Duck hunting is demanding work. Early mornings, gear maintenance, and a long to-do list to execute a perfect hunt are all part of the deal. Usually, you’re doing it in frigid, wet conditions. Sometimes it all comes together, and other times it’s a complete bust. Yes, it’s fun, but anyone saying it’s not work clearly hasn’t spent much time doing it.
Due to the harsh conditions, waterfowl equipment has to be perfect. I mean, on the face of it, you plan on crawling around a soaking wet swamp, ideally during the first part of a wintertime cold front. It’s hard to stay comfortable.
Hands are often the first thing to go, but they don’t have to be. This fall, I’ve had the opportunity to test the Chêne Hydro-Lok Wool-Lined Glove. They’ve kept me comfortable through long, cold sits in the blind.
In short: The Chêne Hydro-Lok Wool-Lined gloves ($110) are lightly insulated, highly dexterous, waterproof gloves that thrive in cool to slightly cold conditions. They are completely submersible, and they are a great choice for duck hunters who spend time in wet conditions in temps from the 20s to the mid-40s. These gloves provide the best dexterity of any fully waterproof, insulated glove I’ve worn.
See how they stack up against the Best Hunting Gloves of 2025.
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Fully insulated and waterproof glove with excellent dexterity -
Superb cuff fit -
Waterproof design allows it to be completely submerged -
Can be worn with a liner
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Not as warm as other insulated gloves -
Runs small
Insulation With Dexterity
There are two versions of the Hydro-Lok glove: the Hydro-Lok Wool-Lined Glove and the Hydro-Lok Insulated Glove. Since I live in the South, the wool-lined glove made more sense for me, as we don’t often get temperatures below 20 degrees.
Despite the “Wool-Lined” name excluding the “insulated” definition, the gloves are insulated. They’re a full-on, bomber set of gloves meant to handle cold conditions. But rather than having puffy, restricting insulation, they have a thin layer of X350 merino wool lining the interior.
When I first put the gloves on, I noticed how thin the insulation was and how nimble my fingers felt, despite the robust build. I had a buddy wear them on a hunt, and his immediate feedback was the exact same.
You can actually use your hands. These waterproof gloves let you use your fingers and maintain a full range of motion while wearing them. Outside of thin liners and non-waterproof work-style hunting gloves, such as the Kings XKG Pinnacle Glove, there isn’t a better glove in terms of dexterity.
It’s the perfect blend of weatherproofness, warmth, and dexterity. Thinner gloves have better dexterity, and thicker gloves provide more warmth — but these gloves give you both.
Waterproofness of the Chêne Hydro-Lok Wool-Lined Glove
In the December pre-dawn darkness, I completely submerged the Chêne Hydro-Lok Wool-Lined gloves in the swampy water I was standing in while placing decoys. I fully expected some sort of wet spot. I figured a seam would leak, or the exterior fabric would become waterlogged, and eventually let cold water hit my hands.
Neither of those things happened. The gloves are completely watertight, which impressed me, especially after they became waterlogged at the end of the hunt while retrieving decoys.
Despite them feeling heavy on my hands and a soaked exterior, the interior was dry as a desert. They’re sealed up tight.
Where the Gloves Miss
With the increased dexterity and loose-feeling interior, you do give up some warmth. These gloves aren’t made for icy conditions. I wore them on a day with temperatures maxing out at 24 degrees, and my hands got cold while sitting still.
The cold was manageable, but my hands were the coldest part of my body. When I got up and started moving around, the stinging feeling went away, but it was noticeable.
I hate to break it to you, but if you want extra warmth, you’ll probably have to give up dexterity for insulation. If you’re willing to give up some warmth, though, these gloves will keep your hands mobile and flexible.
My hands are fairly big, and I have the XL size. They fit my hands great, with a little, but not much, give at all. Across the board, I’d say these gloves run on the small size, so size accordingly. People with giant hands may need to look elsewhere.
Final Thoughts on the Chêne Hydro-Lok Wool-Lined Glove
When I’m headed to the duck marsh, the Chêne Hydro-Lok Wool-Lined gloves are in my blind bag. They’re waterproof, give me great dexterity, and keep my hands as warm as they need to be. If I were completely toasty, I wouldn’t be duck hunting, would I?
The cuff system cinches up tight, and I can lock it down to fit under a thin jacket or open it up to put it over a big jacket. Thanks to the gloves, my hands stay dry, and I don’t feel the need to take them off while fumbling around my blind bag.
They’re so great that I even started wearing them on my winter deer hunts. For cold-weather hunting, the dexterity can’t be beat.
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