GORE Universal Windstopper Arm Warmers review

Gore's arm warmers are made from Windstopper fabric, feature a water repellent coating and are unisex. Here is our review

(Image credit: chris catchpole)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

Overall, the Gore Universal Windstopper Arm Warmers are a good quality and comfortable. They are versatile and the best features are the styling - which goes well with any kit and the Windstopper fabric, which does an excellent job of keeping the wind out while retaining brilliant breathability. I feel the DWR and grippers could be better though

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Look good, match well with any kit

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Grippers

  • -

    Not very water repellent

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

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.

The Gore Universal Windstopper Arm Warmers are left and right specific
(Image credit: chris catchpole)

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

Unfortunately I didn't find the grippers to be as effective as those on some competing products
(Image credit: chris catchpole)

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.

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Oliver Bridgewood - no, Doctor Oliver Bridgewood - is a PhD Chemist who discovered a love of cycling. He enjoys racing time trials, hill climbs, road races and criteriums. During his time at Cycling Weekly, he worked predominantly within the tech team, also utilising his science background to produce insightful fitness articles, before moving to an entirely video-focused role heading up the Cycling Weekly YouTube channel, where his feature-length documentary 'Project 49' was his crowning glory.