Whether it’s warm and sunny, blustery and wet, cold and frosty – cycling gloves can be a lifesaver when pedalling around.
Protecting your extremities is crucial when you’re on the move and cycling gloves should be part of your essential bike kit. Whether a die-hard cyclist who considers to be the next Bradley Wiggins or Chris Hoy, or simply a Santander bike rider to get from A to B, stepping out on your bike equipped with the right cycling gloves can change your experience.
Not only can they add extra comfort right through to your fingertips but they’re great for keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer months. There are lots to choose from on the market and the final decision is up to you – we’ve just helped source some of our favourites below to kick start your search.
What are the benefits of wearing cycling gloves?
Extra Grip: Gripping fabrics and features on the palms of the gloves ensure a stable cycle, with a strong connection to the handlebars and preventing any slipping around.
Extra protection and comfort: Cycling gloves provide another layer between you and your handlebars, adding cushioning or padding to protect from any harsh impacts. They can have shock-absorbing properties to lessen any painful sensations and reduce any numbness or feeling of pins and needles in your hands.
Sweat-wicking: Many cycling gloves feature a cloth-like material, typically found on the thumb part, to wipe away any sweat during your ride. This keeps it off your face and out of your eyes.
Temperature regulating: Materials used to make cycling gloves vary, but most feature temperature controlling properties to keep your hands warm when it’s cold but cool when in hotter climates.
Weatherproof: Gloves can act as a raincoat for your hands in the rain, keeping them dry and preventing your hands from sliding around, and are also windproof to shield from bracing winds.
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Rapha Brevet Reflective gloves
An upgrade and update of the Explore reflective glove, these have improved comfort and a lighter weight. Aimed at those of us who prefer a longer ride where comfort and protection from the elements is paramount, the palms now use strategically positioned memory foam pads which not only offers ample cushioning but claim to guard against nerve damage. Having carpal tunnel syndrome, I found this especially beneficial.
The palm and thumb areas are also made with an abrasion-resistant suede that is perforated to increase ventilation, and to insulate your hands against the wind chill, a thin layer of Polartec’s Power Shield Pro fabric has been introduced. The Brevet bands across the top of the hand are fully reflective for added visibility at night or in low light and the wrist section features a well-designed and streamlined bonded hem with a Velcro closer.
Buy now £80.00, Rapha
Specialized NeoShell gloves
Dexterity, comfort and protection from the winter elements are the functional requirements you demand in a pair of winter gloves and this NeoShell option offers that – and more. The Polartec upper completely protects you from the heaviest of rain, shields you from the wind and cold temperatures and the hydrophobic AX suede palm cushions your palm perfectly as well as providing a firm grip on the bars as you tackle even during the most miserable of winter morning rides.
What’s more, the index finger has a trademarked Wiretap tech which is touchscreen-compatible so there’s no need to remove your glove when checking your Strava map.
Buy now £45.00, Specialized
GripGrab Windster 2 Windproof Winter gloves
Purveyors of good, reliable gloves, GripGrab, has an impressive range to suit varying levels of coldness throughout the autumn and winter months - so you can choose accordingly depending on the weather forecast. This pair will protect you from the windchill throughout your ride, even on those colder crisp days.
As an upgrade from the original Windster gloves, the 2.0 use a premium windproof stretch fabric on the top of the glove and a soft fleece inner lining layer that’ll keep your digits cosy, comfy and functional. The outer layer is covered in a durable water repellent coating so any light rain or spray will wick away. Despite all of this layering though, these gloves are highly breathable so even if you manage to work up a bit of a sweat on a cold day, your hands will stall well regulated.
The palms are perfectly padded and you’re assured of the usual high level of grip that we expect from GripGrab along with the usual nice touches of reflective detailing. The sweat wiper on the thumb is a nice touch. What’s more, these gloves are made up of a total of 80 per cent recycled materials.
Buy now £64.95, Wiggle
Proviz Classic Waterproof Cycling Gloves
Don’t let the weather put you off with Proviz’s weatherproof cycling gloves; they’ll keep your hands dry and gripped to your bike with the waterproof layering and web-patterned silicone grip.
The soft brushed micro-fleece inner lining will keep your wrists to fingertips warm while the padded palms and adjustable cuffs will provide added comfort and a personalised fitting.
They are also touchscreen compatible so no need to wrestle them off to look at your messages or navigate. Available in a fun range of colours, from bright yellow and pink to blue and orange.
Buy now £39.99, Proviz
Boardman Lightweight Gloves
These slick black gloves give full coverage to your hands when cycling and are made from a nice and lightweight, breathable fabric.
The palms have integrated gel padding which absorb any vibrations for the ultimate comfort and ventilation areas keep your hands cool with airflow constantly circulating.
They also have touchscreen-compatible fingertips to make using your smartphone when stationary that much less of a faff.
Buy now £25.00, Halfords
GripGrab ProGel Padded Glove
These short-finger gloves have been designed with the help of both active athletes and doctors to create padded palms to protect your hands throughout your ride.
