Electric Gloves?

Expidia

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2022
548
440
Capital Region, New York
A search did not turn up much on this subject. Yesterday, it was 50 degrees here and on my 1.5 hour ride my fingers still hurt. Decent cycling gloves, but into the wind at 17 mph, still hurts the old digits.

Any recommendations on a thinner pair of electric gloves? I see on Amazon some are rechargable, but most are just electric glove liners for like $100.
I have ski gloves with a zipper for one-time use heat packet, but thick ski gloves make it harder to grasp the controls.

My other option is the handlebar mittens, but I use a left side mirror (for the roads to the trails from my house) so I'd need handlebar mittens with a slot on top to accept this style mirror (I could swap a winter mirror I suppose). I don't like the side mount handlebar mirrors as they tend to snag on trees and branches. I also don't like the glasses or helmet style rear view mirrors.

Seems electric gloves would be the toastier way to go. As long as there is no ice, I ride through the winter months which around here will last 5-6 months.

Thx

Screen Shot 2023-11-07 at 10.25.04 AM.png
 

shep

New Member
Nov 4, 2023
111
65
In a field
Don't Sealskinz sell electric gloves?
There's plenty out there that will take good money off you.
Being a climber for work I have tried many many options.
For me the wetsuit gloves are the best . Never had anything warmer yet....
The ones with the gripper beads on are superb in the wet
 

Expidia

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2022
548
440
Capital Region, New York
There's plenty out there that will take good money off you.
Being a climber for work I have tried many many options.
For me the wetsuit gloves are the best . Never had anything warmer yet....
The ones with the gripper beads on are superb in the wet
Ya, I like Amazon for their free returns. Other stores can charge a restocking fee. I'm looking for some real world experience from actual Emtb users. Amazon has many choices, but when you dig down into the reviews, most are just chinese crapola for the money.
I'll check out wetsuit gloves. I actually have a pair that are probably pretty close to wet suit gloves and I'll try them out on my next ride. If they work somewhat, I'll spring for actual Neoprene wetsuit gloves.

tempImageCy88c2.png
 
Last edited:

shep

New Member
Nov 4, 2023
111
65
In a field
Ya, I like Amazon for their free returns. Other stores can charge a restocking fee. I'm looking for some real world experience from actual Emtb users. Amazon has many choices, but when you dig down into the reviews, most are just chinese crapola for the money.
I'll check out wetsuit gloves. I actually have a pair that are probably pretty close to wet suit gloves and I'll try them out on my next ride. If they work somewhat, I'll spring for actual Neoprene wetsuit gloves.

View attachment 128453
They look baggy 😂
I'm currently using 3mm titanium cold water swimming gloves. Good fit and grippy. On the bike there fine.
 

Woodyboy

Active member
Dec 10, 2020
70
248
Uk
Hi, I bought some sealskinz last year for around £100. They are rechargeable and you can select 3 heat settings. Build quality is decent, the heat they generate is just about ok. Without spending £100s I think these are the best around.
 

Expidia

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2022
548
440
Capital Region, New York
They look baggy 😂
I'm currently using 3mm titanium cold water swimming gloves. Good fit and grippy. On the bike there fine.

"They look baggy 😂"
Thats just the pic as they are form fitting when they are on. They are 90% Neoprene and 10% Lycra.
 

Expidia

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2022
548
440
Capital Region, New York
Hi, I bought some sealskinz last year for around £100. They are rechargeable and you can select 3 heat settings. Build quality is decent, the heat they generate is just about ok. Without spending £100s I think these are the best around.
Ya, not carried by Amazon.
Hi, I bought some sealskinz last year for around £100. They are rechargeable and you can select 3 heat settings. Build quality is decent, the heat they generate is just about ok. Without spending £100s I think these are the best around.
Don't see them available in the U.S. and they don't sell online site says.
 

