Bike Perfect Verdict
Toasty warm and surprisingly dextrous, these are sub-zero gloves with some neat touches
Pros
- +
Very warm
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Good wind and rain resistance
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Long, snug cuff
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Easy to pull on and tighten
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Decent dexterity given their bulk
Cons
- -
Can still get slightly snagged in double-paddle shifters
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Despite its deep-winter glove nameplate, the Giro Proof is one of the best MTB gloves on the market. It's waterproof, rated to 25 degrees Fahrenheit/-4 degrees Celsius and has a touchscreen finger so you don’t have to take them off. Our warmer-blooded testers sometimes found them too warm, but for the rest of us, they made the difference between going out and staying in.
Construction
You’re left in no doubt that the Giro Proof is about warmth and weatherproofing. A thick insulated interior and a long cuff are shrouded in a heavy-duty shell. Pulling them on is like climbing into a four-season sleeping bag.
As you’d hope, the waterproofing is a proper membrane, not just a DWR treatment, and there are two layers of insulation. If that all sounds bulky, it is, but the gloves are pre-curved to a handlebar shape to reduce bunching or tight spots, and a big yanking loop and a fat velcro tab on each glove make them easy to pull on and snug into place.
The inner fleece liner has a super-generous cuff length – an inch longer than our stalwart Gore winter gloves. If your jacket has narrow cuffs, in theory, you could tuck the liner cuff of the glove under your jacket cuff and the weatherproof outer of the glove can go over the top. Either way, no draughty gaps.
Other features include a rubberized palm, reflective edges for when you’re signaling, and touchscreen-friendly index fingers.
Performance
As a man who often wears two pairs of gloves at once, I found these brilliantly warm, even at freezing point. At a steady pace, they were sweat-free up until 43F/7C, and the wicking inner meant they didn’t feel clammy when things warmed up. We did find that warmer-blooded testers couldn’t wear them much above 37F/3C though. Operating the shifters was fine, too - at least for SRAM double-tap shifters and MTB shifters. Shimano road shifters required a fraction more concentration sometimes to avoid snagging, but not much.
The palm is grippy and last year’s version suggests it will stay that way, and the touchscreen-friendly fingertip worked with surprising precision.
Verdict
It’s hard to think you could get a much warmer glove than this and still remain in control of your bike. They’re the kind of kit that can make the difference between going out and not going out, with good practical features that mean you can pull them on, snug them up and forget about them.
If you’re wondering how these conventional five-finger gloves compare to Giro’s lobster-claw ‘100 Proof’ version that we wore last winter – these felt just as warm, and without the looser bulk of the mitten, operating double-paddle road shifters was a bit easier.
Tech Specs: Giro Proof winter gloves
- Price: $85.00 / £79.99
- Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
- Features: Waterproof membrane, insulation, microfleece lining, touchscreen compatible fingers
