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Giro 100 Proof Gloves

9
£69.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Very warm gloves that'll keep the rain out too, well worth the substantial investment
Weight: 
172g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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For 2018 the Giro 100 Proof gloves have had a bit of a finger layout tweak over the previous model, but thankfully their exceptional warmth, comfort and waterproofing has been retained. They are quite pricey but if we are in for another hard winter they are going to be well worth the outlay.

  • Pros: Sub-zero temperatures are no match, great waterproofing
  • Cons: Finger layout won't suit everyone, pricey

We tested an earlier model of the 100 Proof gloves back at the beginning of 2017 when they were a full lobster style design, grouping two fingers together with a separate thumb. These are now called the Giro 100 Proof Freezing Winter Gloves.

> Find your nearest dealer here

This model, as you can see, gives you a separate thumb and index finger while bunching the other three fingers together. This, for me, removes some of the dexterity issues that Ash found in 2017, as you can use your index finger to scroll through your computer screens or use a mobile. The finger is completely compatible with touchscreens.

Giro Proof 100 gloves - back of hand.jpg

When I ride on the hoods I like to wrap my index finger around the brake lever and have the other three on the drop part of the bar, so this is still achievable.

When it comes to performance against the elements, I use the Gore Universal Gore-Tex Thermo gloves as my benchmark. I tested them back in January 2016 and they are still my go-to gloves for when the mercury is close to zero, despite them looking a bit worn out these days.

The Giros are right up there with them for warmth. Leaving early in the morning with the cars covered in a layer of ice thanks to a very keen northerly wind, my hands have been toasty even with the Garmin reading -2°C – to the point that when I take the gloves off my hands can be quite sweaty, but you never notice it in the gloves.

Giro Proof 100 gloves - cuff.jpg

This is all thanks to the fleece lining and the Polartec Power Fill outer shell. According to the manufacturer, the Power Fill is a matrix of spun polyester yarns which creates thousands of small air pockets that trap and hold onto your body heat.

Leaving the house with warm hands already enclosed in a pair of gloves is one thing, but some gloves that are great at that can struggle if your hands start off cold and need heating; the Giros don't. If you've had to stop for a mechanical or whatever and end up with freezing cold digits, the 100 Proof gloves will soon have them warm in a few miles, especially if you keep them moving inside the gloves.

On top of all this, the Giros are impressively waterproof. I've ridden in heavy rain for a couple of hours without anything soaking through, so they are going to be awesome if you find yourself riding in the snow.

> Buyer's Guide: 21 of the best winter cycling gloves

A neat touch is the reflective strip which runs around the outside of the glove. When you signal to cars behind that you are turning, if you keep your hands flat their headlights will be reflected back at them.

When it comes to comfort there is minimal padding, but I never found that to be a real issue as there is enough to do the job.

The palm uses a diamond pattern for grip and it works well even on shiny bar tapes in the wet.

Giro Proof 100 gloves - palm.jpg

Sizing-wise the Giros are available from S through to 2XL. I normally wear a large in the majority of glove brands and the Giros fitted me fine, although I'd say I'm right on the limits for them in finger length so might be tempted to go up a size.

And so to value... At £69.99 these are some pricey gloves, but having toasty warm hands is something that shouldn't be scrimped on. The quality is very good here too, with neat and tidy seams, plus they definitely feel like they are going to stand up to plenty of winters of riding.

Those Gore gloves I mentioned earlier had an rrp of £59.99 and they are about to enter their third winter, so paying good money for decent gloves is a sound investment. The Rapha Pro Team gloves scored highly too, and are the same price as the Giros.

If you want to ride in the worst weather then the Giros are definitely worth the money.

Verdict

Very warm gloves that'll keep the rain out too, well worth the substantial investment

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Giro 100 Proof Winter gloves

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

Giro says, "BUILT TO HANDLE EXTREME WEATHER

The waterproof, breathable outer shell has a zippered pocket for hand warmers, and a combination of PrimaLoft and Thinsulate XT-S form an insulated core for maximum warmth. The interior lining utilizes AGrid technology silver fibers to hold heat. The palm is a durable Clarino synthetic, and the index and pointer fingertips use Touchscreen Technology that allows you to use mobile devices without removing the glove. Altogether, it's a double dose of warmth and weatherproofing that won't weigh you down."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

* Super Fit engineered split-finger design

* High-loft Polartec Power Fill 135g insulation (80% post-consumer recycled)

* AX Suede Echo Diamond Grip palm

* OutDry waterproof membrane

* Reflective panel and details

* Touchscreen Technology for use with mobile devices

* Velcro adjustable cuff

* Deep-pile fleece lining three-panel design

* Temperature rating of 20° - 30° F / -6 - 1° C

Sizes Available:

2XL

L

M

S

XL

Colours Available:

BLACK

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

Sizing is fine but you may need to size up if you have long fingers.

Rate the product for weight:
 
9/10

Not bulky or heavy at all for such robust gloves.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Washing them has thrown up no issues to date.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Great for the worst wintry weather.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

So warm and keep the rain out.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The three fingers in one pouch fit takes a bit of getting used to.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

More expensive than many winter gloves we test but worth the extra outlay.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Pricey, but if you ride whatever the weather then they are going to get plenty of use.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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4 comments

Avatar
rdl | 4 years ago
0 likes

IMHO Not worth the money. I have the previous iteration of the glove. Yes, they are waterproof, but that didn't keep my hands warm, and any advantage is neutralized by the fact that they are a nightmare to clean and/or dry out.  

If you ride long enough or hard enough for your hands to sweat, the gloves will be wet on the inside, which seems to neutralize keeping your hands warm (as well as having to figure out how to get them dry when you get home.).

Rode a 200K recently (cold, wet January). Started out wearing the Giro glove/mittens. By 100K, my hands were wet and cold, and I was starting to notice cold spots. Switched to a pair of dachstein mitts, which kept my hands toasty for the second 100K.

Avatar
pikkulauri | 5 years ago
0 likes

Only down to -1 Celsius... Cuffs seems to be too short, like in so many other gloves.

Avatar
cqexbesd replied to pikkulauri | 5 years ago
0 likes
pikkulauri wrote:

Only down to -1 Celsius... Cuffs seems to be too short, like in so many other gloves.

 

I have these gloves from many years ago (still going strong). They look a bit different to the current model but I was wearing them this morning in -2C and they were fine. Below about -5C I wear some liner gloves as well.

Avatar
cqexbesd replied to cqexbesd | 1 year ago
0 likes
cqexbesd wrote:

I have these gloves from many years ago (still going strong). They look a bit different to the current model but I was wearing them this morning in -2C and they were fine. Below about -5C I wear some liner gloves as well.

It's me, from the future. Gloves still going strong. Last night it was -7 and even with liner gloves my hands were freezing however. Once I got fiurther out of the city, so less traffic lights, I warmed up as I spent less time hanging around waiting for cars but it was pretty painful till then.

I prefer the older, lobster, design though. The advantage of these (apart from not having to get used to them) is that you should be able to use a touch screen - but that is very unreliable for me. It's about 10-15 jabs at the screen to get a button press to register and there seems no hope for a swiping guesture.

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