Last winter I got a pair of Endura Strike "waterproof" winter gloves. They had 10/10 from some mag and good reviews, and I've been mostly happy with them. Average cold conditions they keep me warm, but still get cold fingers if it really drops. Problem is, if it really tips it down, they don't stay waterproof for long, and combine that with near freezing sleety snow (like last night in the brecons) and I'm starting to think about replacing them.

Firstly, is it worth/possible to re-waterproof them, or is that a waste of time? Or secondly, should I just bite the bullet and do what I should have done last year and buy some gore tex gloves? If gore tex in gloves is anything like as affective as in jackets and walking boots I don't think I'd be getting wet fingers.

Any thoughts, advice or experiences shared, greatly appreciated!

Sealskin windproof storm gloves. I've worn them all the way through winter and they're fantastic. I will add that *no* glove is truley waterproof and coldproof IME but these are pretty good. On the colder days I will wear a thin wool inner glove as well which keeps my fingers toasty warm and I can always take the inners off and pocket them if my hands get too sweaty.

If i'm on a cold winter ride and my hands are sweaty, I'd be very happy!

I suppose that's the question then. Could I find after buying gore tex groves, that I still get wet hands? I appreciate that no glove can keep you 100% warm, but surely you can get 100% waterproof (without resorting to washing up gloves!)

Problem with waterproof gloves is that once any water gets in, they are waterproof in the opposite direction too. They have a great big opening where your hand goes in to let water in..

I found warm, non waterproof gloves with a liner under them to be much better than my sealskins gloves, which always seemed to be ice bags if it rained.

Joe

Try just getting some inners first then. Mine only cost about 6 pounds and they make a big difference. They fit like…errm a glove too.

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/106869.html

what are they made from? I'm thinking about treating mine with nikwax to try and restore the waterproof layer as I need to do my coat anyway.

I have sealskins waterproof gloves and believe me they let water inn! and so do their socks! is anything truly waterproof in 6 hours of teaming down rain??

Do the liners really help if they're soaked through and it's getting near freezing? You're probably right though that they're worth trying first. One problem is though that the gloves i've got at the moment seem to gave an built in liner that is separate from the outer, and means when they are wet through, they're a nightmare to get back on! I only see adding an extra liner as more of a problem.

I was (again) contemplating the uselessness of "waterproof" gloves on tuesday, think you are better off with comfy warm gloves that feel OK when wet. All the notwaterproof gloves I've owned felt horrible once soaked. Oh and take a spare pair for long rides.

Glove innners sound a very good idea too.

+1 for liners

Also, I find any glove which is even a tiny bit snug/tight on my fingertips leads to cold fingers. I think perfect fit is vital for gloves. Unfortunately I have never found a pair that fits me perfectly!

I've had gloves like that and yes, they can be a pain.

Seperate Layering is the key to all water/cold issues IMO. Dunno about the physics but I guess a layer of water gets trapped between the two gloves and quickly warms up.

I'e got altura waterproof gloves and they are rubbish, they keep you dry for a bit but the palms aren't waterproof so as soon as your bar tape (roady) is wet you just get cold hands. They are also virtually impossible to get back on once they are wet

someone needs to make a decent layered glove system with a liner, mid and breathable outer

My winter gloves are Cannondale. Big foam-lined gloves with separate acrylic liners. Even yhough they are quite chunky, I still have plenty of feeling and can brake steer and shift perfectly well.

They're hardly waterproof at all, but that really doesn't matter.

Last Christmas we had a 3 day ride in the Lakes and it was raining and very cold. And at one point I dropped mine in a puddle.

Everybody had cold hands, bar me. And most people had bought waterproof gloves for the occasion. I just wrung mine out when they got too wet.

My neoprene windsurfing gloves are waterproof, but the sweat stays inside and gets cold.

Ask for your money back.

Ive bought Gore windproof gloves. Windproof my ass.

I will add that *no* glove is waterproof

Then surely they should change their marketing to shower resistant or water resistant.

…but then they wouldnt sell as much would they?

Refund. I got a full refund on a Gore bikewear Goretex jacket a few years ago for this reason.

I get on OK with chibas, but TBF I will tend to be on the sofa in freezing rain/snow.

I've got a pair of Altura Night Vision ones from a couple of years ago. I think they're great keep hand warm and dry – the only time they let me down was about a 5hr ride in torrential rain (an event – so almost not through choice)

Thanks for all the comments. Just sent an email to Endura, see want they say (not much I'm expecting).

Anyone actually used gore tex gloves in persistant rain and had them stay dry?

my altura nightvision do not leak even after hours of rain – they do get sweaty on the inside though. and the liner makes them a pain to get back on once they're sweaty.

ace gloves though.

Not really such a thing as waterproof gloves or jackets just a load of marketing hype. If your out in the rain and riding/running/walking your going to get wet either by water working its way through or by sweat not working its way out. Also if you put pressure on something 'waterproof' say gloves while gripping the bars and they are wet you will more than likely force water through the membrane as the water pressure will be greater than the waterproof pressure test for waterproofness. Most cases of claimed lack of waterproofness are due to sweat build up and a lack of customer understanding. The best solution for gloves on rainy days are liner gloves with wool being the better choice as they will keep your hands warmer when wet or taking multiple pairs and changing them. Your better off with 3 pairs of cheap gloves than one pair of expensive gloves and changing them sooner rather than later as skin cools 25 times quicker in the wind while wet. Once you are cold or worse cold and wet it is a lot harder to warm up.

