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Black Diamond Guide Review

For really cold activities, where giving up some dexterity for some serious warmth is a must, these gloves are hard to beat
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black diamond guide ski gloves review
Black Diamond Guide
Credit: Black Diamond
Price:  $180 List
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Manufacturer:   Black Diamond
By Ian Nicholson and Jeff Rogers  ⋅  Dec 1, 2022
78
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#4 of 20
  • Warmth - 25% 9.0
  • Dexterity - 25% 4.0
  • Water Resistance - 25% 9.0
  • Durability - 15% 9.0
  • Features - 10% 9.0

Our Verdict

The Black Diamond Guide is seriously warm. It is one of the warmest gloves we tested, making it an excellent option for arctic lift rides, folks whose hands get cold easily, and high-altitude mountaineering. Tester Ian Nicholson has climbed Denali 7 times overall in them. This glove features a removable liner, making drying them a breeze. They have a stretchy shell that is reinforced with goat leather (obviously not stretchy in places where it is reinforced) and a Gore-Tex insert for weather protection. They are super tough and easily one of the most durable in our review, but all of the leather, insulation and relatively strong shell fabric decrease their dexterity.
REASONS TO BUY
Super warm
Extremely tough
Great weather resistance
Removable liners help them dry quicker
Our go-to expedition glove
REASONS TO AVOID
Not very dexterous
Take time to break in
If in between sizes you should consider sizing up
Editor's note: We updated this review with additional glove comparisons and purchase recommendations on December 1, 2022.

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Bottom Line If rugged capabilities and warmth top your list of importance, think about investing in this pairTop-tier performance, coupled with exceptional versatility across a wide range of conditionsThis excellent ski glove provides warmth and weather resistance at a budget-acknowledging priceBoasting a toasty level of warmth, this mitt protects your hands well at a fair priceA warm and comfortable mitten at an excellent value
Rating Categories Black Diamond Guide Arc'teryx Fission SV Gordini GTX Storm T... Black Diamond Mercu... The North Face Mont...
Warmth (25%)
9.0
7.0
7.0
8.0
8.0
Dexterity (25%)
4.0
8.0
4.0
2.0
2.0
Water Resistance (25%)
9.0
10.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
Durability (15%)
9.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
Features (10%)
9.0
7.0
9.0
7.0
8.0
Specs Black Diamond Guide Arc'teryx Fission SV Gordini GTX Storm T... Black Diamond Mercu... The North Face Mont...
Double or Single Glove Double Single Single Double Single
Gaunlet or Cuff? Gauntlet Gauntlet Gauntlet Gauntlet Gauntlet
Palm Material Goat leather Leather Polyurethane Goat leather Synthetic leather
Waterproof Material Gore-Tex insert Gore-Tex Gore-Tex BD.dry DryVent
Insulation Type 170g PrimaLoft Gold and 100g boiled wool fleece lining 133g Primaloft Gold Eco and 200g Primaloft Silver Eco Megaloft 340 g PrimaLoft Gold, high-loft fleece Back of hand: 250g Heatseeker Eco
Palm: 160g Heatseeker Eco
Nose Wipe? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

From December days and slow chair-lift rides in New England to the summits of some of the highest and coldest mountains in the world, the Black Diamond Guide Glove is excellent in cold temps. While some mittens are warmer, many aren't; the Guide Glove just plain packs in a lot of insulation. As a result, it is a pretty darn stiff glove and needs a little bit longer than most to break in its insulation and burly exterior leather.

Performance Comparison


black diamond guide ski gloves review - our testers loved the black diamond guide glove as a super...
Our testers loved the Black Diamond Guide glove as a super protective and warm glove on colder days. Here Tester Joshua Webb uses the Guide glove on a more mild day to test versatility.
Credit: Jeff Rogers

Warmth


This contender is among the very warmest models in our review. The heated glove options we tested run hotter when powered, but are not even close to being as warm when the batteries run out. Tester Ian Nicholson used the Guide gloves to summit both Denali and Aconcagua in -42F and -25F temperatures, respectively. The liner is the warmest of any model we tested and uses a combination of Primaloft One insulation on the outer portion of its liner and boiled wool on the inside. The wool on the back of your hand is super nice on cold days and feels warm and fuzzy all day. The wool provides noticeable wicking, making your hands feel warmer, and to a limited extent, provides some temperature regulation. This is a potential option for people with Raynaud's syndrome who prefer gloves over mittens.

