Review of the Specialized Women’s BG Deflect Glove

After using my neoprene kayak gloves as my winter gloves of choice, I decided it was time to find something that was a bit more waterproof… The neoprene gloves were warm, as long as you didn’t mind the wrinkled fingers at the end of the ride, but they didn’t do much to block out the wind. I found these gloves in a bike shop in Bellingham, WA and they looked like they might survive a We(s)t Coast winter.

Winters here on Vancouver Island aren’t particularly cold, but they are definitely wet. I bought these gloves in February 2010 which was the perfect time to put them to the test. What didn’t work in my favour was the drier than normal winter (remember the Vancouver Olympic Committee trucking snow to the ski venues?). So I decided to wait before I posted a review until I was able to test them properly. And along came La Nina…

Here’s how Specialized describes their gloves:

Sized specifically for women, the Deflect uses soft shell materials with a wind- and rain-resistant upper for improved breathability, providing protection down to 50ºF/10ºC.

They only provide protection to 10ºC? Seriously? I use them down to 0ºC and they are still toasty warm! Anything below that and you can feel the tips of your fingers go numb, but considering I’m using them for 10 degrees lower than what they are rated, I won’t complain!

I’m also impressed with their rain resistance. While they aren’t completely waterproof, they are more than adequate for the riding I do. I’ve been caught in a torrential downpour and my hands still managed to stay dry. They also cut the wind as they claim. I use these gloves on my road rides as well and going downhill, my hands would quite often get chilled when I wear my regular gloves. Not so with these ones.

For $40 USD, these gloves were reasonably priced. After wearing them for 3 seasons they are still in great shape. The only signs of wear are along the wrist band where it gets caught on the velcro on my riding jacket. Or maybe I’m not hard enough on my gear??