Craft Storm Glove

When you want high quality cycle clothing for the winter, Swedish brand Craft is one company that always stands out for me. They make excellent cold weather clothing that generally fits really well and works superbly in the chillier conditions of autumn and winter.

These Storm gloves are a good example. They lack the bulk of heavier duty winter gloves but despite that provide impressive insulation, striking a good balance that makes them pretty much spot on for most typical British winter days.

Craft use a water resistant softshell fabric on the palm with enough padding for long-distance cycling comfort, and a waterproof shell fabric on the top that provides decent wet weather performance. They're not a waterproof glove as such, but for light showers they cope just fine and it takes a seriously prolonged downpour to overcome their defence. They're completely windproof so ideal for cold and dry days.

They're fleece lined and provide impressive insulation despite their lack of bulk. They're best kept for temperatures below 6-8 degrees. Any warmer and your hands can begin to feel a bit too toasty. It doesn't take long at the beginning of a ride to generate a bit of heat which makes them ideal for commuting or early morning training rides.

An advantage of their slimness is the excellent dexterity they give you on the handlebar and when operating the brake levers and gear shifters. They're also easy gloves to manipulate the touch screen on a Garmin Edge computer.

They're a good fitting glove. The finger length is just right and the gloves are snug, but not tight, around the top of the hand, palm and wrist.

The palms are decorated with a silicone print which provides a bit of each adhesion on the handlebars, especially ideal in a spot of light rain when the controls can become a little slippery.

The elasticated cuff is a generous length and fits over a long-sleeve jersey. The thumb is covered with a satisfyingly soft Terry towel that is brilliant for wiping a runny nose, or the sweat from your face. A handful of reflective details boosts low light visibility.

They're available in two colours, black if you're more conservative or these rather good looking yellow ones. They're not all that expensive at the recommended price, but shopping around does reveal you can get them discounted, which makes them even more of a bargain than they already are.

Verdict

Provide brilliant warmth on cold days with the best fit I've yet come across in a glove