mike_kelly

Well-known member
Subscriber
Aug 11, 2022
939
772
US
I could never keep my hands warm, although for me is when it is lower than 20f. So I went to cheap electric gloves. A ton of offerings at Amazon. Different price ranges. I like having the on-off power levels switch rather than just having plug the battery in and have gloves on all the time.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,565
5,055
Weymouth
Heated gloves will achieve nothing if faced with cold wind. I use windsurfing gloves. The brand I use is called C skins but there are other brands with similar design.
Windsurf gloves work the same way as a wetsuit. Usually 3mm single skin neoprene they are a second skin fit so provide excellent grip on the bars. ( single skin means they are not "double lined" ie with nylon stuck on either side of the neoprene...........double lined would be too bulky). Neoprene is windproof and absorbs very little water even if subjected to strong wind driven rain for example. They will become a little damp but it is that small amount of water ingress that is trapped between your hands and the neoprene that is warmed by your hands and remains as a warm insulating layer.
( ironically they are useless for windsurfing because they cause forearm cramps............I tried them and rejected them...until i found how good they were on the bike!)

A tip if you suffer from cold hands and cannot get on with gloves.............No gloves work for windsurfing except palmless versions so most of us windsurf in freezing water conditions without gloves. Hands will go numb with cold pretty quickly, not helped by the fact that most of the time our hands are above heart level. What we found was that if we stopped somewhere onshore and played windmills with our arms, slowly the blood would return to our fingers.........with a short period of excrutiating pain! Thereafter our hands stayed warm...........or at least did not go numb!
 

p3eps

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Dec 14, 2019
1,982
2,398
Scotland
I have Reynaud’s syndrome (or phenomenon as they’ve renamed it - probably to be more PC)… which means I have cold hands / feet all the time. Mainly finger tips and toes though.

I bought a pair of KEIS motorcycle lining gloves a few years back. They’re just like a regular feeling pair of reasonably thin gloves… but have heated elements in them. You have to couple them with some long wires, and a little battery.
I then bought a pair of the same Fox riding gloves that I normally wore in an XL rather than my usual M… and put them over the top.

In winter, I’m usually wearing a jacket anyway, so I had a wire running up each sleeve from the glove - and then this battery in my chest pocket (through a hole designed for headphones). It worked well… but it was a pain to setup, and also you lose the feeling of the bars with 2 pairs of gloves on. I always had nice warm fingers though.
It meant if I was going for a ride with the car, I’d have to put everything on before I left the house, and drive to my location with the wires in my sleeves already!

2 years ago, I tried the Sealskins heated cycling gloves. They have a battery each - built into the wrist of the glove. They’re quite comfortable, but more like a ski “gauntlet” than a riding glove. I found the heat in them to be very effective… and they keep my hands warm when switched off too.
Apart from the extra weight of having a battery attached to each wrist, I found the main downfall with the Sealskins was that they’re actually too hot! On a normal winter day in Scotland, it’s maybe about 0-3degC, and I’d find my hands sweating buckets with the Sealskins. I’d start with the heat on setting 1 or 2… and turn it down after about 10 mins, and then off. By that time, my hands were sweaty, and the gloves were wet! I’d then have to put the heat back on to warm up as my hands were wet from being cold. If I took them off, there was no way I was getting them back on, because the linings went all over the place when removing my damp hands.
Perhaps somewhere with colder temperatures would be better for these?

Something I’d like to find is heated grips… but no one seems to make them for bicycles - only motorcycles and snowmobiles which are powered off their main battery. I’d quite happily strap a small battery to my bars for the winter and swap my regular grips for heated ones!
 

irie

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
May 2, 2022
2,592
2,639
Chichester, W.Sussex, UK
Something I’d like to find is heated grips… but no one seems to make them for bicycles - only motorcycles and snowmobiles which are powered off their main battery. I’d quite happily strap a small battery to my bars for the winter and swap my regular grips for heated ones!

Motorcycle ones would fit, same bar diameter.
 

shep

New Member
Nov 4, 2023
111
65
In a field
Heated gloves will achieve nothing if faced with cold wind. I use windsurfing gloves. The brand I use is called C skins but there are other brands with similar design.
Windsurf gloves work the same way as a wetsuit. Usually 3mm single skin neoprene they are a second skin fit so provide excellent grip on the bars. ( single skin means they are not "double lined" ie with nylon stuck on either side of the neoprene...........double lined would be too bulky). Neoprene is windproof and absorbs very little water even if subjected to strong wind driven rain for example. They will become a little damp but it is that small amount of water ingress that is trapped between your hands and the neoprene that is warmed by your hands and remains as a warm insulating layer.
( ironically they are useless for windsurfing because they cause forearm cramps............I tried them and rejected them...until i found how good they were on the bike!)

