Castelli Perfetto RoS Women’s Gloves

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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