Arm warmers are a staple of any cyclist's wardrobe, allowing riders to head out in a short sleeved jersey despite the temperature being just too nippy for bare arms. Difficulties can arise when you become warm and want to stash the warmers but don't want to put up with too much bulk in your pockets. Enter: these Pro Seamless arm warmers from Castelli.

>>> Best arm and leg warmers 

Castelli worked with Team Ineos to research and create these seamless tubes of material. The brand opted for a polyester/nylon/Lycra blend over a traditional nylon/Lycra construction - with the additional polyester chosen for its quick drying attributes.

When I first unwrapped these warmers, I thought they might be some sort of strange 'half warmer', or a very odd pair of socks. Because of the high stretch of the fabric, until you put them on, they're very short. I measured one arm warmer, flat, at 34cm. However, pulling the warmers on to my arms I was surprised to find they covered the full length from bicep to wrist - that's 44cm with my arm outstretched.

These warmers are a bit shorter than other versions I have tested, most models continue over my wrist and towards my hands. This is a positive for me, but might be annoying for anyone with longer arms.

Testing these warmers on chilly evenings, I found they kept me warm without overheating on the climbs. They dried quickly when I got sweaty and I found the seamless fabric very comfortable against my skin. There are clever weave pattern changes at key areas such as the elbows, presumably offering more stretch here, as well as white logos heralding the brand on the forearm.

Unlike Castelli's more robust NanoFlex warmers, with their water resistant treatment, these don't have silicone grippers to hold them up. Instead, the brand has opted for a simple high stretch band. This worked well on road rides and kept the warmers up. However, on off-road gravel rides I did find they began to fall down, leaving a slither of exposed skin. This shortcoming is something to be aware of if you like to venture off the beaten track.

The material is also very delicate. Unfortunately after just two outings, I noticed a 'pull' in the fabric, which is a bit unfortunate. This didn't impact performance and showed no signs of unraveling, but I'd expect an item from Castelli to have more resilience.

The real plus side to these is the weight and ease of folding. At 34g for a size small/medium, I could roll them into a ball and stuff them in my pockets alongside a full complement of essentials (pump, snacks, phone, inner tube, allen keys, tyre levers) with no uncomfortable cramming.

I've been a huge fan of Giro's clothing ever since it launched the Chrono kit some years ago, with the Chrono shorts and jersey absolutely stealing the show for me. However, whilst the jersey and shorts have since been through several iterations, the arm warmers that complement the range remain relatively unchanged are are still a worthy highlight of the collection.

>>> Best arm warmers 

These arm warmers are unlike most of the competitors on the market. They're not designed to be wind or waterproof, and thus likely not to be your first choice in the deep mid winter when pairing with garments like a short sleeved Gabba. However, warmers truly come into their own in the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn, and that's when these really shine.

Created from Giro's 'Wickpro' material, which is constructed from Nylon (60%), Polyproplyene (30%) and Elastene (10%), the Chrono warmers are incredibly stretchy and super breathable.

Pulling these warmers on, they hug your arms well and feel exceptionally soft against the skin. They suck sweat away and allow you to work hard without feeling like you're overheating, which which is ideal for those chilly pre-season training camps where the temperatures aren't that warm but the climbs are still long.

>>> Best cycling holidays 

The fabric offers UPF 50+ protection, too. This will be a big plus for the likes of Spanish and Italian riders who still bundle up when the sun is shining. For UK riders, once it's hot enough to worry we're likely to have stripped the layers off.

When it comes time to remove these warmers, they roll up really neatly into a pocket ready sausage and take up very little room in a back pocket. Coming in a 58g, they're lightweight too, though just a few grams shy of the more hardy water resistant versions on the market.

The warmers are held in place with a strip of more elasticated material at the top, and I found they stayed put well without cutting in. At the cuff, Giro has applied the same treatment, preventing air from travelling up the sleeves and causing a chill. They're pretty long on me, but that means there's plenty of fabric to pull over the tops of my gloves.

Coming in at £29.99, these warmers are in-line with competitors such as Sportful and Castelli. You can certainly find cheaper options from in-house brands at major online retailers such as Wiggle's dhb line, but that applies across the board.

The Assos Legwarmer EVO7 was selected for an Editor's Choice award in 2020. This year's list contains 78 items which scored a 9 or 10/10 with our tech team - this gear is the best of the best, and has received the Cycling Weekly stamp of approval. 

Leg warmers are a mainstay of any cyclist's spring/autumn wardrobe - and personally I won't wear any pair except the EVO7's from Assos without some serious persuasion.

The price tag has probably caught the eye of most readers immediately - so I'll address that first. These leg warmers cost £70. This is a lot more than most - even premium brands pitch theirs at around £45. However, I've been using my pair since September 2016 (there may have been some design tweaks in this time, but none I can spot) - and after three years of usage I can attest to the fact that their longevity will outdo that of most competitor offerings.

And, since I rate the fit so much, I've got more use out of them when compared with other options. One £70 outlay is more cost effective than multiple £45 spends.

>>> Buyer’s guide to arm warmers

Moving on from the swing tag. The biggest issue I have with leg warmers from other brands is the gripper. These flexible tubes of fabric need to stay up to be useful, but to do so, most brands use an elasticated strip to hold them in place. If you've got any body fat on your thighs - which as an hourglass shaped female, I can assure you I do - this is a recipe for discomfort and it doesn't do my confidence much good either.

I've tried telling myself the 'indent' is simply a sign of having strong, capable legs. But all the positive self-talk in the world will not do away with the awareness that there's a piece of elastic digging into my upper leg and creating a Michelin man effect.

Enter: Assos. The brand does things differently, using a curved cut upper, the leg warmer extends under your shorts all the way to the top of your hip. You then pull your shorts on over the top, and everything stays in place. No gripping, no slipping.

The leg warmers feature multiple panels, creating a second skin fit. The key fabric is a medium weight fleecy RX material, whilst this gives way to a more flexible strip at the back of the knee and down the calf.

