I got my first pair of Possumdown Gloves five years ago and have been wearing them year-round ever since. Imported from New Zealand, possum down gloves are made using a blend of brushtail possum fur and merino wool which makes them super warm, soft, and itch-free. Brushtail possum fur fibers are also hollow, which makes them super warm.
I wear my Possum Down Gloves for spring hiking, autumn hiking winter hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing (basically all the time) because they’re super breathable and warm. Dexterity is excellent and they wear just like a pair of lightweight wool gloves, although they stay much warmer when they get damp and dry quickly with just the body heat from my hands. I find they’re good to 15-20 degrees alone before I have to cover them with a shell glove to retain more heat.
They run a bit small but stretch out when worn. In other words, they’ll feel tight if you have large hands but loosen up with use. Durability is so so. They’ll last a year before one of the fingers develops a hole and needs to be sewn shut. I own several pairs of them now and they’re really perfect for hiking and sleeping with on the trail to keep your hands warm at night.
Zpacks sells Possum Down Gloves and is a good place to pick up a pair.
Highly Recommended!
Disclosure: Philip Werner purchased the product reviewed here with his own funds.
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As with the possum and polar bear fur fibers, the reindeer fur hairs are hollow too. But they’re also relatively brittle, so they won’t be good for turning into fleece or fabric.
I’m pretty sure they’re blended with wool in these gloves.
I’m pretty sure Backpackinglight used to sell these gloves in their store, when they had one. I used to own a pair and agree that they are very warm. Thanks for the links. I’m gong to buy myself a new pair!
There are several other animals that have hollow fur including alpacas, llamas, caribou, musk Ox and whitetail deer.
Nice gloves!
Muck, I almost wrote the same thing, but deer as well as elk have hollow hair. Their under fur isn’t hollow.
I had a pair of these Possumdown gloves and loved them. However, they wore out (holes in most of the fingers) faster than any glove I have ever bought and I couldn’t justify the expense of a new pair. Plain old thick knitted wool gloves are my favorite warm gloves these days and last for years.
My wife thinks I have Imelda Marcos Syndrome when it comes to gloves. I may validate her opinion soon…
I really like these. I’ve used mine pretty heavily and they’re still in great shape. They feel snug when you get them but stretch out with use.
I too have been using them this winter. I wish they were longer in the cuff. Mine barely come down to my wrist. Otherwise I like the trim fit. They are the only gloves I’ve used where I can reach my hands down into my pants pocket and get out my key ring while wearing my gloves. It’s almost like they are not there. One trick I learned. At first I had a hard time getting them off. As pointed out they have a snug fit, so when you pull on the fingers they just get tighter. But then I learned that if you slide your finger under the cuff and push slide it up your palm under to glove, you can push them right off. I used mine all winter with no problems, but we did have a mild winter (by MI standards). In wet or windy conditions I think an outer water/wind proof liner would be in order.
Can you feel the wind through these gloves?
They’re warm but not wind proof.
I had a pair from Backpackinglight for a while. They were super comfortable and warm, but the fingertips wore through pretty quickly. If these are now made from a merino blend, they may last a little longer.
I have a couple of pairs of hiking socks in the same wool/possum blend. I save them for cold weather hiking as they are super warm and cosy.
Would you recommend them for a thru hike of the AT (NOBO) or are they overkill?
Absolutely!
Philip, sorry I didn’t ask this at the time I asked about the gloves, but have you used the socks also? Do you know how they would compare to a 200 wt fleece sock for sleeping?
No sorry.
I think these would make excellent sleeping socks. They are soft and warm. They do stretch out a bit which I don’t like in a sock. I did a bit of winter hiking/running in them but got hot spots when they stretched out. A liner probably would have helped but why wear two socks when one would do?
Why don’t you buy their socks instead of trying to wear gloves on your feet????
Were you using trekking poles while wearing these? If so, how have they held up?
oh yes. Still wearing them just fine. Haven’t worn a bit.
Would Nikwax Polar Proof be useful on these?
Possibly. I find they dry pretty fast when worn.
Philip, any idea what the approximate ratio of possumdown to merino wool is in these? I was wondering if it’s less than 25%, 25-75%, 75+% – can’t find any info on the manufacturer’s website.
Regardless, I like mine and they are definitely warmer than other wool liner gloves I’ve had.
No sorry
Did you ever decide between the two? I’m basically in the same boat. They’ll both be very warm, but I want the most durable
I hope the opposums are not suffering when giving uptheir fur. Too many animals suffer like geese for down and sheep for wool. That should not be and we can help boycott the companies that are in for blood money. Thanks
These animals are an invasive species in New Zealand, and the government has been combatting them for years. The fur business (gloves, socks, vests, etc.) is a way to make it worthwhile to hunt the animals.
Just found this company in NZ that also sells these gloves. Best price I’ve found so far, plus they have possum/merino blend gloves from other companies. There’s even a pair of possum/wool/silk gloves on the site. Here’s the link https://www.thetinshed.co.nz/Merino-Possum-Fur-Gloves