The best winter gloves will keep your hands toasty in seriously cold weather. They’re an essential accessory for winter training, commuting by bike and any other riding in the colder months.
Riding with cold hands is miserable, but staying comfortable isn't as simple as just wearing the heaviest gloves possible. You need to make sure you can grip the bars, use your gears and brakes properly, and control your bike safely.
There’s no single choice that will work everywhere for everyone. So we’ve tested gloves from the big names, that are designed for a range of winter cycling, from wet and mild conditions through to dry and bitter.
Read on for a summary of our top glove picks for winter training, cold commutes and muddy mountain biking. There are links to the full reviews, too.
We have also included our buyer's guide to winter gloves below.
Otherwise, if you're in search of fingerless gloves, check out our guide to the best summer cycling gloves.
You can skip to road or mountain bike gloves by hitting the links below.
The best winter gloves for road cycling in 2024
Castelli Spettacolo RoS
- Price: £85 / $89.99 / AU$167 as tested
- Pros: High breathability and good warmth without bulk; easy-on with a long zipper
- Cons: Pricey
Castelli's Spettacolo RoS gloves (RoS meaning Rain or Shine) are designed for variable conditions, featuring a windproof, breathable membrane.
The premium insulation is thin but still keeps your hands warm. There’s a very grippy palm and the long zip makes it easy to get the gloves on and off.
Endura Deluge
- Price: £54.99 / $64.99 / €62 as tested
- Pros: Impervious to rain; low bulk-to-warmth ratio
- Cons: Slim fit won't suit wide hands
High levels of waterproofing and insulation make the Endura Deluge nearly the perfect winter road cycling gloves.
Endura has improved the cuff design of this latest version of the gloves. They are also now closer-fitting and less bulky, but just as warm as before, which boosts tactility on the handlebar.
GripGrab Windster 2 Winter Gloves
- Price: £65 / $80 / €70 as tested
- Pros: Lots of grippy surfaces; good insulation without too much bulk
- Cons: Palms are slightly stiff
GripGrab majors on grip and the Windster 2 gloves have plenty of silicone spread across the palms and fingers. There's also a large vibration-absorbing pad at the base of the palm.
GripGrab says the Windster 2 gloves are mid-weight and they'll handle temperatures down towards zero.
There's good wind-proofing and plenty of insulation, without it getting in the way or being too bulky. Visibility is taken care of well, with long reflective darts on the outside edges of the gloves and more reflectives on the backs and index fingers.
Pearl Izumi Amfib Lite
- Price: £54.99 as tested
- Pros: Lightweight and comfortable; great all-rounders
- Cons: Not fully waterproof
The Pearl Izumi Amfib Lites have all the usual winter glove features – thermal padded insulation, a water-resistant outer and a long, adjustable cuff – but Pearl has pared them back as much as possible, while still maintaining their cold-combatting qualities.
The 60g PrimaLoft Gold insulation has little bulk, the soft and supple synthetic leather palm is unlined, so you have a good connection to the handlebar, and the thumb and index fingertips are touchscreen-friendly.
These are great gloves for cold and damp morning rides, keeping your hands warm but not sweaty.
They wet out after a couple of hours in full-on rain, but our tester hasn't tried many gloves of this weight that last longer in adverse conditions.
Prologo Energrip
- Price: £80 / €77.70 as tested
- Pros: Class-leading grip; superb fit
- Cons: Too breathable for properly cold days
Prologo has incorporated its patented CPC grip (usually found on its saddles) in the palm of the Energrips, creating gloves with impressive levels of grip and shock absorption.
The gloves are well-shaped, and the laser-cut cuff keeps them in place. A suede-like palm material conforms well and adds a reassuring layer of protection, while the back of the hand features a breathable material that limits these gloves on the coldest of winter days.
The thumb features a soft wipe, and the forefinger and thumb pads are touchscreen-sensitive.
Shimano Infinium PrimaLoft
- Price: £60 / $77 / €60 / AU$98 as tested
- Pros: Quality materials make for insulation without bulk; effective touchscreen fingers
- Cons: Not many grippers on palms
The Shimano Infinium PrimaLoft gloves use two name-brand materials for insulation without bulk.
The insulation is restricted to the backs of the gloves, so it works well without compromising the ability to use the controls. It sits below a Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper outer layer that's very windproof and also resists lighter rain, while the palms are made of synthetic suede, providing a good level of grip.
