Pearl Izumi ELITE Thermal Arm & Leg Warmers Review

At this years Interbike 2017, we got to checkout some of Pearl Izumi’s new offerings including the Pearl Izumi ELITE Thermal Arm & Leg Warmers.  Within a week after the show, Pearl Izumi sent us out a set of both the Arm and Leg Warmers.

With Fall here and Winter approaching, the timing was just perfect.

The ELITE Thermal line is Pearl Izumi’s answer to riding in cool temperatures from 35 – 65 degrees or roughly 2-18 Celsius.  Anything below those temperatures, you probably need to wear a second layer.

Pearl Izumi ELITE Thermal Arm Warmer Review

The Pearl Izumi Elite Thermal Arm warmers have been in the Pearl Izumi lineup for quite a while, but they have just released them with a new twist.  Added to the Arm Warmers is Pearl Izumi’s water-shedding Thermal Fleece fabric with PI Dry™.

What is PI Dry™?

PI Dry™ technology is a hydrophobic treatment used on knit or woven fabrics that makes the fibers repel water without effecting the breathability or the feel of the fabric. Now you can splash through a puddle and the spray will simply run off.

To test this technology I ran water on the arm warmer fabric and the water beaded off.  It reminded me a lot of a car that had just been waxed where the water just rolls off or beads.

Based on the machine stitching the arm warmers appear to be made of 3 panels, plus an arm gripper.  I assume this was done for 2 reasons, fit and to create a bend at the elbow.

The arm gripper has a nice wide band with grey Pearl Izumi lettering

Flipping the band over you can see the excellent machine stitching and silicone gripper to help hold the arm warmer in place.

At the Interbike show, I tried on a medium and it was a bit tight for my liking.  We were sent a size large, which is about perfect.  For sizing purposes, if you have decent muscle mass, I recommend going one size up that is unless you like the feel of compression apparel.

The arm warmers are sold in pairs and have unisex sizing.

Izumi’s website says the arm warmers have an anatomic left and right arm-specific fit and sure enough there is a little L or R underneath the size label indicating left or right arm.  If you forget to look at the label, the BioViz reflective logo should be facing outward rather than inward, so the left arm warmer logo would be facing the left outside of the arm.  The other clue is the hand cuff is longer on one side and should be longer on the top, rather than the bottom of the hand.

Each Thermal Warmer have a L or R indicating left or right.

Each warmer has a Pearl Izumi BioViz™ reflective logo for safety.

Thermal Arm Warmer Features:

• Thermal Fleece fabric with water-shedding PI Dry™ technology for all-weather performance
• Anatomic left and right arm-specific fit
• Plush wide elastic binding with silicone gripper for a stay-up fit
• BioViz™ reflective elements for low-light visibility
• BioViz™ Screaming color option for added daylight visibility
• Unisex sizing
• 56% nylon 30% polyester 14% LYCRA® elastane;
• Made in Vietnam
• Retail: 35.00

Pearl Izumi ELITE Thermal Leg Warmer Review

Like the Arm Warmers, the Pearl Izumi ELITE Thermal Leg Warmers were designed to have an anatomical fit, be left/right specific and use the PI Dry™ technology.  Also like the Arm Warmers, the Leg Warmers have been designed using 3 panels of material, plus a leg gripper for the quad and a zippered ankle for easy off and on.

The ELITE Thermal leg warmers have a nice sized Zippered ankle opening for quick on and off.

To be honest I am not as big a fan of leg warmers simply because they always seem to slide down and always seem to adjust them during rides.  So far however, the Elite Thermal Leg Warmers are pretty good, with the leg grippers doing their job.

While I felt the arm warmers were a bit small, the leg warmers run true to size and was satisfied with the fit.

FEATURES:

• Thermal Fleece fabric with water-shedding PI Dry™ technology for all-weather performance
• Anatomic construction eliminates bunching through your full range of motion
• Plush wide elastic binding with silicone gripper for a stay-up fit
• Zippered ankle for easy off and on
• BioViz™ reflective elements for low-light visibility
• Unisex sizing
• 56% nylon 30% polyester 14% LYCRA® elastane;
• Made in Vietnam
• Retail: $55.00

Bottom Line | Pearl Izumi
ELITE Thermal Arm & Leg Warmers

If you’re looking for Arm or Leg warmers for cooler weather, these might just be the ones to get.  Pearl Izumi’s new PI Dry™ fabric means getting caught out in the rain will not hamper your riding enjoyment.  The material repels water from soaking in and should help keep you nice and dry.

The ELITE Thermal arm warmers and leg warmers don’t have wind blocking material, so on cool breezy days you might want to up the anti a bit and check out Pearl Izumi’s P.R.O. Softshell line.  Pear Izumi adds P.R.O. Softshell fabric on forward facing areas to help block the wind.

I found the Arm warmers run on the small side and the leg warmers are true to size.

Check out Pearl Izumi (http://www.pearlizumi.com/) for all the latest cycling apparel and shoes.