The 10 Best Winter Cycling Gloves for Road Cycling, MTB, Bikepacking & Bike Commuting

Last Updated on 10 February 2026 by Cycloscope

Cycling in freezing cold weather? Check out the 9 best winter bike gloves for road cycling, MTB, commuting, bikepacking: warm, windproof + touch-screen friendly [Updated 2026]

Choosing the best winter cycling gloves requires considering a few factors.

Whether you’re cycling home to work, on long Sunday rides, or for multi-day bikepacking adventures, your winter bike gloves need to be windproof and waterproof.

The choice then depends on the type of winter you ride your bike in: more or less cold, more or less humid, and so on.

In this article, we offer you a list of the best winter cycling gloves for different categories.

Some models are unisex while others have a version for men and one for women, generally, only the size changes, and sometimes the cut is slightly different.

The 10 Best Winter Cycling Gloves in a Nutshell

• Castelli Perfetto RoS Glove – Best Touchscreen Friendly.
• Assos Ultraz Winter Gloves – Best for very cold winter/sub-freezing temps.
• Rapha Deep Winter Gloves – Best for urban cycling.
• GORE‑TEX C5 Thermo Gloves – Best Waterproof Winter Gloves.
• Castelli Espresso GT – Best for those who suffer from the cold.
• Assos Ultraz Winter Gloves – Best for MTB.
• Pearl Izumi AmFIB Lobster – Best lobster winter gloves.
• UNIGEAR winter gloves – Best lightweight gloves.
• Velotoze Waterproof Bike Gloves – Best for Bicycle touring and Bikepacking.
• Bar Mitts – Best cycling mitts for freezing weather.

The 10 Best Bike Gloves for Winter – Compared

1. Castelli Perfetto RoS Glove

Best Touchscreen Friendly

SPECS

• Temperature Rating: 5°C to -5°C / 41°F to 23°F
• Material: Gore-Tex Infinium windproof fabric with fleece lining
• Closure: Elastic cuff with Velcro adjustment
• Unisex: No (men’s and women’s versions)
• Touchscreen: Yes
• Waterproof: Water-resistant
• Reflective: Yes
• Shock-Absorbing Padded: Light palm padding 

2. Assos Ultraz Winter Gloves

Best for very cold winter/sub-freezing temps

SPECS

• Temperature Rating: 0°C to -10°C / 32°F to 14°F
• Material: Multi-layer softshell with heavy insulation
• Closure: Extended elastic cuff
• Unisex: No (separate fits available)
• Touchscreen: Limited
• Waterproof: Water-resistant
• Reflective: Yes
• Shock-Absorbing Padded: Yes

Designed for deep winter riding, the Assos Ultraz gloves offer serious insulation for harsh weather. The multi-layer construction traps heat efficiently while maintaining grip and control. They are bulkier than mid-season gloves but offer excellent protection for long rides in freezing temperatures.

3. Rapha Deep Winter Gloves

Best for urban cycling

SPECS

• Temperature Rating: 5°C to -5°C / 41°F to 23°F
• Material: Windproof softshell with brushed interior
• Closure: Slip-on cuff
• Unisex: Yes
• Touchscreen: Yes
• Waterproof: Water-resistant
• Reflective: Yes
• Shock-Absorbing Padded: Moderate padding

Rapha’s Deep Winter Gloves combine clean urban style with technical performance. They’re warm enough for commuting and daily city rides, while still offering excellent control on the bars. The minimalist design, touchscreen compatibility, and reflective details make them especially suited for commuters and everyday cyclists.

4. GORE‑TEX C5 Thermo Gloves

Best Waterproof Winter Gloves

SPECS

• Temperature Rating: 5°C to -5°C / 41°F to 23°F
• Material: Gore-Tex waterproof membrane with thermal lining
• Closure: Velcro wrist strap
• Unisex: Yes
• Touchscreen: Limited
• Waterproof: Yes
• Reflective: Yes
• Shock-Absorbing Padded: Light padding

The GORE WEAR C5 Thermo gloves are built for wet and windy winter conditions. The Gore-Tex membrane keeps rain and snow out while maintaining breathability, helping hands stay warm without overheating. They’re a reliable choice for cyclists who regularly ride in bad weather.