I've worn these leg warmers with shorts on cold, mid-winter rides - and the additional fabric at the hip means that if you really wished, they could pretty much replace full winter tights on milder days. However, there's plenty of breathability, and using them for hard track sessions in the winter, or chilly blue sky days, I've not found myself overheating.

The fabric has been treated with a DWR (durable water repellant) finish, which beads the worst of light rainfall well. Of course, in a downpour you're always going to get wet but these keep off spring showers and road spray.

When fully extended, these leg warmers don't bunch at the knee. I'm probably shorter than the majority of customers, so I tend to have to tuck them over my heels to do away with excess material.

At the back, Assos has added a strip of reflective fabric, which is a nice touch, and there's a leather 'Assos' logo on the outer calf. Where such additions from other brands may begin to fade over time, these look almost as new.

It's is worth noting that despite ample breathability, these are heavy weight leg warmers. My size one pair (sizes range from zero to two) sit on the scales at 135g, making them not ideal for the kinds of rides where you think you might want to remove and pocket the extra layer. Assos does have a lighter weight spring/fall pair (£50) as well as knee warmers (£40) which utilise many of the same design features and might be better suited to this usage.

With nearly 10 years of apparel manufacturing experience under its belt, Mavic, purveyor of fine wheels such as the Ksyrium and Cosmic, is becoming just as highly regarded as a clothing brand. We've been impressed with what we've seen of the Vision collection so far – Vision H2O Vest, Vision Thermo Gloves and Vision Shoe Covers – and have high expectations for the Mavic Vision arm-warmers.

>>>Buyers guide to arm-warmers

Construction

Made from thermal polyester, the Mavic Vision arm-warmers are constructed in three parts: a Roubaix-type thermal high stretch on the underarm, a dense wind-resistant shell overarm and a silicone-backed elasticated upper-arm gripper, all of which is protected with a  DWR (durable water repellent) coating meaning water should just bead off.

The overarm shell fabric's high-fleece inner has been constructed in a chequered pattern, which in theory should trap pockets of air, making the Mavic Vision arm warmers also very warm.

As well as being thermal, wind and rain resistant, the qualification the Mavic Vision arm-warmers carry is the high-visibility design. On the upper-arm shell, there's both high-vis and reflective detailing which should be visible to other road users from the front and side.

The ride

At 44cm long for a small size, the Mavic Vision arm-warmers are long enough to reach from armpit to hand, preventing any unsightly and chilly jersey-arm gaps appearing on even the shortest of jersey sleeves.

The anatomical cut of the Mavic Vision arm warmers ensures that all seams sit away from elbows (inner and outer) as well as from the outer edge of the forearm and wrists, meaning that even in a time trial position there are no uncomfortable fabric joins.

The overall size of the Mavic Vision arm warmers is very nearly spot on. The elasticated silicone-backed upper arm gripper does hold the arm warmer very securely in place with a slight squeeze noticeable on the arm which isn't uncomfortable, but is a visible compression.

The underarm high-stretch fabric was skin tight, while the upper shell, by the nature of its dense construction, was slightly looser to allow for arm movement. Again this wasn't uncomfortable by any means, just a visible fit difference.

Once on I pretty much forgot about the Mavic Vision arm-warmers, a sure sign of their comfort. The reflective and high viz strips are sensibly placed on the outer forearm and down the length of the arm and were visible to other road users in all handlebar positions from both the front and side.

In light rain the water just beaded off, keeping me warm throughout the ride.

When climbing, I tend to be in the habit of pulling my arms down, as I can run pretty warm at times, and I did notice that these are slightly bulkier on the wrist than other arm warmers, mostly due to the shell fabric, although at just 60grams for the pair it's by no means any extra weight.

When I did leave the arms up and worked hard, I noticed that they weren't quite as breathable as standard non wind-proof arm warmers, but for the benefits of wind and water resistance, I'll happily take a slightly damp inner once I was finished on the ride.

There is a fly in the ointment however, like the Mavic Vision H2O vest, the Mavic Vision arm warmers are limited to 30 degree wash, and the DWR treatment will need to be reapplied eventually. This does make for an element of after care faff as well as making stains from road spay all but impossible to remove.

The other slight nagging thought is that when you have a requirement for such thermal, rain and wind resistant arm warmers, should you really be reaching for a long sleeve jersey/ jacket instead? I personally think these are ideal for the hills in changeable weather conditions, think spring / autumn (or the current summer we're experiencing in the north of the UK), which is exactly the terrain I test in, but realise this might not be everyone's stomping ground.

Value

With all of the cycling kit wish list items of high viz, water and wind resistant boxes ticked, the Mavic Vision arm warmers are going to be really appealing to many riders, but with the strict after wear guidelines, it may put easy life riders off, and £37.50 is still quite a bit towards a whole jacket. That said, I can see them becoming a real go to product for those who decide they can keep up with the aftercare, and ride in the right kind of conditions making them a much more viable piece of kit.

We first saw Carney back in September 2016 when it launched its kickstarter campaign to take its prototype arm warmers to production. It’s been a rocky road for Carney's founder, regular club cyclist Ros Clitheroe, but the brand has finally produced its first run of the Carney Reflective Sleeves arm warmers.

>>> Buy Carney Reflective Sleeves now for £39.99 

Construction

The two-panel main body of Carney Reflective Sleeves arm warmers are made from a polyamide-elastane mix, with the inner arm panel containing a slightly lower 15 per cent elastane content and finished with a soft Roubaix-like texture.

The rest of the arm on the Carney Reflective Sleeves arm warmers – the larger of the two panels, wrapping three quarters around the arm – uses a higer elastane content, 19 per cent and also contains 13 per cent glass, These are tiny glass beads to be precise.

The main panel fabric of the Carney Reflective Sleeves arm warmers has been embedded with thousands of reflective beads which shine both at day and night (under light).

As opposed to standard reflective fabrics, Carney says these beads also allow the arm warmers to reflect in low level lights, doing away with the need for high-vis colours.

Carney says the other benefit of using this glass-enhanced fabric is that unlike other reflective materials that wear or peel off with washing, as long as you stick to the washing instructions (30°C wash) they will stay as reflective as the day you bought them.

