Dissent 133 Glove Layering System review

The Dissent 133 Glove Layering System comprises four different pairs of gloves that can be used in various combinations to suit a wide range of weather conditions.

A quick read through our winter glove reviews shows that there’s no one solution that works for all conditions; a heavy winter glove such as the Rapha Deep Winter might be a bit too warm for milder damp days, while a less padded option such as the Castelli Spettacolo might leave you with cold hands on a frosty morning.

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The Dissent 133 glove layering system, from the team behind Hunt Bike Wheels, aims to give versatility for a range of conditions by combining four different sets of gloves.

At its core are two different weights of inner glove: a set of silk liners and a pair of knitted Cordura gloves.

Whereas the silk option is gripper-free and a bit light to wear on its own, the Cordura glove has an extensive silicone gripper pattern on its palm and fingers, and can be used on its own in mild weather (Dissent 133 suggests temperatures around 10°C). When it's slightly cooler, but still dry, you can layer it up with the silk liners for extra warmth.

For protection in worse conditions, the ShowerLite outer gloves are showerproof and windproof, while the heavier duty option provides full-on rainproofing.

In fact, there are two rainproof options available, which you can order in two different four-glove sets: the HDry glove tested here is relatively unpadded, while the HiPora option adds extra insulation for sub-zero rides. All the outer gloves have long cuffs, with easy-to-adjust Velcro closures.

In damp 5°C weather in the south of the UK, the HDry gloves coupled with a liner gave plenty of warmth. If you’re after more insulation, you can always wear both liner gloves inside the HDry outers. This does lead to rather a bulky feel, although no more so than the most padded gloves tested from other marques.

Dissent 133 hasn’t skimped on other important features either. There are plenty of reflectives on the outer glove options and touchscreen fingertips to all but the silk liners. There’s also extensive silicone printing that helps with grip on wet rides.

At a price pushing towards £100, the Dissent 133 system is a fairly expensive option but you’re likely to get a lot more use out of it throughout the year than a single-condition set of winter gloves (and it's still less cash than certain brands charge for a single pair). There are plenty of wet days in the milder months, when a pair of waterproof outers are likely to add comfort to your rides.

If you don’t want both outer glove options, Dissent 133 also sells sets with just one pair of outers and you can buy separate single pairs of all the gloves, too.