Comparison table
Eight winter boots, gloves and hoods from O'Neill and C-Skins, the two brands whose winter accessories we found in stock at UK wetsuit shops. Thickness is written the way each brand writes it. UK prices are the brand's own UK list price; shop prices are in the cards.
| Model | Item | Thickness | Toe | Seams | UK price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O'Neill Psycho Tech 5mm+ Round Toe Boot | boot | 5mm+ | round toe | — | £94.95 |
| O'Neill Hyperfreak Fire 6/5/4mm Split Toe Boot | boot | 6/5/4mm | split toe | — | £74.95 |
| C-Skins Wired 5mm Hidden Split Toe Boots | boot | 5mm | hidden split toe | Glued and blindstitched, Xtend Fusion Isolation taped | £80 |
| C-Skins NuWave 5mm Round Toe Boots | boot | 5mm | round toe | Glued and blindstitched, taped | £55 |
| O'Neill Psycho Tech 5mm Gloves | glove | 5mm | — | Single fluid seam weld | £59.95 |
| C-Skins Wired 3mm Gloves | glove | 3mm | — | Glued and blindstitched, liquid sealed | £50 |
| O'Neill Psycho 3mm Hood | hood | 3mm | — | — | £32.95 |
| C-Skins Wired+ Hood | hood | — | — | Glued and blindstitched, Xtend Fusion Isolation taped | £55 |
How we chose
We looked at the winter boots, gloves and hoods from the brands whose suits are in our winter wetsuit guide, and kept the ones UK shops (Ann's Cottage and Wetsuit Centre) actually had in stock: two brands, O'Neill and C-Skins, eight products. Specs come from each brand's page and prices from the brand or the shop on the day we checked, all listed under Sources.
This is a spec comparison, not a cold-water test. Some brands publish very little: O'Neill's boot pages give only thickness and toe style, and C-Skins doesn't state the Wired+ hood's thickness, so those cells are dashes.
The picks in detail
Best for the warmest feet
O'Neill Psycho Tech 5mm+ Round Toe Boot
O'Neill's top-range winter boot, from a range it says is built for warmth, durability and the harshest conditions. Round toe, 5mm+.
Pros
- £50 at Ann's Cottage (UK 6 only) when we checked, down from £94.95
- Also at Wetsuit Centre
Cons
- O'Neill publishes only thickness and toe style
- Sizes 7 to 12 only
- Thickness
- 5mm+
- Toe
- round toe
- O'Neill UK price
- £94.95
Sizes: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Best for grip on the board
O'Neill Hyperfreak Fire 6/5/4mm Split Toe Boot
A split-toe winter boot, 6/5/4 mm, from the same Hyperfreak Fire range as the O'Neill suit in our winter wetsuit guide. Ann's Cottage had it at £50 (was £74.95) in UK 6.
Pros
- Split toe for grip
- Sizes 5 to 14
Cons
- No sole or seam detail from O'Neill
- Thickness
- 6/5/4mm
- Toe
- split toe
- O'Neill UK price
- £74.95
Sizes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Best for value
C-Skins NuWave 5mm Round Toe Boots
A 5 mm round-toe boot in C-Skins' NuWave natural rubber, with taped seams, a multi-layer rubber sole and asymmetric arch support. £55 at Ann's Cottage, £54.95 at Wetsuit Centre.
Pros
- Natural rubber
- Taped seams
- The cheapest boot here
Cons
- Round toe only
- Thickness
- 5mm
- Seams
- Glued and blindstitched, taped
- C-Skins UK price
- £55
Sizes: UK4, UK5, UK6, UK7, UK8, UK9, UK10, UK11, UK12
Best for warm hands
O'Neill Psycho Tech 5mm Gloves
A five-finger 5 mm glove with a single fluid seam weld, from O'Neill's glove range, which it says is there to regulate your core temperature.
Pros
- 5 mm
- £45 at Ann's Cottage (L and XL) when we checked
Cons
- Five-finger only here: O'Neill also makes lobster and mitten versions
- Thickness
- 5mm
- Seams
- Single fluid seam weld
- O'Neill UK price
- £59.95
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
Best for grip on the bar
C-Skins Wired 3mm Gloves
A 3 mm five-finger glove with C-Skins' grippy HYPE 3 palm, glued, blindstitched and liquid-sealed. At 3 mm it's thinner than the O'Neill (5 mm), for milder winter days.
Pros
- Grippy palm
- Seven sizes, 3XS to XL
- £49.99 at Ann's Cottage
Cons
- 3 mm: not the warmest for January
- Thickness
- 3mm
- Seams
- Glued and blindstitched, liquid sealed
- C-Skins UK price
- £50
Sizes: 3XS, 2XS, XS, S, M, L, XL
Best for a basic hood
O'Neill Psycho 3mm Hood
O'Neill's basic 3 mm hood, at £32.95 at both Ann's Cottage and Wetsuit Centre. O'Neill publishes nothing beyond the thickness.
Pros
- £32.95, the cheapest item here
- Six sizes
Cons
- No seam or lining details
- Thickness
- 3mm
- O'Neill UK price
- £32.95
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
Best for the coldest days
C-Skins Wired+ Hood
C-Skins' top-spec hood, with a Halo RD8 high-pile lining and reflective layer to keep heat in, and a double-gusset neck that seals against the wetsuit collar.
Pros
- High-pile lining
- Double-gusset neck
- £54.95 at Wetsuit Centre
Cons
- C-Skins doesn't state the thickness
- Seams
- Glued and blindstitched, Xtend Fusion Isolation taped
- C-Skins UK price
- £55
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL
Fit and care
- Boots: snug, with no air pocket at the toe. Try them with your board's straps or bindings if you can: a thick boot can need the straps loosened a notch.
- Gloves: you should be able to make a fist and grip the bar without the palm bunching. Five-finger gloves give the most bar feel; lobster or mitten gloves are warmer.
- Hoods: the skirt should tuck under your wetsuit collar with no gap. Wear it for a few minutes in the shop: a hood that's too tight gets uncomfortable fast.
- Care: rinse in fresh water after every session and dry them inside out, away from direct heat. Direct heat is bad for neoprene.