Furygan Blazer Sympatex winter gloves

£119 | Tested by: Mikko Nieminen | www.nevis.uk.com

Winter gloves are a tough item of biking kit to get right. To achieve warmth and waterproofing while still keeping the gloves thin enough to maintain good levels of feel is tricky – which is why heated grips, muffs and grip guards are popular aftermarket items.

Furygan’s answer to the winter glove question is the Blazer Sympatex leather glove. It’s based on the old Ace Sympatex glove, which I rated very highly, and wore religiously on every ride until I finally wore them out. The new Blazer glove is a great piece of kit too – it’s difficult to argue with substantial knuckle armour, secure Velcro straps at the cuffs, and suede inserts in the palms for added grip – but it feels slightly bulkier than the old Ace. The glove is plenty warm enough and keeps rain at bay, but I found that compared to the old model, the new one has slightly less feel. Because of this, especially when riding a bike with lots of switches to operate, the Blazer can sometimes feel a little on the clumsy side. But, as I said, they are very warm and keep your hands dry, so I guess it just depends on the balance you want. I wore mine while the Beast from the East was ravaging the country, and they kept my hands nice and warm even on the coldest days.

Inside, the lining is soft, and the overall fit and shape are very good. The cuffs are nice and long, and the glove can be secured tightly over your riding jacket. Overall, a very warm and pleasant glove.