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Castelli Perfetto RoS Women's Gloves

9
£65.00

VERDICT:

9
10
Outstanding warm-yet-slim gloves that handle rain well – that price though...
Warm
Stay warm when wet
Really well made
Great fit
Expensive
Weight: 
49g

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The Castelli Perfetto RoS Women's Gloves are an excellent, fleece-lined winter warmer with impressively little bulk. They're dexterous and a pleasure to wear, and even though they're not totally waterproof they stay pretty warm when soaked. They are really expensive though.

Castelli recommends these from 10° down to 6° C, and while I found you can push them to lower, they're definitely too sweaty for anything milder. I have gone as low as 3°, and while I didn't return with toasty warm hands, I wasn't numb either. My hands and fingers were fully functional.

Good to know for mornings that start out cold, or afternoons when temperatures quickly fall away.

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In their stated range, they're lovely. The Gore-Tex Infinium outer shell is superbly windproof, and light persistent rain is no problem. The fleece lining isn't the cosiest but it does a good job of retaining heat – despite it being so thin you hardly lose any dexterity.

2021 Castelli Perfetto RoS Women's Gloves - back.jpg

As their 'four stars out of five' waterproofness rating – something you could also apply to, let's say, the Titanic – implies, they're not actually waterproof. The Perfetto RoS eventually gives in after prolonged heavy rain. However, they stay insulative when soaked, somewhat like neoprene, and keep your hands as warm as they were before.

The cuff is a good length with a stretchy, neoprene inner edge. It sits neatly under your sleeve for a comfy overlap with a jersey or jacket. Some may find the fit a little too snug here – I personally prefer it to a bulky cuff which goes over a sleeve, and to Velcro adjusters too.

2021 Castelli Perfetto RoS Women's Gloves - Gore-Tex logo.jpg

The thin padding at the heel of the hand proves just enough protection, giving a good feel on the bar and reducing numbness from road buzz. I didn't experience discomfort on road rides in excess of four hours.

The palm has dimpled silicone sections and strips along the two leading fingers for good grip on the controls. I find they work well no matter what your hand position.

2021 Castelli Perfetto RoS Women's Gloves - palm detail.jpg

I've used these a lot, and they genuinely still look new; they've certainly fared better than Altura's Firestorms over a similar period.

And while the instructions are to 'hand wash cold,' in the second half of the test I resorted to 30 degree machine washes... hand washing is a faff! They've continued to perform. It's possible the shower proofing has been compromised marginally, but I personally haven't noted it.

Details

The Perfettos don't have much reflective detailing. Compare them to,for example, those Altura Firestorms or the Polaris RBS Reflect Gloves and they really are rather discreet. Yes, black is slick, but it might not be everyone's preference.

> 25 of the best winter cycling gloves — keep your hands warm and dry

There's no 'snot wipe' and snail trails really show up on the smooth, shell-like outer. Again, not an issue for everyone.

Touch screen compatibility works well; it never once failed with my old Garmin 810 or my smart phone. However, with my phone in a holder/wallet, it wasn't 100% reliable. That's perhaps a fair bit to ask, though.

Value

At £65, the Perfetto's are expensive. There are others at this level – for example Pearl Izumi's £69.99 Pro Barrier WXB Gloves or Assos's £70 Assosoire Winter Gloves – but the benefits over cheaper options are, in all honestly, marginal.

Gore's Gore-Tex Infinium Stretch Mid Gloves look similar and are £42.99, as do Sportful's WS Essential 2 W Glove for £50. If you want to save even more, consider dhb's Waterproof Gloves for £35 or Endura's Strike Glove for £39.99.

All bar one of these is female specific, too.

Overall

The Castelli Perfetto RoS Women's is a high-quality glove that's outstanding in single figure temperatures, coping with virtually all that winter offers. Nevetheless, it's slim and dexterous in use – you can fuel yourself, adjust clothing, operate fiddly locks and use devices without going through the hassle (or chilly discomfort) of taking them off.

Verdict

Outstanding warm-yet-slim gloves that handle rain well – that price though...

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Castelli Perfetto RoS Women's Gloves

Size tested: Large/ Extra Large

Tell us what the product is for

Castelli says: "By using reduced-seaming technology and the new GORE-TEX INFINIUM™ WINDSTOPPER® fabric, we've made a glove that is deceptively warm while staying reasonably thin and allowing maximum dexterity. We've added grip features in the palm and our Castelli Damping System for comfort."

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

- Engineered with GORE-TEX INFINIUM™ Stretch Warm fabric and reduced-seam technology

- Fleece lined for warmth

- Castelli Damping System (CDS) protects median nerve

- Neoprene stretch wrist insert for easy on and off

- Reflective details

- Silicone zones on palm for extra grip

- 6°-10°C / 43°-50°F

- Weight:44 g

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Very tidy, as you would expect for the price.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Excellent.

