The Sealskinz Handlebar Mittens would get a full five out of five if we were marking them purely on how warm they are. They benefit from the insulating properties of Primaloft fabric and have a lobster claw design to maximise warmth, and it works.
SealSkinz have built their brand on waterproofing, and these mittens use their own waterproof fabric to keep your digits dry. The palms are reinforced with a synthetic material, which grips bars well. The uppers have reflective piping and the wrists have generous velcro tabs to keep them tight.
Once we'd put these on, our hands warmed up quickly; the mittens really do keep you hands toasty. Consequentially, when temperatures outside are a little higher, they can get a bit sweaty inside, so they’re best suited to use in particularly low temperatures.
There’s no missing the lobster claw shape. Grouping fingers together adds warmth because there’s less glove surface area to lose heat through. The trade-off for this is that the design affects dexterity. Riding with them takes some getting used to because they make holding the bars and changing gears feel different, especially on a road bike.
