Castelli Estremo Gloves Review
Castelli brings its rich Italian history to these cycling gloves and doesn’t scrimp on features. The intuitive pre-curved construction that makes grasping the handlebars much more comfortable than the Gore-Tex Infinium X-Fast fabric that offers excellent wind and water-resistance makes it a leader among winter cycling gloves.
The Estremo is Castelli’s warmest gloves for riding in the winter.
It’s rated down to 23ºF (-5ºC) for those windy days where temperatures flirt with freezing, and most of the world is snuggled up inside. But if you’re out riding, you’ll want to know more about this pair of gloves.
Technical Specifications
- Temperature Range : -5° to 5°C / 23° to 41°F
- Colors : Black
- Weight : 165g (Size L)
- Sizes : XS to XXL
Who is it For?
The Castelli Estremo Gloves is designed for the ultimate cycling warrior who isn’t afraid of sub-freezing temperatures and who just wants to knock out his or her miles, no matter the weather.
If you’re a cyclist looking to ride through the winter, you’ll need an extreme pair of winter gloves to wick away moisture and keep your hands warm.
Our Opinion
I’ve seen a couple of cyclists in my local bunch sporting the Castelli Estremo last winter. So I thought it’d be a good idea to take a closer look at what’s all the hype about.
Here’s a quick summary of the pros and cons before I go into more detail about these gloves.
Pros
- Gore-Tex Infinium fabric makes these gloves incredibly windproof and water-resistant.
- Pre-curved construction makes gripping your handlebars much more manageable than other cycling gloves.
- Velcro closure does a great job at sealing off your wrists from any moisture.
Cons
- Expensive for a pair of gloves, but they nearly guarantee to keep your hands warm on rides.
- Not 100% waterproof, your fingers will still get wet if you’re riding in a downpour.
Basic Design with Incredible Quality
At first glance, the Castelli Estremo Winter Gloves look like pretty essential winter cycling gloves. But upon further investigation, you can really feel the high level of quality and durability.
These gloves only come in black, which isn’t a huge deal for most cyclers. The tackiness on the palms and the glove pack are also reflective, which is important when cycling on roads you share with cars. Castelli has engineered them with a very nice pre-curved construction that allows you to grip the handlebars confidently.
In terms of quality, Castelli doesn’t scrimp on high-quality materials. They use Gore-Tex Infinium X-Fast fabric, which does a great job of keeping your hands dry and cutting out the wind and helps in the longevity of the glove.
Synthetic Insulation Delivers Warm Results
When you put on these Castelli gloves, you might feel like they’re a bit bulky, but that’s due to the incredible amount of synthetic fleece insulation packed into them.
Paired with the Gore-Tex Infinium fabric, the fleece fabric delivers warm results, allowing you to ride in temperatures around the freezing point. When it comes to winter glove insulation, you can’t go wrong with fleece. It is more expensive than cotton or foam insulation, but it also performs significantly better.
Finally, fleece insulation and the lining is incredibly soft and comfortable, which is also important on those long rides.
Sticky Grip and Comfortable Feel
The grip is extremely important for any cycling glove, but especially winter gloves because they tend to be bulkier. You need a grip that gives you the confidence to shift and brake quickly.
A silicone texture is featured on the palm and fingers of the Castelli Estremo Gloves, which performs quite well when it comes to braking and shifting.
In terms of feel, these gloves are pre-constructed with a cyclist’s hands in mind. They are engineered with a natural curve, which adds to the ease of gripping handlebars. The Velcro cuff also adds to the comfort of these gloves.
What Others are Saying?
This is an amazing jacket
30 miles in 26-degree weather with 15 mph winds (= 15-degree wind chill), and hands were warm throughout the ride. These gloves perform as advertised.
Great winter gloves
The most expensive winter gloves I have bought but became disillusioned with cheaper gloves. These gloves served me well all winter riding three times a week an average of 100 miles per week. No problem with gloves for me for the coming winter. You get what you pay for
Grandad Johno, purchased from Wiggle
Castelli Estremo Gloves
Overall
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Fit and Comfort
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Child and Wind Protection
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Waterproofing
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Breathability
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Design and Aesthetics
Buy This If...
You want a pair of high-quality pair of gloves for riding in the sub-freezing temperatures this winter.
How Much Does it Cost?
The Castelli Estremo Winter Gloves are going to cost more than your average riding gloves, but in return, you get extra assurance that your fingers will stay nice and warm.
The Castelli Estremo Gloves retail for :
- US Dollars : $99 (available from Competitive Cyclist)
- British Pounds : £95 (available from Wiggle)
- Euros : €99 (available from Wiggle)
Castelli Estremo Alternatives
DeFeet E-Touch Dura Wool Gloves
If the Castelli Estremo is too warm for your fingers, then the DeFeet E-Touch could be a lighter option.
While it’s not full-fledged winter gloves, the Defeet E-Touch will keep your fingers toasty down to around 45ºF (8ºC) which is useful for those mild winter mornings, early fall, or late spring.
Best of all, the fingertips are touchscreen capable!
Sealskinz Waterproof All Weather Glove
The Sealskinz is a cheaper alternative to the Castelli Estremo.
It usually retails at around 30% cheaper and comes with all the features you’d expect in a winter glove such as water and windproof while providing a lot of warmth.
The only downside is it’s much bulkier and not as streamlined as the Castelli Estremo. For some, this would be a bummer as they can’t feel the handlebars.
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