ATV rider in a helmet and winter gear on a snowy trail at sunrise

Cold-Weather ATV and Snowmobile Riding: Cab Enclosure, Handlebar Muffs or Heated Gloves

By the GEARS team Updated November 2026 8 min read

Quick answer

Handlebar muffs are insulated, windproof covers that slide over the ends of your handlebars, so your hands, grips and controls sit out of the wind while you ride. On a winter ATV or snowmobile they are the simplest way to keep your hands warm: no wiring, no battery, and you can often ride with thinner gloves. If the cold is getting to more than your hands, an ATV cab enclosure shelters your whole upper body, and heated gloves add heat of their own. Here is how the three compare, which suits what kind of riding, and the fit and install limits to check before you order.

Cab enclosure, handlebar muffs or heated gloves at a glance

	ATV cab enclosure	Handlebar muffs	Heated gloves
What it keeps warm	Your upper body, face and hands, by blocking wind, snow and rain	Your hands and the handlebar controls	Your hands, wherever they are
Power	None (engine heat builds up inside)	None	12V, wiring sold separately
Fits	ATVs with a flat surface at the front and rear (check the fit list)	ATVs and snowmobiles; the Rigid muffs also fit motorcycles	Any rider
Install	Frame assembly and mounting to the racks, typically under an hour	Slide over the handlebars	Plug into your 12V setup
Best for	Long, slow, cold hours on the ATV, such as plowing snow	Trail riding and daily chores where hands get cold first	Riders who are off the machine often or ride more than one vehicle

Handlebar muffs: ATV hand warmers with no wiring

Handlebar muffs (riders also call them ATV handlebar mitts, and many search for ATV hand warmers) are a cover over each grip that you put your hands into. Heated grips are a different thing, and muffs work well over them. With the wind off your hands, many riders wear lighter gloves for a better feel on the throttle and brake. The muffs also shield your switches and buttons from snow and debris.

We carry two styles, and they suit different riders. You can see both in our ATV and snowmobile handlebar muffs collection.

Rigid Handlebar Muffs

Our Rigid Handlebar Muffs have removable hard shells that hold a wide, gauntlet-style opening, so your hands go in and out easily, with or without gloves. The exterior is windproof and water-resistant, and the lining is a smooth, easy-clean microfibre rather than fur, so they stay comfortable in spring and fall as well as winter. Take the shells out and they pack away in a saddlebag or tail bag. They fit ATVs, snowmobiles and motorcycles, with or without mirrors, and are the style we recommend for motorcycles because the rigid shell guards your hands from highway debris.

What owners tell us: one rider now uses summer gloves on the ATV at -10°C, where he used to need thick mitts. A snowmobiler had to turn the heated grips down once the muffs were on. The trade-off is that you cannot see your controls through them, so you ride by feel. On a bike with extra controls on the bar (one owner has a CB control on a Gold Wing), you may need to open the slot a little to pass it through.

Visi-Control Handlebar Muffs

Our Visi-Control Handlebar Muffs answer that trade-off: clear panels on top let you see your buttons, switches and controls. Inside is a fleece lining, and a flexible neoprene wrist enclosure wraps around your jacket cuff to hold in body heat, or the heat from your heated grips. They slide over the bars, close with a drawstring and cord lock, and an elastic loop holds them on the handlebar. One owner fitted a pair to his wife's Ski-Doo Grand Touring so she could see her controls; another said they saved a 184 km loop at -14°C when one of his sled's hand warmers quit.

They fit ATVs and snowmobiles, with or without mirrors. For motorcycles, choose the Rigid muffs.

Will handlebar muffs fit over hand guards?

This is the fit question we get most about muffs. The answer depends on the style:

Visi-Control, Standard fit: will not fit over hand guards unless you remove them.
Visi-Control, Expanded Fit: made to go over the hand guards built into many newer ATVs and snowmobiles.
Rigid Handlebar Muffs: our team has confirmed for riders that they go over aftermarket guards such as Barkbusters. If your guards are unusually large, send us a message first.

Snowmobiler in a helmet riding a snowy forest trail on a cold, clear day

ATV cab enclosure: shelter for the long, cold jobs

When your face and chest are freezing, not just your fingers, muffs are not enough. Our ATV Cab Enclosure puts a soft cab over the machine without switching to a hard cab. It shields you from wind chill, snow, rain and trail debris, and engine heat builds up inside the canopy. An owner in Northern Alberta, where it gets to -40°C, said it keeps out the wind and holds the engine's heat. Another wrote that it is surprising how much warmer you are out of the wind, and that the frostbite worry for his face is gone.

