Dear friends from southern China visiting Harbin, are you always struggling with choosing gloves for your trip to Northeast China? After all, in temperatures of minus 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, a pair of poor-quality gloves can ruin your experience of walking along Central Street, taking photos of snow scenes, or playing snow tubing. As Ice City Warm Sun, a brand that has been providing cold-weather gear in Harbin for many years, today we’re sharing our practical tips for choosing gloves to help you avoid pitfalls and get the right pair.
First, Understand Materials: Choose for Warmth Without Sweaty Hands
The material of gloves directly determines their warmth retention and comfort. The reliable materials commonly used in Northeast China are roughly divided into several types: down, fleece, and waterproof Gore-Tex fabric. Down gloves are a classic style, soft to the touch, and extremely warm, especially those filled with white duck down—they’re lightweight but keep you cozy. However, you must choose ones with a windproof outer layer, otherwise wind will seep in and even thick down won’t help. Fleece gloves are cheaper, suitable for indoor activities or short outdoor stays, but they can’t withstand temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius alone—they work best as liners inside thicker gloves. If you’re skiing or having snowball fights, you must choose gloves with waterproof fabric; snow will slide off directly instead of freezing into ice clumps sticking to your hands. Otherwise, after half an hour of playing, your fingers will be too cold to even hold your phone.
Touchscreen Function: Take Snow Photos and Use Your Phone Without Taking Gloves Off
Who can live without a phone these days? Taking photos of snow sculptures for WeChat Moments or navigating to a restaurant—you can’t take off your gloves and shiver with cold every time. When choosing gloves, be sure to check if the fingertips have a touchscreen conductive design, which means special conductive threads are added to the fingertips. You can operate your phone with a light tap without taking off your gloves. However, be careful not to buy cheap pairs with poor touch sensitivity—if the fingertips are too hard or have too few conductive threads, they won’t work at all. The new gloves sold by Ice City Warm Sun have thickened conductive layers on the fingertips; we’ve tested them and they work perfectly even at minus 20 degrees Celsius, so our southern friends don’t have to worry about this.
Ski Gloves vs. Daily Gloves: Don’t Mix Them Up
Many visitors to Harbin face two scenarios: daily sightseeing and snow activities, so you need to choose gloves accordingly. For daily visits to Central Street or Saint Sophia Cathedral, medium-thickness down gloves or fleece gloves are sufficient—they’re lightweight, don’t make your hands sweaty, and look great in photos. If you plan to ski, build snowmen, or have snowball fights, you must choose professional ski gloves. These gloves have elastic cuffs that can be tucked into your sleeves to prevent snow from getting in, non-slip palm designs for a secure grip on snow tubes or shovels, and better waterproofing than daily gloves, so you don’t have to worry about wet hands during activities. Ice City Warm Sun’s packages include new cotton gloves, and individual purchases also come with waterproof touchscreen functionality, so we can meet all your needs.
Final Tip
Don’t buy gloves that are too small—leave a little space for your fingers, otherwise they’ll feel tight and not keep you warm when your hands swell. If you rent or buy from Ice City Warm Sun, you can exchange sizes at any time for free if you pick up the gloves in person; we also offer free on-site exchanges in five districts of the city, which is very convenient. If you’re still unsure, you can consult our one-on-one butlers—just tell us your height and weight, and we’ll help you choose the right pair. When you come to Harbin in winter, with the right gloves, you’ll enjoy your snow activities to the fullest.