Swany X-Cell Mitt – Updated Version

Review by Erin Trail

New for the 2025/2026 ski season is Swany’s updated X-Cell Mitt, with the same great fit but with some nice improvements on functionality.

What Stayed The Same

The high standard of manufacturing by Swany, with its near 130 years of glove making history, has been maintained with the updated version of the Swany X-Cell Mitt.  The X-Cell Mitts have a soft leather outer and Triplex Alpha insulation system utilizing Primaloft Cross Core insulation inside the mittens.  Similar to the previous version, the inner workings of the mitten have a Dryfinger II waterproof/breathable insert that keeps hands completely dry along with finger channels to maintain warmth. The leash system design has also remained the same as the prior version.  The utility pocket at the topside of the mitten is roughly the same size, although the zipper orientation is slightly different.

What Was Updated

The exterior workings of the X-Cell Mitt has been updated to improve functionality:

• The cuff system has been extended to be more of a gauntlet or choose-your-own-fit option.  The prior version had a short cuff with a hook-and-loop option to loosen or tighten the cuff.  The updated X-Cell Mitt has an extended cuff and utilizes elastic cords to tighten or loosen the fit.
• A wrist adjustment (cinch-strap) has been added for further fit adjustments.
• Improved tabs for pulling the gloves on.

Detailed Review

I’ve been able to use the Swany X-Cell Mitt three times this season, in temperatures ranging from mid-teens (with cold winds) to the upper 20s.  During those days, I was in and out of the mittens often, filming content for reviews or taking scenery photos.  I had no issues taking the mittens off an putting them on. My fingers easily aligned with the internal channels and the new tabs were easy to grab and pull the mittens into place.

I found it was easier to put the Swany X-Cell Mitt gauntlet cuffs under the sleeves of my jacket, rather than over. This is also highly dependent upon the design of your jacket, as one brand of jacket sleeve accommodated the “under” option better than the other brand of jacket I’ve been testing.  Pulling the gauntlet over was a little challenging to do when one hand already had the mitten; a top side pull tab might have made the “over the jacket cuff” option easier to do.  Still, the improvements over the prior version are substantially better.  Generally, the gauntlet system is easy to get where you need it and there’s no wrestling with a hook-and-loop closure tab to get the right tightness.  The added length of the wrist cuff is also nice as it provided a good overlap across baselayers, jacket shells, and gloves, and didn’t allow any skin to get exposed to the cold.

The Swany X-Cell Mitt are excellent at keeping your fingers from feeling sweaty over the course of the day. This is thanks to the Volcotek Heat Shield and the Dryfinger II insert. I did have one day on the mountain where my fingers did get cold.  I don’t exactly know how cold it was on the mountain (our guess was mid-teens with wicked winds), and everyone except those with heated gloves had cold fingers on that day.  I now have small heat packs to place in the utility pocket for the rare instance where this happens again.  My other days of testing were fine for hand warmth, with one day in the low 20s and another day in the high 20s.

The best thing about the Swany X-Cell Mitt is how the sum of the design results in a very comfortable mitten.  The mittens are so warm, dry, and comfortable that I was able to focus on my skiing instead of worrying about my hands.  To date, these are my favorite option for keeping my hands warm during alpine ski adventures.

Closing Thoughts

The Swany X-Cell Mitt are available for both men and women, in several different colorways and a range of sizes.

Erin Trail

Trail Boss of Stoke

Erin Trail on her mountain bike at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race

Erin Trail on her running at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race