What it is made of, from the product page:

420D nylon with a water-resistant coating over a steel tube frame, with a sloping roof so water does not pool.
Large clear windows on the front, sides and rear, with air vents placed to help keep the windshield from fogging.
Zippered doors that roll up and strap to the roof, so you can leave them open while riding or to get on and off easily.
Outside dimensions of 164 cm long by 89 cm wide by 107 cm high. One 6'3" owner says he has plenty of room, and another runs it on a two-seater ATV.

From our riders

Several owners use the cab for plowing the driveway, including one on a 2019 Yamaha 700 EPS on tracks. It keeps the weather off while they work.

ATV cab fit and install: what to check first

Check these before you order:

Your ATV needs a flat surface at the front and rear. The cab mounts to your racks.
Check your model against the fit list. The product page lists the makes we have tested, including most Can-Am Outlander, Honda (Rancher, Foreman, Rubicon), Kawasaki Brute Force, Yamaha (Grizzly, Kodiak), Polaris Sportsman, Suzuki KingQuad, Arctic Cat Alterra, Segway, Argo XPLORER, TGB, CFMOTO CFORCE, AODES PATHCROSS and Tracker Off Road models. Each make has exceptions (for example the Can-Am Renegade, Kawasaki KFX, Suzuki QuadSport and Polaris Scrambler and Outlaw are not on it), so read the line for yours.
Metal or plastic racks both work. Nuts and bolts are included for metal racks, and heavy-duty zip ties for plastic racks. On a Polaris, the page says you must use the included zip ties.
Mirrors may need to come in. One owner had to move his mirrors inward to fit the cab.
Plan about an hour. Assembly is typically done in under an hour with the plain-English instructions, and owners say one person can do it.

If your ATV is not on the list or you are not sure, call or text us before you order and we will confirm the fit.

ATV with a snow plow clearing a rural driveway in winter

Heated gloves: warmth that goes with you

Muffs and a cab only work on the machine they are fitted to. If you ride a sled one day and an ATV the next, heated gloves move with you, and with a portable battery kit and the right cord they keep working when you step off. Our Gen-X4 Heated Gloves heat every finger, the thumb and the back of the hand, with a windproof and waterproof breathable insert. If you prefer your own gloves, the Gen-X4 Heated Glove Liners go underneath them. Both run on 12V and the wiring is sold separately; our guide to heated gloves vs heated glove liners shows which cord or controller you need.

Gear in this guide

Rigid Handlebar MuffsHard shells, easy in and out
Visi-Control Handlebar MuffsClear tops so you see your controls
ATV Cab EnclosureSoft cab against wind, snow and rain
Gen-X4 Heated GlovesHeat that goes with you off the machine
Gen-X4 Heated Glove LinersHeat under the gloves you already own

Which one should you choose?

Your hands are the first thing to go cold on the trail: handlebar muffs. Pick Visi-Control if you want to see your controls, Rigid if you also ride a motorcycle or want them to pack away.
You spend long, slow hours on the ATV in the cold: the ATV cab enclosure, which covers more than your hands.
You ride several vehicles, or want heat off the machine too: heated gloves or liners (add a portable battery kit for time off the machine).
The coldest days: combine them. Muffs over heated grips hold that heat in, and a cab with muffs keeps the wind off everything.

Our ATV protective gear checklist covers the helmet, boots and layers, and our snowmobile gear FAQs cover staying warm on the sled. For what to wear in cold, mud and rain, see our ATV gear FAQs.

Questions riders ask us

What is the difference between Standard and Expanded Fit handlebar muffs?

On the Visi-Control muffs, the Expanded Fit is made to go over the hand guards on newer ATVs and snowmobiles. The Standard fit needs the hand guards removed. If you have no hand guards, choose the Standard fit.

Will the Rigid muffs fit over my Barkbusters?

Our team has confirmed for riders that they do. The Rigid muffs have a wide opening and can be used with or without guards.

Does the ATV cab fit my machine?

It fits ATVs with a flat surface at the front and rear, and the product page lists every make we have tested, with exceptions. If yours is not listed, call or text us and we will confirm.