They were one of three single-use hand warmers this time around, which are easy to find at pretty much any sporting goods or big-box store. These were the hands-down winner in a test I conducted four years ago, and the HotHands retained the title belt in this contest.

Then I checked the internal temperature of the glove with a meat thermometer every half hour for 90 minutes. To make sure each hand warmer rested in the palm of the glove, I packed the mittens with socks. Finally, I put them through a controlled heating test, activating each and giving them five minutes to warm up before stuffing them into my wife’s Hestra Heli Ski mittens ($130) and placing the gloves in my freezer. I then weighed each on my kitchen scale and measured their size with a ruler. I skied with each of these hand warmers both in the backcountry of Oregon’s Mount Ashland and in-bounds at the resort, tucking them into my Hestra Fall Line gloves ($155) to gauge whether they hindered my grip on my poles or got in the way as I tinkered with my skins, boots, and bindings. So I put my fingers on the line and tested five different models to determine the best. But there are various types of hand warmers, and not all are created equal. Since then I’ve found warmers indispensable for a variety of outings. “Why deal with cold hands if you don’t have to?” he said. I used to pooh-pooh them, then I watched a buddy throw them into a pair of gloves before a chilly 1 A.M. For certain conditions and activities, you need more than gloves or mittens to keep your paws toasty. Enter chemical and electrical hand warmers.

Where to buy grabber hand warmers