrasion". For one glove in wet snow, buy a membrane: Hestra's CZone Mountain carries a CZone insert, the Army Leather GORE-TEX a GORE-TEX ePE insert. For wind, the Hestra Windshield Liner has a windproof backhand. For a thinner liner, the Hestra Merino Wool Liner Active is 160 g/m².