Keeping hands warm when riding in cold weather is a perennial problem for cyclists. Gloves need to be warm, wind-resistant and even waterproof for the worst conditions, yet also be dexterous enough for brake operation, gear shifting (especially with fiddly Di2 buttons) and snack retrieval.
Keeping hands warm on a bike in the winter is never easy
(Image credit: Andy jones)
I have a little bit of a glove obsession, with more drawers full of cycling and skiing gloves than I’d care to admit, and for the last few years, most of my winter riding has been done using a pair of midweight ski gloves rather than anything bike specific. Perhaps Giro’s Xnetic H2O gloves could tempt me back into cyclewear?
Available in Black and Hi-Viz Yellow, sizes S-XL.
Construction
Construction is fairly basic, with Giro’s own RainGuard membrane sandwiched between a knitted nylon outer and a softer inner fabric using a seamless design. The palms and fingers are well-covered in silicone grip, whilst the thumb and forefinger on both hands are touchscreen compatible.
Grippy palm, neat fit and touchscreen compatible
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
The cuff is a reasonable length, but there is no attempt at any pre-formed shape or articulation; instead, the gloves rely on their stretchy knit to allow the fingers to bend and grip.
The ‘Giro’ lettering is reflective, but small, so best not relied upon for safety – there is Hi-Vis Yellow option available, however.
The ride
At first glance, the Xnetic H2O gloves look quite basic and un-techy, or to spin it more positively, ‘minimalist’, but when you pick them up, you can feel that there is a bit more going on than meets the eye.
The RainGuard membrane makes itself known by the slightly crinkly feel and sound of the material, and there is also some bulk to the fabric, which should translate to warmth.
Sizing is perhaps a touch on the snug side; my usual size large fitted me fine, helped by the very stretchy nature of the gloves, but I think that an XL would have been OK too. The fitted, knitted cuffs ensured that there was no frigid gap between my winter jacket and the gloves, and their low-bulk design meant that it was simple to pull the jacket cuff over the glove.
The cuffs of the gloves fit easily under a jacket
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
Although there is no specific padding on the palm, I found that the thickness of the 3-layer construction provided ample protection (even feeling a little too thick on my gravel bike with its more cushioned bar tape). Despite the gloves’ thickness, dexterity was pretty good, helped no doubt by their close-fitting nature. Operating my bike’s controls was fine, and furkling in my rear pockets wasn’t too bad either, although it is never easy with full-finger gloves on.
I was surprised by their warmth; on a December night ride with my Wahoo suggesting a temperature of -1°C, my digits were perfectly ok for 90 minutes, although Giro only rates them for use down to 5°C.
Buoyed by this success, I wore them on an all-day, 100km gravel ride with the trails covered in snow and temperatures between -6° and -3°. Although there were times when my fingertips were cold, they warmed up on the climbs, and I was hugely impressed with them overall. My only tiny criticism is that the outer material is a little rough for an entire day of snot wiping!
Minus 3 was the warmest temperature for the whole ride
(Image credit: Tim Russon)
Breathability was also much better than I expected. The audible crinkliness of the membrane had me thinking that they might be a bit ‘boil in the bag’, but they actually fared very well in the moisture management stakes, treading the fine line between heat retention and breathability brilliantly. There is no use being highly insulating if your hands get wet from their own sweat – this is a surefire way to get cold.
Where they weren’t quite so impressive was when rain was involved. Not because they weren’t waterproof – I don’t think any water got past the membrane – but because that soft, comfy knit construction of the outer fabric acts like a sponge and soaks up water. This then quickly pulls heat away from the skin, chilling down the hand and is also highly likely to impede breathability too.
Dexterity was good enough that many tasks didn’t require removal
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
They do dry pretty quickly, but it is not ideal that they are at their coldest just when you probably need them to be at their warmest.
I found the touchscreen tips a bit hit and miss; fine for opening up my iPhone, taking a picture or looking at a map, but I would not want to type out a lengthy text whilst wearing them – it would definitely be quicker to take them off, type, and then put them back on again. I don’t know if it was a connectivity thing or just down to the blunt fingertip construction, but they were not overly accurate or quick to respond.
Although the weather has not been warm enough to require it, the simple, minimalist construction means that they pack down very small, making it easy to stash them in a jersey pocket if not required or to carry ‘just in case’, unlike many bulky winter gloves.
Value and conclusion
Overall, I was impressed with Giro’s Xnetic H2O gloves. The combination of neat fit, warmth and dexterity is a winning one, especially when you consider that they only cost $/£55.
I wouldn’t want to wear them in the very worst wet weather for very long; there are better, more protective (and much more expensive) gloves for that. Ironically, for waterproof gloves, I found that where the Xnetic H2O gloves excelled was in cool/cold dry conditions, when they acted like a windproof+ glove providing excellent warmth for weight.
It is also a big plus for them in the value stakes that, as there aren’t really any bike-specific features to them, they could happily be worn for a wide variety of activities where hand-warming was required.
