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Van Rysel Cool Weather Arm Warmers

9
£9.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Spot on for cool weather use, and fantastic value for money
Soft and stretchy seamless fabric
Inexpensive
Extremely light/low bulk
Weight: 
39g
road.cc Recommends

This product has been selected to feature in road.cc recommends. That means it's not just scored well, but we think it stands out as special. Go to road.cc recommends

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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If you're looking for versatile levels of warmth in an extremely light, seamless design, the Van Rysel Cool Weather Arm Warmers are hard to fault at an excellent price.

As well as being extremely light, these arm warmers are incredibly stretchy, made from 87% polyamide, 13% elastane. Think heavy denier women's tights and you're along the right lines.

> Find your nearest Decathlon store here

> Buy these online here

The construction is seamless and smooth, with subtly ribbed areas at the top and bottom where they are also double thickness. There are no grippers or other features at all really, just simple knitted tubes of stretchy fabric.

The fabric is a great weight and density for the conditions suggested by the name: 'cool weather' rather than deep winter. There's no wind resistance in the fabric, but what they do well is give just a bit of extra warmth. They also wick moisture very quickly, and dry well too.

2021 Van Rysel Cool Weather Arm Warmers - detail 1.jpg

When not required they're easy to remove and stow in a back pocket. The packsize and weight penalty is tiny!

In addition to working well with a short sleeve jersey, they're handy for a short-sleeved baselayer/weatherproof jacket combo. I find there are times when it's too warm for a long-sleeved baselayer under a waterproof jacket, but these make an excellent 'just in case' addition to a long, wet, chilly ride kit selection.

2021 Van Rysel Cool Weather Arm Warmers - detail 2.jpg

The suggested conditions for use are 10-16°C, but I wore them in high single figures and I'd consider them at quite a few degrees higher than 16 too, as they are so breathable.

One feature that's a welcome side-effect of the soft, lightweight, seamless construction is that they don't interfere with a GPS watch, as some warmers can. The cuffs are soft enough to not cause any inopportune button pushes, but still grip the wrists nicely.

2021 Van Rysel Cool Weather Arm Warmers - cuff 2.jpg

They're available in three sizes, XS/S, M/L and XL/2XL. I tested the M/L which were a good fit for my 38cm biceps and neither too short nor too long, so good for average length arms. Considering the lack of a gripper of any kind, they stayed put perfectly well while riding, with no issues of curling or sliding down, even with a jersey with no gripper on the sleeves.

Value

As far as value for money goes, these warmers are exceptional, giving versatile levels of extra warmth with next to no weight penalty or bulk for a really low price. If you're after cool conditions/shoulder season warmers, or something to wear under other layers, these are spot on.

ETC's Snug Arm Warmers have a similar seasonal focus and are also £10, but the Van Rysels are even lighter and more compact, making them easier to carry.

> Buyer’s Guide: 20 of the best arm & leg warmers

Most warmers tend to have grippers and are aimed at slightly cooler temperatures or offer weather protection in some form as well, and can vary in price from the inexpensive Galibier Ardennes II Arm Warmers at £19.58 to the highly technical and protective Assos Armwarmer Evo7 at £35.

Whether you are on a tight budget or not, it's hard to argue with the performance and low weight and bulk offered by the Van Rysels at just £9.99.

Verdict

Spot on for cool weather use, and fantastic value for money

road.cc test report

Make and model: Van Rysel Cool Weather Arm Warmers

Size tested: M-L

Tell us what the product is for

To provide additional warmth with short sleeved jerseys in cool weather conditions.

Decathlon says, ' These arm warmers can be worn with a short-sleeved jersey to protect your arms during cool-weather rides. They are very easy to store in your jersey.

'These pre-formed arm warmers will perfectly fit your body shape to provide incredible comfort. These arm warmers will become your favourite accessory for cool weather rides.'

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

Decathlon lists:

87% polyamide/13% elastane

Seamless construction

No gripper

Washable at 40

Available in sizes XS/S, M/L, XL-2XL

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Very light, compact, smooth and stretchy.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Performed exceptionally well in the cool conditions they are intended for.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Early days, but they wash well and don't snag too readily.

Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10

Soft and stretchy.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
9/10

Spot on and flexible.

Rate the product for weight:
 
10/10

Extremely light.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10

A barely-there feel to them, with no issues with curling or sliding down when in use.

Rate the product for value:
 
10/10

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

Washed well.

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

Performed very well as a cool weather warmer, but more versatile than that.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The soft and stretchy fabric, price and light weight/low bulk.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing

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

The closest in terms of price and seasonal focus are the ETC Snug Arm Warmers at £10 – these are good value in themselves, but the Van Rysel are even lighter and more compact to carry. Most warmers have grippers, are aimed at slightly cooler temperatures or offer weather protection in some form as well, and vary in price from the inexpensive Galibier Ardennes II Arm Warmers at £19.58 to the highly technical and protective Assos Armwarmer_evo7s at £35.

Did you enjoy using the product? Very much.

Would you consider buying the product? Definitely

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, absolutely.

Use this box to explain your overall score

Well-designed, made from soft and stretchy comfortable fabric and gives a good level of versatile warmth without a weight penalty, at a great price.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 48  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 77kg

I usually ride: Liv Invite  My best bike is: Specialized Ruby Elite

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

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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