Shimano's touchscreen fingertips are very effective. The ability to use a touchscreen in gloves can be limited, but the Shimano Infinium PrimaLoft gloves enable you to carry out more intricate operations effectively on your cycling computer or phone.
dhb Aeron Lab All Winter Polartec Gloves
- Price: £50 / $65 / €50 / AU$85 as tested
- Pros: Brilliant fit; bad-weather defence
- Cons: Not enough grip for muddy gravel
The dhb Aeron Lab All Weather Polartec gloves protected our tester's hands in the cold and wet.
They also fit very well, and are cheaper and slimmer than many competitors. You can use a touchscreen with the fingertips too.
Grip isn't quite good enough for dirty gravel riding, though.
Endura Windchill
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- Price: £29.99 / $49.99 / €39.99 as tested
- Pros: All-round performance; great value with clever touches
- Cons: Snug fit might be too tight for wide hands
Endura's Windchill gloves combine ventilation with wind resistance to make them a versatile budget option. They also fit snugly.
Handy features include a patch over the back of the hand and fingers to guard against gusts. Padding on the palms adds comfort when riding on the drops.
In addition, there are reflective strips on the outside of the gloves.
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Castelli Perfetto Max
- Price: £85 / $80 / €80 / AU$135 as tested
- Pros: Warm, light and close-fitting; plenty of grippy surfaces on palms and fingers
- Cons: Care labels cause irritation
The Castelli Perfetto Max gloves belong to the brand's pro-level clothing range and are the warmest option in the Perfetto gloves line-up. Despite this, they're light at 64g a pair and quite thin, but the dense fleecy lining provides plenty of insulation.
Castelli gives you a large grippy area on the palms, more grippers on the fingers and a pad to protect your median nerve. The gloves are close-fitting, so you have a firm grip on the bar and controls. They're comfortable once you've cut out the care and name tag labels, which tend to rub on the outer sides of the palms.
Chrome Midweight Cycle Gloves
- Price: £47 as tested
- Pros: Very toasty; fit well
- Cons: Minimal padding won't be for all
The Chrome Midweight Cycle Gloves are the most traditionally styled gloves here, with a shorter cuff, double-skin construction and a warm thermal lining.
It’s a design more suited to leisure and commuter cycling, when you’re likely to be wearing a non-riding winter coat.
The fit is excellent, the fingers are long and Chrome’s comprehensive online sizing guide ensures you can find the right fit.
Their 70D ripstop nylon backs keep water at bay, with rain beading on the surface, enabling you to shake them dry.
They have minimal padding, thumb and fingertips that are touchscreen-compatible and subtle reflective details.
Among the warmest gloves around, the Chromes would be a strong choice for commuting with heavier winter jackets.
Gore C5 Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves
- Price: £64.99 / $79.99 / AU$110 as tested
- Pros: Great insulation and breathability; comfortable, padded, grippy palms
- Cons: Short thumb
DWR-treated fabric and a breathable waterproof membrane give Gore's C5 Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves a high level of wet-weather protection, while there’s plenty of insulation to retain body warmth.
The synthetic leather palms retain grip well in the damp and include extra foam padding at pressure points.
Madison Zenith 4-Season DWR
- Price: £25 as tested
- Pros: Suitable for wet, chilly rides; touchscreen-compatible
- Cons: Lack of padding might not suit some
Madison's Zenith 4-Season gloves are water-resistant and windproof thanks to a DWR treatment. When soggy, they managed to remain warm.
A great-value choice for foul weather, they also feel comfortable anywhere you hold the handlebars.
Rapha Brevet Reflective
- Price: £80 as tested
- Pros: Insulated; dainty and comfortable on the bar
- Cons: Not the best for near-zero riding
Rapha's Brevet gloves are warm, light and reflective, and would be hard to beat, if not for their high price.
Given their weight, the Brevets cope well in the cold, easily withstanding temperatures as chilly as 5°C.
Sportful Sottozero
- Price: £75 / $80 / €65 / AU$105 as tested
- Pros: Phenomenally warm; flawless fit
- Cons: Overheat on milder days
The Sportful Sottozero gloves are exceptionally well insulated. They kept our tester's hands warm in sub-zero temperatures, as their name in Italian would suggest.
This strength is a weakness on milder days, when your mitts are likely to overheat.
The well-fitting and flexible Sottozero gloves also perform well in the rain by remaining grippy and reasonably water-resistant.
The best winter gloves for mountain biking in 2024
100% Brisker
- Price: £29 / $35 / €35 / AU$47 as tested
- Pros: Superb in the wet; good dexterity; grippy
- Cons: Less good in dry cold
The 100% Briskers fit snugly and keep your hands toasty in the rain, while remaining grippy. They are also hardwearing and touchscreen-friendly.
