How to interface puffy coats with gloves in order to avoid exposed skin

Question

I have a puffy coat. The wrist cuffs are simple elastics.

I have two pairs of gloves, one of them with a velcro closure and another with a drawstring closure.

None of the glove closures are big enough to go over the coat's cuffs. The result is a ring of exposed skin at the wrists. With wind chills down to -40 and below (Celsius or Fahrenheit) where I live, my body is warm, my hands are warm, but I end up with a ring of frostbite at the wrists.

I've tried pulling the coat's cuffs over the gloves. Unfortunately this doesn't work comfortably for any length of time because of how thick the gloves are, which means my wrists are heavily compressed by the elastic cuffs. This leads to badly reduced circulation, which then leads to very cold hands.

Short of buying a new coat or new gloves, is there a simple way to interface the puffy coat and the gloves in a way to avoid leaving an exposed ring of skin?

Answer 1

Rather than solving the issue of connecting the gloves and coat (which you've found don't work), try looking at ways to solve the issue of the exposed skin. Some type of "arm warmer" should handle the trick for you, whether it's a sweater or sweatshirt with the cuff tucked inside the cuff of the glove, or a separate piece.

If you're dealing with variable temperatures, it's extremely simple to make a variety of arm warmers out of different weights of socks. You'll want longer ones; knee socks and longer, without a defined "heel" shape, work best. Cut out the toe and cut a slit about 1.5 inches down for your thumb. The thumb hole will help keep the end on your hand in place, and the original cuff from the sock will help keep it in place on your arm, letting it easily bridge the gap between glove and coat. You can use lighter socks for relatively warmer weather, and "slipper socks" or layers of thicker socks for colder weather.

If the socks don't seem warm enough, or you can't find a pair that will do the trick, you could try other materials that would still require only a pair of scissors. A sleeve from an old sweatshirt or a leg from a pair of pants (kids' sizes could be purchased from secondhand shops) could help stop more of the wind and cold, and add more insulation.

That said, if it's getting to -40 and below, you shouldn't be staying outside any longer than absolutely necessary. While I'm guessing your "frostbite" is exaggeration for emphasis, real skin damage can occur in about 10 minutes. (See http://www.weather.gov/bou/windchill for specifics.)

Answer 2

I was thinking along the same lines as Allison. I used this solution for a different purpose some years ago. I had to wear a large gauge on my wrist. I won't go into details. But, the strap was cutting into my skin. So, I went to a local sporting goods store, looked in the youth soccer and baseball departments for neoprene shin guards. I was able to try them on my forearms/wrists in the store for fit. They were easy to slip on and off. They were easy to wash. They were relatively inexpensive. They were warm and even waterproof. I would bet you can find some kind of neoprene sleeve like this. Maybe they make adult-sized forearm guards.

Another longer option would be to look on bicycling websites or stores for polypropolene arm warmers. I have a pair that are really nice and warm. They are easy to slip on and off. They are easily washable. They last a long time. If you think they might be too long, you could go to a cycling shop and find youth knee warmers or leg warmers. They may fit your wrist area better.

I am not sure if they make neoprene wrist wraps that don't have some kind of Velcro straps. If you could find a pair that just slip on, maybe that would work.

Best of luck.