Elite Cycling Project Malmo winter cycling gloves overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Suffering from semi-frozen fingers isn’t fun, and when the cold weather hits, you need decent winter gloves. Your winter gloves must be waterproof, and equally importantly, windproof. They also need good insulation.
Not my first rodeo
The Elite Cycling Project Malmo winter cycling gloves offers all of the above. I’m on my second pair now – the first pair finally wore through after several years of daily winter commutes, and are no longer completely waterproof.
There are multiple reasons why I replaced my old winter gloves with the exact same type: the Elite Cycling Project gloves are really good, and in all the winters I wore them, I never suffered from cold hands on a ride. That includes morning commutes of several degrees below zero.
The fact that these gloves are called Malmo is quite apt. Malmo gets very cold, and these gloves were made for very cold weather.
Very well made
The Malmo gloves are available in black, or hi-vis green, and has a Velcro strap to compliment the elasticated cuff. Constructed from a tough, windproof outer layer, there’s a waterproof membrane, and ample Thinsulate insulation.
The palms are padded, and the gloves have added, quite grippy (even when wet) reinforcement to the padded palm, as well as to the thumb, index and middle fingers. I have treated my first pair very rough, and it still lasted me five years.
Not quite flawless
However, these gloves aren’t perfect. For starters, you need to wash, or Febreze them very regularly. Because they’re waterproof and effectively airtight, they rapidly become a breeding ground for bacteria. If you’re foolish enough to wear these daily, for over a week, without treating them, or washing them, they will turn into a bio-weapon!
I’m completely serious about this! Even after extensively washing your hands three times in a row, smelling your hands will trigger your gag reflex, if you made the mistake of not cleaning the gloves. This isn’t a failure of the gloves, but rather a failure in keeping them clean.
Top tip: if you’re planning on using Febreze, get the liquid spray, not the aerosol cans. That’s worked well for me for years.
The next problem with them is quite significant: they take ages to dry after washing them. When you do wash them, leave them on a warm, but not overly hot radiator. Again, this is expected from gloves with decent insulation.
They also don’t allow you to operate your smartphone, which is a pity, and may see you trying to peck in your phone’s PIN using your nose. In the greater scheme of things, I see this as a very mild annoyance at worst.
I have different neoprene gloves that I wear when it won’t be bitterly cold, as the Elite Cycling Project gloves leave my hands uncomfortably warm if the outside temperate is above 5 Celsius. It really isn’t often to find a review effectively saying “sometimes these gloves are too warm”!
Verdict
Overall, I rate these gloves very highly. They’re tough, and will keep your hands toasty warm on very cold days, all for a very reasonable price.