A great choice for overall winter performance, but your fingers might tingle on the chilliest of days.
Bluegrass Vapour Lite
- Price: £32 / €35 as tested
- Pros: Thin and comfortable; all-round good fit
- Cons: Silicone gripper dots unstick after a while
The Bluegrass Vapour Lites are some of the best mountain bike gloves we've tested for mild conditions.
Such is their thinness and flexibility, our tester was able to use his fingers as well as if he was bare-handed. The well-fitting gloves don't crease or bunch up either.
Being highly breathable, the Bluegrass Vapour Lites help prevent your hands getting too sweaty. However, they are best in temperatures warmer than 10ºC.
Endura Singletrack Windproof
- Price: £30 / $45 / €40 / AU$60 as tested
- Pros: Top of the class for on-the-bike comfort; live up to their claim to be windproof
- Cons: Touchscreen-incompatible
These flexible gloves fitted our tester so well, they could’ve forgotten they were wearing them.
They withstand the most Baltic of breezes, but don’t ward off water as well as the Briskers and don’t work with touchscreens.
Giro Proof
- Price: £80 as tested
- Pros: Protection from all but the worst winter weather; retain a tactile feel
- Cons: Slip between inner and outer layers
These extremely warm and waterproof gloves are ideal for the depths of winter, when diminished dexterity is preferable to frostbitten fingers.
Their fantastic insulation brings bulk, which may cause overheating when riding hard and on milder winter days.
Madison DTE 4 Season DWR
- Price: £24.99 as tested
- Pros: Effective wind-blocking; touchscreen-compatible; good snot wipe
- Cons: Cuffs could be longer
The Madison DTE 4 Season DWR's stretchy neoprene fabric provides a good fit and boosts warmth, even when wet.
Wind-blocking is good and the DWR coating is effective in showers. The thin palm gives a great bar feel, plus the fingers work well with screens and there’s a large, soft snot wipe.
Despite lacking Velcro, the gloves are easy to get on and off, even with damp hands. They’re well-priced, too, with lots of sizes available.
The cuffs could be longer. We’d prefer a silicone gripper on the index, rather than the middle, finger, for braking. The fingers are shorter than most, too.
Nukeproof Blackline Winter Glove
- Price: £32 as tested
- Pros: Great all-rounders for winter riding; retain good handlebar feel
- Cons: Struggle on the coldest rides
Considering the reasonable price, we were impressed by the performance here. The backs of these gloves are made from a fleece-lined waterproof softshell fabric that does a grand job of keeping water and windchill out. Importantly, though, this material isn’t particularly bulky.
Once on, they feel similar to regular riding gloves, the tips of the index finger and thumb get touchscreen-friendly patches, and there’s a neoprene cuff with Velcro closure that sits on the back of the hand and keeps them secure.
We’ve worn these in everything from sub-zero temperatures to heavy downpours and have always been impressed. They aren’t as toasty as the 100% Briskers, but that slimmer feel broadens their appeal and we’d still wear these on milder windy days.
Renen GC-2
- Price: £32 / $38 / €37 as tested
- Pros: Competitive price; simple but effective
- Cons: Could work better with touchscreens
The Renen GC-2s are top-quality mountain bike gloves, providing warmth, comfort and just the right amount of feedback from the bar.
Although they aren't packed with tech – the fingertips don't work that well with touchscreens, for example – the reasonable price and simple design compensate.
Specialized Neoshell
- Price: £45 as tested
- Pros: Low-bulk but warm; long cuffs keep cold out
- Cons: Water can make its way in
The Specialized Neoshell gloves use Polartec NeoShell fabric for a stretchy, comfortable fit and to exclude cold wind effectively. The DWR treatment makes water bead well, and despite their low bulk, the gloves stay relatively warm, even when wet.
They have long cuffs, which help keep draughts out, and the simple palm contributes to an excellent bar feel. A Velcro closure ensures these gloves are easy to pull on and off.
In extended rain, water will eventually make its way in through the cuffs and fingertips. There’s no silicone gripper and only the index finger is screen-compatible.
Troy Lee Designs Swelter
- Price: £50 as tested
- Pros: Slim-fitting and comfy; keep fingers warm and agile
- Cons: Not the warmest on the coldest days
Providing insulation and windproofing without the heft associated with some winter gloves, the Swelters would suit warm-blooded riders or high-intensity riding.
The gloves don’t compromise on ride feel or grip, but they’re not cut out for days when the temperature tumbles. They are not waterproof either.
