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Gorewear Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Split Gloves

8
£74.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Easy-to-live-with gloves for dry, sub-zero conditions
Super warm even below 0°C
Very comfortable
Touchscreen compatible
Expensive
Not fully waterproof
Gear shifting can be fiddly
Weight: 
121g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Gorewear Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Split Gloves are the warmest gloves in the company's range. They are water repellent rather than fully waterproof – but in dry weather they are the warmest gloves I've ever tried. There are some inherent downsides to the lobster-type design, but for me these are easily outweighed by having toasty fingers in sub-zero temperatures.

Want warm and snug fingers this winter? Our best winter cycling gloves buyer's guide covers gloves for all sorts of riders at a wide range of prices.

The first thing to remember about these is that they are not waterproof – and after riding for an hour in drizzle I could feel moisture seeping through. If you want fully waterproof gloves Gorewear does make the full-fingered C5 foul-weather gloves I reviewed recently.

Though the C5 gloves are more waterproof – the Infiniums are definitely warmer if you keep them dry. When they get wet, then there's increased windchill and they lose some of their thermo-ness.

Windproof membrane

The outer skin of these gloves is made from Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper. The main difference between this windproof and water-resistant fabric and the waterproof Gore-Tex material that the C5s are made from is that the Infinium's membrane pores are larger. Each of the nine billion pores per square inch are smaller than a drop of water but larger than water vapour, which is what your sweat is. In the case of GT Infinium Windstopper, the pores are 900 times larger than sweat, according to Gorewear, whereas in the case of the C5's waterproof Gore-Tex material, the pores are 700 times larger. I hope you're taking notes...

2023 Gorewear Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Split Gloves - split finger.jpg

The advantage of larger pores is increased breathability – more sweat can escape through larger holes. There is always a flip side of course, which in this case is that more water can get in.

Warmth

These gloves are lined with a PrimaLoft filling. The filling is thicker on the back of the hand and thinner on the palm, to make them feel less bulky in use – and in practice the combination works well.

2023 Gorewear Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Split Gloves - Primaloft.jpg

The most obvious feature of these gloves is their split design, the aim of which is to help keep your fingers warmer than with a normal five-finger – or four-finger and one-thumb design if you're feeling pedantic – design. Your thumb and index finger are individually wrapped like a normal glove, while the other three fingers are individually lined, but they're then wrapped in the Windstopper fabric together.

2023 Gorewear Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Split Gloves - Gore-Tex logo.jpg

There is an obvious trade-off here – yes, you're gaining warmth, but in return you're giving up some dexterity. And for me, the trade-off is well worth it when the conditions warrant it – though I know not everyone's a fan of the lobster-style format.

Temperature

In terms of temperature range, these come into their own in sub-zero, dry conditions and two weeks of my testing period fell perfectly into that range. The coldest temperature my Karoo reported during this period was -6°C for a night ride on the Mendips, where my hands were just fine. I also used them for skiing in the Alps at Christmas, where again, my hands were fine, though we didn't get any 'extreme' temperatures, well, nothing below -10°C. Anything below that and I'd have needed proper ski mitts, but these aren't the sorts of temperatures or conditions we often encounter in Britain.

For context, while I don't suffer from Raynaud's or anything similar, my hands don't run particularly warm.

Dexterity

The top of the thumb and index finger are made from touchscreen-sensitive material, but frankly, trying to use a phone with these on for anything other than the most basic operation makes for a frustrating experience. They're warm, so they're bulky – there's just really no way around that.

2023 Gorewear Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Split Gloves - thumb tip.jpg

Features

The neoprene cuffs are wide enough to get your hands in and out of easily, though tight enough to fit under the cuff of your jacket without much faff. I found the latter easier than with the C5's Velcro-adjustable cuffs.

2023 Gorewear Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Split Gloves - cuff.jpg

This is counter-intuitive to me; surely a waterproof glove should be designed to go under a jacket cuff more easily, whereas for a windproof glove it's not so important? Anyway, I digress...

These gloves are available in black or neon-yellow and they sport small reflective details. I'm told the neon-yellow test gloves were brilliant for being spotted on the slopes, and I'm pretty confident the colour would work equally well for indicating in traffic.

There are durable wear panels on the palm and silicone grips on the fingers.

Sizing

I usually a medium/size 8 in gloves, which is what our test gloves are, and they were spot on for me. They run true to size and fit going by Gorewear's guide.

