Hands have a hard time on winter rides. They're stuck out in front of you with nothing much to do beyond braking and shifting, spending long periods of time largely still but bearing the brunt of cold winds, not to mention rain and spray. It's no wonder that they tend to get cold. Good gloves are a must for comfortable winter riding – here's what to look for.
What to look for
The goal of winter gloves is to keep your hands warm. Fighting back against the cold is a two-pronged attack. First your gloves need to keep potentially chilling outside factors out, which essentially means wind and rain. Second they need to prevent heat escaping.
>>Read more: the full road.cc long-fingered gloves review archive
Fabrics
You'll find the usual range of wind- and waterproof fabrics on offer in the glove market, including Gore-Tex and other waterproof/breathable fabrics. Much as with jackets, windproof fabrics with water-resistant coatings are becoming more popular thanks to lower bulk and a softer feel. Gloves often have reinforced areas of heavier-duty fabric at key points – between thumb and forefinger, on the palm, at the fingertips. Inside, some form of synthetic insulating fabric is the norm, although you'll also find natural materials like Merino wool and silk.
Fit
Winter gloves present a particular challenge to designers. Layers of insulation and heavy-duty waterproof fabrics tend to be bulky, but gloves have to permit you enough finger mobility to shift and change gear. These demands mean that glove shape is more critical on a winter glove – there's more fabric to potentially bunch up.
Full winter gloves generally have long cuffs to make sure there are no gaps before your jersey or jacket sleeves arrive. Have a think about how well these are going to work with the tops you're likely to be wearing – ideally they'll be generous enough to fit over snug-fitting jersey sleeves but sufficiently low-profile to tuck neatly inside jacket sleeves.
Many winter gloves have insulated liners that are only stitched in at the cuff. This is handy when you want to turn them inside out to dry but can be annoying when the whole thing prolapses out of the glove when you take your hand out and then has to be persuaded back in – potentially tricky if it stuck to your hand enough to come out in the first place.
Features
Adjustable Velcro cuffs are pretty much de rigeur with gloves, and full-on long-cuffed winter gloves will often have adjustable drawcords at the base of the cuffs too. These can be useful (pull in for extra snugness, let out for ventilation) but can get tangled up with jacket sleeves. You'll often find gloves that concentrate insulation and weatherproofing on the back and keep the palm thin.
This works well for dexterity. Most manufacturers have their own variant on ergonomically-designed padding, with pads positioned to align with common pressure points. Watch out for gloves designed for flat bars, though – different bits of your hands take the weight on drops and you can find that what would be a useful pad on flats becomes a slightly annoying lump on drops.
Choosing gloves: Things to consider
How wintery is my winter?
Even if we're just looking at the UK, winter varies quite a lot. On any given day the weather in Banff is likely to be somewhat different to that in Bournemouth. But even in one place the British winter is not a consistent beast. While some parts of the world will reliably deliver many weeks of sub-zero temperatures, in the UK it could be wind and driving rain, or precipitation-free but frosty, or actually quite moderate. Have a good think about the conditions that you're going to be riding in – across a lot of the country you can get away with surprisingly lightly-insulated gloves for quite a lot of the winter.
How warm are my hands?
Not all extremities are created equal. Some people are naturally warmer than others and this is particularly noticeable when it comes to hands and feet. For a given ambient temperature and degree of exertion one rider might be happy in thin, lightly-insulated full finger gloves while another is going numb in thick Arctic explorer gauntlets.
Only you know how much the cold gets to you, and this will inform your glove choice. If you run hot then you'll be wanting to go for less insulation and better breathability, while the cold-fingered will be able to sacrifice breathability for the sake of warmth. Keeping the wind out is always a good idea, though.
How many gloves am I willing to buy?
Given the huge variation in what constitutes “winter”, it's easy to end up with a whole bunch of slightly different gloves and the associated decision-making headache every time you want to go for a ride. Some people revel in having just the right bit of kit for all occasions – if that's you then feel free to go crazy. If you prefer to keep your gear cupboard under some sort of control, though, then think carefully about the range of conditions that you're actually going to be riding in, look at what you've already got and then see what's out there that'll cover the rest. There's a fair chance that a single pair of gloves will do the job.
A feast of fingers
There's a lot of choice in gloves. Here's a look at the full spectrum:
Thin or liner gloves
If it's merely a bit chilly out, you may need no more than a full-fingered summer-weight glove – it's amazing how much difference just covering your fingertips can make. Moving a step beyond that is a whole range of thin, lightweight insulated gloves that typically lack much in the way of weatherproofing but will keep fingers warmer than summer gloves in autumn or spring conditions.
While some thin gloves feature closely-woven fabric and a water-resistant coating to extend their capabilities, usually they're overfaced by strong winds and proper rain. But they're useful things to have in your glove armoury for less chilly days. Some gloves can double as (or are marketed specifically as) an extra insulating layer under a wind- or waterproof pair. If you're looking for gloves to do only this job, the thinner the better – silk is a good option.
