Specialized Thermal Leg Warmers

These Specialized Thermal Leg Warmers do a great job of keeping you warm and they fit well, but the price is quite high considering the lack of extras like water resistance, and I'm not a massive fan of the zip position.

Made from a mixture of polyamide (84%) and elastane (16%), they have a good level of stretch which aids movement and gives a good fit, helped by the fact that they are shaped with a bend at the knee, which also reduces material bunching here.

That's a good thing as the multi-panel design means there is quite a pronounced seam right behind the knee. Even though there's less material bunching, it isn't as noticeable as it could be.

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Specialized offers these in five sizes, although it doesn't have a size guide on the website. I would normally go for a large, which is what I have here, and they fit great, both in terms of diameter and length.

The thigh grippers have a silicone band to keep them in place, and it works, as they didn't slip down.

There's a zip at the bottom of the warmers, which is all right on its own, but if you are wearing them with overshoes that also use a zip in the same position then it causes a clash – and irritation. This is why I generally prefer warmers without a zip.

On the plus side, the zips do allow you to remove the leg warmers should things warm up mid-ride without having to take your shoes off.

The Specialized logo on the bottom of each warmer is reflective but that's it on the reflectives front; I'd like to see more really, ideally something on the calf.

When it comes to how they cope with the weather, I was perfectly happy. The temperature dropped below freezing many times at the end of the test period, and early morning rides at around -3°C they had no problems keeping my legs warm after the first mile.

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The fleece-backed material feels soft against the skin and traps the heat too, while also blocking all but the iciest of winds.

They're very well made, with all of the seams feeling robust when pulling the warmers on and off, but unlike some warmers at this price, there is no durable water repellent treatment to keep light rain or drizzle at bay.

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The dhb Aeron Rain Defence Leg Warmers I was testing alongside these have a decent amount of water resistance, no zips on the bottom, and no seams behind the knees, and are cheaper at £36.

Jamie liked the Endura FS-260 Pro Thermo Leg Warmers, which don't have any water repellency but are impressively warm and windproof, and are just £32.99.

Conclusion

Overall, the Specialized Thermal warmers are well made and do a good job of keeping cold weather at bay, but don't really offer much over many others that are cheaper.

Verdict

Good quality and warm, if not exactly groundbreaking for the money