The specialised DoctorGel spading system reduces the feeling of pins and needles/any numbness while providing grip and control on the handlebars.
Pop on for your competitive cycling or daily commute and enjoy the freedom of movement, then simply take off with ease using the pull-off tabs at the end of your journey.
Buy now £35.95, Wiggle
Rapha Classic Gloves
Maybe a steeper price but when it comes to cycling gear, Rapha has been about since 2004 making the world’s finest kit – they know what they are doing. These classic gloves are a prime example, providing a light but full-finger option for your hands.
The palms are made using sheep leather to enhance the grip, and the gloves are finished with a DWR (durable water repellent) treatment to protect from the wind, cold and rainy conditions.
There’s an added micro-fibre nose wipe on the thumb which can prove very useful when you’ve got sweat dripping down your face.
Buy now £80.00, Rapha
Santini Maillot Jaune Tour De France 2022 Cycling Mitts
Santini, the official clothing partner of the Tour de France, has created a new brand ‘Maillot Jaune’ to celebrate the race’s history. Grab part of the collection with these gloves – great for all conditions and types of cyclists; they grip onto your handlebars and cycle in comfort and style.
Super lightweight and breathable to keep you cool and airy while moving, they also have anti-shock palms to take any numbness away.
Buy now £27.00, Evans Cycles
Altura Nightvision Windproof Gloves
Enhance your visibility when it gets dark thanks to Altura’s night vision gloves, with reflective detailing to ensure you are safely seen. Made from a three-layer softshell fabric they also provide a lovely and soft snug fit to keep your hands warm and protected from the wind. Touch screen-friendly too.
Buy now £17.50, Halfords
Triban Road Cycling Cycle Touring Gloves
A best-seller with an affordable price tag, these Triban gloves are a great option for everyday road cycling. A simple and practical design in black, they offer foam cushioning on the palms for a comfortable grip and are made from a light elastane fabric on the exterior to enable breathability and a soft-to-skin experience.
Buy now £4.99, Decathlon
Castelli Arenberg Gel 2 Gloves
Ride like a pro in these snazzy Castelli gloves. Featuring the brand’s iconic Castelli Damping System (CDS), the gloves have a unique palm construction with a thought-through distribution of gel cushioning to protect from any unwanted impact from uneven surfaces and rough roads underneath. Tailor to your wrist using the adjustable strap and feel the micromesh back keeping your hands cool throughout. There’s also a microsuede nose wipe on the thumb, which is sensitive to all skin types.
Buy now £29.00, Sigma Sports
Giro Unisex Adult’s X Cycling Gloves
Burrow your hands into three layers of protection with Giro’s cycling gloves – RainGuard membrane covers a durable nylon outer shell with a hypoallergic lining inside. You are left with warm, waterproofed hands, shielded from the cold, wind and rain, but still allowing optimum flexibility. The pair features a non-slip grip, a stitch-free slip-on cuff and touchscreen technology.
Buy now £49.99, Amazon
Luroon Half Finger Gel Padded Bike Gloves
Made of high elastic lycra and knitted mesh fabric with anti-slip suede on the palms, Luroon’s shock-absorbing gloves are ideal for riding around in. They are breathable, feature extra thickened padding to relieve any pain or fatigue and have an absorbent cloth on the thumb part to wipe away any dripping sweat. Choose from their colourful selection, all with reflective warning strips on the back to increase visibility at dusk.
Buy now £11.99, Amazon
Thousand Little 5 bike gloves
These 70s-inspired breathable crocheted cotton bike gloves from Thousand (an LA-based brand that started as a Kickstarter campaign back in 2015 by a cycling enthusiast) offer a comfortable fit with just the right amount of palm padding and pair nicely with Thousand’s range of cool looking cycle helmets. The vegan amara suede underside also offers a decent grip on your handlebars.
Despite the crocheted finish, they offer a surprising amount of warmth for those cooler months leading into winter, but you may want to switch to a full thermal option on those Arctic days. Thousand is also a Climate Positive business and promises to offset their carbon emissions by 110 per cent.
Available in three other style options – Courier, De Franc or Bullitt.
Buy now £21.00, Thousand Little
Maap Winter glove
In the deepest and harshest winter months, you need to call on the big guns. It’s going to be icy cold. It’s going to be wet. It’s going to take a glove specifically designed to get you through the ride that combines high tech fabric with functionality.
The inner lining of the Winter glove from Maap is made from Polar fleece and is paired with lightweight and breathable wind and waterproof membranes that’ll keep your hands thermal regulated throughout your blustery ride. An AX Suede non-slip foam palm padded underside and silicon palm print provides an excellent and comfortable grip and features touch screen compatible fingertips. No need to remove your gloves in ice cold conditions!
The MAAP branding is reflective which adds a stylish touch and the Velcro wrist closure wrap is neatly tailored for a snug fit. If that wasn’t quite enough to make a purchasing decision, rest assured that all MAAP’s bluesign approved products are made from materials that are produced using only chemicals and processes that are safe for the environment. Big thumbs up.
Buy now £80.00, Maap
