Best Mountain Bike Gloves
One of the lesser reviewed pieces of mountain bike gear is the mountain bike glove, but our team have gone out and tested some of the cheaper variants of mountain bike gloves on the market, some of the mid-range gloves, and even some of the more expensive (or premium) mountain bike gloves to bring you our round-up of the best mountain bike gloves on the market today.
Most of the time, a perfect set of gloves will really just go unnoticed, but what you want from your set of mountain bike gloves is that they grip well and don’t restrict your movement. You also don’t want the gloves to bunch up on your hands – but most importantly you want the gloves to keep the skin on your hands and in place when the gloves are really needed (after a tumble). With the proliferation of wearables, GoPros and action cams for mountain biking, and even mobile phones being taken onto singletracks, you may also look for a set of mountain bike gloves that are touchscreen compatible.
So let’s get straight into the roundup of the best mountain bike gloves across all budgets and price points.
ACE GLOVES – TROY LEE DESIGNS
If you want a slightly more premium glove, you might want to consider the Troy Lee Designs ACE ELITE glove that has a lightweight construction with heavier duty finger and lower glove protection. The ACE ELITE also has the seamless cuff thus removing the need for Velcro straps. The ACE ELITE also comes with the silicon screen printing on the finger tips for added grip, and of course is also touchscreen compatible.
FOX RACING REFLEX GEL MOUNTAIN BIKE GLOVES
FOX is a brand well known to many mountain bikers, and they have a great range of mountain bike apparel including a number of top mountain bike gloves, so when it came down to choosing the best gloves from their large range, it was a fairly difficult task. However, there were some FOX gloves that literally were standouts according to our test team, and the Fox Racing Reflex Gel mountain bike glove was one of them. Coming in both a short finger and a full finger version, the Fox Reflex Gel gloves have strategically placed Gel inserts on the palm of the glove.
These Gel inserts allow for greater cushioning on the hand and specifically cushion the areas around the radial and ulnar nerves of the hand. The reason the cushioning is added to protect these nerves is that excessive pressure on the ulnar nerve is one of the leading causes of hand numbness and soreness, and when riding for longer periods and consistently putting pressure on this area, you will start to feel the numbness spreading in your hands, and then riding becomes unpleasant.
So by having the Gel inserts strategically protecting your ulnar nerve, it allows mountain bike riders to ride for longer and actually enjoy the ride even when the trail gets rough. We quite liked the Fox Reflex Gel gloves due to their lightweight, breathable construction and of course their impact-absorbing gel palm inserts. The gloves felt comfortable and are made with a double layer Clarino palm for long term durability, and have silicone grip fingertips for increased control. Fox also threw in a microsuede thumb patch for comfortable nose wiping.
Get them here –>
Fox Ranger Mountain Bike Gloves
Fox Racing’s replacement for the INCLINE glove is the Fox Ranger MTB range of gloves. To be honest, it does seem that the Fox Ranger set of gloves is slightly less durable than the model they replaced (i.e. the INCLINE glove) as they do not seem to last as long as those INCLINE gloves of yesteryear. However, saying that, the Fox Ranger mountain bike glove is a lightweight breathable glove that is perfect for summer, and is still a durable glove but it just doesn’t seem to last as long as previous sets of gloves.
Being a lightweight glove, they are perfect for riding in the summer and still insulate the hands even in autumn and spring when it starts to get a little chillier. They come in both full finger and short finger versions, and despite their light weight, do have double layer padding on the palm and we found they offered adequate protection for mild or gently downhill riding. Obviously for more rougher rides, you would select a sturdier glove, but for everyday riding these are great lightweight gloves.
With a low-profile wrist-tab closure that provides a secure fit, these Ranger Mountain Bike Gloves from Fox Head Inc. offer an absorbent wiping surface on the thumbs and silicone fingertip print on both the index and middle fingers for enhanced grip. However, we did have a major gripe with the Fox Ranger gloves, specifically related to the silicone coating on the glove’s fingertips. Trying to perform any phone screen activity with the gloves on was rather hit and miss, as it sometimes works and often just doesn’t. That was our only real gripe though, so if you really aren’t too stressed about touchscreen compatibility, then the Fox Ranger MTB gloves are a perfect lightweight option for summer riding.
Get the Limited Edition set of Fox Ranger Gloves here –>
