About Give’r:
When Give’r Co-Founder Bubba Albrecht and a crew of friends traveled more than 2,400 miles to embark on a 7-day kayaking expedition in the wilderness of northern Ontario, Canada, they made custom hats to commemorate the adventure. These hats featured the skyline of the Tetons, where Bubba and friends called home, and the phrase Give’r, a colloquial term used in Ontario. After the trip, people frequently asked about those hats. They wanted to know what Give’r meant and where they could get one for themselves. After dozens of requests, Bubba decided to join forces with friends Carly Platt and Jed Mickle to form Give’r. They celebrated with a launch party in the spring of 2012.
The three founders jumped in head first, designing apparel and stickers, building a website, figuring out backend operations, and, most importantly, living the Give’r philosophy they aimed to share with others. Give’r experienced a breakout year in 2016 when it launched its 4-Season Gloves on Kickstarter. Raising more than $200K, word quickly spread about these tough-as-nails, waterproof leather gloves.
Give’r Mitten Mitten Specifications from Give’r
Details:
- 100% Waterproof All-Leather Mittens
- Customize with hand-branded initials (up to 3 characters)
- Optional All-Natural Wax Coating (recommended)
- Every pair comes with wrist leashes!
- 380gm of insulation
Give’r Frontier Mittens are designed to endure all of life’s challenges and enable seamless transition between work, play, and everything in between.
Featuring an all-leather, 100% waterproof design available in unisex sizes X-Small to XXX-Large to fit both men and women. The construction, which includes a breathable, waterproof Hipora membrane, Thinsulate insulation, and an all-leather exterior, was built purposefully to withstand everything from grabbing a burning log from a campfire to ice-fishing in -40 degrees.
Intended Use: snowboarding, snow-sports, keeping your hands toasty during the coldest winter and early spring days
Recommended for: Any rider looking for a long lasting durable mitten that will keep your hands toasty warm and dry during the coldest winter days. This is a stylish looking technical mitten, that will last several seasons.
Chris’ Review
Review Date: December 2019 – March 2020 in Colorado
Size: large
The Give’r Mitten performance and review:
I’m a huge fan of mittens and workwear style and performance gear. I was aware that Give’r was a huge success with kickstarter and was excited to hear about the release of the frontier mitten last October. I was really looking forward to giving it my all while testing these prototype mittens!
Give’r is truly handcrafted for you. These mittens are assembled, waxed (optional add-on), quality inspected, and branded by hand with your initials (optional add-on) by the team at Give’r! The attention to detail and time put in to create a pair of mittens that can withstand the elements like the frontier mittens do, is truly something I am proud to be wearing while snowboarding. The frontier mittens can easily keep you warm and dry in the coldest of days here in Colorado, I wore them in temps close to 0 degrees Fahrenheit in early January and my hands and fingers were toasty warm. The cowhide outer shell, with beeswax, does a great job of keeping the moisture out, and there is also a waterproof membrane that wicks moisture away from your hands. The heat shield backing and premium insulation make this mitten best suited for your coldest winter endeavors. Remember Give’r doesn’t just make these for cold weather, you could take a pizza out of a 400 degree oven easily with these bad boys. Truly a versatile mitten that you should keep with you 365 days a year from camping to shredding, these mittens are made to last.
Most of the days I used the frontier mitten were in the 25-30 degree Fahrenheit temperature range in the backcountry and around my local mountains. They are very warm but I didn’t feel like I was sweating through the inner layers at all. Any moisture will be removed overnight and they will be ready for the next day if you leave them out to dry on a windowsill or somewhere they can breathe. Remember these are 100% waterproof, so you can be confident they will hold up for a long time! I am very impressed with the durability of the reinforced palm and reinforced front section of the frontier mitten, they show little to no signs of wear from putting my hands down for eurocarves and extended use and abuse in the backcountry from ice and snow with over 20 days on snow. These mittens are the most durable mittens I’ve ever tested in these conditions!
