GripGrab Windster 2 Handschoenen

The GripGrab Windster 2 answers the needs of riders who refuse to retreat indoors when the Dutch autumn sets in — temperatures between 0 and 10°C and a stiff westerly. At those temperatures a summer glove is too cold and a heavy winter glove too warm and clumsy; the Windster 2 sits right in the gap. The windproof front panel is the key design choice: at 15 km/h, 5°C feels like 0°C through windchill, and details like this turn a ride from pleasant to miserable. The build combines a windproof softshell up top with a soft fleece lining and silicone grip on palm and fingers. The DWR coating sheds drizzle and light showers — no match for the Sealskinz membrane, but enough for a typical Dutch commute where you occasionally hit a squall. The palm pad is a detail you only notice after weeks: on cobblestones and brick roads it damps vibrations that would otherwise settle into your wrists after half an hour. Touchscreen thumb and index finger are standard.

Versus Sealskinz Waterproof, GripGrab offers less waterproofing but noticeably more breathability and a sharper price (€35 vs €45). Someone leaving cold and returning warm will find Sealskinz clammy; the Windster 2 stays dry inside. Castelli Perfetto Ros is a similar summer-winter hybrid at €55 with a slightly more premium finish. The Specialized Element Gloves are a direct rival but lack the palm pad. For mountain bikers these gloves are decent — light, grippy — but don't offer crash protection.

Honest limits: in sustained rain the DWR holds about 30 minutes, then you have wet insides. Below -2°C it turns outright cold without a liner. The fit runs narrow in the European style; broad-handed riders should size up. For the commuter setting out at 7:30 in 4°C with no rain forecast, and for the trekking rider on longer autumn loops, this is the clever sub-€40 glove.