Kinco Lined Heavy-Duty Premium Ski Glove Review

Bottom Line

While the brand Kinco may bring to mind images of gardening or splitting firewood, their sturdily built leather gloves have built a cult following in the outdoor recreation world for their durability, warmth, and affordability. The Kinco Lined Heavy-Duty Premium Ski Glove is dedicated to winter sports with some purpose-built features, making it an all-around option, whether working at the wood pile or out for a winter hike.

At first glance, the Kinco Ski Glove looks like any old leather glove. But after using them across a range of winter conditions from single-digit days to heavy snow, we can confidently say that they raise the bar for what a work-oriented glove can be. The premium pigskin leather makes this glove one of the most durable in our best winter gloves roundup. Foam padding on the back of the hand keeps you protected from bumps and abrasions, and the reinforced palms show no signs of wear even after contact with sharp ice skates and being used to split firewood. 

The Heatkeep polyester is low bulk yet warm, keeping our fingers warm down to the single digits. While durable, they do suffer in dexterity, particularly while still being broken in. The leather is thick, and some of the seams do get in the way when trying to handle smaller objects like screws or a pocket knife.

If you’re looking for one pair of gloves for everything this winter, then it’s hard ot beat the Kinco Ski Gloves. Their durability and affordability make them a standout option for anyone looking to save some money and have one pair of gloves to use for years to come.

How We Tested

The Kinco Lined Heavy-Duty Premium Ski Glove was tested over the course of 2 months in a range of conditions experienced in the Alaskan winter. From ice skating in the single digits to winter hikes to splitting firewood for the woodstove, the Kincos have been rigorously tested and examined to bring the most comprehensive analysis possible. Plus other CleverHiker editing staff have been happily thrashing through snow and brush in Montana with these gloves for many years.

Comfort & Dexterity

Like most leather gloves, the Kinco Ski Gloves require a break-in period. However, these gloves required one of the longest break-in periods of any glove we tested. They started extremely stiff, but over time, molded to a comfortable form fit of our hands. These gloves run a bit large, so we suggest trying a size down for a closer fit.

In keeping with the oversized shape, the fingers of the Kinco Ski Gloves are long, reducing their dexterity. We also found that some of the seams on the reinforced pads on the fingers got in the way, particularly when handling small objects like nails or a pocket knife.

These aren’t the most dexterous gloves on the market, but over time, the leather did become more supple with use. Without touchscreen capability, you won’t be able to use your phone, but your fingers will be protected with the thick and robust leather construction. Overall, they work for grabbing and holding, not so much fine-tuning and fiddling.

Warmth

The Kinco Ski gloves are lined with Heatkeep polyester insulation. This gives them great warmth, far more than we initially expected. We wear them on single-digit days of nordic skating in Alaska, and are continually impressed with how well they keep us warm. 

We’ve yet to experience cold hands while wearing these in temperatures down to 0°F throughout Alaska’s winter days. The thick leather, reinforced back of hand, polyester lining, and excess room in the fingers all work together to make a surprisingly warm glove. While not marketed as severe cold-weather gloves, the Kinco Ski Gloves provide enough warmth for most winter conditions.

Moisture Control

While splitting firewood, we noticed that the Kinco Ski gloves retained moisture to a greater extent than anticipated, particularly in the palms and backs of the hands. We attribute this to the extra padding and reinforcement in these areas. 

Testing these on an uptempo hike in Alaska’s Chugach Range, we found further evidence that these are not the best gloves when breathability and moisture control are the priority. Excess heat and sweat were not able to escape, leaving our hands hot and wet while working hard in these gloves. 

Once these gloves get wet and cool down, they are a real bummer to put back on should you need your hands protected and warmed again. For this reason, they are best used for more moderate activities where breathability is less of a concern, or your hands aren’t sweating.

Weather Resistance

A common factor in most leather gloves, the Kinco Ski Gloves require regular upkeep to maintain their weather resistance. Out of the box without additional waterproofing, we noticed leaking through the seam’s gloves during our at-home dunk test. After removing these from the water, they were heavy and saturated. 

Once we treated these gloves with Kinco’s included weatherproofing wax, we noticed a significant increase in their weather resistance. Then they took much longer to wet through and repelled snow and water better. There are many different options for weatherproofing wax, all of which work well for these gloves. We suggest regular reapplication to keep these gloves performing at their best and your hands dry on your next wet-weather adventure.

Durability

Whether it’s working at the wood pile, shoveling snow, or playing our favorite winter sports, the Kinco Ski Gloves deliver some of the best durability of any gloves in our lineup. The golden premium suede pigskin back of the hand and palms are extremely rugged, repelling all scrapes and brushes with ease. 

While thrashing through some of Alaska’s notoriously dense brush, we were glad to be wearing these gloves as they kept our knuckles protected with the back of hand padding. Reinforced palms and fingers add durability in high-contact zones, and leather pull tabs on the cuffs keep them intact despite frequent tugs and pulls. 

Kinco stays true to its roots in durable work gloves with the Ski Glove, and we are confident it will stay strong for years of heavy use.

Should You Buy the Kinco Lined Heavy-Duty Premium Ski Glove?

If durability is your number one factor for a pair of gloves, then it’s hard to find a better choice than the Kinco Ski Gloves. Their reinforced pig skin leather is among the toughest of any gloves we tested. This makes them great for chores like splitting firewood or for adventures where durability matters. 

They pack an excellent value, balancing affordability and quality. Warm enough for temperatures down to the single digits, these make great gloves for most conditions. 

While the leather does take some time to break in, and some dexterity is sacrificed due to the stiff leather, these are an excellent choice for anyone looking for the durable performance of leather without breaking the bank.

What Other Winter Gloves Should You Consider?

Check out our guide to the best winter gloves for winter worthy contenders. Here are a few we’d suggest if you’re interested in the Kinco gloves:

Hestra Heli Mittens Review: With leather palms, the Heli Insulated Mittens combine the warmth of mittens with the unbeatable durability of leather.

Black Diamond Guide Review: If you like the durability of leather but are looking for something for the coldest temperatures, the Black Diamond Guide is an excellent choice.

Rab Khroma Freeride Review: Slightly warmer than the Kincos, the Rab Khroma has a more robust gauntlet that fits over the outside of a jacket.