Sportful Deep Winter Gloves review: warm, grippy but not fully waterproof

I'm a bit of a diva when it comes to winter cycling gloves. They're one of the few pieces of cycling gear that I need to be just right; otherwise, they can ruin my ride.

My Goldilocks-like demands mean the gloves must have just the right amount of padding to keep my digits warm, while still allowing for dexterity and excellent radial grip.

This is easier said than done for someone like me, who has small hands and suffers from Raynaud's—a condition that prevents proper blood flow to my fingers and toes.

It usually means that all but the very best winter cycling gloves are too bulky for me to, excuse the pun, get to grips with.

So when the Sportful Deep Winter gloves arrived on my desk, I was incredibly skeptical they would live up to the task of helping make winter cycling more bearable , but I couldn't have been more mistaken.

Sportful Deep Winter Gloves - construction

There are a few pairs of gloves in Sportful's winter collection, with the Deep Winter model designed for the lowest temperature range suggested between -5°C and +5°C / 23°F to 41°F.

At the core of the gloves is Primaloft insulation. According to Primaloft, the 100% polyester inner lining is specifically designed for active wear, combining the warmth of lightweight, breathable insulation with stretchy fabric while allowing for moisture management.

The outer layer, made from a 100% polyester Sportful membrane, aims to protect against wind and light rain, keeping your hands shielded from the elements, although it specifies that the gloves are water resistant rather than waterproof.

The palm features a specialised grip material, which Sportful describes as being made from 60% polyamide and 40% polyurethane, resembling faux suede.

This is further enhanced by strategically placed rubberised 'cat tongue' sections at the top of the palm and the heel of the hand, helping maintain a firm grip on the handlebars.

Additionally, the index finger and thumb are designed to be touch-screen compatible, allowing you to use electronic devices without removing the gloves.

Finally, on the cuff of the Sportful Deep Winter gloves, there is a velcro closure made from the same material as the palm with a silicone-dotted section for easy fastening.

Sportful Deep Winter Gloves - The ride

I thought I might have had to wait until early January to get the weather conditions specified by Sportful for optimal performance, but the north of the UK had other ideas. An early influx of the finest Peak District winter arrived in mid-November and hasn't really let up since.

With their low-profile shape and minimalist design, I was apprehensive about how well the Sportful Deep Winter Gloves would keep me warm during my rides over the hills. So apprehensive, in fact, that I tucked my Sealskinz Upwell heated gloves into my back pocket as a 'just-in-case' insurance policy.

However, I was immediately impressed with their performance. Living halfway up a pretty steep hill, I have to decide whether to go up or down at the start of every ride. Due to the snow and ice, I chose to head out on gritted roads, which meant immediately pushing the gloves into a sub-zero descent. When factoring in the wind chill (according to this unverified wind chill calculator), it was more like -9°C / 15°F.

It's a good indicator of how the rest of the ride will go if I don't instantly have cold air seeping into my gloves, and the Sportful Deep Winter ones buffered it nicely.

Further into the first ride, the gloves continued to hold up well against the elements. The PrimaLoft insulation, combined with the wind-blocking membrane, created an impressive shield that prevented my hands from losing heat instantly—something some gloves can do, especially around stitched seams.

The fit of the size medium pair I tested offered just enough space to wiggle my fingers and allowed room for a thin silk liner underneath.

Thanks to the minimalist palms, my radial grip on the bars was excellent, and I loved that I still had ample feedback from the bike, which is especially important when riding on winter roads and needing to feel what the road surface is doing.

The fingers were a little long, but not so much that I got the fingertips caught in the shifters or brake levers.

Talking of fingers, the touchscreen compatibility was one of the best I've ever experienced. I was able to use all the functions on my phone, even typing and sending messages without removing my gloves—a big win for mid-ride communication checks or Instagram moments.

However, I will admit that the lure of the heated gloves in my back pocket was too strong. Riding over to meet my daughter from school and hanging around for about 10 minutes caused my hands’ temperature to drop drastically, and I had to switch from the Sportful Deep Winter gloves to the heated pair.

Sportful Deep Winter Gloves - value and conclusion

I was truly impressed with the warmth provided by the Sportful Deep Winter Gloves. They are ideal for anyone who dislikes the bulkiness of winter gloves.

Focused on dexterity, their design combines this with Primaloft insulation and minimal palm padding, creating an excellent combination.

I haven't ridden in heavy rain yet (a very wet experience the week before has discouraged me from riding in torrential rain for now), but in spray and mist, it didn't even seem like they absorbed water.

However, this remains a concern, especially since British winter rides often involve hours of pouring rain. While I agree that breathability is better than a completely waterproof barrier, these gloves will need regular DWR treatments to keep out the worst. However, I appreciate that my benchmark for wet-weather warmth is electric leather gloves.

The £80/$100 price tag isn't overlooked, but on the whole, you truly get what you pay for in terms of top-tier performance, which will impress even the most particular riders with its warmth and dexterity.