Slide your hands into the Extremities Torres Peak gloves and the warmth is instantaneous, but would they be our pick of the best winter gloves? James Forrest gives them a thorough test to find out...
That incredible warmth comes from a luxuriously high-loft fleece lining and an opulently generous helping of PrimaLoft insulation, making these one of the warmest (and perhaps comfiest) gloves in our 2024/2025 test.
They feel thickly-padded – “a haven of warmth” as the brand puts it – with the long cuff extending this cosiness over the wrist and upper forearm.
For full-on wintry and sub-zero conditions, these gloves are up for the job, although they're so warm the worry is they’ll be overkill for many milder winter outings.
Extremities’ in-house X-Dry technology ensures the gloves are waterproof, windproof and breathable, while the palm and fingers are made from a strong-feeling artificial PU leather (rather than the real thing) for solid durability and grip.
One-handed pull closures at the cuff and a cinch strap at the wrists ensure a tight, fine-tuned fit for sealing out the cold.
There’s no nose wipe or wrist leash, but – despite those omissions – these gloves are fully-featured, winter-ready and extremely good for the price.
Pros
- Superb price
- Luxurious interior
- Very warm
Cons
- Too warm for many scenarios
- No nose wipes or wrist leashes
- No touchscreen compatibility
| RRP: | £70 |
| Weight per glove: | 108g / 3.8 oz (small) |
| Unisex sizes" | S-XL |
Design, materials and construction
Extremities is a sub-brand from tent experts Terra Nova, and the same design skills Terra Nova are renowned for are in display with the Extremities Torres Peak. They're well-designed, well-constructed gloves, with good materials and a fully-featured approach.
The outer of the Extremities Torres Peak is a 100% polyester shell, while the high-loft fleece lining is 100% polyester and the synthetic insulation is PrimaLoft Gold (100% recycled).
There's no real leather in this glove. Instead you get an artificial leather PU fabric across the palm and fingers. This material stretches up-and-over the fingertips (roll-top fingers) and covers the whole palm and front of the hand.
The all-round design and materials used feel mid-range, rather than premium. They're good, but not exceptional, and you can clearly see a technical improvement in more expensive pairs such as the Rab Guide 2 GTX. Of course, you have to pay a lot more for this.
At £70 the materials and design of the Torres Peak are excellent, offering superb value for money.
Waterproofing and breathability
Extremities keeps the cost of the Torres Peak glove down to its affordable price-point by not using
Gore-Tex. Instead you get Extremities proprietary waterproof-breathable membrane technology called X-Dry.
As Extremities explains, the X-Dry technology is a “fully waterproof fabric… featuring a water-resistant shell that repels water particles away from the fabric, using the waterproof and breathable X-Dry membrane, whilst retaining heat”. The waterproof and breathable liner is PFC-free for improved eco credentials.
More time is needed in poor conditions to truly evaluate the effectiveness of this technology, but – at least anecdotally – I can say it worked well enough in light rain on a few of my test hikes.
Warmth and insulation
The Torres Peak is a very warm glove. The high-loft fleece interior is silky-soft, super-smooth and very toasty – Extremities call it a “luxurious” inner, and that’s certainly how it feels.
It’s plush and cosy, which on the coldest of days feels delightful. However, on milder winter days, they can feel like over-kill, with too much plush warmth.
On top of the fleecy interior, most of the warmth comes courtesy of PrimaLoft Gold insulation (100% polyester), which is very effective at keeping the cold out. Indeed, Extremities describe the Torres Peak as “extremely warm”.
As such it’s a glove that works very well on colder winter days, with sub-zero temperatures, but it lacks any versatility. It’s a winter-only glove, effectively, that’s probably too thick and toasty for the shoulder seasons.
Fit, grip and dexterity
The Extremities Torres Peak has excellent adjustment options. A drawstring and toggle adjustment system enables one-handed closure and opening at the base of the gauntlet, which works excellently.
You can operate this easily, even when wearing the gloves, so the functionality is top-notch.
Somewhat less impressive is the compression strap at the base of the wrist. While this offers an extra layer of adjustment (there is no such feature on the pricier Rab Guide 2 GTX, for example) and enables a fine-tuned fit to your hand shape, the strap itself feels a little basic and clunky. The excess in the strap can flap around annoyingly, too.
But, I don’t want to be overly critical. It works fine and adds versatility to the fit, so it’s a decent feature, though it could be better.
The Torres Peak is a glove, not a mitt, with a standard shape and design. The fit appears to be true to size and comfort levels are very good.
The cut is nicely shaped, fitting and ‘hugging’ the hand well, and doesn’t feel too chunky or thick, despite the high levels of warmth.
In terms of grip and dexterity, the Torres Peak is decent, but not exceptional. It’s definitely a step or two below the Rab Guide 2 GTX in these metrics, partly due to the lack of real leather, and the Torres Peak certainly doesn’t feel as technically proficient.
Hardcore winter mountaineers and scramblers who need first-rate grip and dexterity may, therefore, not be too attracted to the Torres Peak. Having said that, performance is still pretty solid, and for most hillwalkers the Torres Peak will deliver sufficient grip and dexterity.
Weight and sizes
On my scales, the Extremities Torres Peak weighs 108g per glove (small). I’d class this as ever so slightly on the heavy side of mid-range.
For comparison, the Torres Peak clocks in at 13g lighter per glove than the Rab Guide 2 GTX, but it’s heavier than several others. The Sealskinz Swaffham is 22g lighter and the PHD Kappa is 36g lighter, for example.
Some hillwalkers may prefer a lighter model than the heavy-ish Extremities Torres Peak, but for many others the warmth-to-weight ratio will hit the mark, particularly for the coldest of winter days.
Unisex size options range from S to XL. This isn’t the biggest size range we’ve ever seen, but should suffice for the vast majority of customers. You can figure out which size is right for you by measuring your hand’s diagonal circumference, following instructions on the Extremities size guide.
Features
A couple of features are notable in their absence. You don’t get any wrist leashes, nose wipes or pull-on tabs, and there;'s no touchscreen compatibility. The only other feature of note is a nifty little clip for attaching the gloves together, when required.
Verdict
Extremities Torres Peak are incredibly warm and cosy gloves at a superb price – but they’re too warm for all but the coldest of days.
If rain protection is your big focus, consider some of the options in our list of the best waterproof gloves.
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About the author
James Forrest is a prolific peak bagger and long-distance walker who’s one of the most high-profile outdoor writers in the UK.
He writes regular features and route guides for Trail and has been one of our main gear testers for the last few years. James is based on the edge of the Lake District so when he isn’t off on his latest crazy adventure or challenge, he’s walking in his local fells.
James reviews every type of outdoor kit for Trail and is a real authority on everything you need for wild camping and packing light for a multi-day walk.