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Winter cycling gloves

Looking for a decent pair of winter cycling gloves around the £25-50 mark. I would ideally like these to be:

1. Waterproof or highly water repellent
2. Warm down to 0 degrees Celsius or just below
3. Not too bulky. With good dexterity
4. Decent padding on the palm
5. Not lobster style

There seems to be a mass of options out there, from bulky deep winter options to neoprene versions. Can anyone offer a recommendation?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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26 comments

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Basemetal | 3 years ago
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Another cyclist and winter climber, and Raynaud's sufferer, I find wrist warmers a huge help whatever glove I use. The cuffs of worn out merino socks provide a continuous supply. My go-to winter gloves are either Sealskinz dot grip knitted or, for shortish runs, just freezer gloves. I sometimes stick light waterproof mitts in a pocket to use with iron oxide T-bag hand warmers if needs must, but so far not this year yet...

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leipreachan replied to Basemetal | 3 years ago
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I find Sealskinz very bulky and stuffy.
I have Raynaud's, too and with Sealskinz my hands get numb in a few minutes when is below +5.

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IanGlasgow | 3 years ago
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My Sealskinz cost about that. They're properly waterproof and fit inside the cuffs of my Goretex so rain can't get in at the cuffs.
When it's cold I wear a cheap pair of Planet X gloves as liners.
When it's REALLY cold I wear the Planet X gloves under some £10 Planet X lobster claws (which apparently you don't like).
Layering is always the answer if you really want to keep warm.

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Chris Hayes | 3 years ago
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I have new-found respect for my Rapha Deep Winter gloves (which were £40 from recollection - Sportspursuit).  They've held up for a few years now and have kept my hands warm during the last few weeks.....when my Assos Ultraz Winter gloves failed...even with a liner.   The latter are more comfortable, but comfort is irrelevant when you can't feel your fingers. 

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kil0ran | 3 years ago
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I commuted for several years in down to zero temperatures in a pair of reasonably lightweight Altura neoprene gloves with silk liner gloves from Decathlon. I have poor circulation and this did the job for me. Certainly dexterous enough for road levers, including Di2 and SRAM. These are the current equivalent.

https://www.altura.co.uk/products/detail/AL18THN/thermostretch-3-neopren...

They were durable, lasting 4 winters before I got a slight split in the base of one of the fingers. Wash well, would definitely have them again if I was still commuting.

Decathlon used to do a cycling-specific liner glove but I think these are the nearest equivalent now

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/black-silk-trek-500-mountain-trekking-line...

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bertinol | 3 years ago
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I'm Canadian so I cycle down to -10C. (Okay, okay. Just showing off).

Layering is all the fad over here so I use two layers: large leather gloves with woollen gloves inside. 

Or  large waterproof rubber work gloves with woollen inside them.

Don't worry about the look. Work gloves work fine.

 

 

  

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ktache | 3 years ago
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My better half got me some POC Thermal gloves for Crimbo, I believe on the pricey side, good for around the 0 mark.  Bit too warm for the 5 and up.  I was impressed at the warmth for the lack of bulk.  Label said hand wash only, and I do not know how well they will respond to light machine washing so cannot comment on that yet.  Thin leather palm, with insulation behind.

She has gotton quite good cycling gift wise...

 

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matthewn5 | 3 years ago
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For really proper deep cold down just above zero, Galibier Barrier Deep Winter gloves work well and aren't expensive:
https://galibier.cc/product/barrier-black/

For weather down to about 5-7C I use a pair of these Columbus running gloves. They're almost completely windproof, and that seems to be the key factor. You can still use your phone with them, too. I've never paid full price, they often seem to be on half price sale in the summer:
https://www.columbiasportswear.co.uk/p/mens-trail-summit-running-gloves-...

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henryb replied to matthewn5 | 3 years ago
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matthewn5 wrote:

For really proper deep cold down just above zero, Galibier Barrier Deep Winter gloves work well and aren't expensive:
https://galibier.cc/product/barrier-black/

I'll look at those. Recently I've been using Galibier toe-warmers (sometimes on their own and sometimes under neoprene overshoes) and they've been excellent.

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JaredP91 | 3 years ago
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Many thanks for the wonderful tips 👍

A couple of additional points. I suffer quite badly from bad circulation, so my hands are cold at the best of times.

Also, given the fact that the UK winter usually means lots of wet weather, be that rain, sleet or hail, I'm definitely leaning towards the neoprene option. Assuming they offer a decent level of warmth.

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don simon fbpe replied to JaredP91 | 3 years ago
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Expect it to take a bit for your hands to warm up, but once warm they'll stay super toasty. There's also no liner/layers to cause problems when removing and putting back on.

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don simon fbpe | 3 years ago
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Neoprene here, I suffer from the cold horrendously. Neoprene fits the bill except on the coldest of days where they can take a few minutes to warm up.

Downside is that they have a tendency of smelling, especially when drying out on a radiator.

