7 of the Best MTB Winter Gloves for cold and wet riding

Cold hands is not only a horrible feeling, but it actually makes riding a bike really hard as your hands slow down and braking can become difficult. Keeping your hands warm and dry is one thing, but being able to actually hold the bars and use your controls comfortably is quite another.

We’ve been on the search for the best MTB winter gloves for a long time – and here are 7 of the best pairs out there right now.

Some are basic thin gloves with windproof membranes on the back – and others are full on waterproof sub-zero rated offerings for the worst conditions.

There’s something for everyone in our Best MTB Winter Gloves selection…

100% Brisker

Retail Price | £19.99

Stockists | Decade Europe

Best MTB Winter Gloves | 100% Brisker

With a conventional palm, the Brisker is a thin glove with a warm and windproof backing. The emphasis is on good bar feel – and they certainly have that.

Likes

• Thin palm feels great on the bars
• Reflective graphics are subtle, but effective
• Tech-thread on finger and thumb for touch screen use
• Ultra comfortable
• Windproof and warm
• Keep showers at bay

Gripes

• Small closure on underside of wrist can come undone on occasion
• Not so good on really cold days

We Say

A minimal winter glove for those that think they don’t want a winter glove. The Brisker feels just like your favourite glove in use, but has an insulated layer to keep your fingers comfortable in typical winter conditions. Great value too – a no brainer for cooler weather riding. 

Madison Addict gloves

Retail Price | £24.99

Available From | Madison

Best MTB Winter Gloves | Madison Addict

With a very similar cut and feel to the 100% Brisker, the Madison Addict is a touch more substantial and has additional layers on the palm with some slim gel padding to avoid numbness.

Likes

• Slim cut
• Thin, grippy palm
• Windproof and thermal backing
• Reflective graphics are subtle, but effective
• Keeps the worst of the rain at bay
• Tech-thread on finger and thumb for touch screen use
• Long wrist good on colder days for increased protection

Gripes

• Small closure on underside of wrist can come undone on occasion

We Say

Slightly tougher than the 100% Brisker, the Madison Addict also offers great value for money and a touch more protection. Though the palm is very thin and the gel pads on the heel of the hand don’t bother us, some won’t like the padding. 

One Industries Atmosphere Glove

Retail Price | £34.99

Stockists | Hotlines

Best MTB Winter Gloves | One Industries Atmosphere

With a similar thin palm to the Brisker and Addict, the backing is thicker on the Atmosphere, and the sides of the fingers are insulated too.

Likes

• Slim, close cut
• Reflective logos and outside finger
• Substantial wrist cuff – on top of the wrist
• Conductive palm material for smart phones
• Water resistant
• Warm – good on cold days

Gripes

• Conductive palm/finger material for smart phones doesn’t work when damp
• Back of hand is a little stiff when new

We Say

For riding in cool and damp conditions, the Atmosphere is a great glove. We love the wrist cuff being on the top of the hand as it doesn’t come undone, and the overall feel is like a conventional trail glove.

Sealskinz Dragon Eye waterproof glove

Retail Price | £38

Available From | Sealskinz

Best MTB Winter Gloves | Sealskinz Dragon Eye

This glove is 100% waterproof, and uses the classic Sealskinz design – a 3ply system with a micro porous membrane in the middle. This allows your hand to breath, but the glove remains waterproof. It’s quite a bit thicker than the others, but hand manoeuvrability and feel is good.

Likes

• Totally waterproof
• Totally windproof
• Tough as old boots
• Great all round winter glove
• Cuffs on top of hand

Gripes

• Palm quite thick
• Overall cut a little basic

We Say

For riding in truly shite conditions, Sealskinz make products that make you grin. The Dragon Eye gloves are a little thick – but really are damned good for winter shredding. Certainly one of the Best MTB Winter Gloves out there.

Gore Bike Element Urban Windstopper gloves

Retail Price | £54.99

Available From | Gore Bike

Best MTB Winter Gloves | Gore Bike Element Urban Windstopper

Although not a mountain bike specific glove, the Element Urban Windstopper is so warm and comfortable that we wanted to include it. With a soft feel and Gore’s brilliant Wind Stopper fabric these will keep a hard shower at bay with ease.

Likes

• Windproof
• Water resistant
• Incredibly warm and comfortable
• Long wrist coverage
• Side of wrist closure
• Smart phone compatible fingers

Gripes

• Gel padding on heal of hand not to everyone’s taste
• Palm is padded – but does have a very good shape

We Say

For those days when its cold, wet and windy the Wind Stopper fabric on the Element really does feel the business. If you ride a lot on bad conditions, the durability of this glove does rank it amongst the best MTB Winter gloves. As with all Gore products – they keep on truckin’ too.

Fox Forge Cold Weather

Retail Price | £50

Available From | Fox Europe 

Best MTB Winter Gloves | Fox Forge Cold Weather

When you absolutely positively must ride in the coldest conditions, you need this glove. It is rated 10k breathable, and 10k waterproof too thanks to the combination of a warm liner; membrane layer and tough outer. It does mean the glove is a little clumpier than the others here, but considering just how warm this glove is – it would be hard to beat.

Likes

• Ultimately warm – totally isolated from outside conditions
• Waterproof
• Very comfortable despite the bulk
• Grippy palm

Gripes

• Due to the 3 layer construction, the palm fabric can move very slightly against the other layers
• Thick feel takes getting used to

We Say

For truly baltic weather, the Fox Forge will be your best buddy. Granted, it’s not the best feeling glove on the bars – but the waterproof construction and thermal insulation will keep you in the saddle when other gloves just don’t cut it.

Gore Bike GTX 1 gloves

Retail Price | £59.99

Available From | Gore Bike 

Best MTB Winter Gloves | Gore Bike GTX 1

Designed around road riders who are exposed to wind and rain for prolonged periods, the GTX1 is completely waterproof, windproof and is made from a light weight fabric. Fit a little on the loose side, but the thin fabric doesn’t affect hand movement.

Likes

• Incredibly waterproof and breathable
• Warm
• Great cut
• Very long cuffs – good for taller riders especially
• Reflective logos

Gripes

• Cut is a little loose

We Say

For out and out wet weather, the GTX 1 is a great glove. If you commute or have some long saddle time it’s well worth a look – but for out and out MTB performance the thinner gloves will always be the best MTB Winter gloves.

The Verdict

Riders all want different things from gloves, so we’ve broken the verdict down to suit your needs:

Most waterproof

Even though the Sealskinz glove is damned good, the fact that the outer fabric soaks up water means you have to dry them for quite a while. If commuting this can be a pain. On that basis it’s the Gore Bike GTX1. For general tough MTB use though, the Sealskinz option holds it’s own. It’ll keep on going.

Warmest

The Fox Forge. By a mile. Most UK riders won’t need anything this warm – but you could buy a pair of these and with minimal use have them ready for use in a decade. Very well made cold weather gloves.

Best feel

The 100% Brisker has the best palm and back of hand combination. Feels like a normal trail glove but keeps the wind and rain at bay.

Best value

Again, the Brisker is under £20. Can’t really knock them for that, even though the tiny velcro closure is a bit annoying.

Our favourite

We don’t suffer from cold hands that much, so the Brisker really ticks all the boxes for us. It feels like a regular trail glove, but keeps enough of the elements away to remain comfortable in some pretty bad conditions.

What are your top winter gloves for mountain biking?

Let us know in the comments below…

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