dhb's Extreme Winter gloves appear to have all the features we seek for comfortable winter riding at a bargain price, but they're let down by their grip, padding and breathability.
For a glove promising high warmth and water resistance, the dhb Extreme Winter is very reasonably priced. The company says there’s a breathable membrane wrapped up in the water and wind resistant shell, along with thick insulation.
That insulation provides plenty of warmth, although it’s quite stiff, so I found using the shifters to be a bit awkward. The fingers don’t wrap around the controls particularly well and fine control is lacking.
This is in spite of articulated joints midway up all the fingers and the silicone printing on the forefinger and middle finger.
The palms of the dhb Extreme Winters are made of synthetic leather and there are pads in the heel of the hand, across the inside of the knuckles and at the base of the thumb.
Although these should help alleviate pressure points, I found that the uneven distribution of the padding was a problem. It tended to ruck up under the palms, rather than lying evenly across the bars.
There are no grippers or silicone printing on the palms either, so grip on the bar tops wasn’t as secure as with most other gloves I’ve tested, an effect compounded by the rather smooth, plasticky feel of the material used.
I didn’t find the Extreme Winter gloves to be very breathable either. Once I’d warmed up, I found my hands getting a bit sweaty when it wasn't properly chilly outside. Combined with the awkward padding, this resulted in my palms feeling a bit sore once I’d ridden for more than a couple of hours.
Reflective details are limited to the dhb logo on the outer cuff. You get a deep wrist cuff with a wide Velcro closure, and this overlaps well with a jacket. There's also a large wipe area built into the top of the thumb, so removing rain from your sunnies or snot from your nose is very easy.
You don’t get a touchscreen active fingertip though, so you’ll need to take your gloves off to use your phone.
In fairness, the dhb Extreme Winter gloves seem more geared to the commuter than the hardened winter training rider and on shorter, wet and cold rides they provide adequate protection at a good price.
Their rather detached feel on bars and controls means they’re not the best option for longer excursions, however.
Product
| Brand | dhb |
| Price | 44.00 AUD,32.00 GBP |
Features
| br_gender | mens |
| br_gender | womens |
| br_clothingKeyFeatures | fleece_lined |
| br_clothingKeyFeatures | reflective_ |
| br_clothingKeyFeatures | waterproof |
| br_clothingKeyFeatures | windproof |
| Features | Waterproof and windproof glove with insulation for cold and wet conditions, Hollow fill insulation to retain warmth, Internal waterproof breathable membrane, Comfortable brushed fleece lining, Hook and loop closure at wrist for secure fit, Articulated fingers, Foam padding on palm, Silicone gripper on index and middle finger for shifting and brake lever control, Microfiber nose wipe, Reflective dhb logos, |
