Warmth without bulk seems to be the name of the game in winter cycling apparel lately, and Ornot’s new Alpha Winter Gloves are a clear example of that trend. Instead of piling on layers of PrimaLoft, down, fleece, or what-have-you, Ornot has leaned into Polartec’s high-loft Alpha insulation to create a glove that promises serious warmth in a lightweight, compressible package.
Even in mild-tempered San Francisco, home to Ornot, the winter cycling struggle is all too familiar: you want to stay warm without getting too sweaty, and you want to do it without sacrificing the ability to shift, toggle through pages on your cycling computer, or text your spouse toward the end of the ride that you’ll be “a little late.”
Ornot’s solution is a pair of gloves with a weather-resistant exterior and a lightweight Polartec insulation designed to trap heat while still allowing air to move moisture out. On paper, it sounds like an ideal recipe for long, cold miles in the Pacific Northwest, so I was keen to put them to the test.
Meet the Alpha Winter Gloves
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
At the core of Ornot’s Alpha Winter Gloves is Polartec® Alpha™ high-loft insulation, a synthetic material designed to adapt to changing conditions by regulating heat and moisture. Originally developed for the U.S. Special Forces, Alpha is praised for its exceptional warmth-to-weight ratio, breathability and compressibility. Visually, it resembles a fuzzy knit atop a spaced-out mesh core, and it can be used either sandwiched between layers or left exposed.
In these gloves, Ornot uses 90 gsm deadstock Alpha insulation on the back of the hand, paired with a wind- and water-resistant exterior fabric, leaving the insulation exposed on the inside for breathability. The idea is to provide the warmth of a fleece or down material without the bulk or weight, while allowing moisture to evaporate as conditions and effort levels change.
The gloves feature a snug fit with pre-shaped fingertips for braking and shifting, a longer slip-on cuff for added coverage, and conductive fingertips for touchscreen use. Ornot rates the Alpha Winter Gloves for temperatures between 28 and 50°F (-2 to 10°C), though I’ll get into my real-world experience and recommended range below.
- Hero materials: Polartec® Alpha™ high-loft insulation
- Wind- and water-resistant exterior fabric
- Brand-recommended temperature range: 28–50°F (-2 to 10°C)
- CW-suggested range: 28-45°F (-2 to 7°C)
- Pre-shaped fingers for braking and shifting
- Light palm padding
- Conductive fingertips for touchscreen use
- Soft interior feel for next-to-skin comfort
- Lightweight and compressible construction
- Weighted: 68g for the pair (size Small)
- MSRP: $85 USD
In use:
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
The first thing you notice when slipping into the Alpha Winter Gloves is the look of the Polartec Alpha insulation. The blue, fuzzy interior suggests plushness and softness, but in practice, the feel is more technical than cosy. Still perfectly comfortable, mind you, just not that teddy bear (Cookie Monster?) softness the material might lead you to expect. But while it may lack the plush feel of fleece, this insulation is the glove’s hero, delivering an impressively high warmth-to-weight ratio.
In a size small, the gloves weigh just 68 grams for the pair on my Park Tool scale—about the weight of one and a half Maurten gels—and they compress down easily for stuffing into a jersey pocket. I appreciate the articulated fingers and the generally snug fit, though I do wish Ornot offered an extra-small option. Even the smalls are a bit roomy on me, which compromises the dexterity and next-to-skin feel Ornot was aiming for. They’re usable, but I do find myself taking them off more often than I’d like when handling my phone or a multitool.
On the bike, the warmth is undeniable. In fact, across several rides in the 37–45°F range, they’ve often been a bit too warm once the effort ramps up. On steady climbs or when trying to hang onto my riding buddy’s wheel, heat builds quickly, and it doesn’t take long before my hands feel genuinely toasty. For easy spins and truly cold days, that’s a gift. For higher-output rides in milder winter temperatures, it can be a bit much. These gloves clearly prioritise insulation and weather-blocking, and they do that job extremely well, but I’m less convinced when it comes to managing moisture.
After one tempo ride, my hands were so damp, they were downright pruney by the end. On another, I pulled the gloves off altogether in the hope they’d dry a bit before the next long descent. To their credit, they do dry quickly, and their compressibility makes them easy to stash in a pocket mid-ride.
The exterior fabric does a good job blocking wind and light mist, though it’s worth noting that it’s not waterproof. Yet even when soaked through, the gloves continue to feel warm.
This winter in the Pacific Northwest has been rather mild so far. There’s been no real need yet for thick lobster gloves or bar mitts, and riding in the Alpha Winter Gloves has me genuinely wondering if those days are numbered. When materials like Polartec Alpha can deliver this level of warmth without the bulk, stiffness or loss of bar feel, why compromise on dexterity at all? These gloves feel like a glimpse at the future: warm, light and dexterous, without the trade-offs we’ve come to accept from traditional winter handwear.
Ornot rates the Alpha Winter Gloves for temperatures between 28 and 50°F (-2 to 10°C), but in my experience, they start to feel too warm above about 42-45°F unless you’re truly taking it easy. They’re very much a proper winter glove: impressively warm, soft and comfortable, with virtually no bulk to speak of.
My only wish, sizing aside, is for a soft panel on the thumb for wiping my runny nose or the muck off my cycling glasses.
Verdict:
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
The Ornot Alpha Winter Gloves offer a well-judged balance of warmth, comfort and minimal bulk at a price that feels very fair. They deliver the kind of insulation and cozy next-to-skin feel you’d expect from much thicker gloves, without the weight or clumsiness that heavier winter options often bring. Their compressible build and light footprint also make them easy to carry and easy to live with on variable winter rides.
The Polartec Alpha insulation does a remarkable job trapping heat for a glove this light, making them an easy choice for chilly days in the 30s and low 40s. The exterior fabric blocks wind and light mist effectively, and even when damp, the gloves continue to feel warm.
On higher-intensity rides, however, that same insulation can become a drawback. For this, the gloves have a rather narrow temperature window; otherwise, sweaty hands will become an issue. These are very much cold-weather gloves, best suited to cold conditions, easy endurance rides or low-intensity commuting rather than hard efforts in milder temperatures.
The Alpha Winter Gloves punch well above their weight in terms of warmth and performance, and at $85 they represent strong value in a category where insulated, wind-blocking gloves often push well into three-digit pricing. They’ll certainly be a staple in my rotation once the temperatures drop.
Rather than asking whether you should buy them, the real question may be whether you can. These gloves dropped just weeks ago and some sizes have already sold out. But if you fit their size range and want a warm, light and versatile winter glove without the bulk or premium price tag, the Ornot Alpha Winter Gloves are absolutely worth a look.
