My colleague, Tom, has been working his butt off over recent months testing the best winter cycling gloves. He’s been out in all weathers, often with multiple pairs on his person so he can back to back several options at once. I on the other hand am pretty set in my ways: I just wear 3mm neoprene Castelli gloves. I have the same pair, still going strong, that I bought with my own hard-earned money as a fresh graduate around ten years ago.
Like a wetsuit, neoprene gloves won’t keep you dry, but they will keep you warm despite the dampness. If you want a really top-notch neoprene pair then Tom, and World Champion Tadej Pogačar, opt for the Velotoze Waterproof Neoprene Gloves. They do a far better job at keeping you dry, and half a very long cuff, but they are significantly more expensive than what I’m about to show you, even with a Cyber Monday discount…
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Here’s the thing: Neoprene isn’t complicated, and it’s been used in watersports far longer than it has in cycling. I love my Castelli gloves, and I will continue to use them, but I’ve found sets of 3mm diving gloves on Amazon that are functionally identical. Same thickness, same stitching pattern… They’ve even got a grippy palm to hold a spear gun, which should be more than a match for your hoods.
Like I said, I think the Velotoze option will be a better bet in terms of absolute performance, dexterity, waterproof etc., but if you want to give neoprene a try then I can’t think of a compelling reason to buy a Castelli branded pair when these generic diving gloves exist.
I should caveat this with at least a small note of caution: I haven’t tested the generic Amazon diving gloves myself, though they do have thousands of positive reviews. I have no idea if the stitching will fall apart immediately or if they’re made of some sort of worse, lower-quality neoprene, so proceed at your own risk.
Neoprene officially has the World Champion’s seal of approval (Image credit: Getty: Dario Belingheri / Stringer)