Windproof gloves
The advantage of windproof gloves over fully waterproof ones is that they usually breathe a bit better, keeping your hands from getting all clammy. They're also often less bulky and with a softer feel than full waterproof gloves.
The obvious disadvantage is that rain can get in, although most windproof gloves have a water-resistant coating that keeps rain at bay up to a point. A good choice for cold but dry days, and the naturally warm-handed will benefit from the better breathability.
Waterproof gloves
Waterproof gloves come with varying amounts of insulation, with that being a trade-off between warmth and bulk.
Many riders will find that keeping wind and water out means that they can get away with less insulation, while others will need all the help they can get. Bear in mind that you can always boost the warmth of gloves by adding liners, but it's usually trickier to cool them down.
Two-part gloves
Two-part gloves are exactly what they sound like, with an outer shell glove to ward off wind and rain and an inner liner glove contributing thermal insulation.
You can of course assemble a glove “system” like this from separate bits, but an off-the-shelf two-part glove will have components that are designed to work together – you can be sure that there'll be enough room inside the shell for the liner and that the shapes of the two layers are complementary.
Two-part gloves are a great, versatile choice but if you're a warm-handed person then you may be paying for extra insulation that you'll rarely need.
The best winter gloves
Now you know what to look for, and hopefully you have a clearer idea of what type of glove is right for you, here are 21 gloves we've reviewed and rated highly over the last few years.
Shimano S-Phyre Winter Gloves — £99.99
Shimano's S-Phyre Winter gloves they truly deliver excellent performance. The dexterity is sublime, they're perfectly warm at 2°C and the grip from the palm is perfect. They're certainly expensive, but they work flawlessly.
Read our review of the Shimano S-Phyre Winter Gloves
Find a Shimano dealer
Giro Proof Freezing Weather Cycling Gloves — £51.99
Giro's Proof 'freezing weather' cycling gloves provide windproofing, comfortable palms, decent dexterity and, most importantly, warmth down to below zero. They are pretty much perfect for winter riding.
My issues this winter have occurred on my sub-one-mile ride to work. The issue is, it's all downhill and my hands have frozen on any day that isn't above 5°C. So when, on my first ride in the Giro Proof gloves, I arrived at the office with working hands, I was rather impressed.
Read our review of the Giro Proof Gloves
Find a Giro dealer
Altura Micro Fleece Gloves — £11.99
Altura's Micro Fleece Gloves feature a very simple design that works very well. There's fantastic grip, a windproof back and soft fabric. I've used these for road riding, cyclo-cross and mountain biking. They've impressed me every time.
Altura seem to have gone back to basics with the Micro Fleece gloves. The cheapest in Altura's glove range, they come in at £16.99 and they Just Work™. There's no fancy frills to be found here. That's not to say that they felt cheap, or poorly constructed. I've put these through some very muddy abuse causing no issues with premature wear.
Link above is for extra-extra-large gloves. Sizes small to extra-large are £15.99.
Read our review of the Altura Micro Fleece Gloves
Find an Altura dealer
Giro 100 Proof gloves — £69.99
If total thermal comfort is the name of the game for you when temperatures dip below freezing, the Giro 100 Proof gloves have to be right up there on your shortlist.
You'll notice from our images that the glove is lobster-like, grouping two fingers together into each compartment. The design has a clear advantage over individually fingered gloves, allowing the circulation and resulting heat that gets to your fingers to build more effectively in a closed system.
Of course, this comes with the obvious downside of loss of dexterity, although with these it's still fairly easy to actuate mechanical shifts, as long as you're not in a hurry to get them. Spend a split second longer to find the shifter, and 99 times out of 100 you shift slickly and relatively precisely. Electronic shifting is another matter, though.
Read our review of the Giro 100 Proof gloves
Find a Giro dealer
B'Twin 900 Winter Cycling Gloves — £19.99
Renamed from 700 to 900 since we reviewed them, these B'Twin winter gloves are designed for cold weather rides around the three-hour mark. For less than £20 and as an overall package, they are genuinely impressive.
These aren't an impervious design, which for me at least is a blessing since I find those with a waterproof TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) liner can become uncomfortably clammy, especially on very cold but sunny days.
Read our review of the B'Twin 900 Winter Cycling Gloves
Find a B'Twin dealer
Gore Universal Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves — £38.01-£47.16
When the temperature reaches freezing the Gore Universal Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves keep on going, keeping out the best that Mother Nature can throw at them. Truly awesome!
It was -6°C according to my Garmin, and my evening's ride was being cut short as my leg muscles, feet and face weren't really feeling the love. My hands, though, they were toasty as hell. Normally at this temperature I'd be using a pair of liners but the Gore Thermos weren't even struggling.
Read our review of the Gore Universal Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves
Find a Gore Bike Wear dealer
Sportful Sotto Zero Gloves — £47.95
Providing excellent insulation without the bulk, these Sportful Sotto Zero Gloves will keep you warm right through the winter. When the temperature plummets these gloves keep your hands warm without fail.
For me, there's nothing much worse than freezing cold hands. Cold feet I can manage, but lose the feeling in your fingers halfway into a ride... well, that's not much fun. Traditionally, cold winter gloves, while they might keep your hands warm, would be massively bulky and seriously compromise your ability to operate the controls of the bike.
