Open main menu

Outdoor Research Transcendent Down Mitts

rated 5.0 of 5 stars
photo: Outdoor Research Transcendent Down Mitts insulated glove/mitten

These mittens are a LIFESAVER! I struggle with cold fingers in the winter due to extremely poor circulation, and these mittens are the only ones to be able to warm them up from their numb stage... my hands always end up sweating after I put them on.

Pros

  • Warmth
  • Lightweight
  • Easy handling ability with them on

Cons

  • Tearable palm-side fabric
  • Not waterproof

I have found these gloves to be a wonder of the world, for a reasonable price. I have Raynaud's, yet cannot sit inside...even on the coldest of days. The Transcendent mitts are sleeping bags for your hands. If that doesn't answer the comfort of these gloves, I don't know what will. These mittens are filled with down, the inside has a thin fleece-like soft fabric; they are lovely.



6B27E094-F92F-4617-9BEF-A3F345BA6A8A.jpg
IMG_1284.jpg
Easy to slip on and off while transitioning from skin to ski.

The dexterity I have because of the material is great. Most other mittens have a more rigid or waterproof fabric, and heavier insulation, so it is hard to grab things or have precision if you can. I have used the Transcendent mitts fat-biking many times. I can feel the brake handles through the gloves, and they are flexible enough to have two fingers do the work without the other fingers getting in the way. I can open caps and zippers better that other mittens.

Down no longer does its job when wet. While I have had them get damp and less warm, they are as water resistant as I would imagine. Sometimes I am afraid they will get too wet from all the sweat my hands produce in them, but that hasn't happened. If having a more water resistant fabric was a trade-off for the flexibility and dexterity of the gloves, I wouldn't change it. 


IMG_1625.jpg
Skiing in 5-degree weather, plus a wind chill! Hands... happy as a clam!

As mentioned, my hands do sweat in these mittens. The moisture doesn't seem to go anywhere. I have not experienced any bad side effects of having this moisture thus far. I always have a dry set of less warm gloves in case that does become a problem. Other than that, these mittens are all you need. I do not wear any liner or smaller glove under, as i feel like it separates me from the incredibly warm downness of a sleeping bag. 

The fabric on the palm and fingers of the mitten is easily torn. I ripped both both thumbs. They are not big rips, but I am wondering how they will survive without that top layer. I most likely tore them from using ski poles, but I am not positive. 


IMG_1843.jpg
The thumbs have ripped fabric. You can notice the shiny fabric on the inside gloves ad 

The gloves have loop tags on them to clip them onto bags or jackets, but I have not utilized those. I can throw them in my bag and find them immediately because of their wonderful bright orange color :) They also have the hooks to clip them to each other to keep track of them.

I have the Outdoor Research Highcamp Mitts that are very good at retaining heat. I thought they were top of the line. I would hike up a mountain, and slip those on at the top when it was above treeline and much colder, when I could feel my blood draining from my fingers rapidly. Many times I would need to shove a handwarmer in to boost the blood flow first. Then I started using these Transcendent mittens, which are able to warm up my hands (the same if not faster than handwarmers), and then keep the warm. 


IMG_1844.jpg
I started using these mittens in December 2016. I have made great use of them alpine touring, cross country skiing, fatbiking, and hiking. I might be heavily biased towards these mittens because of Raynaud's disease, but they are the perfect gloves if warmth is your top priority—with no batteries needed!

Source: bought it new

Very warm mittens. Really good for cold weather. I would recommend them for cold weather hikes or camping, or cold morning waits at the bus stop.

Pros

  • Warm
  • Lightweight
  • Easy on, easy off

Cons

  • Don't get them wet
  • Palm material is "noisy"
  • No stuff sack included

The Outdoor Research Transcendent Mittens are very warm, easy to put on, easy off. The fit is snug, but comfortable. Not really tight, no squeezing of the wrists or cuffs. not too certain if the material is water resistant. I would not get the mitts wet, just in case.

The palm material is "noisy", but grips things well. Some reviewers of these mitts have said that they would not use them everyday. I suspect that is due to the material these mitts are made from. I imagine they are a little more robust than that.

So far the coldest temps I have worn them in was 35°.F with a breeze. My hands felt warm without any feeling of getting too warm to wear. Had no trouble using zipper pulls with them on.

I can easily recommend these mitts to anyone who wants warm hands during the cold weather.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $52

Prices are steep. However, the entire mitten is 80 goose and 20 other feathers.

Pros

  • 650 down fill
  • Nice and toasty

Cons

  • None

My purchases were at the end of the winter season in the United States. The entire mitten is 80 goose and 20 other feathers (80/20 down fill).

My first pair of these I bought at some other website I paid $24. About one month later at that same website they were offering the same, only a different design that wasn't selling well; I got two pairs for $13. Because of that purchase, the website provided me with a free shipping promo. From a credit card I have, I used reward pts and got a 90/10 down fill, down jacket with attached hood for free (reward pts and free ship promo code).

Prices are steep, but it is your goal to find the least expensive price, I did.

All three pairs I have are size XL, so my hands would be nice and roomy.

Background

Warm and toasty. Being tall I have poor circulation, sometimes I wear these to bed.

Source: bought it new (Online store, don't care to reveal my source)

Your Review

Where to Buy

Help support this site by making your next gear purchase through one of the links above. Click a link, buy what you need, and the seller will contribute a portion of the purchase price to support Trailspace's independent gear reviews.

You May Like

Specs

Price MSRP: $60.00
Historic Range: $23.58-$63.00
Reviewers Paid: $52.00
Weight 4.8 oz / 136 g
Fabric 100% recycled polyester 20D ripstop / 100% polyester tricot lining
Insulation 650 fill power, responsibly sourced goose down
Product Details from Outdoor Research »

Recently on Trailspace

Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Ultralite HDPE Bottle Review