Sportful No Rain Leg Warmers Review
Warmers are one of the most useful and versatile items of clothing for cyclists. More commonly used in the Autumn & Spring, they can provide warmth and comfort on a cold day of riding. But with cyclist demand to ride further for longer, cycling clothing manufacturers are producing more technically-advanced garments. Sportful's No Rain technology and range of products have been around for a few years now but certainly shouldn't be disregarded because of this. Here's our opinion of the Sportful No Rain Leg Warmers.
Advanced Material Things
Sportful's ThermoDrytex Plus material is a combination of Nylon and Lycra (84% & 16% respectively). It is a soft-touch, breathable, stretchy material but has almost a stiffness about it. It is designed to provide warmth from its brushed fleece fabric lining, whilst the outside has then been given the nanotechnology silicone finish to make the surface water repellent. As you'd expect the leg warmers feature silicone gripper strips to hold the leg warmers in place.
No Rain but not waterproof
Before we go any further, lets just set the record straight - No Rain technology is not, nor does it claim to be 100% waterproof. If you are cycling in a downpour or heavy shower, you are likely to get wet - but what these leg warmers will do is keep you warm and the majority of rain water away from the skin. The technology that Sportful No Rain Leg Warmers (and other garments) uses is designed to make water bead on impact and run down the leg before it's absorbed through the material. This makes them excellent when riding in light rain and showers - and quite frankly we think it works well. Comfort is important when you're on your bike and these leg warmers are exactly that. I originally started testing these back in January through to early March and actually worn these instead of wearing full Winter tights last winter. Admittedly there were some rides where the temperature was in the minuses and I may have been a little over optimistic in thinking I would be warm enough. But I was genuinely surprised as how warm the kept my legs on cold days and how comfortable I felt in them.Sizing is available from Small - XL but be careful choosing. When it comes to the fit, generally with Sportful clothing you would be advised to order one or in some cases two sizes up. This seems to be pretty standard when it comes to cycle clothing from some of the leading (European) manufacturers. However, Sportful warmers are long! I am 190cm and usually I find that XL leg warmers come up a little on the short side due to my 35 inch inside leg. But there was no concern about this with the Sportful No Rain Leg Warmers when I first unfolded them. If anything they looked a little too long. Putting them on, they felt a little tight at first around the ankle but once in place, both ends felt comfortable and nonrestrictive. The silicon gripper holds the leg warmers in place well assuming you have the correct sizing. Once on and riding, these really are a great pair of leg warmers and do everything you want them to do by staying in place and keeping you warm. And they go beyond, by repelling rain showers and road spray water brilliantly.
Sportful No Rain Leg Warmers - review conclusion
We are big fans of Sportful. They seem to make cycle clothing that is a good balance between quality and comfort, technically advanced wear and value. Being the manufacturer of kit for pro teams like Saxo Tinkoff, some of their more advanced kit such as their Fiandre range does sit at the upper end of some rider's budgets. But we like the fact the pro teams also use the more affordable technology like the No Rain leg warmers. It is hard to fault the Sportful No Rain Leg Warmers if I am honest. They seem to tick all of the boxes - if you can get the fact that No Rain means they are not waterproof but they repel water - well! They are warm (even when wet), comfortable and hard-wearing. They even stay in place well. Some may find the length a little awkward and a few more colour options beyond black, red or white, would be nice to see. From a pricing point, the Sportful No Rain Leg Warmers have a £37.00 list price, but at the time of this review Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles have around 10% discount.These are really impressive warmers and get a big thumbs up.