Every winter parents of young children enter into an epic battle with their littles. Trying to keep tiny fingers warm while adventuring outside. Luckily I am past the days when my 1 year old would pull off her mitts only to start screaming that she is code (her word for cold). In those days all I could think was “why not keep them on your hand/”. But reasoning with a 1 year old in -10 Celcius weather is impossible so instead we have gone through our share of mittens. Currently we are using the Outdoor Research Adrenaline Mitts for Toddlers from All Out Kids Outdoor Retailer and they tick off some pretty significant boxes when it comes to outdoor winter play with toddlers.

Outdoor Research Adrenaline Mitts for Toddlers (Review)

Please Note: We were given product to facilitate this review but all views are 100% my own.

The Outdoor Rearch Adrenaline Mitts for Toddlers:

Built for children aged 2-5 years old.
Insulated with 100% polyester materials which means they are breathable, wicking and quick to dry.
Outer layer is water-resistant.
They have a loop on the opening to help pull them over the tiny hands
Glove clip to hold the two pairs together
Anti-slip palm print
Oversized zipper for easy entry.
The wrist is elasticized.

They Stay On

The Outdoor Research Toddler Adrenaline mittens stay on the hands and this is a huge plus for me. I think they stay on because the wrist portion of the mitt is long and tight so it fits underneath the jacket making them harder for little ones to pull off. Even though the wrist is tight it is elasticized which helps pull them up the arm with the pull loop. The only downside of wearing the mittens underneath the jacket is that once the mittens come off you have to remove the upper jacket to put them back on because they do not fit over the jacket.

The Fit

My 2 year old is currently wearing the size small (age 2-3) and my 4 year old is wearing size medium (age 3-4). The OR Toddler Adrenaline Mittens are a snug fit making it easy for little hands to pick up snow, shovels and toys when playing outside. They are not bulky at all. Thankfully my two year old has not become frustrated because she cannot “do” something outdoors.

The Thumb Hole Dilemna

The long zipper helps to place thumbs into correct the thumb hole in the mitten. We find it really easy to put the mittens on our 4 year old and they fit her very well. The proper fit combined with the added grip, makes it easy for her to climb around the playground.

We do still struggle to put our 2 year olds thumb into the thumb hole even with the longer zipper. Luckily, because the mittens are a tighter fit it does not seem to bother her. She can still pick up snow balls and shovels. I do wish there was a way to completely open the mitt to slip little ones hands inside.

How Cold?

The polyester inside helps keep hands dry and warm. Since they are built to stay on young children’s hands they manage to keep them warm in colder temperatures. Our children have not complained in -10 Celcius (C) of frozen hands while wearing the Toddler Adrenaline Mitts. Even though their hands do not feel frozen I have noticed that in those temperatures their hands feel cold after returning indoors. I am not sure if the mitts would be able to withstand colder -20C temperatures.

What you should know

The Adrenaline Mittens cost $55.00 CAD which is a bit high for toddler outdoor mittens. This is especially true since mittens have a high chance of being misplaced or lost. However if you do have a little one that likes to pull off mittens and you want to avoid other bulkier options then the Outdoor Retailer Adreline Mittens are another great choice.