In use

Having had the pleasure of trying both the C5s and these I'm well placed to comment on the actual experience of wearing these gloves during a wide variety of conditions.

2023 Gorewear Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Split Gloves - palm.jpg

If it's dry and the mercury is below zero, then I'd go for the Infiniums. If it's above zero, or wet, then the C5s are the right glove. The C5s do also work when it's dry and below zero, but they're not quite as toasty and not quite as breathable.

Do you need the Infiniums? No – the C5s are more versatile. Did I enjoy wearing them? Hell, yes!

Value

The £74.99 price is not cheap for a pair of gloves, especially given they are not waterproof.

We've reviewed other lobster-style gloves that were cheaper, for example the £54.95 GripGrab Ride Windproof Deep Winter Lobster Gloves that Stu found suitably warm.

GripGrab also makes the warmer still Nordic 2 Windproof Deep Winter Lobster Gloves. And while Vecchiojo appreciated their warmth and comfort, he found their dexterity limited. These come in at the same price as the Infiniums.

But you don't have to spend this much. John tested the Galibier Barrier Deep Winter Gloves a few winters ago. But they still only cost only £32.68 and are our winter favourites.

Conclusion

The Gorewear Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Gloves are lovely to wear and work really well in dry sub-zero conditions, though their lack of waterproofing does somewhat limit their use.

They are far from cheap though, so I wouldn't recommend buying them as your only winter glove – unless you never ride in the rain.

If you have the budget, and you want something to keep your hands super toasty in very cold but dry conditions, or you suffer from Raynaud's and need more protection, then these work very well indeed.

Verdict

Easy-to-live-with gloves for dry, sub-zero conditions

road.cc test report

Make and model: Gorewear Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Split Gloves

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for

GoreWear has this to say:

With your index finger and thumb accessing the levers your other fingers are enclosed in a PrimaLoft® liner with a box design to make it feel more like a normal glove. Designed for riders seeking warmth, protection and control.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

This is what Gore Wear says:

DETAILS AND MATERIALS

GORE-TEX INFINIUM™ fabrics with GORE® WINDSTOPPER® product technology: totally windproof, extremely breathable and durably water resistant, lightweight protection

GORE-TEX INFINIUM™ Stretch Glove product technology

Touchscreen sensitive material on thumb and pointer finger tips

Split construction: thumb and pointer finger are separated

3-finger compartment for increased warmth

Silicone printing for increased grip

Neoprene cuff

Reflective details

Weight:

138 grams

MAIN: 100% Polyester (recycled) PALM: 92% Polyester, 8% Elastane PANELS: 100% Polyamide LINING: 100% Polyester FILLING: 100% Polyester (recycled)

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Expensive, yes, but these are some of the warmest gloves around, so I feel they do justify their price.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

They are excellent in sub-zero, dry conditions.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

They have kept my hands warm in sub-zero conditions for hours on end.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

They are bulkier than a lot of other gloves – so you do need to take care with shifting than when you're wearing thinner gloves.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

These are expensive, and as I mentioned in the full review, unless you suffer from cold hands more than most, their use case is somewhat limited. Having said that, a comparable lobster-style glove from GripGrab costs much the same, so the price is not outrageous.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? No – I'd probably use waterproof deep winter gloves on cold dry days

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes – if they suffer from cold hands

Use this box to explain your overall score

These are high-quality and very warm gloves. They are not advertised as waterproof, so I can't hold that against them. I can't hold their limited use case, at least where I live, against them either, because again that is as advertised. And while they are undoubtedly expensive, they're not dearer than comparable lobster-style offerings from competitors.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 1.78m  Weight: 77kg

I usually ride: All of them!  My best bike is: Ribble Endurance SL disc

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, club rides, mtb, Zwift

Add new comment

2 comments

Avatar
thax1 | 8 months ago
0 likes

Not sure I get the logic of a '3+1' finger split vs the usual lobster '2+2'?

  • Your index finger won't get the benefit of being adjacent to another finger.
  • You'll have to brake and shift with a single finger (or all 4)

Don't get me wrong, I love a lobster glove - especially with eTap.

 

Avatar
ktache replied to thax1 | 8 months ago
1 like

Perhaps not so relevant in this place but flat bar brakes and gears tend to only require single finger braking and index finger on the trigger.
I found my conventional lobster made the rapid fire trigger weird. It was a little more two finger braking back then though. Bird finger alone on my Hopes, as index and thumb for the Rohloff twister, which does mean slight difficulties if I ever have to wear the thickest of my winter gloves

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