Castelli Gloves
Castelli gloves are engineered for the moments when the weather stops being a backdrop and starts being a problem. Drawing on decades of pro-peloton development, Castelli's cold and foul-weather handwear uses fabrics like Gore-Tex Infinium and proprietary RoS (Rain or Shine) technology to block wind chill and deflect road spray without turning your hands into a sweat-bath at pace. That balance matters more than it sounds - hands that overheat get wet from the inside, then freeze on the descent just as reliably as hands that got soaked from the outside.
The range is properly tiered, from neoprene Diluvio gloves built for genuine downpours to the Perfetto RoS for damp, unpredictable days where the weather can't commit to a decision, right up to the Estremo for proper sub-zero January efforts. Across the range, the Castelli Damping System (CDS) handles palm padding with a nerve-protection logic rather than just bulk, keeping bar feel sharp on long miles. The fit runs close - Italian race-cut, as you'd expect - and getting the sizing right is half the job. We'll walk you through all of it below.
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Fabric Tech & Weather Performance
The Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper membrane sits at the heart of Castelli's most versatile winter gloves. It works by stopping convective heat loss dead - that biting headwind on an exposed moor or a long open drag simply can't punch through it - while remaining breathable enough that sweat escapes rather than building up inside. On a hard effort in cold air, that breathability is the difference between hands that stay warm and hands that go clammy, then cold, ten minutes into the descent.
RoS (Rain or Shine) technology takes a slightly different approach, prioritising water resistance alongside wind protection for the kind of mixed, drizzly riding that makes up a large chunk of the UK calendar. It's not a Gore-Tex membrane - it's a treated stretch fabric that moves with your hand more naturally and handles the repetitive grip-and-release of bar work without fatigue. For high-tempo riding in wet but not torrential conditions, RoS fabric breathes more freely than a stiffer membrane and is the reason the Castelli Perfetto RoS gloves work across such a wide temperature window.
Where genuine cold sets in - think pre-dawn winter base miles in Scotland or a December sportive in the Peaks - PrimaLoft insulation adds serious warmth without the bulk that kills bar feedback. PrimaLoft traps heat efficiently even when damp, which matters in high-humidity cold rather than dry-cold. The Estremo uses it specifically for this: maximum thermal insulation in a glove that still fits under a jacket cuff without bunching. Pair them with Castelli base layers and you've got a coherent system that manages body heat from core to fingertip.
Understanding the Castelli Fit & Range
Castelli sizing runs snug. That's not a flaw - it's intentional, built around a race fit that keeps the fabric taut against your palm for direct bar feel and clean brake lever pull. But it does mean that if you're buying Castelli cycling gloves for winter use, you should size up at least one size from your usual. A glove that's too tight in the cold restricts blood flow to your fingers, and restricted blood flow means cold hands regardless of how good the insulation is. Measure your hand circumference across the knuckles and check the brand's size chart rather than going off your jersey size.
The range breaks down logically once you know what each model is for. The Diluvio gloves use neoprene construction - the same logic as a wetsuit - and are Castelli's answer to genuine, persistent rain. They're not the warmest option, but they handle water better than anything else in the range and dry reasonably quickly. For most UK winter riding, though, the Castelli Perfetto RoS gloves are the workhorse: Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper with enough insulation for cool conditions, enough breathability for harder efforts, and a fit that works under most jacket cuffs. At the extreme end, the Estremo is a deep-winter tool - PrimaLoft-insulated, fleece-lined, built for the days when you're genuinely questioning the ride.
Castelli waterproof gloves in any of these models pair well with Castelli overshoes if you're building a full wet-weather kit - keeping your feet as warm as your hands makes a significant difference on long winter efforts. And if you're also looking at outerwear, Castelli jackets use the same RoS and Gore-Tex Infinium fabrics, so the protection logic carries across the whole system.
Looking for summer hand protection or track mitts? Head over to our dedicated Castelli Mitts page for lightweight, fingerless options designed for hot weather riding.
Layering & Care for UK Riding
One thing that gets overlooked: how you wear gloves over or under your jacket cuff changes how they perform in rain. In heavy, sustained rain, pull your jacket sleeve down over the glove cuff. Water running down your arm won't funnel into the glove, and the seal is much better. In milder, drizzly conditions where you're working hard and generating heat, running the glove cuff over your sleeve gives slightly more ventilation and prevents that sauna effect at the wrist. It sounds minor. It isn't, after two hours in the wet.
Touchscreen-compatible fingertips appear across several models in the range - useful for a quick Garmin tap or phone check without pulling a glove off in the cold. Worth confirming on individual model listings, as not every version carries it.
Care is straightforward but matters if you want the DWR water-repellent coatings to last. Machine wash at 30 degrees, inside out, with a technical detergent - standard fabric softener will degrade the DWR finish and compromise the Gore-Tex Infinium membrane's performance over time. Air dry away from direct heat; a radiator will damage neoprene cuffs and degrade synthetic leather palm materials faster than you'd expect. Once dry, a low heat in a tumble dryer for ten minutes can help reactivate the DWR coating if water has started to wet out rather than bead on the surface. Castelli cycling gloves sizing can also shift slightly if gloves are dried under tension, so reshape them while damp and leave them flat.
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Castelli Gloves FAQs
Do Castelli gloves run small?
They do. Castelli uses a traditional Italian race fit that typically runs a size smaller than UK or US brands. For winter gloves especially, size up - a too-tight fit restricts blood flow to your fingers, which means cold hands no matter how good the insulation is. Measure your hand circumference across the knuckles and use the brand size chart as your guide.
What is the Castelli Damping System (CDS)?
CDS is Castelli's palm-padding layout, designed to distribute pressure across the hand and specifically protect the median nerve - the one responsible for the numbness and tingling you get after long miles on rough tarmac. Rather than adding uniform bulk, it places cushioning where load actually concentrates during riding, so bar feel stays sharp while fatigue and nerve compression are reduced.
Are Castelli Perfetto gloves fully waterproof?
Highly water-resistant, rather than fully waterproof. The Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper fabric blocks wind completely and handles drizzle and road spray very well, which covers the vast majority of UK winter riding. In sustained, heavy rain, a neoprene Diluvio glove is the more appropriate choice. The Perfetto's advantage is that it breathes far better than a fully waterproof glove, keeping hands dry from the inside as well as the outside.