dhb Aeron Rain Defence Leg Warmers

dhb has released a new version of its Aeron Rain Defence Leg Warmers and the fit is excellent, as is the quality. The water resistance also does a decent job of keeping out the worst of the weather, as long as it's kept away from the seams.

I like the design of the Aerons and how the seams are positioned. Many leg warmers have just a single seam placed down the back of the leg, which can cause irritation at the knee. To my mind, seams should be kept as far away from the knee as possible.

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dhb has used three panels in the warmers' construction, one for the entire length of the front of the leg, a panel at the rear from the ankle to a few inches above the back of the knee, and then another section above that up to the thigh.

The result is a warmer that is shaped to suit a bent leg through the pedalling stroke, with the main seams kept to the sides of the leg, and although there is a seam at the back of the warmers, it sits so high up the leg that it doesn't irritate anything.

They're very comfortable to wear, even on longer rides, especially as there is no bunching behind the knee.

Sizing is about as I expected for a UK brand and ties in well with dhb's chart. I would sit somewhere between medium and large on it, and the mediums here fitted fine. There is plenty of stretch in the material, so they sat well without feeling overly compressive, and the silicone bands used at the top and bottom didn't dig in.

The material used is Rain Defence fabric created by respected Italian manufacturer Miti. It's a mixture of 48% polyester, 37% polyamide and 15% elastane, with a DWR (durable water repellent) coating. This, according to Miti, is fluorine-free, using a vegetable base technology.

It works pretty well, coping with road spray, light rain and drizzle, seeing the water bead off for half an hour or so. The weaknesses are the seams, though, as water of any pressure will get straight through the threads, and the material also can't cope with heavy rain.

Miti also says that the coating will last for around 30 washes before you'll need to reapply it. I've washed them a handful of times so far and ridden in the rain for about 10 hours over the test period and haven't noticed any trade-off yet.

The wet weather performance is similar to many other coated garments I've used.

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If/when you get wet, the fabric does a great job of keeping your legs warm thanks to its fleece backing. Temperature-wise, I'd say they'll be good down to just below freezing.

The price of £36 is in line with much of the competition, and is backed by the excellent build quality.

The HTP Pioggia leg warmers offer similar levels of performance against the cold and wet for £39.99. They have seams that run behind the knee, although they didn't irritate like some I have worn, and they do come with plenty of reflectives on the calves, something I would like to see on the dhbs.

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Mike was a big fan of the Lusso Max Repel leg warmers, complimenting them on their fit and performance. They are a touch cheaper at £29.99.

Conclusion

I think the main thing to bear in mind here is that the name Rain Defence doesn't mean waterproof. The dhbs offer the same sort of water resistance found on similar products with a DWR coating. My main reason for going for these would be the shape and the fit. The multi-panel design works really well, with no chance of any seam irritation.

Verdict

Impressively warm, with some water resistance included, and a great fit as well