Sugoi RS Rain Gloves

The Sugoi RS Rain Gloves are for cycling in cold wet weather. They keep out most of the rain, and keep your hands and fingers warm even when wet, although a design oddity means chilly wrists.

Made primarily from neoprene, a material used for the wetsuits favoured by surfers and other watersports enthusiasts, these Sugoi RS Rain Gloves are windproof and showerproof. They are not totally waterproof, but they're not designed to be: even when heavy rain gets inside the gloves and your hands are wet, the neoprene means they don't get too cold – in the same way a surfer in a wetsuit stays warm in the sea.

The neoprene also means these gloves are not breathable, which means they can feel clammy inside if you wear them in dry conditions or when the weather is just a bit nippy rather than near freezing. But that's not a complaint; the RS Rain Gloves are designed for cold and wet weather (the clue's in the name), so it's fair enough that they're not suitable for balmy temperatures.

As well as the neoprene, other features of these gloves include grippy patches across the palm and inner fingers to ensure a firm hold on the handlebars, and reflective strips across the outer ends of fingers. These wouldn't be easily picked up in car headlights if you were riding on the tops – across the knuckles might be a better place – but they would be visible to a driver behind if you stuck out your hand to indicate making a turn while riding at night.

There's also a little patch of material on the tip of the thumb that allows you to use a touch-sensitive phone or GPS screen without removing your gloves.

The cuff of the glove covers your wrists, but is not close-fitting. In fact, it's flared outwards, gauntlet-style. There is a Velcro fastening tab, but it's too high to be useful (it's at the base of the palm, rather than across the bit where you'd take your pulse) so the flared cuff can't be closed tight. Cold air gets to the gap of skin between the cuff of the glove and the cuff of your jersey or jacket.

Maybe this flared cuff on the glove is deliberately designed to go over the cuff of your jersey, to ensure a windproof meeting of fabrics, and it will be less of an issue if you have very long-sleeved jerseys (or short arms), but with the Velcro tab in this high position, you still can't tighten the cuff of the glove to keep out the breeze – a design oddity which some cyclists may find enough to deter them from buying.

At £45, the recommended retail price is steep compared to waterproof gloves from other manufacturers, such as those from Seal Skinz and Altura which go for about £30, although you can find the Sugoi RS Rain Gloves for nearer £25 at some online stores, which make them more affordable.

Verdict

Neprene gloves giving good wet-weather protection for your hands, but a design oddity means chilly wrists.