Sizing for the frontier mitten is unique, I usually wear a medium in most mittens however you’ll want to review the size chart on the Give’r site to make sure you choose the correct size. I went up to a large and am very glad I did, they are snug to start off with however, they stretch out over time and provide excellent dexterity. I’m really happy with the fit just be aware they will start out snug at first. You can speed up the break in process by placing them in the oven, check out their video on how that works here. I appreciate the subtle details with the hand-branded custom initials above the cuff is a great touch. The red cuff and optional hand leash straps are just another nice added touch for a high’r end long lasting product where the Give’r team thought of most everything you need. You’ll be reaching for these mittens anytime over the winter when the weather calls for extra warmth.
Overall impressions:
Give’r has really hit the mark with the frontier mitten, for a stylish workwear inspired bombproof piece. You’ll be able to use these mittens for many years, and they’ll just keep getting better the more they break in. I highly recommend these mittens if you ride in an area where it’s cold during most of your winter season ( below 25ish degrees) or you want options to switch out your mittens from winter to spring, these will create a new standard for you in warmth and durability and you’ll be comfortable knowing they were designed and assembled by individuals who are as passionate about the outdoors as you are.
Pros:
- Low Profile, not bulky and fits easly under your jacket cuff
- Great Style and Construction
- Amazing Warmth during the most coldest winter conditions
- Dries quickly
- Insulates from heat and keeps out cold, a true jack of all trades mitten
- Check the sizing it is accurate but different than other companies sizing charts.
Cons:
- When grabbing your board on airs the palm is a little slippery, however this isn’t a mitten for park riding so I’m only calling that out and it’s not an issue for what this mitten is intended for.
Dave’s Review:
Date tested: November 2019-June 2020
Size: XL
The Give’r Mitten performance and review:
I had seen a few pairs of Give’r gloves while out and about adventuring and then found out they are based in my backyard, the Teton’s. I was stoked to review a pair knowing they were designed and tested in the area I ride.
Kinco or leather work-style mitts have become very popular for winter use as they provide adequate warmth and durability at a marginal price. The Give’r mitts leather feels super soft, yet thick and sturdy. One drawback to leather mitts is upkeep in order to keep your hands dry. Waterproofing any mitt over and over becomes a bit tedious. But, they thought of everything and the Give’r Mitts have the option to come pre-waxed with a beeswax compound. I was excited to take advantage of this option and the ones I received were pre-waxed. I have probably used the mitts 25+ days and have not had to rewax them. Other mitts I’ve used I’ve had to add some type of waterproofing after about 10-15 days of use.
The thick leather and combination of insulation make for a pretty stiff mitt at first. I have big hands and have a hard time finding mitts that actually fit well. Give’r does have a few suggestions on their site to aid in the break-in period. I just wore mine as much as possible for a few days and really worked on the mobility and softening them up.
The Frontier mitts are really warm as they use a four-layered insulation system to keep your hands protected from the elements. The outer shell is a durable, abrasion-resistant cowhide, under that a waterproof Hipora membrane, then a heat shield backing, and finally a Thinsulate insulation layer. My hands were never cold and I never needed an extra liner. That being said when temperatures are warmer, my hands sweat a fair amount in these mitts. I’d recommend them for temps from -20 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Give’r does add a few aesthetic things to make your mitts stand out. They have an embossed logo and Teton scene on the back. They also branded my initials onto them, which is a nice touch. They come with wrist leashes but I did not use them and opted to just remove them completely.
Overall impressions:
If you like the leather work mitt look, the Frontier Mitten from Give’r would make a great option. It has many features that are missing in a lot of work style mitts, 100% waterproof, ample insulation, durable, etc. I was really impressed with their warmth and durability.
Pros:
- Durable
- Pre waxed
- Excellent waterproof and windproof option
- Great warmth for most winter conditions from -20 degrees to upper 20’s
Cons:
- Long break-in
| Price: |  (4.5 / 5) |
| Ease-of-Use: |  (5.0 / 5) |
| Performance: | (5.0 / 5) |
| Overall: |  (4.8 / 5) |