Sportful has managed to produce a glove that can provide impressive warmth for the coldest winter rides, but without the bulk. That means you maintain good control of the handlebar and can operate the gears and brakes easily, while remaining warm. They're like the size of a mid-weight glove but provide the warmth of much chunkier designs.
Read our review of the Sportful Sotto Zero Gloves
Find a Sportful dealer
DeFeet Duragloves — £14.99 - £17.00
DeFeet's Duragloves are simple, hardwearing gloves with a good amount of grip, for those days when it's not cold enough to need a windproof option. The latest version has fingertips that work with touchscreen phones.
Read our review of the DeFeet Duragloves
Find a DeFeet dealer
Craft Siberian gloves — £27
The Craft Siberians are well-made mid-weight gloves that provide decent warmth without being too bulky.
Read our review of the Craft Siberian gloves
Find a Craft dealer
Galibier Roubaix Vision Gloves — £16.00
The Galibier Roubaix Vision gloves fill that gap in your cycling wardrobe between winter gloves and short fingered mitts, around the 8-15°C range for me.
Read our review of the Galibier Roubaix Vision gloves
Madison Avalanche Men’s Gloves — £34.99
The Madison Avalanche Men's Gloves do the basics well. It would be nice to have the touchscreen element work a bit better, but for keeping your hands warm and dry in showers, if not heavy rain, they don't disappoint.
The primary function of any full-finger winter glove is to keep your hands warm. To help with this, the Avalanche gloves have a micro-fleece lining and a fully windproof upper. This combination creates a good barrier against the cold.
Although not totally waterproof, the Avalanches have a decent level of protection against rain – Madison describes them 'shower proof'. They kept our hands dry in moderate rain, and it was only really in driving rain that we noticed anything getting through, and even then it was only after about 20 minutes or so.
Read our review of the Madison Avalanche Men’s Gloves
Altura Thermastretch gloves — £23.94
Altura's Thermostretch gloves take a simplified approach to winter hand protection. Made from a single material - neoprene - and with no layering, they a worthy addition to your wardrobe.
Read our review of the Altura Thermastretch gloves
Find an Altura dealer
Phew Early Winter Windster Cycling Gloves — £24.99
Great value midweight wind-resistant gloves with excellent fit and grip.
Read our review of the Phew Early Winter Windster Cycling Gloves
Phew Lobster Outer Shell Winter Cycling Gloves — £24.99
Neat, comfortable, windproof and showerproof over-gloves, ideal for cold weather. They're designed to fit over a pair of gloves to provide a second layer of protection and the design keeps three of your fingers together for increased warmth.
Read our review of the Phew Lobster Outer Shell Winter Gloves
GripGrab Insulator Long Finger Gloves — £29.95
GripGrab's Insulator gloves are a great option for layering – they can be used on their own but are still slim enough to be worn inside most winter gloves for when it gets really cold.
Read our review of the GripGrab Insulator Long Finger Gloves
Craft Storm Gloves — £24.99
Craft's Storm gloves lack the bulk of heavier duty winter gloves but despite that provide impressive insulation, striking a good balance that makes them pretty much spot on for most typical British winter days.
Read our review of the Craft Storm Gloves
Find a Craft dealer
SealSkinz Ultra Grip Gauntlets — £33.30
SealSkinz Ultra Grip Gauntlets have been designed to cope with cold and wet conditions, offering protection from water and wind as well as being breathable, all in a knit, stretch glove. They deal with the elements competently, keeping your hands protected and dry. They can get a little warm on the inside but rather that than cold, wet hands.
Read our review of the SealSkinz Ultra Grip Gauntlets
Find a SealSkinz dealer
GripGrab Windster Gloves — £40.89-£41.56
GripGrab's Windsters are good quality, wind and water proof gloves that allow for lever grip combined with smartphone usability.
Read our review of the GripGrab Windster Gloves
Pearl Izumi ELITE Softshell Gloves — £43.82
Excellent gloves for really cold weather, with a great fit and padded palm. Pearl Izumi ELITE Softshell Gloves are stupendously warm thanks to the Primaloft insulation, which provides good insulation for sub-zero temperatures without being too bulky.
Read our review of the Pearl Izumi ELITE Softshell Gloves
Find a Pearl Izumi dealer
Showers Pass Men's Crosspoint Softshell WP gloves — £61
Showers Pass Crosspoint Softshell WP gloves will keep your hands dry and toasty even in a hard winter, but if it's mild they might be a shade too warm.
Read our review of the Showers Pass Crosspoint Softshell WP gloves
Find a Showers Pass dealer
Rapha Deep Winter Gloves (£140) and Merino Liners (£40)
If you really struggle with poor circulation, and keeping your hands from getting cold on a ride is a perennial challenge, then you'll be very interested in Rapha's Deep Winter Gloves. Yes they're very expensive but they're among the warmest winter cycling gloves we've ever tested.
Read our review of the Rapha Deep Winter Gloves and Merino Liners
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