Posted on 24th Jun 2010 @ 6:43 PM

There's no denying that Winter has definitely hit hard this year. If you're a commuter like me, you'll have to cast your mind back many many years to remember such brisk mornings or as much rainfall (at least in Sydney).

I'd lived with adequate Rivit waterproof gloves for some time, but what they (and most gloves) struggled with were concurrent heavy rainy days. Once the water penetrates, no matter what method (under or over sleeves) you use, it can take a long time to dry them. And even dampness on the outside from not drying completely can mean a very cold ride home. Most thermal gloves aren't designed to warm your hands as much, rather retain the heat your hands have (so always try to start with warm hands on a cool ride!).

After a lot of research and annoying as many experts on the subject as I could (you know who you are!) I ended up with the Rev'it! GT H20 gloves. These are a waterproof sports glove, meaning they're not too bulky. They're made from supple cow leather and goatskin, and that's the first thing to hit you. They feel so soft and plush. It's like trying on a glove you've owned for 10 years, they're plush and conform to your hands like nothing I've ever felt. A lot of leather gloves can be stiff and require many rides to reach this level. Nice start. 

The waterproof layer is breathable, meaning that if these are your sole set of gloves, you'll be able to get away with them all year 'round. 

Another great feature IMO is the dual wrist closure. It has the usual wrist velcro at the end, but then another flap closes on top of that one meaning you can tighten the cuff down really well. This is fantastic. If you wear them over your jacket sleeve, it means you can really eliminate any wind gaps. If you wear them under in the rain like I do, it means you can keep them taught against your clothes, and that they're not too bulky for your jacket to close over. It seems like a little thing, but if you've ever struggled with thick-cuffed gloves you'll understand! The tight closure also ensures added wrist protection and assures you the glove will not slip or come off in the event of a crash.

Another great thing about the gloves is the silky liner. Fleecy is nice, but can get sticky and caught up when removing them if your hands are hot. The silky liner means removal is made far easier.

Protection is more than adequate on this glove, featuring leather-covered hard knuckle protection, padded digits, and abrasion areas on the palm and side. There is also a handy flap that covers the secondary velcro closure, so it doesn't get caught and opened on your grips. The index and middle fingers are given a second layer with a coarser texture, designed to give better grip on your levers.

How do they perform? They're sensational. I recently tested another brand and found them great in all areas except for warmth. And that's the risk when they're sports gloves. But these, I can assure you, kept my hands at a good level of warmth on my entire commute (over an hour) in the rain and at about 9 degrees. For the first time in many weeks I haven't needed to use my thermal glove liners in them either, and as hinted at before they didn't require any breaking in whatsoever. They remained 100% dry, where this kind of testing would easily show up any weaknesses in the membrane. 

I'm confident these will perform just as well in colder climates, and so these come highly recommended if you're after a glove which lets you retain good feel at the bars and levers, whilst offering warmth and rain protection. These are truly a year-round glove. - Cameron Pope, Bikebiz.