At the top of the Carney Reflective Sleeves arm warmers is a 2cm-wide single gripper, which is silicone backed. The bottom is neatly finished with a standard 1cm hem.

Ride

As far as I’m aware, this is the first time I’ve ever ridden with glass-embedded fabric and I was impressed at the level of movement and flexibility the fabric gave me.

The fabric isn’t quite as stretchy as standard Lycra, but to be honest this is only really noticeable when pulling the Carney Reflective Sleeves arm warmers on.

Once out riding the arms stayed put, without any arm-jersey gaps making an appearance. The reflective qualities of the arms are impressive in all lighting levels and give 360° visibility to other road users thanks to the entire outer arm being wrapped in the fabric.

As expected, the polyamide fabric isn’t quite as breathable as polyester, but neither is it windproof, so unless you're stationary for a while in warm sunlight, sweat build-up isn’t really an issue.

The non-windproofing/thermal aspect to the Carney Reflective Sleeves arm warmers does mean that they will have temperature limitations, but realistically arm warmers in the main only have a limited season, and I can only hope Carney brings a winter range of clothing to the market sharpish.

Value

There is a shed oad of high-vis and reflective cycling wear on the market, but its often with the compromise of having to wear very bright colours or donning an additional layer. A product that integrates subtlety and safety is very rare, if not impossible, to find.

The Carney Reflective Sleeves arm warmers have really made an impression on me, to the point where while using the arm warmers, even in the day, I do feel much more visible on the road. These have quickly become my go-to arm warmers.

The fact that they also promise significant durability over time with the fabric not at risk of fading or peeling off makes them excellent value for money.

One of the most versatile pieces of cycling clothing, the humble pair of arm warmers are an essential item in any cyclists wardrobe. The Gore Universal Windstopper arm warmers are, as the name suggests, made from a Gore Windstopper fabric, however it is thinner and of a lighter gauge than you will find on a Castelli Gabba or similar jacket.

Other features include a durable water repellent coating, to help see off rain showers and some subtle reflective graphics and details. The seams are all flatlock too, for added comfort and minimal distraction. The Gore Windstopper fabric has loads of stretch making it ideal for the application and they are unisex too. At 6'1 and 70kg, I opted for a small, with the length being ideal.

>>> Buyer's guide to arm warmers

How well do they work?

The Windstopper fabric is excellent and breathes really well, meaning that the Gore Universal Windstopper Arm Warmers feel comfortable in a wide range of temperatures and regulate heat well. The water repellent coating is okay in short showers, but I found the warmers quickly wetted out and became saturated in sustained wet weather. This was further compounded by the wide cuffs and arm grippers, which do not posses any water repellency and soaked up quite a lot of moisture. Castelli Nanoflex warmers perform better in this regard.

The fit is pretty good and made better by the asymmetric design, with specific left and right arm warmers. Unfortunately I found the grippers not to be as effective as those found on other products, such as the Rapha Merino arm warmers and Sportful No-Rain arm warmers.

Despite me opting for a small the grippers on the Gore Windstopper arm warmers didn't feel tight enough and had a tendency to slip down a little. Furthermore, there are no external grippers or silicone dots to help grip the inside of your jersey sleeve. This is a little disappointing considering the price, which although less than the likes of Assos is still that of a top brand.

It’s been a funny spring. It started off at near-summer temperatures, then stayed stubbornly around or below 10C for weeks. That’s comfortable enough to ditch the winter jacket and tights, but not really warm enough for shorts.

So I’ve been using the dhb Regulate Lite knee warmers to add a bit of extra insulation over my knees. Actually, they’re long enough for there to be minimal gap between their bottom and the top of longer cycling socks, so I’ve had petty much full leg coverage.

They will also pull a long way up the thigh, for a double layer of fabric and extra warmth over the pedalling muscles. Dhb includes unobtrusive reflective logos on the outside edge of the calves too.

>>> dhb's summer 2017 clothing ranges launched

I normally go for thicker, fleece lined kneewarmers or legwarmers for their extra insulation. The Regulate Lite knee warmers are a standard lycra fabric, but nevertheless I’ve found them fine for spring rides.

Being so light, there’s minimal bunching behind the knee and no tendency to rub. There’s a single flatlocked seam , which sits on the inside of the leg rather than behind the knee, so it doesn’t rub.

The top of the knee warmers has a double sided silicone gripper which ensures that they stay attached leech-like both to the leg and the shorts – there’s absolutely no tendency to work down or gap below your shorts. There’s no bottom gripper, but no problem staying put here either.

If things do warm up and you decide to take your knee warmers off during a ride, being so light they’re easily storable and won’t take up more than half a jersey pocket. Compared to some other knee warmers, they’re very cheap too, with Wiggle currently discounting them to £12.

Having previously reviewed the Shadow jersey and bib shorts I was keen to see how the Rapha Pro Team Shadow leg warmers performed.  These are made from the same fabric as the jersey – and this fabric is the key to the Shadow line. It is a thin but dense material, a tough textile that provides excellent breathability, windproofing and water repellency while still maintaining a good degree of stretch.

>>> Click here for a review of the Rapha Pro Team Shadow Jersey

The stretch of the Shadow fabric is limited, though, and I suspect this has led Rapha to deploy a slightly stretchier panel behind the knee joint.

Touched from the outside, the Shadow fabric feels quite rough to the tough but has a comfortable, soft, brushed inner surface so that it can comfortably be worn against the skin without distraction.

Regarding fit, I normally wear size small Rapha shorts and the size small leg warmers fitted well too. The grippers at the top of the leg were decent and held in place under the Shadow shorts. Breathability is excellent too

I wore the Rapha Pro Team Shadow Leg Warmers in a variety of conditions ranging from 5-10ºC in both wet and dry. When riding in the wet, water repellency is excellent and to show this I have included a photo taken on a very wet ride up Wrynose Pass in the Lake District.

I did notice water seeping through the softer fabric on the back of the knee joint prior to the Shadow fabric wetting out. The outer DWR (durable water resistant) coating does deteriorate with washing and use but can be replenished with special products. To illustrate this the below photo shows a new pair of Shadow leg warmers next to a year-old pair of Shadow shorts. Note the lack of beading on the shorts.