Rate the product for durability:
 
10/10

Zero signs of wear despite continual use and (overenthusiastic) washing.

Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10

A close but not tight fit.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
10/10

I was just into the L bracket on Castelli's sizing guide. I'm sure I could size down without problems for a closer fit. As it was, I had breathing room inside without them feeling too big. If you're on the border, decide what kind of fit you want and go up or down based on preference.

Rate the product for weight:
 
10/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

Very good, but very expensive.

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

Instructions are to 'hand wash cold,' but in the second half of the test I resorted to shoving them in the machine at 30 degrees; hand washing is a faff! They've continued to perform. It's possible the shower proofing has been compromised marginally, but if so I haven't noted it.

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

They are impressive.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Protection against cold without bulk.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

They really don't like being out of their temperature range.

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

They're expensive! Santini's 365 Win XF Winter Glove is great for £47, for instance, while Bioracer's excllent Glove One Tempest Pixel Protect is £42. Both look almost cheap next to the Perfetto RoS.

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

Brilliant in virtually all single figure temperatures and accompanying conditions, without loss of dexterity, and they feel durable. The fit is great too. It's only really the price that's an issue - they're fantastic.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 39  Height: 173cm  Weight: 64kg

I usually ride: Road  My best bike is: Carbon road.

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

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, Getting to grips with off roading too!

Emma’s first encounters with a road bike were in between swimming and running. Soon after competing for GB in the World Age Group Triathlon Championships in Edmonton in 2001 she saw the light and decided to focus on cycling. 

After a couple of half decent UK road seasons racing for Leisure Lakes, she went out to Belgium to sample the racing there and spent two years with Lotto-Belisol Ladies team, racing alongside the likes of Sara Carrigan, Grace Verbeke, Rochelle Gilmore and Lizzie Deignan. Emma moved from Lotto-Belisol to Dutch team Redsun, then a new Belgian team of primarily developing riders, where there was less pressure, an opportunity to share her experience and help build a whole new team; a nice way to spend her final years of professional racing. 

Since retiring Emma has returned to teaching. When not coercing kids to do maths, she is invariably out on two wheels. In addition to the daily commute, Emma still enjoys getting out on her road bike and having her legs ripped off on the local club rides and chain gangs. She has also developed an addiction to touring, with destinations including Iceland, Georgia and Albania, to mention just a few. There have also been rare sightings of Emma off-road on a mountain bike…

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7 comments

Avatar
Nick T | 3 years ago
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I've got the men's of these and after a month a I'd pretty much worn through the thumb where my knuckle apparently rubs against the hoods. I made little reinforcement sleeve things to slip over my thumbs, but in typical castelli fashion the palm grippers and touchscreen finger things are now coming off. Shame as they work well otherwise 

Avatar
Nick T replied to Nick T | 3 years ago
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Bought them in October 

Avatar
Yorky-M replied to Nick T | 3 years ago
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These are abrasion marks Nick. Hardly castelli's fault how YOU hold the brake levers?

Avatar
Nick T replied to Yorky-M | 3 years ago
0 likes

Yes. You might try rereading my post and realising that those didn't bother me as much as the palm grippers and fingertip bits coming off or the torn stitching on the thumb, as shown in the picture. For reference though, I would indeed like to see some sort of reinforcement put there by the manufacturer on the area I'm describing, this is my personal experience from 3 months of use of this item whether you agree with it or not

Avatar
CyclingSilvers replied to Nick T | 3 years ago
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Nick T wrote:

I've got the men's of these and after a month a I'd pretty much worn through the thumb where my knuckle apparently rubs against the hoods. I made little reinforcement sleeve things to slip over my thumbs, but in typical castelli fashion the palm grippers and touchscreen finger things are now coming off. Shame as they work well otherwise 

I have used them relentlessly and haven't seen this kind of damage. Try this if you think it's workmanship...

For warranty claims related to items purchased on www.castelli-cycling.com please contact our customer service team.

Castelli products are warranted against defects in materials or workmanship for 2 years from the date of purchase.

For returns and warranty claims related to items purchased from another retailer, please return your Castelli product to the retailer from which you have purchased it. To ensure that your return will be handled smoothly remember to keep your proof of purchase.

Avatar
Nick T replied to CyclingSilvers | 3 years ago
1 like

Thanks, I probably will make a claim in the new year based on the palm grippers tearing away, I don't consider that acceptable from ~3000km of riding really

Avatar
Rapha Nadal replied to Nick T | 3 years ago
0 likes

The price of these gloves is made even by the fact that Castelli have no form of repair service like Rapha & Assos do.  Really poor when you're looking at a top end clothing provider.

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