Sportful WS Essential 2 Gloves

Sportful's WS Essential 2 gloves are a triumph of low-bulk construction, effective protection, great fit and comfort, which together make them just brilliant for cool to cold days.

The synthetic palm is quite thin, but with a soft inner face, and the back is covered with Gore-Tex Infinium 4-Way Warm fabric, lined with soft fleece. This Gore-Tex fabric is windproof and water resistant, and is responsible for the WS, for WindStopper, in the glove's title.

The gloves have a slim, rubber-backed Velcro tab on the back of the wrist, which opens to permit easy access via the broad cuff. A strip of the same synthetic microfibre material as on the palm and fingers extends across the inside of the cuff, giving something robust to pull the glove on with. The Velcro tab can tighten the low-profile cuff completely around the wrist, allowing sleeves to overlap it, but the half ThermoDrytex cuff is stretchy enough to wrap over some sleeves too, if preferred.

Available in all black, as tested, or with one of four coloured highlights covering the little finger, and the sides of the other fingers, they come in sizes XS to XXL. These sizes equate to a palm circumference from 6 to 11in (15-28cm).

As the largest circumference of my palm measures 9in/23cm, I tested a pair of the recommended large gloves. I have average length fingers, with thickness somewhere between your stereotypical classical pianist's and Homer Simpson's. Relatively large palms, and fingers on my left hand with much worse circulation than those on my right, thanks to an accident and multiple surgeries, ask a lot of cycling gloves.

On me the gloves' fingers are a snug fit, with no bagginess, so they give superb dexterity, moving exactly as your fingers do. I find they give a gentle squeeze, which I quite like. It's not the sort of tightness that inhibits circulation and makes your hands cold – as mentioned, I already struggle there – rather, just a stabilising grip. Off the bike, there looks to be excess material between thumb and forefinger, but once gripping a handlebar or hood, it's ideal. There are seams along the side of each finger, but they don't interfere at all.

Lightly padded grippy patches across the top of the palm and ulnar nerve area are complemented by the same unpadded, silicone-embossed material between thumb and forefinger. Together they grip superbly, even on bare carbon or aluminium, and the subtle padding doesn't press into your hand when gripping the bar.

The right forefinger has a shiny microfibre panel for controlling touchscreen devices (bad luck if you're left-handed), but because you need to touch the screen with a flatter part of the fingertip it can be a little hit and miss if trying to type, though not too hard if just scrolling. It works, but I have used some that are more effective. The gloves are very quick and easy to remove and put on again though, so I generally do that. 

There's also a good sized Ultrasuede wipe strip on each thumb, for quickly cleaning lenses, or your cold, dripping nose. The large Sportful logo on the back of each hand is reflective too.

There's an immediate feeling of warmth from the gloves, and with their windproofed backs it doesn't easily escape. On days when the ambient temperature dropped to around 5°C, with windchill making it a few degrees colder still, my hands remained comfortably warm for a couple of hours. In freezing temperatures of zero and below, the gloves' ability to create and maintain warmth was limited by their thermal properties, so, depending on how your hands react to the cold, the Sportfuls may not be warm enough. The Italian brand says the WS Essential gloves are designed for temperatures down to 5°C, so that's no surprise.

> Buyer’s Guide: 25 of the best winter cycling gloves

In light rain and drizzle, or heavy road spray, moisture doesn't penetrate the gloves for some time, but if things get persistent or heavy, you'll definitely get wet hands. The bonus is that the windproofing still keeps the cold at bay, so your hands will stay warm and damp. I probably wouldn't choose to wear them in a downpour, but I also don't expect to keep my hands dry in anything, and that way I don't get disappointed; I'm more interested in warmth.

Listed at £50, these gloves are a solid outlay, but are of great quality and durability. On price, they align with Castelli's Tutto Nano gloves, but offer a more robust feel and greater warmth, and Bioracer's Glove One Tempest Pixel Protect gloves, which have similarities but also greater bulk. They're not as good value as 100%'s Brisker gloves, though, which are £13 less, and very good.

Gloves that don't change the way you ride, by making gear shifts, eating, drinking, operating zips and so on more complicated while riding, are worth finding. For me, these Sportfuls are ideal for every ride when the temperature stays a few degrees above freezing, and Sportful's usual quality of construction has kept them looking pristine, despite plenty of washes.

Verdict

Excellent low-bulk winter gloves with generous warmth, decent protection and superb fit