The Assos armWarmer_Evo7s are a good set of arm protectors that are great for taking the edge off when the temperatures begin to drop, while still being small and easy enough to stow away in a jersey pocket.
- Pros: Simple design, warmth, pack down small for ease of storage
- Cons: Expensive, a little tricky to put on 'correctly' while riding
British winters, as many of us would have found over the Christmas break, are consistently inconsistent. Arm warmers are a great way to deal with the huge variance in conditions, and Assos' Evo7s are a particularly good example.
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One interesting element is that, unlike the majority of arm warmers I've used, these not only dictate which arm they are to be worn on, but exactly how they should be worn. On the right arm there is a warning label in the sort of style you see on a bandsaw telling you to not cut off your thumbs, stating that this should be worn on the right arm, and the seam must run over your elbow.
The idea behind the anatomical one-piece construction is to make them as comfortable as possible, and they do sit very nicely (the soft micro fleece inner also helps in terms of comfort). The trouble is, although the fit is great when you put them on before a ride, it does make it trickier to put them on 'properly' while on the go: having to work out which is left and right, then making sure the seam is running over your elbow...
The tops are elasticated, which helps to keep them in place well, and throughout the review period I never had any issues with them slipping or twisting.
In terms of performance I found them effective from around 5°C up to around 14, so they have a good range and are certainly useful for descents and great for wearing underneath a long-sleeve jersey on really cold days. They also have good windproofing, although when the temperature really drops you do notice it.
Being able to wear them under a long-sleeve jersey is really handy, and it's possible because they are considerably thinner than others; it also eans they fit easily into your back pockets. What's particularly impressive is that even though they are significantly thinner than most others I have used, they still retain impressive thermal qualities.
This high quality does come at a price, and although £35 is up there with similar offerings from Rapha and Castelli, a quick glance at the selection of warmers tested on road.cc in the last couple of years shows you can certainly pay less, and in some cases get more protection from the elements.
> Buyer's Guide: 17 of the best arm and leg warmers
Overall, though, I was impressed with the Evo7s. They fit easily in a jersey pocket, provide a very good level of warmth and wind protection and are very comfortable to wear. Okay they're a bit on the expensive side, and can be a little fiddly to put on 'properly' when on the go, but in terms of performance they're right up there.
Verdict
Very comfortable anatomic design; they keep out the elements and are small enough to fit in a jersey pocket
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Assos ArmWarmer_Evo7
Size tested: medium
Tell us what the product is for
They're for keeping your arms warm on cooler days or something to pop on as you begin a long descent.
Assos describes them as: 'An essential accessory, ASSOS cycling Arm Warmers add in coverage that can be easily deployed or removed as conditions dictate'
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Assos:
- Thermal, elastic, and breathable RX Light fabric
- A simple and anatomical one piece construction
- Elastic upper to keep the cycling arm warmers in place
Really well made with strong stitching and good material choice.
Kept my arms warm when the temperature began to drop and provided a good level of wind protection.
Well made and likely to last a long time.
The anatomical design works really well and they fit really nicely without any kind of creases or folds.
The large I tested fitted as expected.
Much lighter than many, ideal for putting in a jersey pocket.
Very comfortable thanks to the lack of labels inside, the microfleece lining, and the elasticated tops keeping everything in place.
They don't come cheap, but similar pricepoint to their main competitors.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Very easy, just popped them in the wash at 30 and they came out fine.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well – they kept my arms nice and warm when on and didn't take up too much space in my jersey pocket when not.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The anatomical design means the fit is really good, making them comfortable to wear.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Putting them on exactly as Assos says when on the go can be fiddly.
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
These arm warmers perform really well, whether it's not taking up much room in a jersey pocket or keeping your arms warm. They're a little expensive, but their performance helps to justify the price.
About the tester
Age: 29
I usually ride: Mercian King of Mercia or Cinelli Gazzetta My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I've been riding for: 5-10 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking
George spends his days flitting between writing about data, running business magazines and writing about sports technology. The latter gave him the impetus (excuse) to get even further into the cycling world before taking the dive and starting his own cycling sites and writing for Road.cc.
When he is not writing about cycling, he is either out on his bike cursing not living in the countryside or boring anybody who will listen about the latest pro peloton/cycling tech/cycling infrastructure projects.