The dhb Amberley II glove is warm, offers excellent freedom of movement, and has a range of usable features, including a deep cuff and grippy palm.
We wore the glove in a range of temperatures that reached its lowest at nearly minus two degrees. Even in such inhospitable conditions, the Amberley II glove proved a valuable companion, keeping out the cold and sealing in the heat. It held off the rain, too.
The lightly brushed lining, what might be described as a ‘micro fleece’ in cycle clothing jargon, proved extremely effective, and covered every square inch of the glove’s internals, barring the cuff. Plunging a hand inside a dry glove at the beginning of a ride was a rewarding experience, and only slightly less enjoyable when drawing them back on after a mid-ride café stop. Despite their excellent insulating properties, they didn’t feel too sweaty. In wet conditions, the worst that can be reported was a little sogginess.
The palm performed well, offering comfort and grip from a synthetic, suede-type finish rather than the bulky padding of some of its competitors. The result? A healthy degree of ‘feel’ and control. Such padding as there is, is limited to the lower section of the palm and the thumb joint – areas in which it did its job effectively.
A silicone finish to the fingers, a popular measure among cycle clothing manufacturers, worked well, offering effective grip on the Shimano 105 STI levers of our Kinesis Racelight TK3 test rig. More impressive, however, was the fabric that allows the use of touchscreen devices without having to remove the glove. We received an instant response to the various prods made at the screen of our Garmin 510.
The cuff offered an effective seal against the cold and wind, and a snug enclosure for the dhb Vaeon Roubaix jersey with which we paired it on our various test rides. dhb has provided a tab that rises half-a-centimetre above the cuff, presumably to aid pulling on and off; a thoughtful detail, but not as effective as grabbing the cuff to pull it on and the fingers to take it off.
Conclusion
The dhb Amberley II glove is one of the best we’ve tried, and one we’d recommend without hesitation – high praise given its affordability. It provided adequate protection from the elements, whether wet, cold, or windy, and was comfortable to boot. The freedom of movement in the fingers was first rate, and the ability to use a touchscreen device will be a real benefit to riders with Garmin devices and smartphones.
Price: £26.99
Size: X-Small to Extra, Extra Large
Colour: Black
Website: Wiggle