5. Castelli Espresso GT

Best for those who suffer from the cold

SPECS

• Temperature Rating: Down to 25 degrees F or – 3.8 C.
• Material: [insulation] PrimaLoft, [liner] Gore-Tex.
• Closure: Zipper.
• Warranty: 1 year.
• Unisex: Yes.
• Touchscreen: No.
• Waterproof: Yes.
• Reflective: No.

Castelli is committed to ensuring that every winter cycling adventure is both enjoyable and regret-free. That’s why they’ve introduced the Espresso GT Glove, a meticulously crafted solution designed to provide protection even in the most challenging conditions, including temperatures as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit, whether it’s raining or snowing.

At the heart of this glove is the trusted Gore-Tex Infinium, a material that has become a hallmark of Castelli’s premium winter cycling apparel. It serves as a dependable waterproof lining, offering resolute defense when the weather forecast takes a turn for the worse.

Maintaining a secure grip on the handlebars is essential, and the Espresso GT Glove addresses this with enhanced palm grip technology, ensuring a confident connection to your bike even in adverse conditions.

6. Assos Winter Evo Gloves

Best for MTB

SPECS

• Temperature Rating: N/A.
• Material: 85% nylon, 15% elastane.
• Closure: Slip-on.
• Warranty: 2 years.
• Unisex: Yes.
• Touchscreen: Yes.
• Waterproof: No, enough for light showers.
• Reflective: No.

The Winter Gloves EVO offers a dependable defense against cold weather with its insulated design.

They provide a reliable shield against chilly temperatures and are equipped with outstanding windproof capabilities, effectively retaining heat and enhancing overall comfort.

Although they aren’t fully waterproof, they do feature a water-repellent finish that effectively wards off occasional light rain and splashes from wet roads.

6. Pearl iZUMi AmFIB Lobster Glove

Best lobster winter gloves for cold winters.

SPECS

• Temperature Rating:  20 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Material: Polyester, Faux Leather, Suede.
• Closure: Hook-and-loop.
• Warranty: Lifetime.
• Unisex: Yes.
• Touchscreen: No.
• Waterproof: No, protection only in light rain.
• Reflective: No.

These gloves effectively keep your hands warm. The split design made it somewhat awkward to maintain a secure grip on the handlebars while standing. Additionally, they tend to accumulate moisture on the inside, making it a bit challenging to put them back on after removal.

The primary objective of this design is to enhance warmth by keeping the fingers closer together, thereby minimizing the surface area of the glove in contact with the fingers.

The palm of the glove features a novel 3D-shaped gel specifically tailored for the AmFib model, reducing bulk compared to conventional padding and thereby enhancing the rider’s sense of the handlebars and control. Inside the glove, you’ll find a layer of 170g Primaloft Gold insulation equipped with Crosscore technology, delivering warmth even in temperatures ranging from 20 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. UNIGEAR winter gloves

Best lightweight gloves for mild winters

SPECS

• Temperature Rating: 5℃ – 41F.
• Material: Viscose 41.8% Cotton 29.8% Acrylic 23.4% Spandex 5%
• Warranty: N/A.
• Unisex: Yes.
• Touchscreen: Touch Screen on Both Hands.
• Waterproof: Water Resistant.
• Reflective: No.

If your area’s winters are generally mild but you still need some protection (thinking Mediterranean climate), these lightweight cycling gloves by UNIGEAR are a great bang for the buck.

I purchased them for a winter in my hometown in Sicily and was quite happy with them. They are cheap but quite effective on mildly cool days, the breathability is ideal, the grip is steady, the finger mobility is perfect, and they are touchscreen-friendly.

The lowest temperate resistance is 5℃, so they are not meant for extreme cold weather.

8. Velotoze Waterproof Gloves

Best for Bicycle touring and Bikepacking

SPECS

• Temperature Rating: 10°C to 0°C / 50°F to 32°F
• Material: Neoprene
• Closure: Pull-on elastic cuff
• Unisex: Yes
• Touchscreen: No
• Waterproof: Yes
• Reflective: Yes
• Shock-Absorbing Padded: No

Waterproof, windproof performance neoprene keeps your hands warm and dry. The glove is made from a stretchy, flexible material and features blind-stitched, sealed seams for a comfortable fit.

