Van Rysel Cool Weather Arm Warmers

If you're looking for versatile levels of warmth in an extremely light, seamless design, the Van Rysel Cool Weather Arm Warmers are hard to fault at an excellent price.

As well as being extremely light, these arm warmers are incredibly stretchy, made from 87% polyamide, 13% elastane. Think heavy denier women's tights and you're along the right lines.

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The construction is seamless and smooth, with subtly ribbed areas at the top and bottom where they are also double thickness. There are no grippers or other features at all really, just simple knitted tubes of stretchy fabric.

The fabric is a great weight and density for the conditions suggested by the name: 'cool weather' rather than deep winter. There's no wind resistance in the fabric, but what they do well is give just a bit of extra warmth. They also wick moisture very quickly, and dry well too.

When not required they're easy to remove and stow in a back pocket. The packsize and weight penalty is tiny!

In addition to working well with a short sleeve jersey, they're handy for a short-sleeved baselayer/weatherproof jacket combo. I find there are times when it's too warm for a long-sleeved baselayer under a waterproof jacket, but these make an excellent 'just in case' addition to a long, wet, chilly ride kit selection.

The suggested conditions for use are 10-16°C, but I wore them in high single figures and I'd consider them at quite a few degrees higher than 16 too, as they are so breathable.

One feature that's a welcome side-effect of the soft, lightweight, seamless construction is that they don't interfere with a GPS watch, as some warmers can. The cuffs are soft enough to not cause any inopportune button pushes, but still grip the wrists nicely.

They're available in three sizes, XS/S, M/L and XL/2XL. I tested the M/L which were a good fit for my 38cm biceps and neither too short nor too long, so good for average length arms. Considering the lack of a gripper of any kind, they stayed put perfectly well while riding, with no issues of curling or sliding down, even with a jersey with no gripper on the sleeves.

Value

As far as value for money goes, these warmers are exceptional, giving versatile levels of extra warmth with next to no weight penalty or bulk for a really low price. If you're after cool conditions/shoulder season warmers, or something to wear under other layers, these are spot on.

ETC's Snug Arm Warmers have a similar seasonal focus and are also £10, but the Van Rysels are even lighter and more compact, making them easier to carry.

> Buyer’s Guide: 20 of the best arm & leg warmers

Most warmers tend to have grippers and are aimed at slightly cooler temperatures or offer weather protection in some form as well, and can vary in price from the inexpensive Galibier Ardennes II Arm Warmers at £19.58 to the highly technical and protective Assos Armwarmer Evo7 at £35.

Whether you are on a tight budget or not, it's hard to argue with the performance and low weight and bulk offered by the Van Rysels at just £9.99.

Verdict

Spot on for cool weather use, and fantastic value for money