>>> Review of Assos S7 Leg Warmers

Crucially though, once wet the Rapha Pro Team Shadow leg warmers continue to keep you warm. The fit is very comfortable but I did experience some bunching of the fabric around the knee joint, which is a slight negative on an aesthetic level and is visible in the photo below. Again, I suspect this is a result of the Shadow fabric not being the stretchiest.

I would prefer the Rapha Pro Team Shadow leg warmers to have some hi-vis or reflective details. This is kit designed for foul weather after all. To clarify, I do not want them to be luminous yellow, but some stylish reflective details would be most welcome. It is my understanding that printing reflective details on the special DWR fabric remains a challenge.

At £85 these warmers cost more than most shorts, so are they worth it? Castelli Nanoflex leg warmers also have a DWR coating and are more affordable at £50, but in my experience they are less durable and the coating doesn't last as long. The next nearest comparison is the Assos S7 Leg Warmers – a product which is highly technical in fit but lacks the water resistance of the Shadow warmers.

Castelli’s Nanoflex kneewarmers are a staple of my mid-season wardrobe and good for milder winter rides too. I’ve had a pair for over four years and they’re still going strong. Kneewarmers extend the life of your summer shorts for a month or so in the spring and the autumn. Pair them with fleecy shorts and you’ll get another few weeks’ use from them into even colder conditions. And they’re useful even in the summer if you are making cool starts.

>>> Dos and don'ts of winter training (video)

Castelli adds a bonus to its Nanoflex kneewarmers, which are surface treated for water repellency as well as being fleecy. My four year old pair are still water resistant and do the beady-off trick if you put them under a tap, which is pretty impressive after so much use and washing.

But the only problem I had with the old Nanoflex kneewarmers was the single flatlocked seam up the rear of the leg. Wear them the way Castelli intended and, coupled with the relatively inflexible fabric, I found that they tended to rub uncomfortably after a few hours’ riding. It’s easily enough addressed by turning the warmers through 90 degrees so that the seam is on the inside of the leg and the large, white Castelli logo at the rear. But nevertheless it’s an irritant. Now it’s been addressed by the Nanoflex Plus kneewarmers.

>>> Buyer's guide to armwarmers

The front of the Nanoflex Plus warmer is made from the same Nanoflex fabric as of old, But at the rear, there are now two flatlocked seams, displaced to the sides of the knee joint. And the rear of the warmer is made from Nanoflex Light fabric. This is far more stretchy than the standard Nanoflex, so in one stroke Castelli has removed the seam at the back and added a lot more flex.

And it works really well. I’ve not had any discomfort at the back of the knee and there’s still plenty of warmth and rain protection. Castelli’s kneewarmers are long too, so you can pull them far up your thigh. This stops a gap opening up below your shorts and adds a second layer of insulation to your hard-working thigh muscles. The bottom of the kneewarmers extends almost to the top of my socks, so there’s plenty of lower leg coverage too.

Watch: Buyer's guide to overshoes

There’s no gripper at the bottom of the warmers, but at the top Castelli has a silicone band both on the outside and the inside of the opening. This means that the warmers grip the inside of your short legs as well as your thighs, which helps them stay up and avoids a gap with your shorts.

>>> Leg and knee warmers buyer's guide (video)

Castelli has been really sensible with the Nanoflex Plus kneewarmers, preserving the great qualities of their predecessors while addressing their one weakness, even it that has taken quite a long time to happen. And they are expensive for such a simple piece of kit.

Alé makes some of the brightest coloured and most distinctive cycling kit around. So it’s a bit of a surprise that its leg warmers eschew loud colours and large Alé logos in favour of plain black. Indeed, the only adornments are two small sewn-on rubber patches bearing a fluoro Alé logo, one on each lower leg. This does have the advantage that the leg warmers will go with pretty much any other kit which you have, either from Alé or from another brand.

>>>  Alé R-Ev1 Master jersey review

In fact, they’re a pretty standard set of leg warmers all-around. They’re made of fleecy Roubaix-style fabric which is soft to the touch, warm and stretchy enough that they are easy to get on without needing to use the ankle zippers on the inside of each leg. The single non-flatlocked seam too runs up the inward side of the leg. There’s no pre-shaping of the warmer, so you get a bit of bunching behind the knee, but I never found this uncomfortable.

>>> Alé Graphics PRR Ponente bibshorts review

The leg warmers are quite long too, so you can pull them up to mid-thigh with ease and there’s little chance of ending up with a gap below your shorts. There’s no bottom gripper, just a rolled back layer of fabric sewn into the hem.

Watch: Buyer's guide to overshoes

I did find the top gripper problematic though. It’s just over 1cm wide and bears a narrow silicone band and a thread-like elastic top edge. This I found rather too tight and narrow, so that it dug into my thigh. This wasn’t so noticeable when riding, but off the bike soon became uncomfortable. After wearing for a few hours, there was a pronounced pressure line when I took the leg warmers off.

>>> The biggest cycling clothing company you've never heard of

So in summary, the Alé Plus leg warmers are a useful addition to the cycling wardrobe which will go with any other kit and are well-priced. It just would have been nice to have had a wider gripper to distribute pressure on my leg more evenly.

French brand Café du Cycliste is based in Nice and makes a range of kit to deal that city's Mediterranean climate. As well as being very hot during the summer months, the inland areas can get cold in winter and a ride in from the coast is likely to include a variety of temperatures as well as potentially an encounter with rain.

>>> Buyer's guide to armwarmers

So although armwarmers may not be the most obvious accessory, they're nevertheless as useful in Nice as in Sheffield.

Café du Cycliste has made its arm warmers with shaped structure to reflect the bend in the arm when riding. The Loulou Rains have a non-flatlocked seam running along the base of the warmer and a second flatlocked seam which coils around the arm. This gives them a pronounced curvature which works well to avoid bunching and keep them comfortable when cycling. The outer forearm also has a long reflective tape sewn into the seam for really pronounced low light visibility.

