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Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove

9
£54.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Warm, waterproof and highly comfortable winter gloves that aren't too bulky
Weight: 
110g

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Endura's Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof Gloves are warm enough even for freezing temperatures without being bulky, and they live up to their billing by keeping the rain out.

  • Pros: Warm, waterproof, breathable, low bulk
  • Cons: Some people might want cuff adjustment

These have become my favourite winter gloves over the past couple of months. They're the ones I've been using day in and day out and they've never let me down.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy these online here

For a start, they're warm, and you really don't want to make any compromises there. You know that person who always gets cold on a ride before everyone else? That's me, yet I've not had numb fingers with these on and my hands have only felt the slightest bit cold in freezing temperatures. Being waterproof, they're also windproof so cold air can't blow through, and Primaloft Gold insulation keeps the warmth in.

Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove - Primaloft.jpg

That insulation isn't too bulky at all. I've had gloves as warm as these before but they've usually been big old oven mitts that reduce dexterity and weigh a ton when they get wet. In contrast, the Pro SL gloves are fairly lightweight and don't affect lever feel too much, yet they perform like full-on winter gloves. If you ever wanted to take them off mid-ride, roll them together and they'll take up about half a jersey pocket's worth of space.

The Pro SL Primaloft gloves are made largely from a softshell fabric with a seam-sealed internal membrane to make sure that water stays out. That membrane is also breathable. The only time I've had wet hands while wearing these is when I've sweated so much on a long climb that the membrane hasn't been able to cope, but it's the same with any gloves I've ever tried. Obviously, that's more likely to happen in warmer temperatures. For me the cut-off for wearing these is about 9°C, although it might be lower for you.

Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove - back.jpg

The palms are made from synthetic leather with what Endura calls 'grippy overlays' to stop your hands from slipping on the bars and levers – these bits feel quite rubbery. They work well and the only real signs of wear so far are a few little pressure marks towards the heel of each hand that show where I've been resting on the handlebar.

Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove - palm.jpg

The insides are fleecy and comfortable throughout and the long cuffs ensure there are no draughts around your wrists. Those cuffs are stretchy and they sit closely enough on me that there's no need for a Velcro closure or a drawcord to tighten them, particularly if you have the end of a baselayer sleeve tucked inside there.

Crucially, the fingers of the inner layer don't turn inside out when you take the gloves off so there's no arsing about trying to sort that out next time you want to put them on. Similarly, if you have to take your gloves off in the middle of a ride, there's enough stretch that getting them back on again is easy enough, even with damp and sticky hands.

> Buyer's Guide: 21 of the best winter cycling gloves

One other feature worth mentioning is that a little strip of reflective fabric runs along the outer edge of each glove. It looks grey most of the time but it's noticeable when it catches the light.

Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove - detail.jpg

We've reviewed loads of full finger gloves here on road.cc recently, priced from £14 to £70, so although these sit towards the upper end of the range, they're far from ridiculously expensive. I'd certainly pay £55 for the privilege of having warm hands between, say, November and March/April. It's money well spent, if you ask me.

If this sounds like a gushing review... well, it is really. These are exceptionally good winter gloves.

Verdict

Warm, waterproof and highly comfortable winter gloves that aren't too bulky

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for

Endura says:

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Endura's warmest waterproof glove. These premium hand warmers keep roadies comfortable all winter long.

FABRICS

Premium fabrics and Primaloft insulation are combined in a waterproof construction to provide an unrivalled fit and amazing levels of insulation in even the coldest conditions.

PRIMALOFT

PrimaLoft insulation boasts an exceptional warmth to weight ratio, tiny pack size, extremely breathable construction and is highly water resistant making it a tremendously versatile performance insulator.

90 DAY SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

So confident are we in this product that, if you are not entirely satisfied with it then we offer a no-quibble refund or replacement policy within 90 days of purchase.

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

Endura lists these features:

Stretch, softshell backhand and fingers

Seam-sealed, waterproof, breathable internal membrane

Synthetic leather palm with critically positioned, highly durable grippy overlays

Primaloft Gold Insulation for unrivalled warmth

Full finger terry sweat wipe

Long, stretch cuff for no-fuss pull on and snug fit

Rainbow Reflective details

90 Day Satisfaction Guarantee

Construction: Polyester 40% / Nylon 25% / PU 20% / Elastane 15%

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

These are well made from good fabrics without any annoying loose threads.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

They've kept my hands warm in cold conditions without being particularly bulky, and kept water out on wet rides.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

There are very few signs of wear after 10 weeks of regular use, just a few marks on the synthetic leather of each palm.

Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10

My pet hate with many gloves (I've probably mentioned this before) is that the little finger is nearly as long as the ring finger. Nobody has hands like that! Thankfully, Endura's fit is good and there's plenty of stretch which is particularly useful around the wrists.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
9/10

I usually take L with gloves, occasionally XL. Endura's L fitted me well.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
10/10

These offer a ton of comfort.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

You could pay £15-£20 more for some winter gloves we've reviewed lately.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

These go in the machine at 30°C and wash well. As with other waterproof gloves, the insides can take a while to dry.

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

I've been really impressed. I usually have to wear really thick gloves in the heart of winter, compromising lever feel, but these have kept my hands comfortably warm while not being too bulky at all.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The level of warmth for their relative lack of bulk.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing's coming to mind.

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

We've reviewed long finger gloves priced from £14 to £70 recently. I'd definitely pay £55 for gloves this good. Cycling just isn't as fun when you have cold and/or wet hands.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

These are exceptionally good gloves. They're a definite 9.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 48  Height: 190cm  Weight: 80kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

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: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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