Altura All Roads Waterproof Gloves

The Altura All Roads Waterproof Glove is a versatile waterproof, wind-cheating and breathable design with features that lend themselves well to most types of riding. Their subtle, less technical stying also makes them suitable for other outdoor activities than cycling.

Want warm and dry hands this winter? Then check out our best winter gloves buyer's guide, which covers gloves from around a tenner to over 100 quid.

Materials/Specification

Much like the Q365 Anfibio Winter Rain Cycling Gloves I reviewed last year, these follow the narrative of a waterproof sock rather than that of a traditional cycling glove. The wool-feel outer is made from a soft-feeling 49% polyester/44% polyamide mix coupled with 4% elastodiene, 2% elastane and 1% metal fibre.

Ours came in the 'carbon' colourway, which I'd describe as 'charcoal', but they're also available in dark olive. Impervious designs with TPU linings will certainly keep the elements out – even submerged deep in a freezing lake – but they'll also leave your hands uncomfortably sweaty in all but the coldest, most bitter conditions. Altura cites a waterproof rating of 20,000mm, which is very high, and a breathability rating of 4,500g/m2/24hrs for its All Roads.

Inside we have Altura's 'Rainguard' membrane that's based around acrylic. The gloves feature a seamless construction for comfort, with ribbed cuffs to complete the weather-cheating seal.

The palms have acres of silicone grippers, while the tech-friendly fingers also have retro-reflective finger and thumb tips to stop things from being too stealthy.

Sizing and fit

The All Roads are available in six sizes from XS to 2XL. Traditionally Altura's sizing has always been on the generous side, so I wasn't surprised to find the medium size was a perfect fit for me. As with most brands these days, Altura's sizing chart is both comprehensive and accurate.

As you'd hope, they're a snug fit while still retaining dexterity. I have long, slim fingers and I found I had plenty of room without them being baggy at the tips. The fit combined well with the gloves' silicone and their related tech to make using multi-tools and tyre levers straightforward, as the last thing you want is the misery of frozen fingers when you're tackling a flat, miles from home. Cuff length was good too – shorter than you'll find on some winter gauntlets but still providing a good, weather-cheating seal with jerseys and jackets.

Performance

It's clear that Altura has put a lot of thought into creating its All Roads, and they certainly live up to the gloves' all-terrain, chameleon design brief. Though the palms are less padded than you'll find on most winter cycling gloves, I didn't find this an issue, and the pre-shaped fingers means there's an excellent feel with brifters, bar controls and brake levers. And I also had no issue rummaging in pockets or panniers, using keys or grabbing a bottle from a cage while riding.

Thanks to the palms' extensive silicone detailing, connection with bar tapes was also universally good – from slippery bike ribbon to leather, polymer-infused tapes and natural silicones. Natural silicone tape is the best match for the the gloves, especially if you're riding off road, as it offers more damping. (As an aside, I found the gloves paired well with Acros's impressive Silicone Bar Tape.)

Regardless of the weather conditions, and taking the lack of feeling in my index fingertip into account, I found communication with phones, GPS and similar touchscreen tech was extremely reliable.

Temperature regulation was equally impressive during testing, where most of my riding was done in conditions ranging from around 3-8°C. I experience some faint misting, much as I did with the Q365 Dry, but this never crossed into clamminess. Surprisingly I only really noticed this when removing the gloves having battled against a headwind for 60 minutes.

The gloves proved impressive at keeping the wind out too. I could feel the wind against the gloves' outer fibres, and also against my softshell jacket, but the inner membrane made sure this wind never penetrated the gloves, which was a slightly strange but very satisfying sensation.

There's been plenty of rain during testing too, which also left hub-deep puddles along my local backroads. And the All Roads did a similarly admirable job keeping the rain out, even heavy rain in blustery conditions. As with the Q365 gloves, the Altura's outers will eventually saturate, which results in a curious feeling – you're aware of the gloves' sogginess but your hands are still reassuringly dry and warm. If you ever wear waterproof socks, it's a feeling you'll recognise.

However, this only became obvious after I'd submerged them close to the cuff line off-road. When they do become sodden, bargain on 90 minutes riding at a moderate pace before they start feeling noticeably drier, and typically a couple of hours after being washed. Having experienced this a few times, I brought my elderly Gore-Tex over mitts along as a precaution.

Even when I was riding in torrential rain the gloves' silicone palms meant I was always in control, regardless of how challenging the conditions were. Given the amount of rain we've had recently, I chose my rough-stuff tourer for most of the testing, and racked up 600 miles wearing the All Roads.

Big tyres and a carbon fork provide a good deal of damping on road, so the lack of tingling and numbness was no surprise. However, I was impressed at how fresh my hands felt after four hours on quiet lanes, unmade roads and forest trails.

Durability/Care

Ours still look packet fresh a few weeks and hundreds of miles down the line, with not so much as a bobble in sight. This is nothing less than I'd expect but it's reassuring as I've been bombing along trails littered with overhanging prickly foliage. They've survived 30°C washes with minimal detergent, as well as a sneaky 40°C wash or two to emulate them being thrown in with the household wash. This gives me no reason to believe they won't provide years of service.

Value

The £55 RRP is a couple of quid cheaper than that of the Q365 Dry gloves that I tested last year, and which continue to impress me with their weather resistance.

The Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof Gloves are a fiver cheaper and impressed Mat with their weather-cheating prowess, although he remarked that the membrane's wicking prowess wasn't keeping pace with his sweat build-up on a very long climb.

Seal Skinz Waterproof All Weather Multi-Activity Glove with Fusion Control are £70 and promise 100% waterproof fabric, bonded liners (so preventing bunching and related nuisances) 'unmatched breathability', high dexterity and superior grip.

If you've got deep pockets, the Castelli Estremo Winter Cycling Gloves now cost well over £100 but Mat appreciated their warmth and comfort.

Conclusion

Altura has delivered on the All-Roads design brief – and if you're looking for a glove to perform well in all sorts of conditions, it's certainly worth considering. In many respects there's not much to separate the Alturas from the Q365s, and the 'soggy yet dry' sensation is an acquired taste and may not suit all of us. That said, thanks in part to thicker palms, the All Roads have a slight edge for gravel and more dirt-biased riding.

Verdict

Subtle but impressive gloves with very good resistance to the worst of the weather, and suitable for road and beyond