Watch: buyer's guide to overshoes

The fabric is fleece lined thermoroubaix, so there’s a lot of warmth and wind resistance on offer. This is coupled to a wide, stretchy cuff at the wrist and a silicone band top gripper.

>>> Buyer's guide to leg and knee warmers

Café du Cycliste has topped this off by surface treating the Loulou Rain warmers, so that water beads off the fabric. Their water repellency has lasted well through multiple washing cycles. Although not as compact and pocketable as some warmers, they fold up well too, but they will take up most of a jersey pocket if you decide to take them off completely rather than just to roll them down. With their technical features, they should be a good option to take you through into autumn.

The dhb Aeron Rain Defence arm warmers form part of a range that includes jersey, shorts, leg-warmers and knee-warmers.

Despite them all being billed as ‘rain defence’ and seemingly made from the same materials, the performance varies quite a lot between garments.

Thankfully the arm warmers are near the top of the range (the jersey is the best), and they perform pretty well.

Dress for the changeable conditions

When riding hard or if the sun comes out, they can start to feel a bit clammy though. The arm warmers are only showerproof: it would be good if they were either more breathable or more waterproof, as at the moment the balance isn’t quite right.

When the heavens do open, your arms soon get wet but they do stay warm, which is often good enough.

The dhb Aeron Rain Defence arm warmers are plenty long enough so there’s no risk of getting the dreaded arm warmer/jersey skin gaps.

In fact to some people’s preference they might even be too long. When pulled up from wrist to armpit, the material can bunch up around the elbow.

Buyer's guides to warmers

Best cycling arm warmers for autumn and winter

Best cycling leg warmers and knee warmers reviewed

This is a common problem with shower or waterproof garments are the material tends to contract again after being stretched out.

Despite my criticisms, I gladly pull these on whenever there's a threatening cloud in the sky so you wouldn't go far wrong with buying a pair.

The GripGrab Light arm warmers are meant for spring and early autumn but in reality I have continued to use them well into the British ‘summer’. Barring the recent spell of unseasonably warm weather, these have been worn or in my jersey pocket on most rides.

Rolled together as a pair, they’re about half the size of a standard pair of arm warmers so can fit in any jersey pocket if/when the temperature does get high enough to ride without them.

Buyer's guides to warmers

Best cycling leg warmers and knee warmers reviewed

Best cycling arm warmers for autumn and winter

GripGrab leg warmers

GripGrab knee warmers

The GripGrab Light arm warmers are very breathable, so if it’s warmer than you expected or you work hard on a climb but want to stay warm on the descent then they can accommodate a good range of temperatures.

The fit is great, in terms of both length and width. The inner label could be better placed, but this is a very minor drawback to an otherwise excellent accessory.

See GripGrab for more information, and check UK distributor Wiggle for the latest prices and discounts.

The Sportful Fiandre Light NoRain arm warmers buyer are designed for cooler, drizzly late spring and early autumn days where you want to stay dry but don’t want to overheat. And that’s a job they do rather well, you’ve just got to consider whether you need a pair of arm warmers specifically for this task.

>>> Buyer's guide to spring and autumn clothing (video)

Probably the most impressive thing about the Sportful Fiandre Light NoRain arm warmers is their windproofing. The orange parts of the arm warmers pictured above feature Sportful’s Windshield technology, which does an amazing job of keeping any cold wind away from your skin.

This is matched by the impressive water resistance of these arm warmers, with their NoRain water-repellent finish. Now, “water-repellent” can sometimes mean that a piece of clothing will keep you dry for a good ten minutes in moderate rain, but I’ve found time and again that Sportful’s definition is better than most, and these arm warmers will keep you dry through some pretty serious and persistent rainfall.

Watch: buyer's guide to spring and autumn clothing

The main problem I had with the Sportful Fiandre Light NoRain arm warmers was that they offer no sort of insulation. This means that they do a great job of keeping your arms dry without overheating when it’s mild and raining, but when the temperature really drops you’re going to want something that will keep you warmer.

>>> Buyer's guide to arm warmers

Something, for example, like the standard Sportful NoRain arm warmers, which are a great piece of kit that I couldn't find fault with when I first tested them last April, and am still happily using them now. Surely by definition arm warmers should keep your arms warm, something which the Fiandre Light arm warmers don’t always do.

So if you’re going to buy one pair of arm warmers, then the normal NoRain arm warmers would be a much better choice (and £3 cheaper). They may not be as breathable as these arm warmers, but if you’re really overheating when you’re wearing arm warmers, then you’ll just take them off, even if it is raining.

I also wasn’t entirely convinced by the fit of the Sportful Fiandre Light NoRain arm warmers. While the silicon gripper around the arm is good, they come up a little short, and because there is not much stretch built into the orange area of the arm warmers, there’s not much flexibility.

For more details visit the Sportful website.

When it’s that bit too cold for just bib shorts or its getting towards the temperature when you are not quite sure whether full leggings are the best choice, a good pair of leg warmers is a great option. As we’ve come to expect from Rapha’s cycling apparel, the Rapha Leg Warmers are well made, do a simple job well and have a few nice details.

Firstly, the fleece backed Roubaix lining is soft on your legs and more importantly does a good job of keeping your legs warm.

>>> Leg warmers and knee warmers: a buyer's guide

Compared to most other leg warmers the Rapha leg warmers have a relatively high number of seams. However, the seams have been positioned to avoid chafing or irritation and along with the left/right shaped cut the leg warmers were comfortable on both short (like the prologue of the Tortour Cyclocross race) and long days in the saddle.

Watch: how to dress for winter riding

A complaint for some leg warmers is that they can slide down your legs meaning that throughout a ride you are regularly pulling them up or they ride up leaving a section of your lower leg exposed to the elements. The gripper tape at the top of the Rapha Leg Warmers holds them in place well and I rarely had to pull them up. Equally, although some people may prefer an ankle hoop, the combination of the zipped ankle and gripper tape on the cuff meant the leg warmers didn’t ride up and they were easy to put on.

>>> Buyer's guide to the best winter cycling clothing

The Rapha Leg Warmers have reflective tags (with a hint of pink) for improved visibility and Rapha fans will appreciate the subtle logo on the side of the calf.

