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review
£25.00
VERDICT:
Stretchy knee warmers that provide good insulation and plenty of comfort
Weight:
77g
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.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Alé Seamless knee warmers are super-stretchy, they shift sweat well, and they're very comfortable.
These are made from Dryarn which is a mix of polypropylene, polyamide (nylon) and elastane. This stuff is really stretchy so it's easy to get the Alé knee warmers on and off over your shoes mid-ride without them catching on buckles, straps or cleats.
> Find your nearest dealer here
The stretch of the fibre, along with the fact that these are ribbed, means that although these come in only one size, you'll almost certainly get a good fit without any tightness.
There's no gripper inside the top hem but I didn't find them creeping down at any point. Chances are that the grippers at the end of your shorts' legs will hold them in place just fine.
The Dryarn fabric shifts moisture from your skin well and it dries out very fast. Plus, if you do start to overheat, as mentioned, whipping these knee warmers off is a really quick job, and they take up very little space when rolled up and stashed in a jersey pocket.
In terms of insulation, they provide a middling level of warmth – enough to keep the chill off your knees on a morning ride before the sun has really started to do its thing, for example, or to avoid creaks when the sun dips in the evening and you've got an hour left to ride.
> Check out our guide to the best arm and leg warmers
The Alé knee warmers have a degree of shaping that reduces creasing slightly as you pedal. They're very comfortable although, despite the name, a seam runs top to bottom, as it does on most other knee warmers (and the Alé Seamless Arm Warmers I also tested). Admittedly, that seam is flat and could hardly be more unobtrusive; you just can't feel it and there's no chance of it chafing.
Sooner or later, someone is bound to ask whether it says 'ale' on your knee warmers as opposed to 'Alé', which may or may not be a good thing in your eyes.
Verdict
Stretchy knee warmers that provide good insulation and plenty of comfort
road.cc test report
Make and model: Alé Seamless Knee Warmer
Size tested: One size
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Alé says, "Tubular kneewarmer for an efficient thermoregulation."
Simple as that!
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
The Alé knee warmers are made from Dryarn fabric.
Dryarn is mainly polypropylene with some polyamide (nylon) and elastane.
Polypropylene doesn't absorb moisture but it can be good at transporting it, especially in a loose weave like this.
Rate the product for quality of construction:
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
Rate the product for fit:
7/10
Rate the product for sizing:
6/10
Rate the product for weight:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
8/10
Rate the product for value:
6/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
They go into the machine with the rest of your cycling kit and come out looking fine. They don't retain any odours.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
They do a good job. They keep your knees warm, they don't rub, and they're easy to get on and off.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The fact that they're very stretchy means they're very easy to get on and off over your shoes.
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 score
£25 is a middling price for a pair of knee warmers. These do the required job well to justify that price.
About the tester
Age: 43
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. 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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