The palm side of the liner sports 100 grams of fleece, which also wicks moisture and dries more quickly than wool, eliminating clammy hands. Though super efficient at insulating, all this bulk means they are less dexterous.

black diamond guide ski gloves review - the guide glove is the perfect cold weather ski glove or high...
The Guide Glove is the perfect cold weather ski glove or high altitude mountaineering glove. Tester Ian Nicholson has summitted both Denali and Aconcagua in this Glove in temps as cold as -40F (with hand-warmers). Photo: Ian Nicholson and Zach Keskinen both wearing BD Guide Gloves on the Summit of Denali.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Dexterity


The Guide is one of the warmest gloves currently available, but that warmth comes at a price. Because there is so much insulation in this glove, that insulation equals bulk, reducing dexterity. In some ways, you could almost compare this model to a mitten, because it is so warm but lacks dexterity. It is even warmer than some mittens but is most often still more dexterous. It uses a very stiff leather that is super beefy and incredibly durable, but that stiffness reduces "feel" and dexterity.

The newest version features a stretchier exterior with less overall leather; while this does allow the leather to break in, they are still mega-stiff at first. However, while they do soften up quite a bit once you get four or five days of use in them, they are still a little stiffer than average. During our side-by-side comparisons for dexterity, the Guide scored below average. We could accomplish simple tasks, like buckling boots and unlocking car doors, but started to suffer during our more complex tests.

black diamond guide ski gloves review - because the guide glove is so burly and warm it isn't the most...
Because the Guide Glove is so burly and warm it isn't the most dexterous glove, however once broken in over a few weeks of use it allows the wearer a respectable amount of dexterity. Once broken in not only can we fairly easily zip jackets but we can also handle carabiners and tie knots in a rope as seen here on Denali's Upper West Buttress.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Water Resistance


Black Diamond uses a Gore-Tex insert, highly water-resistant leather, and a robust nylon shell for waterproofing. While several models did well in both our real-world tests and our side-by-side comparisons using a bucket of water, we found that it was one of the more water-resistant designs we tested. It compares to the other top scores in the review.

Durability


The Guide features a goatskin leather palm, with that same leather on the inside of the fingers and parts of the back of the hand. They also have a small piece of EVA foam padding in the middle of the back of the hand. A stretchy woven nylon shell covers the remainder of the glove with a Gore-Tex insert inside. The construction allows them to be tough enough to last for even the harshest user; overall, we found this glove to offer some of the best durability out of gloves in our fleet. We used this model well over 70 days, and it's still holding up well; however, it certainly isn't as warm as it once was, as the insulation has slowly packed out.

It's likely that using any of the gloves in this review over 60 days would lead to them packing out and losing a significant amount of insulation and warmth. Regardless, the Guide is one of the toughest contestants in our review.

Features


The Guide has a well-designed removable liner that is secured with Velcro straps that never came out when we didn't want it to. The straps cinch nicely with one gloved hand but are harder to loosen. The nose wipe on the thumb is comfortable and effective. Other than that, it is a relatively simple but user-friendly product.

Many (but not all) people size up from their normal BD glove size when they buy these gloves. This is mainly due to all of the warmth and insulation; as a result, these gloves feel like they run just a little on the smaller side. Climbers who might be going to higher altitudes and would want to add a thin polypro or wool liner underneath should strongly consider going up one size. Despite most people sizing up, the Guide, like other Black Diamond gloves, run slightly on the wider side compared with others tested.

black diamond guide ski gloves review - if you look at the back of the guide glove, you can see numerous...
If you look at the back of the Guide glove, you can see numerous reinforcements and padding. The same goes for the palm. This adds durability and protection but does decrease dexterity.
Credit: Jeff Rogers

Should You Buy the Black Diamond Guide?


While this glove is expensive, it's an exceptional option if you're going on a super cold adventure. There are other good options on the market that provide a little more dexterity without sacrificing too much in the way of warmth, so unless you are headed out on an expedition or spend every day outside in very cold temperatures, these gloves are probably overkill.

What other Ski Gloves Should You Consider?


These gloves provide the ultimate in warmth and weather protection, with the major caveat that their durability is laughable. If you need good warmth and weather resistance, but still need to complete detailed tasks with your fingers, our Editors' Choice Arc'teryx Fission SV and similar Rab Khroma Freeride both strike a nice balance between protection and usability. If you absolutely need the warmth, we'd recommend the Outdoor Research Prevail Heated as the best electrically-heated glove. And if you are looking for a good glove at a fraction of the price of the rest of these recommendations, the Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II is a good option.

Ian Nicholson and Jeff Rogers