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wtjs replied to don simon fbpe | 3 years ago
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Neoprene here

Agreed- for long wet trips. I recently suffered quite bad hotaches wearing my new Aldi neoprenes, while hiding in country bus-shelters, but only after over 3 hours continuous rain on a fairly cold day

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ktache replied to don simon fbpe | 3 years ago
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I save the neoprenes for the really wet days, I dislike the squidgeness on the bars.

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Awavey replied to don simon fbpe | 3 years ago
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Ive always found neoprene gloves a bit too restrictive for hand movement/grip etc even if I size up, I struggle with the bulk even with basic winter gloves, but Ive always felt having warm and dry hands is no good if I lose the dexterity to change gear or have a good feel for the brakes or handlebars.

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don simon fbpe replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
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I find that strange, but I guess that different brands differ. I have Castelli Diluvio and Aldi specials, both of which offer both warmth and excellent feel. The Castelli being better than the Aldi as the stitching patterns are different.

A good few years ago I used Decathlon scuba gloves on the bike. The 2-3mm gloves were great for warmth (except the first 20-30 mins), comfort and feel. The 6mm gloves lost a fair bit of feel for little gain in warmth.

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nniff | 3 years ago
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I have a problem with gloves - it comes from being an ice climber and a cyclist - I have more pairs than I care to count. 

If it's raining, I tend to wear neoprene gloves - and settle for warm and wet. If it's really cold and raining, sleeting or worse, then the ice climbing gloves come out with liners, which are properly waterproof and warm, but expensive.  If it's just cold then, frankly, Decathlon 900 gloves are really warm and reasonably water resistant and a bargain at about £20.  A cycling friend from South Africa who is into audaxes but suffers very badly from the cold now wears Black Diamond Punishers (an ice climbing 'standard') with fingerless mitts inside and is delighted with the results.

Freezer gloves are OK if its cold and you're on a tight budget, but they do get sweaty if you're working hard.  Some people wear them for ice climbing, one or twice and then give up, but the myth endures.  They are however great for washing your bike with scalding hot water - insulation works for hot and cold.

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Captain Badger replied to nniff | 3 years ago
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nniff wrote:

I have a problem with gloves - it comes from being an ice climber and a cyclist ....

At the same time? skillz dude....

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hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
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I'm currently using a pair of Endura Luminite waterproof gloves and they seem to fit the bill.

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Chris Hayes | 3 years ago
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At that price point neoprene is probably the best bet. I have some Castelli ones for cold and wet conditions. The comfortable, have comfortable cuffs to keep your wrists warm and fit under your jacket, and are still easy to remove. You could get further protection from the cold by combining them with a cheap set of silk inners (from Black or Millets, unless they've closed down).

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Achtervolger | 3 years ago
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I highly rate Sealskinz waterproof ultra grip knitted gloves. Definitely the best winter gloves I've used. Decent level of water resistance, great fit, hi-viz, good cuff length. Also no unnecessary (in my view, anyway) velcro cuff acoutrements. Not so thick that it becomes difficult to work the controls either.

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ktache | 3 years ago
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I'm a big fan of Pearl Izumi for winter gloves.  I have four pairs for everything between proper minus up to the early teens, all different levels of insulation.

But gloves are a weird thing and very personal, and they have changes the designs since I last got a new pair.  I don't think there is a perfect pair that will do all things.  You might have to buy a few to get the ones that work best for different conditions.

I have given up on the full waterproof and accepted the wet hands so I got some neoprene ones and they work.

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Grahamd | 3 years ago
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For cold and slightly inclement weather I use my Vulpine soft shell goves, as they're warm enough down to freezing for me, but they are not completely waterproof.

For really wet weather I am a big fan of Sealkinz gloves. The gloves are slightly more bulky than the Vulpines but don't hamper any movement at all. (I would also reccomend the Sealskiz waterproof cap.)

Both have ample padding and I have had them too long to be able to recall when I bought them so they have enough longevity to justify the cost

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andystow | 3 years ago
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Right at that temperature is where I switch to the Pearl Izumi lobster style. They're too warm at 5 °C, but perfect at 0 °C. I would only recommend the neoprene ones for use in cold (0-5 °C) rain. Other than that, you'll either have chilly fingers or wet fingers from your own sweat.

If you really don't want the fantastic lobster claws, I'd recommend combining a liner glove with a weather resistant outer sized up to fit over. Then you have three ways of wearing them. I've been fine at 0 °C with a thin synthetic liner under some pretty basic spring/fall cycling gloves.

 

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TheBillder replied to andystow | 3 years ago
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I agree, anything above 5 deg is too warm for neoprene. But on a cold and really wet day they are wonderful. The kind of day when any "waterproof" glove will fail. You have damp but warm hands - complete with prune style wrinkles as if you've been in the bath too long.

It's a bit counter intuitive but it works - unless you allow the gloves to get cold at a coffee stop (RIP).

I read somewhere that industrial freezer gloves are good and should be available at your local Machine Mart or equivalent.

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ashtons99 | 3 years ago
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Me too.....come on folks 

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