Alé Seamless Knee Warmer

The Alé Seamless knee warmers are super-stretchy, they shift sweat well, and they're very comfortable.

These are made from Dryarn which is a mix of polypropylene, polyamide (nylon) and elastane. This stuff is really stretchy so it's easy to get the Alé knee warmers on and off over your shoes mid-ride without them catching on buckles, straps or cleats.

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The stretch of the fibre, along with the fact that these are ribbed, means that although these come in only one size, you'll almost certainly get a good fit without any tightness.

There's no gripper inside the top hem but I didn't find them creeping down at any point. Chances are that the grippers at the end of your shorts' legs will hold them in place just fine.

The Dryarn fabric shifts moisture from your skin well and it dries out very fast. Plus, if you do start to overheat, as mentioned, whipping these knee warmers off is a really quick job, and they take up very little space when rolled up and stashed in a jersey pocket.

In terms of insulation, they provide a middling level of warmth – enough to keep the chill off your knees on a morning ride before the sun has really started to do its thing, for example, or to avoid creaks when the sun dips in the evening and you've got an hour left to ride.

> Check out our guide to the best arm and leg warmers

The Alé knee warmers have a degree of shaping that reduces creasing slightly as you pedal. They're very comfortable although, despite the name, a seam runs top to bottom, as it does on most other knee warmers (and the Alé Seamless Arm Warmers I also tested). Admittedly, that seam is flat and could hardly be more unobtrusive; you just can't feel it and there's no chance of it chafing.

Sooner or later, someone is bound to ask whether it says 'ale' on your knee warmers as opposed to 'Alé', which may or may not be a good thing in your eyes.

Verdict

Stretchy knee warmers that provide good insulation and plenty of comfort