For the last couple of years I've been using 1.5mm neoprene gloves [marketed at canoeists – I think] as an inner & then just a normal unlined glove over the top

Not waterproof but warm

make sure you keep your core warm. tempting to strip off lots of layers at the top of a hill, but although you need to be careful not to sweat too heavily of course, as soon as your body starts to cool down too much the blood will get pulled from your hands and feet very quickly. i've kept warmer hands this winter through keeping the rest of me warmer.

My Seal Skinz have kept the sleet, snow and rain out so far but they do get very sweaty. I wouldn't buy another pair though as the lining is a total pain and always comes out when your hands are sweaty no matter how carefully I try to remove them. Trying to get them back on again is then almost impossible and results in much mickey taking from mates who are all ready to go again.

Gloves made with Gore Windstopper fabric and a set of merino liners here. Not waterproof but lovely and warm and not sweaty. Best combo I've found so far.

No gloves (apart from rubber ones) are really 100% waterproof (same goes for other 'waterproof' clothing too).

Had Sealskinz and they were bone dry in the most horrendous rain last year and nice and warm too.

The stitching came away at the fingers so I took them back to the shop. They had none in stock to replace them but offered me a pair of Aquashields which have been just as good.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/clothing/gloves/product/aquashield-gloves-10635

Have you washed them or popped them in the tumble dryer ?

Some waterproof stuff dont like tumble dryers and like to be washed at a cool setting

just a thought..

The trouble with waterproof gloves (and socks) is that they have a rather large hole in one end. Stay out long enough and water will work it's way through it. I doubt many gloves actually leak through the main section, but it doesn't take much for water to work around the cuff and then soak through the lining.

If you really want to keep you fingers warm and/or dry then you need a mit, but that makes riding a bit tricky. Split mitts are brilliant though. I've got an 10-year-old pair of Pearl Izumi Lobster gloves that are still brilliant – not super waterproof but always warm.

The latest versions look very nice and I suspect they're more water resistant than my old versions.

Another Altura night vision fan here, plus spare pair in the bag. Changing into warm/dry gloves mid-ride is HEAVEN 😀

If you like the gloves stick with them. Look at Nikwax glove proofer (you may have to wash them first with pure soap flakes or techwash – sorry can't remember).

In the very worst of this winter I've worn cheap silk inner gloves from Decathlon… my ceam crackered Endura windproof gloves are still doing well with this regime (about 5 years old). (I quite often use them when out with Mountain Rescue in this combination)

I've got some Endura Strikes and been using them a couple of years. They have a waterproof membrain between the outer and inner parts of the gloves. I suppose if you are a bit rough with them, then where everything is stitched together could start to stretch a bit and open up the stiching holes.

Find mine fine for all but really heavy rain, but by then water is starting to work through everythingf I'm wearing anyway

I'm on my 3rd pair of Strikes .1st pair broke 2nd pair let the wet in and the pair i've got now aren't much better .Shame really Endura stuff is usually good .

Wash them in Nikwax and MTFU!

Nothing is completely Waterproof,but a wool liner would keep you warm.Even when wet

The trouble with waterproof gloves (and socks) is that they have a rather large hole in one end. Stay out long enough and water will work it's way through it. I doubt many gloves actually leak through the main section, but it doesn't take much for water to work around the cuff and then soak through the lining.

+1.
So whether you think the manufacturers of gloves (or jackets, or whatever) are lying when they say things are waterproof depends on whether you take waterproof to mean 'no water will penetrate the fabric' or 'no water will find its way inside'.

And it's not just rain- I've got some waterproof insulated hillwalking/climbing gloves, and if I keep them on when it's a bit too warm for them they get wet on the inside even if it's not raining.

Also if you put pressure on something 'waterproof' say gloves while gripping the bars and they are wet you will more than likely force water through the membrane as the water pressure will be greater than the waterproof pressure test for waterproofness.

I think that's pretty unlikely- that pressure is usually pretty high.

+1 for nikwax and MTFU. I've had strikes and nightvisions, and as long as you reproof them and don't take them on and off when they're wet I think they're about as good as you're likely to get.

Aldi winter gloves. 2.99 and still warm and waterproof 2 years later.

I'm a fan of the Aldi gloves too. I couldn't get hold of any for this winter, so I shelled out on some Nike ones with a similar construction.
If they last 3 years like my Aldi ones did before I loaned them to my nephew and he lost them, I'll be very happy.

MrSalmon – Minimum hydrostatic test results to be classed as waterproof in the uk is 1500mm which is a guide line as often different diameter tubes are used by different testing companies.

All garments sold in the UK that state they are waterproof have had to meet the British Standard of 3 PSI, which is approx 1,500mm of pressure. Falling rain generates about 2 PSI (approx 1,000mm), however an 84kg person can generate about 8 PSI (4,000mm) when sitting and 16 PSI (approx 8,000mm) when kneeling, so your bargain waterproof may not be as waterproof as you think!

Taken from the how waterproof is waterproof section half way down
http://www.planetfear.com/articles/Buyers_Guide_to_Waterproof_and_Breathable_Clothing_887.html

Even if you take their examples of the pressures needed as being slightly out you still don't need a lot of pressure to penetrate a waterproof membrane. I don't know it all by a long way but I do know more than most as i've had training off numerous outdoor clothing manufactures mainly on waterproof clothing due to a job. A lot of what people think when these types of threads start is completely wrong, which isn't ment to knock anybody, I didn't know any better until it was explained to me.

Two things…

Does the Army use gloves that we could 'borrow'?

and..

What about those mechanic-specific gloves?

Cycle glove are gash. Fact.