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Castelli Spettacolo RoS gloves review

Premium winter gloves with Primaloft Gold insulation

Our rating

4.5

89.99
85.00
167.00

Simon von Bromley / Immediate Media

Published: January 21, 2020 at 11:00 am

Our review
A high quality glove, which will keep you warm in variable riding conditions, without excess bulk

Pros:

Low bulk, effective insulation and very windproof

Cons:

Expensive, unless you expect to ride a lot in winter

Castelli's Spettacolo RoS gloves offer great breathability, along with premium insulation that provides warmth without bulk. Their long zippers make them easy to get on and off.

RoS stands for Rain or Shine. It’s Castelli’s designation for its kit designed to cope with wet conditions, while still being comfortable to use if it’s dry. That’s mainly about good breathability coupled to waterproofing, and Castelli has chosen a range of technical fabrics to achieve this.

In the case of the Spettacolo RoS gloves, that means the outer shell is both water resistant and windproof. It's combined with Primaloft’s range-topping Gold insulation, which makes these gloves surprisingly warm despite their lack of bulk; at 102g, the Spettacolo RoS gloves are among the lightest winter gloves we’ve tested.

The Spettacolos have cuffs that are much longer than many winter gloves, so there’s really good overlap with sleeves, again helping to keep warmth in. That does make it tricky if you wear a watch – I ended up strapping mine over the gloves.

With their long zips, getting the Spettacolo RoS gloves on and off is dead easy. The reversed zipper is water resistant rather than waterproof, although there’s a lining strip inside to help keep your hands drier for longer.

Historically, Castelli’s sizing has often been on the small side, but the brand seems to have labelled its sizes more accurately recently. I tested a size large pair, and they proved to be a bit too big for my usually-medium hands.

This resulted in a bit too much room at the ends of the fingers and I found that the excess fabric on the index finger sometimes got mixed up with the shifters. I’d recommend paying close attention to sizing to ensure a good fit. The extra room also meant that I didn’t need the ribbon puller on the middle finger to get the gloves on and off.

There’s not a lot of extra padding on the palms, although the combination of the insulation and synthetic leather palms provides adequate bar comfort.

There’s reinforcement between the thumb and forefinger, and a lower bulk area under the palm. The grey silicone printing gives great grip, even in the wet, and you get touchscreen-active tips on the thumb and forefinger.

The price of the Spettacolo RoS gloves puts them at the premium end of the winter glove price range.

If you’re looking for a pair of winter gloves with all the features, which aren’t too bulky, and you aren’t planning to ride in sub-zero temperatures, Castelli’s offering is well worth considering.

Product

Brandcastelli
Price167.00 AUD,85.00 GBP,89.99 USD

Features

br_gendermens
br_genderwomens
br_clothingKeyFeaturesthermal
br_clothingKeyFeatureswater_resistant
FeaturesRain or Shine product made to excel in both dry and wet conditions, Primaloft® Gold insulation for warmth, YKK® water-repellent zipper for easy on and off, Engineered silicon print for optimal grip, Water-repellent fabric for protection in wet conditions, Touchscreen inserts at fingertips, Sizes XS-2XL Weight 99g(L), Castelli comfort range 3˚-12˚C
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