I'm going to run out of glove puns eventually, but in this case it's actually more appropriate than usual.

Because these Knox Coniston gloves are more than the normal one trick pony. They're fully featured sports gloves, complete with proper armour and decent fastenings, but they're also waterproof.

Yes, waterproof. Without feeling as though you're wearing a duvet on your hands. It's a neat trick, and one which surprisingly few manufacturers seem to try and which even fewer seem to get right.

Now you know that we quite like Knox stuff here. We've even been known to buy it with our own money, which says a lot. The Handroid glove is probably the best race glove currently available for protection, as well as being fantastically comfortable and properly funky looking, for example. But it's only marginally more waterproof than a teabag, and here in the UK we have been known to get the proverbial four seasons in one day and that can mean needing an extra pair of gloves for when the weather turns. As well as having to stop to put them on - fine if you're also getting into waterproofs, tedious otherwise. So when hints of a new waterproof sports glove started appearing I was onto Knox like a shot and got myself a pair pretty much as soon as they were available. And now I've had a chance to actually use them I can give you the low-down on them.

At first glance they look fairly ordinary. They only come in plain black, enlivened by a yellow stud on the outside of the wrist and some white writing inside the fingers. The backs of the fingers have some impact absorbing pads and semi-hard armour, and there's the de rigeur moulded knockle protector built into the back of the hand inside the leather. Then we get to the first slightly unusual feature - the patented (and utterly brilliant) Boa fastener beloved by ski-boot and Handroid wearers the world over. Super simple to use - push the dial in and twist it to fasten, pull it out to release - and completely repairable in the unlikely event that you manage to break it and still have a hand to worry about protecting. Inside the wrist there's a more traditional velcro strap for fine turning the fit, and not one but two patented KNox Scaphoid Protection System sliders. The palm has a grippy overlay and the tips of the first two fingers have touch-screen compatible pads so you can work your Satnav. Or whatever else you may need to do with a smart device on a motorbike...

They're quite snug, though as I've used them they have eased a bit and now fit like, um, a glove. Funny that. But do be aware that they definitely err on the small side and take that into account when you size them. The Boa fastening is easy to use and very effective, while the wrist strap is largely redundant.

When I first used them I thought they were massively over-insulated but in fact they're not insulated at all. They also do breathe, you just need to use them a bit before they work properly. I don't know why, but after an hour or two they have way more give, they offer much more feel and they're somehow cooler. And yet nothing has changed.

Second decent ride I was marvelling at how much more comfortable they had got when the heavens opened. I got the works - torrential rain, hail, thunder and lightning... but not wet hands.

And afterwards they were even more comfortable. Get a set and get them wet straight away - it'll save you a brief moment of wondering if you've done the right thing, because you'll know for sure you have.

They are still quite warm because they don't have the big mechanical vents of a regular sports glove. Obviously, because if they did they would fill up with water. But they do breathe and so while you stay warm you don't get sweaty. You can feel the controls nicely and, should the weather turn nasty (and should your bike be so equipped) you'll find heated grips do make a noticeable difference.

I can't see these replacing my Handroids all year round, but they are without a doubt my standard go-to glove from now until probably Easter, and they'll get used plenty through the summer because I don't like wet hands but do love riding my bike.

So to sum up. The Knox Coniston is a brilliant waterproof sports glove. It's comfortable, it's well made, it has shedloads of protection, it's made by a British company and it's properly waterproof. They retail at £159.99 which is great value for a good sports glove. When you factor in that these could reasonably be the only pair of gloves you need they become a no-brainer. You can get them direct from Knox, and I would recommend them in the strongest terms. Because they're excellent.

SB