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Stolen Goat Orkaan Arm Warmers

7
£30.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Striking and comfortable for cool starts and chillier evenings, with plenty of choice in the range if these hurt your eyes
Great for cool mornings and chilly evenings
Comfy
Don't slip down
Tight cuff seam
Questionable water-resistance
Weight: 
67g
Contact: 

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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Stolen Goat's Orkaan Arm Warmers offer protection against chills, comfort and zero 'slippage'. In typical Stolen Goat style, they are sure to draw attention to any hand signals, although if this 'Palace' design isn't for you there are plenty more to choose from.

Stolen Goat has taken a simple, one-seam approach with the Orkaan warmers. Despite this seam being substantial, I didn't find it irritating. You'll want to cut out the rather sizeable label though.

> Buy these online here

The warmers have a soft, fleece lining which works really well to keep your arms cosy and warm. They've been perfect in recent weeks when we've had some cool mornings, followed by warm afternoon sunshine. They roll up nicely to fit in a back pocket.

Stolen Goat claims the outer is aero, wind-resistant and water-resistant. For sure, they keep the chill off in temperatures around 8-14 degrees, but are less capable once it's properly cold. They cope down to around 6°C if it's calm and sunny, or your speeds are under 28-30kmph, but throw in a biting northerly or some decent speed (in lower temperatures) and the cold air cuts through them.

I also found that they didn't protect against much more than moisture in the air, or the lightest of rain (the sort that seems to be just droplets being carried by the wind, rather than actual rain). Stolen Goat does offer 'Waterproof' warmers in the Orkaan range, for no extra money.

I can't test the aero claims, but the material is silky smooth, if this is some indication. They also boast UV protection.

> Buyer’s Guide: 20 of the best arm & leg warmers for 2021

I didn't find the fit as good as many warmers I've used. On Stolen Goat's size chart, which takes a bicep measurement, I was on the cusp between 2 and 3, and tested a 3/M. I would suggest sizing down to get a snug fit as they were too generous around the bicep for me. That said, I also found the seam at the wrist very tight, certainly not in line with the generous girth further up the arm. It's a narrow seam rather than a wide band, so tends to leave a mark after every ride.

2021 Stolen Goat Orkaan Arm Warmers - cuff inside.jpg

The length is good, though – no risk of gaps between the top of the warmer and a sleeve cuff.

2021 Stolen Goat Orkaan Arm Warmers - cuff.jpg

Despite the generous fit on me, the warmers haven't slipped a millimetre throughout testing. They are held firmly in place by a silicone strip on an elastic band of material.

2021 Stolen Goat Orkaan Arm Warmers - cuff top gripper.jpg

If the aesthetics of this Palace design don't do it for you – it certainly gets your arm signals noticed, but I didn't find it easy to find coordinating kit – there are 12 others to choose from, even some plain(ish) ones.

Value

Considering you can get a pair of decent black warmers for a tenner from ETC, and Galibier's Ardennes II are less than £20, the Orkaan warmers hardly seem great value for money. That said, many options do come close to the £30 mark – Chapeau's are £30, for example, and Assos' Evo 7 warmers are £35.

> Spring cycling clothing guide: how to choose and use the best gear to ride through the most unpredictable season

If you like the Stolen Goat aesthetics, it could be worth looking at Cycology's range for £22, or Primal's, which vary between £22.50 and £25. Steve tested a pair of Primal Trimotifs a few years back.

Conclusion

The Orkaans offer decent protection in temperatures hovering around 10°C, which covers a good proportion of the UK's unpredictable seasons. They might struggle to compete with slightly cheaper alternatives but I wouldn't say they're hugely overpriced, and while the striking design won't be for everyone, with a good range of options on offer you should be able to find something to your liking.

Verdict

Striking and comfortable for cool starts and chillier evenings, with plenty of choice in the range if these hurt your eyes

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Stolen Goat Orkaan Arm Warmers

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

Stolen Goat says, 'Stolen Goat Orkaan Arm Warmers are constructed from the same water-resistant and wind-resistant fabric as our Orkaan Jerseys & Bib Shorts. Lined with a 'soft on the skin' thermal Roubaix inner which helps regulate your temperature and keep the wind at bay. These arm warmers are the perfect weapon against those bitter early morning starts and cooler Autumn/Spring days.'

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

Stolen Goat lists these features:

-Water-resistant

-Wind-resistant

-UV protection

-Lightweight

-Temperature regulating

-4-way stretch

-Aero

-Soft inside lining

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
6/10

The tight seam at the wrist didn't tally with the generous girth of the warmer. Length is good.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
7/10

If in doubt, size down for a good fit around the bicep, but be ready for a tight wrist seam.

Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10

Snug, cosy sensation from inner fleece. The tight wrist seam wasn't uncomfortable for me, but it might be an issue for some with bigger wrists. It did leave its mark after every ride.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

They're not the cheapest, but there are others out there for a similar price and more.

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

Instructions are, 'Handwash only at 30 degrees'. I used a 30-degree sport cycle, which has an 800rpm spin. They seem to be coping fine.

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

Keep you warm in cool conditions, though they're not ideal for when temperatures really dip.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Soft lining, good protection against chills.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Difficult to match up with other kit. Tight, narrow seam at cuff.

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

They are upper end of the scale. The Galibier Ardennes II are £19.58 and Primal's Trimotifs are £22.50, but others cost the same or more: Sportful's Thermodrytex warmers are £30 and Assos Evo 7 warmers are £35. You'll struggle to beat ETC's for a tenner, though.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? No

Would you recommend the product to a friend? If they like this kind of kit, yes.

Use this box to explain your overall score

These are good at keeping you warm in cool conditions and great at drawing attention to arm signals, but water resistance is minimal, and for me they were let down a little by the tight, narrow seam as a cuff.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 173cm  Weight: 64kg

I usually ride: Road  My best bike is: Carbon road.

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, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, Getting to grips with off roading too!

Emma’s first encounters with a road bike were in between swimming and running. Soon after competing for GB in the World Age Group Triathlon Championships in Edmonton in 2001 she saw the light and decided to focus on cycling. 

After a couple of half decent UK road seasons racing for Leisure Lakes, she went out to Belgium to sample the racing there and spent two years with Lotto-Belisol Ladies team, racing alongside the likes of Sara Carrigan, Grace Verbeke, Rochelle Gilmore and Lizzie Deignan. Emma moved from Lotto-Belisol to Dutch team Redsun, then a new Belgian team of primarily developing riders, where there was less pressure, an opportunity to share her experience and help build a whole new team; a nice way to spend her final years of professional racing. 

Since retiring Emma has returned to teaching. When not coercing kids to do maths, she is invariably out on two wheels. In addition to the daily commute, Emma still enjoys getting out on her road bike and having her legs ripped off on the local club rides and chain gangs. She has also developed an addiction to touring, with destinations including Iceland, Georgia and Albania, to mention just a few. There have also been rare sightings of Emma off-road on a mountain bike…

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5 comments

Avatar
Yorky-M | 2 years ago
1 like

Love the colours, will match my Rapha CX kit perfectly

Avatar
Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
0 likes

Interesting comment on the Non-waterproofness of these.  I was under the impression that everything branded Orkaan was water resistant. 
The only difference between these and the other "waterproof" Orkaan arm warmers appears to be the phrase "water beads off with ease" in the description. 

Avatar
IanEdward replied to Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
1 like

Hmm... this explains why my Orkaan arm warmers still get waterlogged and cold in the rain! I got distracted by the colour schemes so bought some Grizzlers, didn't notice there were specific Waterproof ones.

A wee bit disappointing that Stolen Goat don't make this distinction more clear, wondering what sort of water resistance I should be expecting out of my short sleeve Orkaan jersey now.

In general I got the impression they were really only for short rides where you would be running hot anyway, I bought them for CX training rides where I didn't want to risk tearing my Shakedry jacket apart on brambles!

Avatar
Secret_squirrel replied to IanEdward | 2 years ago
0 likes

As chance would have it I was out this morning for the first time in my Orkaan SS and the Kuro Black version of these.

FWIW the water beaded on the warmers but not the jersey, but for the 20 min the showers lasted I don't think I got wet (or if I did it was indistinguishable from sweat 😅)

It was 8c with a "feel" of 6c according to the weather app.  Like Emma I had chilly arms on the downhills but not unpleasantly so, just noticeable at speed.  I was a bit too warm on the up hills with just a SS wicking base layer on - so it was a real inbetween day!  Cranking along at 15-20mph on the flat and I was perfectly comfy.

The cuffs do leave a light mark on me but there is enough stretch to get four fingers between it and my wrist so it was never painful. I do have quite spindly wrists though  - so my warmers are a size 2/S.

Maybe the rule is choose black as they match with everything.  Hope this helps!

 

 

Avatar
CyclingSilvers replied to Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
1 like

It certainly didn't bead off these 'with ease'. Perhaps the 'waterproof' ones would put in a better performance.

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