Review | RideIron Winter Classic Waterproof Rechargeable Heated Gloves

With the weather turning colder you’ll be very glad if your bike is equipped with heated grips. But what if you didn’t tick that box on the options sheet, or you ride an older bike from an age before such creature comforts were a thing? Sure, there are retrofit options. But heated gloves rather than grips are arguably a more flexible option. Enter these new winter gloves from RideIron, joining its already extensive range of heated products and using what it describes as ‘carbon nano-film’ technology to spread the warmth across your hands. They’re also impressively affordable compared with equivalent products from big-name brands. But do they stack up?

RideIron might not have the brand recognition of some bigger names in the business but its products are very competitively priced. We’ll report back on whether the quality and durability holds up but first impressions are good, the outer shell seemingly well-made while the fleecy lining is warm and cosy before you even fire up the heating elements. These are contained within what it describes as a carbon nano-film claimed to be thinner, flexier, more durable and with wider heat distribution than rival systems. Power comes from matchbox-sized batteries that slip into zipped pockets in the cuffs and there are three manually selectable heat levels and one automatic setting that adjusts according to ambient temperatures.
A two-into-one charging lead with a USB-A plug is also included, along with another you can thread up the arms of your jacket to run the gloves off a separate power bank if you prefer, or plug into a suitable port on your bike if so equipped. Both are a faff compared with running on the batteries, which themselves have USB-C sockets for charging off the bike. The rubberised button controlling the heat level is easy to access and chunky enough to operate with the gloves on, the logo displaying an illuminated colour according to the setting for easy reference. They heat up quickly, too, and while endurance varies according to the selected heat level and ambient temperatures you should get at least three hours in one go, possibly quite a bit more by RideIron’s claims. While there’s supposedly a waterproof layer within the glove the shell material did get somewhat saturated on one rainy ride to the office, though the heating still worked as advertised. Protection is at least as important as warmth when it comes to motorcycling gloves, so we were reassured to see the CE Level 1 label stitched into the lining. Rigid PU knuckle protection is reassuring, though the shell of the glove doesn’t offer much in the way of support or any obvious reinforcement from tears and scrapes, the materials a generic mix of nylon, polyester and a branded Thinsulate lining. But that’s fine – these are winter gloves, not trackday kit.

The RideIron gloves arrived just as the weather took a turn for the colder, which was a relief given the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 long-termer we’re running through winter doesn’t have heated grips. The sensation of heat spreading from the top of your hand and outside of the glove rather than the palm as it does with a heated grip is different, but achieves the same ends and even the mildest setting was enough on a frosty commute. We’ll have to see when it gets colder but it didn’t feel like there was quite as much heat going to our thumbs but, in fairness, that’s an issue with heated grips as well. We’ve not done a long enough trip to test the endurance of the batteries yet either but with the best part of three hours on the bike each day for the commute should provide opportunity, and we’ll be running them through the depths of winter. First impressions are good, though, and you’re swapping between a fleet of bikes and want the flexibility of taking your warmth with you they look a convenient alternative to heated grips.