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Northwave Sonic Full Gloves Reflective

8
£37.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Comfortable gloves for all but the coldest days, with great grip and fleecy bits in all the right places
Weight: 
101g

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Northwave's Sonic gloves are reasonably warm, grippy and well designed, with a stretchy cuff to keep your hands secure and the wind out. While they're very weatherproof and fine for most of the British winter, I did find that when temperatures plummeted to zero they weren't quite warm enough to prevent cold fingers, which stretches their description as "high performing gloves for winter use". For anything over 3°C, though, they were great and the liner is nice and comfortable.

  • Pros: Very good grip, comfy inside, precise fit thanks to thermal cuff, good shock absorption
  • Cons: Not warm enough for freezing temperatures, reflective outer showing signs of wear

The Sonics are available in red and yellow, as well as these reflective versions. Whether having reflectiveness on your gloves makes anyone see you better is open to debate, but aesthetically I'm not opposed to it. There's no strap over the cuff to open and close, instead it's a stretchy thermal cuff that Northwave says is specifically designed to stop warmth escaping. That does mean you need to make sure you get the right size, and while I'm usually a medium I did take a large in this glove, which is something to bear in mind (sizes go from small to XL).

> Find your nearest dealer here

The insulation is courtesy of Thinsulate, which is very comfortable inside and keeps your hands toasty without things getting sweaty when it gets into double figures. Northwave says this is thanks to a windproof membrane in the intermediate layer working with an internal thermal layer, collectively providing moisture management.

On the outside there's soft fleece on the thumb, which comes in handy for wiping away nasal detritus, and the palms have synthetic leather to provide grip. The raised parts on the inside of the palm and the upper palm are well placed, providing additional comfort where you are applying the most pressure. Northwave's GEL padding provides shock absorption, and I felt that they did a good job of taming bumps on my occasionally hairy commute. My hands didn't feel achy after a few long rides day after day, and I could easily operate GPS buttons in them.

Northwave Sonic Full Gloves Reflective - palm.jpg

As previously mentioned, I would say they're not really suitable for sub-zero temps, but they're stretchy enough to use with a merino liner glove underneath if you can't budget for a thicker pair. My only other criticism would be that the reflective part on the outer is starting to crack a little, so best to wash by hand.

Northwave Sonic Full Gloves Reflective - reflective.jpg

The price is fair, I'd say, but they're not the absolute cheapest mid-winter pair you can buy – the Brisker Cold Weather Gloves from 100% are similarly suitable for mid-winter according to reviewer Dave, and they're £26.99.

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

If you consider that Pearl Izumi's Unisex Pro Barrier WXB Gloves are £69.99 and reviewer Ash still recommends a liner for colder temperatures, then the Sonics could in fact be considered a steal.

Overall, I really liked these gloves, and they will be fine for most of the winter, cooler early spring mornings and autumn.

Verdict

Comfortable gloves for all but the coldest days, with great grip and fleecy bits in all the right places

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Northwave Sonic Full Gloves Reflective

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for

Northwave says: "The Sonic gloves are high performing gloves for winter use, they have been made using 100 gram Thinsulate material and come with a specifically designed thermal cuff to stop warmth escaping."

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

From Northwave:

Synthetic leather palm with silicone print for grip

NW4Pro Membrane on the back to keep out the cold and wind

Reinforced thumb with soft fleece inside

Ergonomic thermoshaped material on the cuff

Reflectivity for some extra visibility

Thinsulate 100 gram insulation and GEL pad shock absorbing for warmth and comfort while riding

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Layers are well stitched in, there's no separation which makes them easier to get on.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Very good in temps ranging from around 3°-10°C, and easy to operate GPS buttons.

Rate the product for durability:
 
6/10

Slight cracking to the reflective outer after a few rides, but otherwise they appear to be very hardwearing.

Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10

Nice secure fitting thanks to the stretchy cuff, ergonomic.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
6/10

I'm usually a medium but took a large, so I'd definitely recommend sizing up.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10

Not too heavy for the warmth they provide.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10

Seams didn't irritate and the thermal material is soft against your skin – very comfortable.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Not that expensive yet not particularly cheap considering they're not quite warm enough for deep winter conditions, though a lot cheaper than some promising a similar level of protection.

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

Machine-washing can crack that outer layer, as I found out, so washing by hand is preferable.

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

I would say "optimal protection during autumn and winter seasons" is stretching it if it's very cold out or if there's a prominent wind chill.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Suitable for variable conditions, good grip, easy to operate GPS.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Not warm enough for deep winter.

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

Kind of in the middle: not really cheap for a mid-winter glove and there are plenty of more affordable options, but lots of similarly described gloves are more expensive.

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

I found them comfortable and grippy as described, but as they're described as "high performing gloves for winter use" I didn't think they were quite warm enough in sub-zero temps and I would use an additional liner glove for such times. They excel in anything from 3°C to low double figures, though, and for that I'm scoring them 8.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 179cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride: Road bike (currently Specialized Tarmac)  My best bike is: Ridley Chronus TT bike

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, triathlon races

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

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