SEALSKINZ Waterproof All Weather Cycle Glove

Product Information

Like any windproof outer layer, a waterproof layer on the best winter cycling gloves should be impermeable to the outside elements to keep your hands dry, but should also be breathable to prevent your hands overheating, particularly over the course of long rides. I didn't phrase the question asking "do you need more than one pair of gloves for winter riding?" That's because you absolutely do, the question is only how many do you need? You could think about it from the point of view of changing conditions. The longer you ride in the winter the more gloves you are going to add to your collection. Throughout the winter the temperature changes a lot and there are gloves available for very small differences. From this point of view, most people will want something from the early season section plus something from the all-around section. Rain and deep winter gloves are more specialised, so you’ll have to decide if you are willing to ride in that kind of weather. At a certain point it becomes too cold to effectively warm up. You can't generate enough body heat either because you are riding slower, because your body has trouble keeping extremities warm, or just because it's too cold. When that happens, it's time to turn to a heated glove; the question is which one?

Flip the gloves to the palm side and you'll find a luxurious expanse of goat skin leather. The feel of this is seriously impressive and it curves up from the palm so that the polyester membrane is only the top surface. At the base of each finger, and the base of the palm, there are a series of seven pads designed to relieve pressure. Read more details in our full Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Smart heated gloves review . Wet weather winter cycling gloves Neoprene gloves work by holding water close to your skin and allowing it to work as insulation. The problem is that they don't work when the outside air is near freezing. The outside air overcomes your body's ability to warm the water and you have both wet and cold hands. You have to keep the outside air away from the neoprene and if you put them inside of a shell glove it solves everything. The shell will leak but the water that comes through will become a part of your insulation. You can remain warm and comfortable for hours with a pair of neoprene gloves inside a shell. What are the warmest winter cycling gloves? I'm hardly breaking new ground here by recommending the Pearl Izumi AmFib Lobster Glove. Talk to most cyclists who've been riding in seriously cold weather for a long time and these will come up. The reason they are so well known and loved comes down to what it takes to keep you warm. You can make exceptionally warm five-finger gloves but after a certain point, the price starts to really jump.

Cycling Gloves Guide

Instead of a hook and loop closure, Castelli uses a zippered closure. The Espresso GT also uses a longer cut at the wrist, a squared-off fingertip shape, and lots of silicone grip material on the palm. The overall effect is a less bulky feeling that is faster to get on and off and has a better connection with your bars than the Gore glove.

Giro's Xnetic H20 gloves are billed as waterproof, and they are. But they are also more than just something to reach for when the skies threaten rain. Thanks to their lightweight, minimal design they work well as a go-to-glove for cool conditions, whether you're heading out on a long road ride or popping to the shops on your bike. At just 62g for the pair, they store away easily. The Xnetic's low weight also means that once on you barely notice that you're wearing them. This can also be attributed to the high level of stretch, which sees the glove forming to your hand shape with ease. It also creates a good seal at the wrist, stopping any unwanted drafts from entering.Compared to both the Castelli and Gore gloves in this section, the Sportful offering isn’t quite as warm. On the interior you’ll find Primaloft Silver insulation which is still impressively warm but not quite the warmest out there. Unlike other gloves though, Sportful constructs the fleece interior in a way that it won’t pull out when your hand is wet. As I continued to look for an elegant solution to keeping your hands warm in cold rain, new products came to market. Both Sportful and Assos have waterproof shell gloves and they've changed the game a bit. Unfortunately neither solution is actually waterproof but they have a couple of advantages that make it all work anyway.

Assos is second to market with a game changing product for those who ride in cold rain. Given that no glove is truly waterproof, the best you can hope for is warm and wet. Neoprene gloves will keep you warm even when wet but if the outside air is too cold then they need protection. A shell glove provides that protection but keep in mind, you won't be able to use a shell on its own. Not only would it not provide much warmth but the Assos RSR Thermo rain shell gloves use a five finger (standard glove) design that's sized perfectly to fit over the top of standard gloves in the same size. Without something as a liner, you'll swim in these gloves. Neoprene gloves seem like the perfect solution to riding in the rain. In reality, that is true but only when the rain is reasonably warm. As long as the air isn't too cold your hands will get wet then warm the water in the neoprene and you'll be toasty warm. If that's your riding environment then neoprene gloves are a great option and there are a ton to choose from.

Winter Cycling Tips

Not many people enjoy riding in the rain, but if you're going to keep your training up through the winter, then you're going to want the best winter cycling glove to handle even the wettest weather. Keeping the gloves clean requires care. Sealskinz recommends just spot cleaning. The gloves can’t be machine-washed, dry cleaned, tumble dried or ironed. So if you did fall in the mud during a gravel ride you may have to wave goodbye to the prospect of seeing your gloves perfectly clean in the future! When you pull the Sealskinz gloves on without the battery you can tell right away that these are its warmest five-finger option. The interior is soft and fleecy and the goatskin really does stand out.