A tip if you suffer from cold hands and cannot get on with gloves.............No gloves work for windsurfing except palmless versions so most of us windsurf in freezing water conditions without gloves. Hands will go numb with cold pretty quickly, not helped by the fact that most of the time our hands are above heart level. What we found was that if we stopped somewhere onshore and played windmills with our arms, slowly the blood would return to our fingers.........with a short period of excrutiating pain! Thereafter our hands stayed warm...........or at least did not go numb!
Yep.
I posted a link to them earlier
 

irie

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
May 2, 2022
2,592
2,639
Chichester, W.Sussex, UK
Heated gloves will achieve nothing if faced with cold wind. I use windsurfing gloves. The brand I use is called C skins but there are other brands with similar design.
Windsurf gloves work the same way as a wetsuit. Usually 3mm single skin neoprene they are a second skin fit so provide excellent grip on the bars. ( single skin means they are not "double lined" ie with nylon stuck on either side of the neoprene...........double lined would be too bulky). Neoprene is windproof and absorbs very little water even if subjected to strong wind driven rain for example. They will become a little damp but it is that small amount of water ingress that is trapped between your hands and the neoprene that is warmed by your hands and remains as a warm insulating layer.
( ironically they are useless for windsurfing because they cause forearm cramps............I tried them and rejected them...until i found how good they were on the bike!)

A tip if you suffer from cold hands and cannot get on with gloves.............No gloves work for windsurfing except palmless versions so most of us windsurf in freezing water conditions without gloves. Hands will go numb with cold pretty quickly, not helped by the fact that most of the time our hands are above heart level. What we found was that if we stopped somewhere onshore and played windmills with our arms, slowly the blood would return to our fingers.........with a short period of excrutiating pain! Thereafter our hands stayed warm...........or at least did not go numb!
Was a windsurfer for 25 years and could never wear gloves, below 8C hands always lost circulation and went numb.

Now a kitesurfer and use ION Claw gloves in winter. Never thought they'd work but they do, don't lose circulation!

 

Haveland

Active member
Apr 21, 2022
218
152
New Brunswick, Canada
If you get electric gloves, get some where the battery isn't a problem when biking. I have a pair but they just don't work The battery is on the bottom part of the wrist and just not comfortable with my riding gear.

I also find they are too hot most of the time for biking. I'd find having something waterproof works best and I always in the winter carry of a few of those hot paw packages that you crush them and they warm up. If I get really cold I throw one in each glove and/or boots. (Like -30 -40 weather)
 

Gavalar

Active member
Feb 4, 2019
350
222
UK
A search did not turn up much on this subject. Yesterday, it was 50 degrees here and on my 1.5 hour ride my fingers still hurt. Decent cycling gloves, but into the wind at 17 mph, still hurts the old digits.

Any recommendations on a thinner pair of electric gloves? I see on Amazon some are rechargable, but most are just electric glove liners for like $100.
I have ski gloves with a zipper for one-time use heat packet, but thick ski gloves make it harder to grasp the controls.

My other option is the handlebar mittens, but I use a left side mirror (for the roads to the trails from my house) so I'd need handlebar mittens with a slot on top to accept this style mirror (I could swap a winter mirror I suppose). I don't like the side mount handlebar mirrors as they tend to snag on trees and branches. I also don't like the glasses or helmet style rear view mirrors.

Seems electric gloves would be the toastier way to go. As long as there is no ice, I ride through the winter months which around here will last 5-6 months.

Thx

View attachment 128452
Sealskinz and castelli both do heated, fully waterproof gloves.
 

Frankyspec

Member
Dec 3, 2022
59
19
Belgium
Those gloves are getting good reviews and I am doubting between those , I read that the sealskinz are not heating the fingertips and for me that’s the most important in winter season.