They are designed for -5 C in dry, sunny weather to 15 C in wet, rainy weather. Windproof materials keep your hands warm on cold mornings or in winter.

The neoprene keeps hands dry, extended cuff fits under the jacket sleeve to keep water out. The reflective logo helps to be seen in low-light conditions.

Very sturdy, versatile, and durable, they’re great winter gloves for long bike touring trips.

9. Bar Mitts

Best cycling mittens for extremely cold weather

SPECS

• Temperature Rating: Below 0°C / 32°F and colder
• Material: Neoprene shell
• Closure: Handlebar-mounted opening
• Unisex: Yes
• Touchscreen: Depends on the inner gloves used
• Waterproof: Yes
• Reflective: Some models
• Shock-Absorbing Padded: No

For those who suffer from cold more than average, or for the real die-hards riding in extremely cold temperatures, the cycling mitts by Bar Mitts could be the answer to freezing hands.

The mitts let your hand free inside them while completely sheltering your knuckles and fingers from wind, rain, or snow.

The closed-cell construction of the 5mm-thick neoprene contains air bubbles, providing outstanding insulation, while the mitts are safely attached to the bike’s handlebars with velcro. If it gets too hot, you can open a zipper to let some air circulate.

The hands can be removed very quickly if needed, so there’s no need to worry about safety. The Bar Mitts are available in flat bars, drop bars, bar-end, bullhorn, and even chopper bar versions.

Interesting Reading

> Breathing Ice – Cycling Siberia in Winter with Dino Lanzaretti

What to consider before buying your next pair of winter bike gloves

• Type of fabric. There are many waterproof fabrics; the best known is Gore-Tex. If you live in areas with dry winters, you can opt for cheaper, but very warm, merino wool gloves.
• Touch screen. Some winter cycling gloves feature touchscreen technology that lets you use your mobile phone or GPS without removing your gloves.
• Handlebar type. The winter cycling gloves feature an ergonomic design on the padded section. These pads are placed in the area where the most pressure is exerted. Racing handlebar gloves may feel uncomfortable on a flat handlebar, and vice versa.
• Average temperature. It seems obvious, but it is not. The temperature during winter varies; wearing gloves that are too heavy or too light could limit the product’s use to a few days a year. Pay attention to the guaranteed temperature or consider buying different gloves for the different phases of winter.

5 different types of cycling gloves

Not all cycling gloves are created equal; each type has its own use, and you should be aware of this when purchasing the best cycling gloves for your needs.

Half-finger/fingerless

These kinds of gloves leave the fingers uncovered; their main functions are gripping and wrist protection, rather than keeping your hands warm. They are not suitable for winter cycling

Full-finger cycling gloves

These are standard, regular gloves with full protection and a grippy palm. Most of the time, you’ll want to wear full-finger cycling gloves when cycling in winter.

Mountain bike gloves

MTB gloves are similar to regular full-finger gloves but usually offer more grip than road or gravel gloves, and added knuckle protection in case of falls or when hitting tree branches or similar obstacles.

Lobster Gloves

Lobster gloves keep the fingers together to enhance warmth. They are not the most comfortable, but they can be lifesaving in colder climates.

Some lobster cycling gloves keep index and middle finger together separated from ring and pinky, which are also together, another type keeps the index alon and the remaining three fingers together – the choice between these two types depends on the type of handlebar and brakes you are using: for drop bars you’ll need the first type, while the second version is perfect for flat bars.

Mittens/Mitts

Although mittens are often used to refer to fingerless gloves, here we’ll use the term for full-hand protectors mounted around the handlebars, where the rider slides his/her hands in.

These are amazing for colder weather, especially for commuters and cycle tourers traveling to frigid regions.

Check Also

> 12 best winter cycling jackets for all budgets
> Bib tights & winter pants for cold-weather cycling, compared!
> The 9 Best MTB Winter Jackets – Waterproof, Softshell, Windbreakers
> 11 best cycling overshoes
> The safest cycling helmets in the world
> The 11 Best Base Layers for Cycling in Winter