Northwave Gloves
Northwave cycling gloves sit at a point in the range where Italian construction precision meets the kind of weather that turns a pleasant Sunday ride into a character-building one. Your hands are your most direct link to the bike - they're reading the road, modulating the brakes, and absorbing every vibration the bars throw at them. Get that wrong and everything downstream suffers.
The Northwave range runs from featherlight fingerless summer mitts with perforated palms to fully waterproofed deep-winter gauntlets with Gore-Tex membranes and Primaloft insulation. The proprietary Biomap palm construction is the thread connecting the whole range - it maps the natural contours of your hand to remove the bunching and pressure points that cost you feel and cause fatigue on longer efforts. Whether you're logging base miles on the A-roads in January or threading singletrack on a damp autumn afternoon, there's a Northwave glove pitched at your conditions. Touchscreen-compatible index fingers mean you're not pulling kit off every time you need to check your route, and the fit across road and MTB lines is built for precision without clamping down on circulation. A considered range, well-made and practically thought through.
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Fabric Tech and Weather Performance
UK riding doesn't do seasons cleanly. You can leave the house in thin sunshine and be caught in a proper downpour by the first climb. Northwave's answer to that is a layered approach to fabric technology across the range. At the waterproof end, Gore-Tex membrane gloves seal out rain without turning your hands into a sauna - the membrane is genuinely breathable, which matters when your effort level climbs and your hands start to work. The H2O Flex membrane appears in mid-range waterproof models and handles the bulk of wet British days well, pairing with a DWR coating on the outer shell so light rain beads off before it ever reaches the membrane.
For winter, the insulation choices are deliberate. Primaloft brings a warmth-to-weight ratio that keeps bulk down without sacrificing protection - useful when you still need to feel the lever throw cleanly. Thinsulate appears in some of the more aggressive cold-weather builds, adding a windproof barrier that makes a real difference when you're pushing into a headwind across open exposed roads. A neoprene cuff on the deeper winter models seals the gap between glove and sleeve, which is exactly where the cold sneaks in on a fast descent.
Summer mitts take the opposite approach. Perforated palms and high-wicking mesh across the back of the hand pull moisture away quickly, so your grip stays consistent even when the effort is high. Sweaty, slippery palms are a genuine handling issue - not just a comfort one - and Northwave's ventilated summer construction takes that seriously.
How the Range Fits Together
The road and MTB lines have different priorities, and Northwave keeps them clearly separated rather than trying to split the difference with one compromise glove. Road mitts are cut close and slim, with an aero-conscious profile that doesn't bunch under bar tape or snag on your jersey cuffs. The gel padding in the palm is targeted rather than bulky - it sits across the ulnar nerve zone specifically, which is where sustained road vibration does its damage on longer rides. That anatomical focus is what the Biomap palm is doing: distributing contact area so there are no pressure spikes and no fabric folding under load.
MTB and trail gloves are built differently. Reinforced knuckle zones, tougher outer materials, and a roomier fit that works with the wider grip diameter of flat bars. Full-finger construction is standard here for obvious reasons - a good tumble on gritty singletrack is far more forgiving when your fingers aren't exposed. The padding spec also shifts toward Poron XRD and gel shock absorption tuned for repeated trail impact rather than road buzz. If you're comparing alternatives, GripGrab gloves cover similar ground in the MTB space, while Castelli gloves are the natural road-focused comparison at this level.
Touchscreen-compatible index fingers feature across most of the range, including the winter builds. It sounds like a small thing until you're trying to dismiss a navigation alert with a Gore-Tex gauntlet on - at that point it's exactly the kind of practical detail that makes a difference. Sizing runs true to Northwave's standard Italian fit: snug and anatomical. If you're between sizes or planning to layer a thin liner underneath for deep winter use, go up one. The fit is designed to be close, not restrictive, but there's not a lot of extra room built in.
For riders who want to see the full Northwave clothing picture, their Northwave jackets and Northwave overshoes pair logically with the winter glove range - if you're sorting out extremity protection for a proper UK winter, doing hands and feet together is the sensible approach. Pair with Northwave socks under those overshoes and you've covered the full cold-weather circuit.
Washing and Looking After Your Gloves
Technical gloves don't respond well to being treated like regular laundry. The DWR coating that makes water bead off the shell is degradable - strip it and you're left with a membrane that still technically works but soaks through the face fabric and feels wet from the first puddle. Wash Northwave gloves at 30°C on a gentle cycle, using a non-bio detergent. Avoid fabric softener entirely - it coats the fibres and kills both DWR performance and the breathability of any waterproof membrane.
Air dry them. Not on the radiator, not next to the boiler. Heat degrades the gel padding inserts over time and can delaminate waterproof membranes at the seams. Lay them flat or hang them at room temperature and let them dry slowly. If the DWR starts to fail - water soaks in rather than beading - a low-heat tumble dry with no detergent can sometimes reactivate it, or use a DWR re-proofer spray once dry.
Don't leave wet gloves balled up in your kit bag after a ride. It's a small habit that saves the lining and keeps the insulation lofted properly. Spreading them out in the boot on the way home takes about four seconds and adds months to the lifespan. If you're also running Gore Bike Wear gloves in rotation, the same care principles apply - Gore-Tex products across all brands respond to the same gentle-wash regime.
Northwave Gloves FAQs
Are Northwave gloves true to size?
Generally yes - Northwave gloves fit true to size with a snug, anatomical cut that's designed to sit close without bunching against the bars. If you're between sizes or you plan to wear a thin liner glove underneath during cold weather riding, go up one size.
Which Northwave gloves are best for winter cycling?
Look for models in the Extreme Winter or Husky lines - these use Gore-Tex or Primaloft insulation to handle genuine cold and wet conditions. They're built to keep wind and water out while retaining enough tactile feedback to shift and brake cleanly on the move.
Can you wash Northwave cycling gloves?
Yes - use a 30°C gentle cycle with non-bio detergent and skip the fabric softener, which strips DWR coatings and kills breathability. Air dry them away from direct heat; radiators and tumble dryers degrade gel padding and can damage waterproof membrane seams over time.