Warm and windproof with well-placed reflective detail
Windproof, warm and with a good amount of well-placed reflectivity, the Altura Night Vision Windproof Gloves are strong performers, ideal for either winter commuting or long rides, and at a fair price.
The gloves use ‘Altura Thermo’ technology, which is essentially a thermosuede lining which aims to keep your hands warm, without compromising on fit. It’s a relatively thin layer of insulation but allows enough air to be trapped in order to keep your hands warm, while still retaining a good level of flexibility and dexterity.
Well-placed reflective detailing on the outside of each glove and across the fingers makes these a good option for winter riding
The ‘Altura Shield’ outer fabric is totally windproof, which also goes a long way to keeping your hands warm, but not waterproof – Altura have a set of waterproof Night Vision gloves for that. Still, it will take a fairly heavy downpour or prolonged rain to get these gloves wet through and I found they retained their warmth pretty well when soaked.
All in all, the gloves are relatively light but surprisingly warm without too much obvious insulation. In milder weather they did get a little clammy inside but offered impressive breathability and warmth as temperatures dropped to typical winter temperatures in single figures, if not the coldest conditions.
Two colours are available: black/hi vis yellow and hi vis yellow/black, so basically you’re choosing whether you want them to be predominantly black, like ours, or hi vis yellow. The Night Vision element comes from the reflective detailing which runs up the little finger and across the rest of the fingers – adding a fair amount of well-placed reflectively where it’s visible when your hands are resting on the bars or when signalling.
The gloves have a generously-sized snot wipe on the thumb, which is appropriately soft. I’d have liked the cuff to be slightly longer and the rubberised velcro closure could be a bit softer, and I often found it caught on a jacket or jersey sleeves.
The windproof liner and a thin layer of insulation combine to offer a surprising amount of warmth
On the palm and finger tips, there’s plenty of silicone detailing to aid grip when shifting or braking. This showed signs of wear quite quickly on the fingers but remained in place. The general level of finishing is pretty high, and the threads are all stitched well, and remained so after plenty of use.
When on the bike, there’s a small amount of padding but not too much to make the gloves feel bulky, and means you retain a good feel for the bar. The fit is generally very good and something Altura call ‘ErgoFit 3D patterning’ helps to reduce creases on the palm.
The cuff could be a little longer and the material softer
Conclusion
Altura are best known for their Night Vision range and these gloves are impressively windproof and offer a good level of warmth despite their relatively low bulk. The fit is good and, while the cuff could be a little longer to improve coverage between sleeve and cuff, there’s a lot to like. Add in the reflective detailing and the Night Vision Windproof gloves are a sensible choice for general winter riding.
Pros
– Windproof
– Warm despite low bulk
– Well-placed reflective detail
– Good fit
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