Costing £50, the Rapha Leg Warmers are in direct competition with the Castelli NanoFlex leg warmers. Both sets of leg warmers are good quality, however Rapha’s offering are slightly thicker (better insulation) and feel a bit more durable. On the other hand, when the heavens open the water-resistant coating of the Nanoflex leg warmers is a welcome addition.

All in all the Rapha leg warmers are hard to fault. The only real criticism is that they are not waterproof.

These GripGrab knee warmers arrived just in time for the start of the changeable autumn period and have been a welcome addition on many training rides and commutes.

Similar to the GripGrab's leg warmers, these knee warmers have excellent top and bottom grippers which make for a stable, comfortable fit and the light fleece lining keeps the chill off delicate knee ligaments and tendons.

The material is also breathable and does a good job of regulating temperature meaning they can be used in a range of conditions.

>>> Leg warmers and knee warmers: a buyer’s guide

The flat-lock seams are comfortable and don’t chafe — indeed it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them.

It’s all about personal preference but these can feel quite long. This is a feature of many brands of knee warmers where not much leg is left uncovered, but enough of your calf is left out when wearing these to allow heat to escape on warmer spring and autumn rides.

Biemme’s B-fluo legwarmers are a shockingly bright yellow, so there’s no excuse for anyone not to see you coming. They’re made from a stretchy knitted polyamide with 5% elastane, which Biemme claims is hypoallergenic and antibacterial.

>>> Legwarmer buyer's guide

The weave is structured, so that there’s a slight curve and a more stretchy area over the knee for improved articulation as you pedal and there is a single flatlocked seam up the back of the warmers. This makes them comfortable to wear and they’re easy to get on and off, even when wearing cycling shoes.

>>> Pro tips for winter riding

I did not find the seam intrusive in use and there’s no rubbing, as the warmers are so stretchy. The stretch also means that they stay put once on and can be pulled a long way up the thigh for plenty of overlap with shorts and a double layer of insulation over the thigh muscles, which are working hardest when riding and need to be kept warm for efficiency.

The legwarmers pair up with the matching armwarmers. Like the legwarmers, these are made of stretchy knitted polyamide and elastane. In the case of the armwarmers, there’s a more stretchy knit over the elbow, which is effective to prevent rucking on the inside of the joint. They are quite a close fit which ensures that they stay up and they taper with your arms so that they fit closely at the cuff without discomfort too.

>>> Armwarmer buyer's guide

Despite the weave being quite open, I found both the arm and leg warmers comfortable and windchill resistant at temperatures around 10C. The armwarmers can be pulled down and worn comfortably around the wrists if the weather warms up a bit and there’s not too much bulk either. Both the arm and leg warmers are also quick drying, pocketable and easy to wash – but just a bit bright for retiring types.

The GripGrab leg warmers came out the box looking a bit like two unshaped tubes of material, as appears in the above image.

However, once they are on the well designed and manufactured fit is instantly clear, and the initial appearance gives a thankfully false impression.

Comfort is excellent: the top gripper holds the warmers exactly where you want them and you soon forget you've got them on. That's unless you get the label caught up with the gripper at the top.

This is a very minor thing, but the position of the care label means it can get folded over and irritate your leg. Easily solved by the user, it could be entirely solved if sewn somewhere else, for example near the ankle.

>>> Buyer’s guide to arm warmers

A light fleece lining gives the leg warmers a wide comfort temperature range meaning they can be warn from the first chilly Autumnal morning right through to most of the way into winter.

Their breathability extends the temperature range they can be used in by compensating for some of the heat build-up on those days when you go out overdressed (we've all been there).

They aren't super-thermal, and many riders will want an extra layer around the shorts area anyway, so these may be superseded by bib tights during the coldest depths of the off-season.

The GripGrab leg warmers come in two colour options: black and high vis. The black ones look sleek and can be matched with any choice of shorts, shoes and overshoes.

The high vis, however, are not for shy and retiring riders as you'll definitely get seen, and definitely be looked at. Stored away for the darkest commutes or foggiest days, these are unlikely to get any daylight ride time.

That said, if they match your kit or are your sort of thing, the comfort, fit and warmth are exactly the same as the black ones - as you'd expect - so you won't go wrong in those respects.

Contact: gripgrab.com

UK Distributor: wiggle.co.uk

If you’re after the most comfortable warmers money can buy, then look no further than the Rapha Merino arm warmers, made from a merino wool blend used exclusively by Rapha (perhaps from a flock of sheep roaming on the Alpine meadows around Alpe d’Huez).

Mandatory Rapha joke out of the way, I can talk about how comfortable these warmers are, with the merino wool being lovely and soft against the skin, even compared to the normal fleece-lined lycra you'll find one most arm warmers. The 5% elastene included in the fabric means that they also fit well whatever the shape of your arms, while the rubber gripper around the top hem worked well enough that I wasn’t forced to pull them up too high to keep them in place.

>>> Buyer’s guide to arm warmers

Only having experience of traditional lycra warmers, I was slightly skeptical of the thin, lightweight merino wool construction, expecting it to be easily penetrated by chilly winds, and quickly find myself reaching for an extra thermal layer whenever the temperature went into the lower half of single figures. However, although they can’t offer the same level of protection as the Sportful NoRain warmers and the Pearl Izumi Pro Thermal warmers, Rapha has still managed to make these pretty warm pieces of kit, far better than their lightweight construction would suggest.

Of course, there’s the issue of price. There’s no avoiding the fact that despite being a pretty pricey pair of warmers, the extra money only gets you a different material, rather than any more protection from the elements, making the Rapha Merino arm warmers only really suitable for late spring and early autumn riding.

For more details visit the Rapha website.

The material used by Defeet is somewhat similar to the merino wool of the more expensive Rapha warmers (although not as light or thin), and is just as warm, well down into single figures.

Of course, the choice of material means that the Defeet Armskin arm warmers aren’t the best for long days out in rainy conditions. However on the couple of occasions that I did wear them in the wet, they didn’t soak up water in the way I expected, and only became waterlogged after a couple of hours of persistent rain.

