Altura Night Vision Waterproof Gloves

The Altura Night Vision Waterproof gloves are worthy options for commuting from late autumn through to spring, as well as for training and general middle distance road riding.

Altura's long running Night Vision series of technical wear has always struck me as great value for money, doing most things pretty well, and these gloves are no exception. Ours were the seasonally appropriate fluoro yellow but they also come in stealth black with acres of Scotchlite, should you prefer.

Weatherproofing

Some truly impervious designs employ a TPU lining, which is very welcome in sub-zero conditions but horribly clammy when the mercury nudges 6°C or so. Thankfully, Altura has gone a different three-layer route: the backs employ a pliable polyester laminate, next in sits a windproof, breathable membrane, and a thermal liner completes the sandwich.

Waterproof and water-resistant can vary wildly, but the Night Visions have passed my freezing canal water immersion test – right to the stitched cuff line. No surprise then that, to date, rain, sleet and snow have just rolled away.

Runny noses are synonymous with cold rides, so thankfully there's a fairly generous, low-pile thumb pad for taming them.

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Though the yellow backs quickly sullied with spray and slurry thrown up along the back roads, there's no doubting their presence on gloomy afternoons. It's great for acknowledging other riders and, crucially, nailing driver attention long before signalling, as was their twin-stripe piping and branding, which seemed more attention-grabbing when signalling than those relying on forefinger tips.

Spray, slurry, snot... when it does come to washing, minimal detergent and 30-degree cycles are as complicated as it gets. Unlike some budget models boasting comparable spec, the lining is tethered to the fingertips, so no danger of it flopping out as a soggy clump. Drying times are slightly faster than more densely padded types, although we're still talking three hours at room temperature before they're bone dry.

The adjustable, mid-length gauntlet cuffs offer sufficient overlap with jackets/jerseys to keep out the weather. I have long fingers and slender wrists, but the Velcro cuff closures meant no danger of wind or rain getting funnelled inside.

Sleek design

The gloves' relatively sleek design means they're easily packed on changeable early spring rides, the sort where it's blazing sunlight one minute, hailstorms the next. Everything's ergo these days it seems, but the 'Ergo-Fit' 3D patterning here does seem to work, preventing creasing and bunching.

Diagonal silicone strips are designed to optimise grip on all surfaces, whatever the weather, and they work. Wet or dry, tenure is excellent, regardless of handlebar covering, though not quite up with tacky silicones in torrential rain, especially on rides exceeding two hours or so. Altura doesn't stipulate duration, but despite the flat palm and mixed terrain jollies, moderate numbness didn't materialise until the three-hour mark, which is more than adequate for general riding.

> Buyer's Guide: The best gloves for keeping your hands warm and dry

Silicone detailing on the forefingers makes swiping touchscreens and operating similar tech faff-free, but dexterity doesn't end here: using computers, lights, unlocking and rifling through luggage is easily achieved with the gloves in situ.

Comfort

Through a relatively mean, chill February, overall performance has been the right side of temperate – impressive given the slightly generic 'everyman' flavour. On 20 to 25-mile training rides in temperatures between 3°C and -2, my hands felt nimble and warm.

Some gloves, including the BTwin 700s I tested last year, can allow chill in through the stitching. No such problem here, and on those rare occasions when the mercury has lapped at double figures, my hands haven't felt particularly clammy. Sure there's a faint dampness common to any polyester before the fibres come on stream, but it doesn't linger. At the other extreme, when temperatures have fallen over the course of a ride, I've regretted not packing liners but was still able to spin home without numbness or chilblains.

Summing up, the Night Vision Waterproof gloves do exactly what they say on the tin. Yes, they're more expensive than some budget models promising a similar spec, but the detailing seems a notch or two higher and their performance is very good.

Verdict

Well thought out gloves for commuting and general riding

Note: The top two results in the Best Deals panel below from Evans Cycles and Leisure Lakes Bikes are for earlier versions of the Altura Night Vision Waterproof glove and are not the glove tested in this review