Every mountain biker knows that getting out to bike requires certain equipment: the right shoes, the right helmet, and of course the right bike. However, one component is often overlooked by those who are new to mountain biking, but which seasoned cyclists know is essential mountain bike gloves.
That’s because riding over rough terrain is hard on the hands, and gloves help prevent shocks, friction from the handlebars, and inclement weather.
In the end, those who wear gloves can bike for longer and have a much more enjoyable experience than those that don’t. However, how do you choose the best mountain bike gloves?
Why Do You Need The Best Mountain Bike Gloves?
Although it may be tempting to go for the most inexpensive gloves, simply because gloves are replaceable and easy to find, you should take the time to look through reviews and find the best mountain bike gloves that work for you.
Part of the reason for this is the idea of long-term investment; although you may spend more on one purchase, you won’t have to buy more gloves every few months because they rip or wear down.
Furthermore, you can pick out the specific glove that fits your hand the best, and is the most comfortable for your riding experience.
5 Best Mountain Bike Gloves -Top Reviews
1. Mountain Made Outdoor Gloves for Men & Women
These whole-hand mountain bike gloves are multi-purpose, meaning that they can be used for a variety of activities including riding, running, driving, shooting, hiking, and everyday use other than just cycling.
Furthermore, they are specifically meant to protect your hands against cold weather, and as a result, are perfect no matter what kind of climate you live and bike in or even if it’s not that cold outside. Still, the wind blowing against your hands when you’re biking has a chilling effect.
Other Features Include:
- Comfort lining that absorbs moisture and dries quickly, so that you don’t have to deal with wet gloves.
- These gloves can stretch in many directions to fit an active lifestyle.
- The gloves are treated with anti-bacterial elements to eliminate odor from sweat and dirt.
- An anti-slip zipper design allows you to adjust the fitting, comfort, and warmth of the gloves to your preference.
- Part of the reason these gloves are so well-suited to the cold is their strong heat preservation, which keeps warmth inside while not sacrificing breathability.
- The gloves are made with lightweight materials and fit extremely comfortably, so you don’t even feel that you are wearing them.
2. Louis Garneau Men’s 12c Air Gel Cycling Gloves
These mountain bike gloves are specially designed for cycling along rough terrain, with special materials and contouring that provide the best possible experience and protection from rough handlebars.
These gloves are made from lycra, which means that not only do they stretch to fit a variety of hand sizes and positions, but they also are durable and long-lasting.
Lycra also allows these gloves to be form-fitting, as you will find that they fit the shape of your hand perfectly.
Other Features of This Glove Include:
- Biogel padding makes these gloves comfortable, while perforated padding on the palms allows air to circulate and your hands breathe as you perspire.
- The palm is coated with multiple silicone layers, which provides better grip and stability to top mountain bikers using these gloves.
- Louis Garneau’s patented Ergo Air® design stabilizes hand temperature by removing palm moisture using the drying action of the wind and perforations in the palm.
The gloves are designed to place less pressure on the ulnar and median nerves that are located in your hand by placing a barrier in between the handlebars of your bicycle and the actual muscles and nerves of your hand. This makes for a more comfortable bike ride as well as fewer complications down the road.
3. Inbike 5mm Gel Pad Cycling Gloves
Shock absorption is the name of the game with these gloves, which boast a 5-millimeter palm gel pad that protects your hands from the worst of the bumps that you’ll go over while mountain biking.
As a result, it increases comfort while preventing hand injuries and allowing you to navigate more easily, as you are not distracted by shocks to your hand.
The glove also has several other top features, including:
- A mesh cloth material that is resistant to heavy wear and tear, as well as aerodynamic and breathable. It allows air to circulate through and wick the sweat from your palms, making your hands feel freer.
- Terrycloth material on the front of the gloves is specially placed for cyclists to wipe their sweat away from their foreheads and arms while riding, convenient as you don’t have to worry about sweat getting in your eyes.
- The superfine fabric on the palms is slip-resistant so that even if you experience a lot of moisture from your sweat or inclement weather (like rain), you don’t have to worry about your hand slipping off of the handlebars.
4. Giro Bravo Gloves
The leather is one of the best materials to use against friction, as evidenced in everything from leather suitable biker jackets to cowboy chaps – and these gloves take that concept one step further, using synthetic leather in a three-panel design to provide the best protection against shocks and rough riding.
The super-fit engineering on these gloves is specifically meant for greater comfort, and the pull tab makes it easier to take the gloves off once you are through wearing them.
Here are a Few Other Features That These Gloves Offer:
- Moisture-wicking, breathable mesh that keeps your hands cool and dry no matter how much they sweat.
A four-way stretch so that you can not only fit your hand into the glove but can also maneuver as much as you need to while biking. - The low-profile velcro closure is easy to use and doesn’t give you any hassle, especially if you have to take the gloves off in a hurry.
- For maximum comfort and injury prevention, gel padding is located along the palm of this glove so that you can bike through the shocks from the road, as well as the friction from your hands rubbing against the handlebars of your bike.
5.Fox Head Men’s Bomber Glove
This glove is known more for its craftsmanship and attention to detail than anything else; for example, the knuckle pieces are individually molded out of polycarbonate material to achieve optimum fit to the actual contours of your hand.
The best analogy for the way these gloves look and feel is that they are like a suit of armor for your hands, an effect heightened by the plated motocross design on the outside. Another defining feature is that these gloves are full-coverage, so your fingers are not left exposed.
A Few Other Things This Glove Offers Include:
- The gloves are made of Pittards leather, specially imported from the United Kingdom, that promises to last well through years of heavy use, and to continue working as well as it did the first day you bought it mainly because leather is fairly resistant to wear and tear.
- The material the gloves are made with is well-ventilated, so that your hands always have the chance to breathe, and the wind can wick away the sweat that would accumulate in other full-coverage gloves.
- The palm features a double-layer silicone padding, which is specially designed to protect your hands from shocks and to add comfort while you bike.
- The hook-and-loop closure on these gloves is easy to use but hard to break, which is good if you’re biking and don’t want them to come off accidentally, as well as if you need to take them off quickly and without unnecessary hassle.
Things To Consider Before Buying The Best Mountain Bike Gloves
Before buying one of the gloves described above, consider what kind of needs you have, as this will help you determine which gloves will work the best for you.
For example, if your bike more often in cold weather, you will want to have more enclosed gloves (rather than gloves that keep your fingers free) for better protection against the cold. Consider how much your bike and those who do so more frequently will want gloves that provide more shock absorption through gel padding.
Final Thoughts
Once you choose a glove design, you can also look at the price to see if it’s within the range you’re looking for. Generally, better gloves selection is worth paying slightly more for, as you’ll find that they last a long time and provide a better-quality experience.
Then, once you choose the gloves that want to purchase, get out there and start biking with them your hands will thank you, and you’ll enjoy the experience so much more than if you continued using low-quality gloves or had none at all.
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