IMG_0303.jpeg IMG_0305.jpeg
 

Rikshaw

Member
Jul 5, 2023
15
9
Sussex
Best cheapest option is a pair of latex gloves underneath your normal riding gloves. Used to do this when I was younger Downhill racing. Used to spend a fair bit of time at the top of a mountian waiting for my number to go. Gotta keep warm to enjoy the ride.
 

Gavalar

Active member
Feb 4, 2019
350
222
UK
Those gloves are getting good reviews and I am doubting between those , I read that the sealskinz are not heating the fingertips and for me that’s the most important in winter season.

View attachment 128738 View attachment 128742
Way too thick and bulky, you won't feel the bar and as for using your dropper and shifting levers, these will restrict your dexterity needed when using the afore-mentioned
 

p3eps

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Dec 14, 2019
1,982
2,398
Scotland
Those gloves are getting good reviews and I am doubting between those , I read that the sealskinz are not heating the fingertips and for me that’s the most important in winter season.

View attachment 128738 View attachment 128742
I had on my Sealskins today, and they definitely have elements in the fingers.

Way too thick and bulky, you won't feel the bar and as for using your dropper and shifting levers, these will restrict your dexterity needed when using the afore-mentioned
This is the downside to the Sealskins ‘gauntlet’ type gloves. It was ok for me today on roads, cycle paths and some dirt paths… but I wouldn’t want to be riding serious singletrack in them.
Although I can still change gear, use the dropper and brakes… they’re far from ideal.
 

Frankyspec

Member
Dec 3, 2022
59
19
Belgium
I had on my Sealskins today, and they definitely have elements in the fingers.


This is the downside to the Sealskins ‘gauntlet’ type gloves. It was ok for me today on roads, cycle paths and some dirt paths… but I wouldn’t want to be riding serious singletrack in them.
Although I can still change gear, use the dropper and brakes… they’re far from ideal.
I know but I think the heating wire doesn’t go around each fingertip, only the sideways , while the other 2 brands does go around each finger completely.
That’s what I could find in the reviews.And I have cold fingertips when freezing outside, so I am not sure of the sealskinz and also if they are enough breathable for not getting sweating hands.
 

p3eps

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Dec 14, 2019
1,982
2,398
Scotland
I know but I think the heating wire doesn’t go around each fingertip, only the sideways , while the other 2 brands does go around each finger completely.
That’s what I could find in the reviews.And I have cold fingertips when freezing outside, so I am not sure of the sealskinz and also if they are enough breathable for not getting sweating hands.
Mine are heating my fingers - I have raynauds, and they work for me. The problem is they’re not breathable at all, and end up soaking after about 20mins!
 

LeftItLancs

Member
Apr 12, 2021
65
55
North UK
Thermal work (construction) gloves with a waterproof coating work well, including under a pair of normal gloves, and are only a few pounds if budget is a concern.
 

Akiwi

🐸 Kermit Elite 🐸
Feb 6, 2019
986
1,292
Olching, Germany
I agree with what has been said about the SealSkinz. I also have problems with Reynaud's syndrome and that's the reason I bought them. Mine are too tight, I bought my size, but they are hard to get on or off.
If the weather is not too cold you sweat in the things and then I can't get them off and on again. If it is really cold, and the fingers have gone into drop off mode, then the heat is not enough to help.
I might have to try the windsurf gloves trick. bought a new pair last year for surfing, but being a warm weather surfer, I didn't use them.
 

Expidia

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2022
548
440
Capital Region, New York
Well thanks for all the glove tips to try. I've tried a few and finger tips still cold which tends to shorten my rides. I even just bought a quality $80 retail pair of Down filled gloves from an Eddie Bauer (some reviews say Down is said to be warmer than Primaloft and retains shape quicker). But fingers still got frosty on a windy 40 degree day. I can still use them for just our cold weather coming up for other activites.

So in comparing the many electric glove offerings on Amazon most have too many bad reviews. I'm givin these $59 Electric gloves a shot. Sealskinz had good reviews, but looked bulkie and for $249 I ruled them out. Found this pair which has the features I want: rechargeable batteries, a decent run time, not overly thick and touch screen fingertips plus decent reviews.