7iDP Chill
- Price: £29.99 as tested
- Pros: Svelte design; impressive in cold or dry weather
- Cons: Not the most waterproof, but retain warmth
These well-priced gloves from 7iDP do a decent job of keeping your hands warm in cold weather. The thin palm allows plenty of feedback through from the grips, and the relatively svelte design means they don’t feel bulky or make it tricky to operate your gears or brakes.
While you can feel the seams that run along the fingers when you first slip them on, get riding and you’ll soon forget about them.
The micro-fleece neoprene back does a good job of blocking out cold air. While the Chills won’t keep your hands totally dry on really wet days, they’ll still manage to do a good job of keeping them warm.
Altura Polartec Waterproof Gloves
- Price: £50 as tested
- Pros: Good value; waterproof and comfortable
- Cons: Fingers could be longer; touchscreen patch isn't reliable
The feel of these gloves is good for their level of warmth and waterproofing. They are also windproof, but their insulation doesn't impede dexterity.
The fit on the fingers is a bit tight and they don’t work particularly well with touchscreens. Despite their name, the Polartecs will be out of their depth in near-zero temperatures.
Fox Defend Fire Gloves
- Price: £50 / €55 / AU$85 as tested
- Pros: Padded to protect knuckles; comfortable on long rides; work with screens well
- Cons: Could be warmer and grippier
Pleasant to wear on and off the bike despite the padding, the Defend Fires fit well and can be used with screens.
Compared to the best gloves, such as the 100% Brisker and Endura Singletrack, they’re slippier and less warm.
Fox Ranger Fire
- Price: £35 / $45 / €35 / AU$60 as tested
- Pros: Deep-winter warmth; good comfort
- Cons: Slippy in the wet
The Fox Ranger Fire mountain bike gloves kept our tester's hands toasty and comfortable in nippy conditions.
We think Fox could improve the Ranger Fires by removing or reducing in size the silicone patches on the thumbs and fingers. In the wet, these become slippery.
Sealskinz Waterproof All Weather MTB
- Price: £45 / $70 / €55 as tested
- Pros: High level of waterproofing; good feel on the bar; warm on the coldest days
- Cons: May need to size up for a comfortable fit
As well as being waterproof, even when submerged, the Sealskinz have a tactile feel on the bike. They are adequately warm for frosty conditions, as long as you’re maintaining the effort.
Our tester found them a close fit on the back of the hand, so size up or try on before you buy.
How to choose the best winter gloves for your riding
Match your gloves to your typical riding conditions
A super-thick pair of gloves is not necessarily the best bet, particularly if you live somewhere where winter temperatures typically hover in the mid-single digits, and the climbs and descents are quite short, such as the southern UK.
However, if you ride somewhere where it gets properly cold, or are tackling long winter descents, in the Alps or Rockies for instance, you’ll likely need more insulation to keep your hands comfortable. A good overlap with the cuffs of your jacket will also help keep the chill at bay.
Your needs will also depend on how hot you run. If you’re putting in larger efforts, your hands will probably warm up after half an hour’s riding or so, even if they start out a bit too cold, and a thickly padded glove might begin to feel sweaty.
Wet conditions will also leave you colder, so most gloves will have a waterproof membrane and/or DWR surface coating to help keep your hands drier.
Materials
The palms of most gloves will be made of synthetic leather, although some are real leather and there are other options too. Synthetic leather typically gives good bar feel, although it may wet out in the rain. On the plus side, it should dry quicker than the real thing.
The glove’s back will usually be windproof and most winter gloves will include a water-resistant liner to help keep your hands dry. Beware, though, because some liners are more breathable than others.
The best will let sweat out readily, but a cheaper liner may leave your hands uncomfortably sweaty, and they can get sore if you’re out on a long ride.
Some cuffs are designed to fit over jackets, others under them. There needs to be enough length to ensure a decent overlap, so your wrists don't get cold. A more chunky cuff worn over a jacket may offer more warmth, but only if it's adequately closed; a Velcro tab is the preferred option.
Grip, padding and other features
In wet conditions, you’ll want to make sure that you have a firm hold on the bars, so palm grip is important. Most gloves will have silicone printing on the palms and fingers for a firm hold on the bars and controls. Plus, it’s nice to have some padded areas in the palms to absorb road vibration if you’re planning longer rides, so look out for gel inserts.
A touchscreen-sensitive fingertip will mean you can operate your bike computer as you ride, or use your phone without taking your gloves off. An absorbent area will enable you to wipe rain from your glasses, while reflective elements or bright colours will up your road presence and help highlight your hand signals.