>>> Buyer’s guide to arm warmers

The Armskins also defied expectations when it came to fit. Unlike any of the other warmers on test, the Defeet Armskin arm warmers don’t have any grippers around the hem. However, such is the excellent fit that they easily stay in place without the need for any added security.

The lack of complexity of these warmers also seems to have kept the price down, with the sub-20 quid RRP being great value for what you’re getting.

Finally, with a choice of eight colour options available, there should be something to match every kit.

For more details visit the i-ride website.

Made from Pearl Izumi’s Elite Thermal Fleece fabric, these leg-warmers feature a thin fleecy inner lining that feels soft and comfortable against the skin, while offering good levels of insulation. The fabric also has ample levels of stretch allowing for freedom of movement and no bunching around the knee. Pearl Izumi attributes the good fit around the knee to its front-to-back panel construction – Different fabrics are utilised, to optimise the fit and comfort at the knee joint. Elastic bindings with silicone grippers on the hips do a great job of holding the warmers in place. I experienced no sliding around under my shorts.

>>> Buyer’s guide to arm warmers

Similar to other warmers on test, Pearl Izumi has incorporated a zip on the ankle for easier removal. Unfortunately I had a slight issue with the fit around the ankle. It was a little loose, with perhaps slightly more material than required. The zip on the ankle was a little irritating against the skin too. Overall, these warmers are a decent option and they do the job they are designed for, but they don’t perform as well as others in terms of fit.

>>> Better than a Castelli Gabba? Wet weather jackets put to the test.

The zip on the ankle was a little irritating against the skin too. Overall, these warmers are a decent option and they do the job they are designed for, but they don’t perform as well as others in terms of fit.

For more information, head over to Madison.

Santini has constructed these warmers using its BeHot fabric, which it claims generates heat as it stretches and contracts.

However, while this should have a decent effect on items such as winter tights, on arm-warmers where the fabric doesn’t stretch and contract, the temperature gain is minimal at best. For this reason I found the Santini BeHot arm warmers were best saved for when the mercury rose comfortably into double figures.

>>> Buyer’s guide to arm warmers

Aesthetically pleasing, the main body of the warmers is black; a coloured section at either end comes in red, blue, yellow, or grey, and the raw cut gives a clean appearance.

Although I found the length excellent and well-suited to my long arms, I really struggled with these warmers falling down and found myself pulling them high over my shoulder in an attempt to stop this. Perhaps a more muscular rider may not have these problems, but for the gangly climber, the poor grippers are, quite literally, a let down.

If a good fit was the only thing we were looking for in a pair of arm warmers, then these would win hands-down. There are clearly a lot of climbers among the designers at Pearl Izumi HQ on the edge of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, as these warmers fitted my long, skinny arms perfectly.

>>> Buyer’s guide to arm warmers

The key to the great fit is the panelled construction and anatomic cut, with a different cut for your left and right arms. This helped to prevent loose material around the elbow, and meant that I wasn’t forced to haul the warmers up over my shoulder in an attempt to keep them up. They are also slightly longer at the top of the arm, which helps provide extra coverage over your deltoid.

The silicone grippers are also positioned on the outside of the warmers, which might seem counter-intuitive at first, but is actually pretty clever. Instead of pulling at your skin in order to stay up, the Pearl Izumi Pro Thermal arm warmers  grip onto the jersey, with the excellent fit doing the rest of the work to make sure they didn't constantly fall down

>>> The best winter cycling gloves

The Pearl Izumi Pro Thermal arm warmers are also the match of any of their rivals when it comes to warmth. The Pro Thermal Fleece was good enough to keep my arms warm even with the temperature well down into single figures, and I didn't get chilly on early morning rides with the warmers doing a good job of not absorbing dew.

My only gripe was that despite the above average price tag, these could not offer the excellent water resistance of the slightly cheaper Sportful NoRain arm warmers.

For more details visit the Madison website.

The fleece-backed Lycra employed in Madison’s offering is really comfortable against the skin, offering a great degree of thermal insulation. These leg-warmers don’t feature the water repellency of Castelli’s NanoFlex, but did a good job of retaining heat when wet and offer more warmth as they are slightly heavier. With regards to weight, they are heavier than many competing products, but this is not really noticeable on the bike and they can be packed down well and stuffed in a jersey pocket.

>>> Buyer’s guide to arm warmers

The ankles have a zip for easy access, but this compromises the fit around the ankle slightly — it can be a little loose but not as much as others I've tested. As can be seen from the picture, these leg-warmers feature a straight tube shape. More expensive leg-warmers often have an anatomical shape that is designed to accommodate a bent knee. Although, Madison has placed a lighter-gauge Lycra behind the knee joint to prevent overheating and aid flexibility.

>>> Better than a Castelli Gabba? Wet weather jackets put to the test.

The lighter fabric behind the knee works, with these warmers offering good freedom of movement. In addition, the panels are sewn together with flat lock stitching which means there are no annoying seams to cause discomfort. The rubberised thigh grippers work well under shorts, doing a good job of staying in place while riding.

For more information, head over to Madison.

Castelli’s leg warmers utilise its water-resistant NanoFlex fabric, which is claimed to have the same breathability, stretch and warmth as the standard Thermoflex fabric. You may have seen Castelli NanoFlex leg warmers being used by the Cannondale-Garmin Pro team when the weather turns foul.

>>> Buyer's guide to arm warmers

The NanoFlex coating is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water. Castelli doesn’t claim the warmers are fully waterproof, but the fabric’s coating does a great job of repelling water, with impressive beading. The fabric dries fast once the rain relents too. Unfortunately the NanoFlex coating only appears to last a couple of washes, but it can be replenished using a product like NikWax or Muc-Off Fabric Protect. These warmers also feature a zip on the ankle for easy removal over cycling shoes.

>>> Better than a Castelli Gabba? Wet weather jackets put to the test.