* Be careful with using Amazon product reviews. Many are planted by the seller. I also found a pair with like 90% positive reviews and no negative ones. I placed the ordered and quickly had to cancel as all the reviews on the gloves were actually about some Christmas Tree Ornaments, not the gloves🙀

Many choices are just glove liners, which is only going to serve to increase the overall thickness of wearing two pair of gloves.
So for $59 I'll give these in picture a shot. They come in two days from Amazon and I can always swap these mediums for a large if need be for free. If they work, I can also use them for skiing and other outdoor activities like shoveling my car out after a storm 😡.

I figure they have to be less bulkie and safer to use than say Bar Mits.

I'll update back here in a few days.

Screen Shot 2023-11-19 at 9.34.45 AM.png
 

p3eps

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Dec 14, 2019
1,982
2,398
Scotland
IMG_6350.jpeg


Here’s my winter glove collection….

Top left: Sealskins heated glove. Keep hands warm… but too thick to feel the bars and my hands sweat a lot - even with them switched off. Heavy with battery in pocket at wrist. A bit ‘gauntlet’ like.

Top middle: Fox something - were sold as winter / waterproof gloves. I had them on yesterday as it was about 8degC and raining. They make my hands sweat like hell, and when I take my had out, the lining almost comes out with them making them impossible to put back on again. Kept my hands warm enough, but once they get wet they’re utterly useless!!

Top right: Glacier Gloves. Taped seams and fully waterproof. I actually use these for washing the car in winter, and can put my hand in and out of a bucket of water without it getting wet. Good for wet rides at about 4degC and above, but I still end up with cold fingers at the lower temps.

Bottom Left: Keiss heated motorcycle lining gloves. Not too thick, and are worn with a pair of XL fox gloves (Bottom middle) on top of them. The 2 pairs are still thinner than the Sealskins and more dexterous… however it’s a pain to run wires up my sleeves to the battery pack which goes in my chest pocket. Still too bulky to get a proper feel of the bar… but warm fingers and not sweaty hands!

Bottom right: Fox Defend (I think). Not specifically a winter glove, but a bit thicker than my regular gloves. I wore these today (about 9degC) and was fine. Probably not warm enough for below 6 or 7 degC though.
 

Expidia

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2022
548
440
Capital Region, New York
View attachment 129378

Here’s my winter glove collection….

Top left: Sealskins heated glove. Keep hands warm… but too thick to feel the bars and my hands sweat a lot - even with them switched off. Heavy with battery in pocket at wrist. A bit ‘gauntlet’ like.

Top middle: Fox something - were sold as winter / waterproof gloves. I had them on yesterday as it was about 8degC and raining. They make my hands sweat like hell, and when I take my had out, the lining almost comes out with them making them impossible to put back on again. Kept my hands warm enough, but once they get wet they’re utterly useless!!

Top right: Glacier Gloves. Taped seams and fully waterproof. I actually use these for washing the car in winter, and can put my hand in and out of a bucket of water without it getting wet. Good for wet rides at about 4degC and above, but I still end up with cold fingers at the lower temps.

Bottom Left: Keiss heated motorcycle lining gloves. Not too thick, and are worn with a pair of XL fox gloves (Bottom middle) on top of them. The 2 pairs are still thinner than the Sealskins and more dexterous… however it’s a pain to run wires up my sleeves to the battery pack which goes in my chest pocket. Still too bulky to get a proper feel of the bar… but warm fingers and not sweaty hands!

Bottom right: Fox Defend (I think). Not specifically a winter glove, but a bit thicker than my regular gloves. I wore these today (about 9degC) and was fine. Probably not warm enough for below 6 or 7 degC though.
Thx for taking the time p3 for that layout and explanation of your winter glove collection and description of each. I figured those Sealskinz were more appropriate for a sport like snowmobiling due to their bulkiness. I just double checked that the gloves I just ordered don’t use wires up to a chest battery Which is a deal breaker if they did. They are in the wrists.
 

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