Spatz Burnr 4 Season leg warmers

The Spatz Burnr 4 Season leg warmers are incredibly warm in dry conditions and superbly comfortable thanks to a seamless construction and lack of zips. They stay exactly where they should without feeling restrictive, but do have limited wet-weather performance, and price-wise they're towards the top end of the market.

For more options, check out our guide to the best arm and leg warmers for cycling.

Buy now: Spatz Burnr 4 Season leg warmers for £49.99 from Spatz

As the weather improves, many of us will be ditching the winter longs in favour of cooler clothing. However, as I've found to my discomfort, there are a good few months that are too warm for winter longs yet still too chilly for summer bib shorts – and that's where leg warmers come in.

Spatz reckons that, as the name suggests, the Burnr 4 Season leg warmers are suitable for year-round use, and I have certainly got plenty of use out of them since last summer. During the autumn (and now spring) I've been using them on rides between about 5-15°C; during the winter I wore them in a zero-degree garage to turbo; and on warmer days I've been wearing them for race warm-ups and then ditching them on the start line.

During the rather extensive review period (sorry Spatz), several things have become apparent, but primarily that they're super warm, stretchy and easy to get on and off. Although I would nearly always opt for a set of dedicated thermal bib longs during the deepest depths of winter, these are, in the dry, quite possibly the warmest leg warmers I've ever used.

The warmth clearly comes from the seamless waffled fabric, which is thicker than most leg warmers. This means that, for me, these are not an item of clothing I would choose to remove mid-ride, as I'd struggle to fit them into even a large jersey pocket.

The good news is that comfort is exceptional – the material is super stretchy and doesn't feel in any way restrictive like some leg warmers I've used. As the size guide recommended, I went for a medium but I think I could happily get away with a small given the degree of stretch. And despite the high elasticity these didn't create that weird thigh muffin top that super tight knee and leg warmers can. The subtle silicone grippers top and bottom keep everything in place.

Spatz says it has engineered "each 'panel' to perform its specific function without the need for any seams between. Each 'panel' has a specific weave, texture and thickness to offer qualities such as warmth, support, articulation, moisture transport or aerodynamics". The result is a leg warmer that doesn't leave red marks or pressure points when removed, feels natural on the legs while keeping them warm, and is very easy to forget about while riding along.

Temperature management is very good, and for dry conditions these are ideal. In wet weather they're... okay. They do help to keep you warm even when sopping wet, and they also dry surprisingly quickly; they're absolutely fine for getting caught out on a wet road every once in a while. If you're regularly riding in drizzly conditions, though, or find yourself eating road spray more often than not, you might be better off with a pair with a DWR coating.

For example, I've been using a set of Castelli Nanoflex 3G leg warmers, which do an exceptional job of keeping you warm and slightly drier on miserable days (George tested the Nanoflex 3G knee warmers in January), but they are also more expensive and not without their faults, with a tightness around the thighs and uncomfortable zippers.

One other point to mention before I get on to value – Spatz claims that these have the "added advantage of a sculpted weave which seeks out any aerodynamic advantage". Unfortunately, we do not possess a wind tunnel here at road.cc so that one is going to have to go unvalidated. I would recommend taking the claim with a pinch of salt until such time as Spatz provides some aero data to back this up; and I wouldn't mind betting that the 'advantage' is minimal.

Value

So... how does the price compare with others for what you get? There are certainly cheaper leg warmers on the market – dhb's Regulate Thermals, for example, as tested by Lara, are £24, and the Nopinz Endurance leg warmers Ben tested were £29.99 and are now just £19.99, and certainly impressed.

But there are also more expensive ones: the Castelli Nanoflex 3Gs mentioned earlier are £75, for example, and the 7mesh Colorado Leg Warmers that Stu reviewed in February are £70.

The Burnr 4 Season leg warmers certainly justify their premium price tag thanks to excellent comfort and seriously impressive dry-weather warmth. They're a safe bet for cold, dry days, providing excellent coverage, comfort and warmth.

Verdict

Super warm and comfortable leg warmers that are ideal for cooler dry rides