BikePerfect Verdict

Robust and cozy but light, these windproof gloves hit a good sweet spot

Pros

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Good windproofing with low bulk
+
Nice fit
+
Good reflectivity

Cons

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Very limited water resistance
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Touchscreen control not very precise
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Not cheap

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The Giro Candela is a good in-between glove - when it’s just a few degrees too cold for an autumn favorite like the DeFeet Dura glove, but you don’t want the bulk of a full winter glove.

The slender outer shell is soft and nicely contoured around the thumb, and there’s a modest insulated layer on the inside across the back of the hand and fingers. On the underside of the glove there’s no added insulation, just microfiber suede overlays for durability and a couple of small gel pads on the lateral side of the palm. That makes for a good bar feel and control of the gears, with enough palm protection for multi-hour rides.

We found that the genuinely good windproofing, plus the insulation, make them a good bet for rides in temperatures around 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit/5-10 degrees Celsius. If it’s raining they’re not so great, especially if the weather’s colder - they’re described as showerproof but they soak through quickly. Our only other minor niggle was that the touchscreen-friendly fingertips only seemed to work with the pad of the finger, not the very tip, which wasn’t terrifically precise.

Giro Candela 2.0 — The microfiber suede palm has a couple of little gel pads for comfort (Image credit: Sean Fishpool)

Verdict

In dry conditions, these were strong performers in the real-life ‘which kit do I reach for’ test. Sometimes you need to wrap up like a polar explorer, but often you're just looking for that sweet spot between good handlebar feel on the one, er, hand, and weather protection on the other. The Candelas aren’t cheap but they do have that Goldilocks quality.