Hestra CZone Alpine Mitt
The Hestra CZone Alpine Mitt is a short-cuff ski mitten built around a CZone membrane — genuinely waterproof, not merely water-resistant. The trade-off is at the wrist: a neoprene cuff that tucks under a jacket sleeve, with no gauntlet and no snow lock to seal over it.
Fabric and construction
The backhand is Hestra's Niak polyester — windproof, breathable, softly brushed. The palm is impregnated goat leather, which Hestra classes as water-resistant: it sheds snowmelt and takes pole-grip abrasion, but is not waterproof on its own. The waterproofing is a separate part: the CZone insert, behind Fiberfill insulation (100% polyester) and a brushed polyester lining.
Closure is plain: a neoprene cuff with a Velcro strap, elastic at the wrist, a puller at the cuff, attachment points for handcuffs. Hestra lists no removable liner, so the mitt dries as one piece.
Warmth and weather
Waterproof, windproof and water-resistant are three different claims. On a Hestra glove the difference is the membrane, not the fabric. Hestra's definition of the waterproof spec: "The glove features a waterproof membrane that prevents moisture from reaching your hands, keeping them dry in wet and snowy conditions." The Powder Short shares this mitt's Niak backhand, goat leather palm and Fiberfill — but without the insert, Hestra lists it Waterproof: No. This mitt has the insert.
Warmth comes from the Fiberfill and the shape: four fingers in one chamber run warmer than four separate, and you pay for it in dexterity.
