‘Marvellous mitts, much money’
Five HG Prime GTX heated gloves £359.99
Tested by Gareth Evans for five months
The Five HG Prime GTX gloves are packed with tech, comfort and build quality. They cost a packet, but have a hunt around and there are attractive discounts available, lopping nearly £100 off the RRP.
From the moment I put them on, I was impressed by the comfort. The liner is brilliant, feeling soft but it never tries to escape the gloves if the sun magically appears and your hands start sweating. The membrane is Gore-Tex and bonded to the goatskin palm. During my time with them they’ve proved completely waterproof.
They’re also highly adjustable, with a double-closure system to get them comfortable with your existing kit, and an over-size cuff zip that meant I could still wear my watch underneath it all.
It isn’t all positive, though
– I found the fingers slightly too padded and hence cumbersome on some bikes’ switchgear. I also had variable success with the touchscreen-friendly fingertips.
After five months’ use they feel good as new, with absolutely no indication they’re going to come apart.
The heating elements feel well spaced,
I love the clever left-handed operation of the buttons to operate its three-stage warming function, and the battery level indicators are clear and easy to understand.
If I were buying them, I’d probably wire them into the bike, but in order to do this you need a connection kit, which costs another £49.99.
Anyway, said batteries charge in four hours, and how long that lasts depends on the level of heating you’re using. It can be as little as two hours on the hottest (60°C) setting, or as much as six on the lowest of the three (40°). I do wish they came with a UK plug, though.
If you’re after the very best gloves for winter riding and your switchgear will accommodate them, the HG Prime fulfils the brief brilliantly. They’re well-appointed, comfortable, weatherproof, built extremely well and aren’t too heavy either.
Their major drawback is their price: even some of the firm’s other gloves appear to be better value. Plus they’re still only KP1 rated for safety in CE testing. Quality Value www.five-gloves.com/