The Castelli Tutto Nano Gloves are very impressive – their minimalist design is warm, impressively water-resistant and quite frankly the best I've used in years.
One thing Castelli has become particularly synonymous with in recent years is its minimalist transitional kit, and in my experience there are very few companies who have focused so successfully on this time of the year.
> Find your nearest dealer here
Therefore it's fantastic to try the Tutto Nano, a minimalist and simple glove designed to be both warm and water repellent. The latter comes courtesy of Castelli's Nano Flex 3G fabric, with its extremely effective proprietary treatment – water beads on these gloves the same way it will on a brand new waterproof coat.
I tested these in a torrential downpour, and whilst the rest of me got thoroughly drenched, my hands remained both dry and warm. Given that the material itself is fleecy and soft to the touch, this is a very impressive feature.
Castelli markets these for 'cool' conditions, with a suggested range of 12-20 degrees, but I used them down to around six degrees without any problems at all. These offer impressive wind stopping too, which helps.
While simple, there are still some cycling specific features. For instance on the palm there is a large silicone gripper, which helps, although given there isn't anything on the thumb it doesn't work quite as well as it could. Even so, I never found my hands slipping off.
> 25 of the best winter cycling gloves — keep your hands warm and dry
The only other feature (aside from a black-on-black logo) is the touchscreen-friendly finger and thumb. They're a little hit or miss, but then that's fairly standard – of the dozens I have tested, only a few have been 100%. These rank about median for those I've tried.
The lack of design features, rather than taking anything away, in my mind is a great thing. The lack of seams allows for more dexterity, and the thin fabric makes them a perfect under-glove for extremely cold temperatures.
Value
Their £45 tag is fairly good compared to others on the market. For instance the Altura Firestorm Gloves are £5 cheaper, but do not offer the same level of water resistance. You could also look to the Santini 365 Win XF Winter Glove, which is £2 more expensive, but is bulkier and has a palm that waterlogs easily.
Overall I was very impressed with these gloves. I have to admit that my favourite cycling kit is simple but done well, and these embody that perfectly. Warm, effective and great in the rain, these are genuinely one of the best pairs of gloves I've used in the past two years.
Verdict
Fantastic, dexterous cool weather gloves with impressive water resistance
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
Make and model: Castelli Tutto Nano Gloves
Tell us what the product is for
Castelli says: "A glove that's like a second skin. The Tutto Nano is water-repellent, soft, and provides just enough warmth for mild conditions, while ensuring dexterity too."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Nano Flex 3G fabric provides water repellency with exceptional warmth and soft interior
Silicone grip to keep your hands on the handlebars
Minimal seaming for dexterity and comfort
12°-20 °C / 54°-68°F
Weight:43 g
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Kept my hands impressively warm and dry despite being so thin.
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
The material feels like it's good quality.
Rate the product for fit:
8/10
Supple fabric means an easy fit.
Rate the product for sizing:
8/10
Rate the product for weight:
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
9/10
Very comfortable, with a soft and fleecy aided by water resistance and windproofing.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
They aren't cheap, but compared to others in the same price range they are impressive.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Easy, just wash them at 30°.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
They offer warmth, water resistance and comfort - everything you could want in a pair of gloves.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Gloves that look and feel like this being so water resistant.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
No padding
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Their £45 tag is fairly good compared to others on the market. For instance the Altura Firestorm Gloves are £5 cheaper, but do not offer the same level of water resistance. You could also look to the Santini 365 Win XF Winter Glove, which is £2 more expensive, but is bulkier and has a palm that waterlogs easily.
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 provide everything you could want from a pair of simple, dexterous cool weather gloves. There's nothing to seriously complain about – they're fantastic and a nine.
Age: 32 Height: 6 ft Weight:
I usually ride: CAAD13 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, mtb,
The PSPO specifically says:...
I've had this and closer, when I've been going at a reasonable lick. you end up being unable to slow down at all due to the fact that there is no...
Planned obsolesence, I think is the trade term...
Disguise as what though? Rocking horse? Table? Pram?
There was a magazine article a few years ago that quoted Cav as 5' 9" and 73kgs....
Probably. And other anti-social acts. Though horse-riders would be logistically tricky....
I think the Orbea M31e will be at a more realistic price, also if/when Canyon release an Ultimate CF SL7 eTap this should be around £3,300 (they've...
No, because customers keep paying over the odds for bikes/tech.....
“Off the charts faster”...
They weren't doing it permanently though were they? Pretty much the whole point of the video!?