Velocio Thermal Leg Warmers

Velocio's Thermal Leg Warmers are a decent choice if you don't like tights for winter miles, or you want the versatility of being able to remove them if the day warms up. The lack of aggressive grippers here is a big plus, and the fleecy fabric offers excellent protection in cold weather. However, the water repellency doesn't retain its full effectiveness for long, and be advised that the size guide isn't that accurate – you might need to size down. They're also a bit bulky for stuffing in a pocket.

Our guide to the best arm and leg warmers for cycling has more options.

> Buy now: Velocio Thermal Leg Warmers for £69 from Velocio

I tested Velocio's 'standard' leg warmers recently – they fitted brilliantly, felt comfy and offered decent protection in a lightweight package. In short, they set a high bar for the thermal version to compete with. With temperatures hovering between 6 and 12°C and plenty of wet roads and drizzle to test the warmers in, I've had five weeks to put them through their paces.

Fit

Velocio recommends you buy the same size leg warmers as your shorts (using its size chart). I reviewed a size medium, the same size as the regular leg warmers that I had no issues with – they stayed in place, even on longer rides. But while the Thermal Leg Warmers felt okay when I first pulled them on – the left-right tailoring is good – I needed to pull them higher up my leg than I have done any other warmer I've used, which felt odd, and they tended to slide down a little on longer rides, wrinkling behind the knees. This gathering was noticeable as the fleecy fabric has more thickness to it than many leg warmers.

They also don't offer the level of compression that the standard warmers had.

I'd definitely advise sizing down, particularly if you are bordering on a smaller size. Indeed, lining the regular warmer up alongside the thermal one demonstrates the significant size difference.

It's possible that the fit is not helped by the fabric composition either: the regular leg warmers are 74% polyamide, 26% elastane, while the thermal ones are 54% polyamide, 32% polyester, 14% elastane.

The material certainly feels cosy against the skin – like a warming hug for your legs as you head out into the cold – but in short, the sizing is not brilliantly executed.

Performance

We've certainly had no shortage of damp weather to test the DWR.

My very first ride with the leg warmers was memorable – a long two hours in continual drizzle, with temperatures hovering between 6 and 8°C. The leg warmers impressed, fending off drizzle admirably. In addition to this, I was cosy and warm throughout – an undeniable 10 out of 10 performance-wise on the first outing.

Sadly, with repeated washing, the fabric's ability to repel water has deteriorated. This is not surprising – Velcoio confirmed that the warmers have a DWR treatment that "does not contain any PFAs. This item uses C0 DWR treatment". In my experience, and as other reviewers at road.cc are discovering, the eco-friendly, PFA-free treatments just don't seem as effective as the harmful PFA ones.

Without doubt, the C0 DWR is still doing something. This is easily noticeable if you wear a non-treated leg warmer on one leg and Velocio's on the other, as I did, in order to compare water-handling ability. Quite simply, they are not performing as they did on day one; they can handle short, light showers and road spray, but are not up to two hours of continual rain.

There's always the option of using an in-wash treatment to revive the water repellency but, given the initial £70 outlay, I don't think it's ideal to have to fork out for treatments quite so quickly after purchasing.

The thermal properties are impressive. The leg warmers match some of my deep winter tights in terms of protection against cold air and biting winds. As someone who, in single digit temperatures, rarely wears anything other than tights, I rather struggled with post-ride pink hips. You'll need substantial thermal shorts to match the protection levels of the leg warmers in very cold temperatures.

Value

As thermal warmers with an ability to repel light road spray and intermittent drizzle, Velocio's warmers are comparable to 7mesh's Colorado Leg Warmers. Those are now £80, but I'd say £69 is still a steep price to pay given you are gambling on sizing and buying something whose performance in damp conditions will deteriorate over time.

Rapha's Thermal Leg Warmers make both 7mesh's and Velocio's look somewhat overpriced, at £55, though there is no water repellency here.

Altura's DWR Leg Warmer is a much more wallet-friendly option – £40 – though with only two sizes available, there might be fit issues here too.

Conclusion

Overall, Velocio's Thermal Leg Warmers offer excellent protection from the cold, and will fend off light road spray and even drizzle, but they will need regular re-treating to achieve 'like-new' performance. They don't come cheap, either, and you might also need to size down for an optimal fit.

Verdict

Very warm, but watch the sizing, and don't expect the water repellency to last