Santini Vega water-repellent mid-season gloves review

These Santini Vega Water Repellant Mid Season Gloves combine enough warmth and weather protection to be good for warmer winter weather. They have a lovely fit and lightweight construction that promotes good breathability in higher temperatures, along with a super grippy silicone-covered palm and generous reflective detailing. So how do they compare to the best cycling gloves, let alone the best winter cycling gloves on the market? We’ve spent some time with them to eke out their best and worst traits, and now we’re ready to give you a full verdict.

Design and aesthetics

The Santini Vega Water Repellent Mid Season Gloves are slim and lightweight full-finger gloves ideal for the warmer fringes of winter or climates where it’s mildly moist rather than constantly sub-zero. Santini combines a soft fleece fabric with a water-resistant treatment, resulting in a well-fitted glove with a generous length cuff for extra protection. They have the appearance of a summer full finger or liner glove but offer decent insulation for all but the coldest rides. The addition of generous reflective details and a choice of five colours - black, orange, granatina orange, nautica blue, and flashy yellow - sets them apart from some of their rivals.

To make these gloves, Santini has used a Blizzard thermofleece fabric to provide the insulation and warmth which it manages without a huge amount of bulk. Then an Aquazero treatment provides water resistance that is good enough for coping with light showers. The thickness of the gloves is kept to a minimum, ensuring good comfort and a nice feel on the handlebar if you don’t like bulky winter gloves. Grip on the handlebar is beefed up by way of lots of silicone gripper material, there’s a generous level of reflective detailing, and the fingertips are smartphone touchscreen compatible. They come in two colours with four sizes to choose from.

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Performance

Choosing the right glove for the conditions you have to face in the winter is a tricky task. Very often in the UK it can be chilly but not freezing and wind and rain can be a common presence. These Santini Water Repellent Mid Season Gloves seem to strike the right balance when the temperature is no lower than mid single digits but can stray back up into the low teens (Celsius). The water resistance is just that: a resistance against lighter rain but no barrier to a heavy downpour. The comfort is very good thanks to the fleece material and the fit and placement of seams, but there’s no gel padding so you’ll be relying on your handlebar tape for the majority of your comfort. 

Verdict

With their lightweight and low bulk construction, but ample insulation for all but the coldest rides, these gloves work very well. They’re nice and comfortable with a great fit, and the breathability is good if and when the temperature rises, giving them a broad operating window into the winter. The long cuff, reflective details and silicone palm cap off a nicely-thought-out glove that works well in a selection of typical winter conditions. The price isn’t all that bad either, but the sizing range is smaller than other brands if you’re at the extremes of the sizing range.

Tech Specs: Santini Vega Water Repellent Mid Season Gloves

• Price: £45.00 / $65.00
• Colours: Granatina Orange, Nautica Blue
• Sizes: XS-XL