These warmers are light and really comfortable. When on the bike, they don’t move anywhere, with the double-sided silicone grippers working well to also stop your shorts riding up. The fit is among the best I have tested with no loose material or bunching. They don’t feel restrictive around the knee either, with a good degree of stretch. However, other designs such the Assos S7 warmers offer a slightly more comfortable fit, owing to their ergonomic, multi-panel construction.

With a retail price of £50 they are not the cheapest, but the quality is good and I found they last a long time being heavily used before deteriorating. With regards to sizing, I am 6'1 and 69Kg with a size medium pair fitting perfectly.

For more information head over to Saddleback.

As you should be able to guess from the name, the Sportful NoRain arm warmers are designed to offer a little more protection than your run-of-the-mill thermal arm warmers.

The warmers feature Sportful’s NoRain technology, also seen on the likes of the Sportful Light NoRain Top, a water-resistant fabric which aims to keep you dry without compromising on stretch and comfort. Water resistant arm warmers are certainly nothing new, with the Castelli Nanoflex and Caratti Thermal arm warmers being just two of many such products on the market.

>>>Buyer's guide to arm warmers

However Sportful has made the best attempt at it yet, with water visibly beading on the surface in light rain, and also acting as a bit of extra wind protection. Yes, they do get overwhelmed in heavy rain, but they are designed to be water resistant rather than waterproof, so we’ll give some slack on this one.

What also impressed about the Sportful NoRain arm warmers was their length. Too often arm warmers come up short when pulled over skinny cyclist arms, leaving an annoying exposed stretch of skin above your gloves. However, Sportful seem to have given these warmers a little extra length, eliminating this problem. The grippers around the upper arm are also very good, keeping the warmers firmly in place.

At £26, the price is also on a par with what we’d expect to pay for a good pair of warmers, impressive given the extra protection that Sportful can offer.

For more details visit the Sportful website.

Despite a few warmer days earlier in March, it’s still not quite time to break out the bare legs just yet. However we’re not complaining too much, as it gave us a little more time in the Capo Lombardia leg warmers.

>>> Cycling accessories: Arm and knee warmers

Capo gives a recommended temperature range for these leg warmers as 7-16ºC (45-60ºF), which we’d say was pretty much spot on. The Thermo Roubaix material works by trapping air when it stretches, providing an extra layer of insulation beyond what you’d expect from a standard lycra warmer. In fact we’ve even been comfortable pushing the Capo Lombardia leg warmers down an extra few degrees when paired with a pair of thermal shorts.

The Lombardia leg warmers also come with a DWR coating which aims to provide a degree of wet weather protection in a similar vein to the Castelli Nanoflex and Sportful NoRain warmers. And it works too, keeping our legs dry and warm through drizzle and intermittent shower, and not becoming waterproof even during persistent rain.

The ergonomic cut also ensures a good fit, with no bagging around the knees, especially impressive given the one-piece construction. Silicon grippers around the thigh also ensure the warmers stay firmly in place, although these are strangely missing from the ankle, meaning you could find them riding up if you have particularly skinny legs.

>>> Review: Santini BeHot leg warmers

An RRP of £55 puts the Capo Lombardia leg warmers squarely in Castelli territory, and not too far below Assos. Are they the equal of products from these brands? Probably. But it’ll be up to you to decide whether the DWR wet weather protection justifies the extra cost over more basic competitors.

For more details visit the Capo website.

The period of mild weather at the start of January gave us an excuse to put the winter tights back in the wardrobe for a few days and hit the road in shorts and leg warmers, namely the excellent Santini BeHot leg warmers.

The headline grabbing features of these leg warmers is the BeHot fabric, which Santini claims not only protects you from the cold, but also generates a small amount of heat as it stretches and compresses during your pedal stroke. While the claimed temperature gain with the company’s bibtights is 4ºC, the Santini BeHot leg warmers give a more modest figure of an extra 1ºC.

>>>Best cycling overshoes

OK, so we’ll admit that we weren’t able to verify whether or not this is entirely true, but what we are sure of is that these offer warmth that goes beyond what we’d usually expect from a pair of leg-warmers. Quite simply we were never cold, even on chilly mornings before the mercury climbed out of the lower echelons of single figures. What’s more the Santini BeHot leg-warmers also coped well with fairly consistent rain, and even if they didn’t keep you dry, they certainly kept you warm.

The leg-warmers are kept in place by the tacky anti-sliding elasticated bands around the thighs and ankles. In general these do an excellent job, gripping onto your skin without being to tight. However if we had one complaint it would be that the ankle could be a tighter, and was prone to riding up a little – not a problem with overshoes, but certainly an annoyance on warmer rides when there will be a gap between your socks and the bottom of the leg-warmers.

>>>Best cycling gloves

Perhaps this isn’t helped by the lack of ankle zip, meaning that Santini have had to make the fabric extremely elastic to allow you to fit the thinner end of the leg-warmer over your foot. However if this slightly compromises the fit, it certainly makes the Santini BeHot leg warmers extremely comfortable. And what’s more, in our opinion at least, the yellow pair are some of the best looking leg-warmers we’ve seen.

For more details head over to the Santini website.

You might think it would be easy to make a good kneewarmer. After all it's little more than a tube of material. But it's not. Many companies, good ones at that, still get it very wrong with this garment.

I've tested many that have crept up my calf and bunched behind my knee, or slipped down underneath my shorts leaving that horrible gap of exposed thigh between them and the shorts. No one wants to see that.

Thankfully Castelli has nailed it by sticking to a few key rules. Most importantly in my opinion is the length - 395mm for size small. These ones are ideal; long enough that they sit below the widest part of the calf muscle helping keep them down and preventing that bunching behind the knee.

They are also nice and tight all round without being uncomfortable. As they use a light, thermal material (the pair weighs just 76 grams) they can be made to be tight (something else that helps keeps them in place, top and bottom) without the seams digging in to your skin. Not that there are many seams to do that.

The silicon grippers at the top are another great touch. The one on the inside means the kneewarmer grips your leg while the one on the outside helps them grip to the inside of the shorts. Double whammy.

My record is a five-and-a-half hour ride (with 20 minute cafe stop)  without once having to adjust them.  Perfect.

UK distributor: www.saddleback.co.uk