Gripgrab Gloves

Fabric Tech and Weather Performance

The waterproofing conversation in cycling gloves usually comes down to one problem: traditional floating membranes sit between the outer fabric and lining, which means the outer can still absorb water, get heavy, and start conducting cold straight to your hands. GripGrab's OutDry® membrane fixes that by bonding directly to the outer face of the glove - there's no gap for water to pool in, so the surface stays light and the membrane stays right where the wet is coming from. On a proper soaking ride in the Scottish Borders, that difference is not subtle.

For drier but raw days - the kind of February morning where the road is clear but the wind is cutting - Gore-Tex Infinium™ is the construction to look for. It's windproof and highly breathable, which matters on climbs where you're generating real heat and don't want your hands arriving at the top cold and clammy. It won't handle a full downpour the way OutDry will, but it breathes better on the way up, and that's exactly the trade-off you want for mixed-condition riding rather than outright wet days.

On longer rides, hand health matters as much as warmth. DoctorGel® padding is placed specifically to offload pressure from the ulnar nerve - the nerve that runs along the outside of your palm and causes that familiar pins-and-needles sensation in your last two fingers after a few hours in the drops. It's not just extra foam; the gel is positioned biomechanically to redirect load. Pair that with InsideGrip™ - silicone applied to the inside of the glove rather than the outside - and you get grip and bar feedback without the glove sliding around between your palm and the bar tape. Through heavy neoprene or a thick winter shell, that feedback is easy to lose. Here it isn't.

Most of the range is also touchscreen compatible, which sounds like a minor feature until you're trying to check a route on a freezing lay-by and the alternative is taking the gloves off. Seams on the waterproof models use IntelliSeal™ construction to keep water out at every stitch point - it's a detail that makes the difference between a glove that's waterproof and a glove that's waterproof until it isn't.

Understanding the GripGrab Glove Range and Fit

GripGrab splits broadly into three tiers, and picking the wrong one for your conditions is how you end up cold, sweaty, or both. Deep winter models - the GripGrab Polaris and GripGrab Optimus sit in this bracket - are built for sub-zero temperatures and persistent freezing rain. Heavy insulation, fully sealed waterproof membranes, extended cuffs that work properly over a winter jacket. These are the gloves you reach for when the temperature gauge reads single digits and the road is wet before you've left the street.

Mid-season and transitional gloves, like the GripGrab Ride Windproof, occupy the space between autumn crispness and full winter misery. They're slimmer, more dexterous, and lean on windproof construction rather than maximum insulation. If you're riding in the 5 - 10°C range on dry days, these will keep up with you far better than a deep-winter glove that has you overheating on the climbs.

Neoprene models sit in a separate category - they're purpose-built for wet riding rather than cold riding. Neoprene doesn't breathe much, but it insulates when soaked and dries quickly, which makes it genuinely useful for commuting through proper rain or riding in the kind of sodden conditions that would kill a standard fabric glove's DWR in about twenty minutes. If your commute involves standing at traffic lights in the rain, neoprene is the honest answer.

On fit: GripGrab gloves run snug. That's intentional - a close fit improves bar feel and reduces material bunching under the palm - but for deep winter models, consider going up a size. A little extra room creates a small layer of warm air between lining and skin, and it gives you space to wear a Merino wool liner underneath if conditions are particularly brutal. For mid-season and neoprene models, your usual size is generally right. If you're between sizes, go up rather than down for winter gloves, down for summer. Measure your dominant hand around the knuckles and use GripGrab's size chart - their sizing is consistent across the range, which takes some of the guesswork out. Looking for summer riding protection? Head over to our dedicated GripGrab Mitts page for lightweight, fingerless options.

If you're weighing up alternatives, Castelli gloves tend to run slimmer and suit riders who prioritise dexterity over maximum insulation, while Endura gloves offer a broader range of price points and are particularly strong in the mid-season bracket. Gore Bike Wear gloves are worth a look if Gore-Tex Infinium is a priority and you want to compare constructions directly.

Layering and Care for UK Winter Riding

The standard mistake on a long UK winter ride is reaching for the heaviest glove available and hoping for the best. A more flexible approach is pairing a mid-weight windproof glove with a thin Merino wool liner. Merino manages moisture well, so when you're grinding up a long drag and your hands start to warm up, the liner pulls sweat away rather than letting it sit against the skin - which is exactly what causes that horrible cold-hands-on-the-descent problem. You can always pull the outer off and stuff it in a back pocket if it warms up. You can't take warmth out of a glove you didn't bring.

GripGrab's waterproof and insulated models need a bit of care to stay performing properly. Machine wash on a gentle 30°C cycle with a technical detergent - something designed for waterproof fabrics. Fabric softener is the one thing to absolutely avoid: it coats the DWR finish and clogs the membrane, and it degrades the DoctorGel padding over time. Both effects are permanent and not covered under any warranty. Air dry away from radiators and direct heat - high heat collapses the loft in insulated models and can delaminate membrane constructions. Lay them flat or hang them at room temperature. It takes longer, but the gloves will last significantly more seasons for it.

To complete your cold-weather kit, GripGrab's own base layers and neck warmers are engineered with the same thermal logic as the gloves - worth pairing if you're building a winter kit that actually works together. And if cold feet are as much a problem as cold hands, their overshoes use similar membrane technology and are worth adding to the order.