Loffi Liners

The Loffi Liners are easy to fit under a pair of winter gloves, although having more cycling-specific features would be good for when they're being used alone.

Loffi has been making a name for itself with its smiley gloves over the past couple of years, allowing waves to become slightly friendlier with its smile logo. These glove liners are essentially an add-on that can be worn underneath others in cold conditions.

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The gloves themselves are thin and warm, with a layer of fleece inside that helps both keep your hands toasty and is also soft and comfortable against the skin.

Loffi has used an elastane and polyester mix which gives the gloves a certain amount of stretch, meaning they can be relatively close fitting for wearing under gloves when required, and also that they will fit most hands. However, the material offers only a bit of windproofing, so on colder rides you need something more substantial over the top.

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Above around 8 degrees the gloves can be used by themselves, I'd say, although as they do not have any grip on the palms they aren't the best for longer rides, more like jaunts to the shops or a short commute. They also lack the signature Loffi smiley logo which is a shame, given that this is a key selling point across the rest of the brand's ranges.

Although breathability isn't quite as good as a single pair of gloves, it's pretty good when worn under another set and they also wick moisture nicely, something that is essential when keeping your hands warm on cold rides.

The lack of logo does mean they can be worn off the bike in a more casual setting – for instance, you could quite easily wear them on a winter's walk without anybody batting an eyelid like they might if you were wearing a pair of gloves with a big smiley face on.

Their RRP of £10 seems a fair price for a pair of thin, warm gloves. We haven't tested many glove liners on road.cc – Mat looked at the dhb Roubaix Liners back in 2012 which are £15 now but include grippers on the palm, making them a little more usable by themselves. Berghaus glove liners come in at £20, but they have touchscreen ability.

> Buyer’s Guide: 22 of the best winter cycling gloves

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On the whole I quite liked these gloves, but it's a shame they aren't more bike-friendly or people-friendly with the trademark Loffi smiley face. They are comfortable, warm and usable off the bike, but Loffi has missed a trick by not making them more usable on the bike by themselves.

Verdict

Fairly good as liners, but a shame they don't have more cycling-specific elements for use alone