Biking is an excellent form of exercise that helps work out many different parts of the body. To get the most out of your cycling trip, however, you need to follow best safety practices—both for building muscle and staying safe when you're aboard your bike. Aside from the use of a helmet to protect you in the event of an accident, a pair of bike gloves can also be essential.
Like any other pair of gloves, cycling ones will do the work of helping to keep your hands and fingers warm. In winter, this protection from the cold helps with not only saving you from using the weather as an excuse to skip on your exercise routine but keeps your fingers agile and able to operate gear shifts and brake levers. Even when it's hot, gloves keep sweat from interfering with your grip.
Since cycling gloves are an article of clothing, you'll likely let some personal preference play a role in the ones you choose. Even so, some brands and types are of higher quality than others, and you deserve the best when it comes to your exercise gear. That's why we've assembled our guide to the top bike gloves out there!
Comparison Table
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Best 14 Bike Gloves
To ensure you find the best products around, we conduct extensive research into what our top picks can do—and how customers find these gloves handle in person. Honesty and accuracy are vital to us, so you can rest assured that our reviews have your best interests in mind. So let's get started on our top picks!
Louis Garneau Vorttice Gloves
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If you're someone interested in road cycling racing, then these gloves should at least make your list for consideration. Louis Garneau makes a fingerless glove that has elongated seamless cuffs and overall aerodynamic design. The fabric is also part of the company's SpeedTech design, built to help you achieve a smooth ride.
Helping out with the aerodynamic capabilities is that these gloves don't have an excessive amount of bio gel padding—but there's still more than enough to help you stay comfortable. So long as you select the right size, you'll hardly notice you're wearing them since they fit so well. And what else can you ask for when you want to focus on a speed run atop your bicycle? Not much.
Zookki Cycling Gloves
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These half-finger cycling gloves are another great fit when it comes to being both comfortable and breathable. The material does what it should, being both durable for extended use and extremely breathable. The wicking is also top-class, and customers find that their hands stay incredible dry with these gloves in use.
The gel padding is ready to help with protecting you from bumps, staying comfortable during long rides, and just overall making an attractive design. What's even better is that these gloves are available at a price that creates excellent value with how inexpensive it is in comparison to some of the other options on the market. Zookki has made an excellent glove for staying cool while biking.
Defeet ET Duraglove
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No one should go cycling in winter without a pair of decent gloves on their hands, and Defeet has been a popular choice in the biking community for quite some time. The Duraglove's design is minimalistic, without any bells and whistles, but that's part of what makes them appealing. The fact that Defeet offers several colors helps with personalizing your look without going overboard.
As a winter glove, the Duraglove is most suitable for temperature ranges between forty to sixty F (four to sixteen degrees C). The ET model is also touchscreen friendly, with pads on the fingers to help catch purchase on the screen. You can also buy these gloves without the electronic touch variant if you like having an excuse to keep your phone away while you exercise.
Giro Bravo Gloves
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Giro Bravo's half-finger gloves use a synthetic leather material, making a glove that can stand up to scrapes and impacts over time. This design does mean you have some trade-off when it comes to ventilation, but the wicking capability prevents things from becoming too uncomfortable in warm temperatures. These gloves also come in a variety of sizes, from small to 3XL.
To better help with providing a tailored fit, these gloves have a triple panel palm design. A low-profile Velcro closure helps the gloves stay on, and it's terrific at not getting in the way. When you're ready to peel off the gloves, the sturdy pull tabs help you get a grip for minimal struggle removal.
Pearl Izumi Pro Aero Gloves
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Another pair of gloves suitable for racing comes in the form of Pearl Izumi's Pro Aero offering. If you want a glove that fits tight and comfortable without a fastening strap to get in the way. The lack of belts also helps when laundry time comes around, as you don't need to worry about the gloves getting caught on your clothing.
As for materials, you can count on the upper design to both reduce drag and wick away sweat, while the synthetic leather palm gives a reliable grip. If you find that gel padding gets in your way, these gloves will suit you; they have no pads, which can provide a better grip on your handlebars. While they divert from the standard glove design, they still perform well and can be a welcome fit.
Castelli Lightness
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As Castelli is one of the longest standing brands in bicycling equipment, we'd be remiss not to mention at least one pair of their gloves in our top picks list. Their Lightness glove is the perfect fit for when it comes to fall biking, where you need something to stay warm, but without the bulkiness. The Clarino and Thermaflex materials are part of how these gloves serve that role well.
Because these gloves have thin palms, you can maintain better handling on your handlebars than with some thicker materials. The full finger design is preferable for chillier rides, but Castelli also offers this product in a half finger version. The near one-hundred-and-fifty years in business on Castelli's part has indeed created an excellent take on a simple design.
Gore Bike Wear C5 Winter Gloves
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If you live in an area that regularly hits cold temperatures, the C5 winter gloves from Gore Bike Wear are an excellent choice: the material is enough to protect from the chill of temperatures that reach down to thirty degrees F (negative one degrees C). Gore has also used its special membrane and fabrics to make a waterproof and windproof glove that protects from the elements.
Though these gloves provide wide-ranging protection, they still feel lightweight, and they don't add too much extra bulk to get in your way of accessing brake levers and gear shifts. They also manage to be surprisingly breathable while still keeping you warm. Gore also has a notable presence in the cycling world, so you can expect these gloves to last.
INBIKE Bike Gloves
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High-class biking gloves are well worth the investment, but you may not be interested in something so big—especially if you're a more casual rider. For those in that camp looking for something budget friendly, INBIKE's offering does just that. The gloves are affordable, and they provide the essential protection you need for rising in the summer and fall alike.
As a half-finger cut, the protection rests primarily in the palms, with extra padding that helps protect against falls with its enhanced shock absorption. The material is a stretchy mesh that's both comfortable and breathable to help beat the heat, and a Velcro closure helps the gloves stay on without getting in the way. Terry cloth material next to the thumbs helps with wiping away sweat.
Pearl Izumi Select Glove
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Most people who have ridden a bicycle for some time have encountered tingling or numbness in their hands, which can happen my compressing nerves when gripping onto the handlebars. If this is a problem you have, padded gloves can help, and Pearl Izumi's Select offering is a top choice for reducing nerve pressure. Both the padding and shape of the glove contribute to the design of subduing numbness.
Aside from that, these half-finger gloves are water resistant as well, and the palm is durable thanks to its synthetic leather material. The thumb wipe is perfect for when you need to clean up moisture, and the glove snugly fits thanks to the hook and loop closure. Overall, you're looking at an excellent glove for taking longer rides.
Fox Racing Ranger Gloves
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While not the case for all, sometimes full-finger gloves can feel restrictive. The Fox Racing Ranger Gloves are part of that exception, and they're a flexible and light product that will serve you well in any biking environment—even more stringent conditions like mountains. Even better, the design is comfortable to wear while still providing all-around protection.
The materials don't only have it in them to last a long time, but they're weatherproof for comfort in even harsh conditions. They also have double layered palm protection, which is perfect if you're at risk for dangerous falls. The silicon fingertips provide extra grip for using any brake levers or gear shifts.
Castelli Scalda Elite Gloves
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Another Castelli offering worth considering is their Elite Gloves, which have the benefits of being lightweight and comfortable while being suitable for winter weather. Even people without much cold tolerance will find that these gloves keep their hands warm in even freezing temperatures, with full fingered fits that don’t overbulk your hands.
If you’re someone that likes a bit of choice in design, you’ll find three colors for the choosing: red, black, and anthracite. No matter which style you select, though, you’ll still have the same waterproof, windproof, stretchable fabric for protection—plus touchscreen friendly tips for the thumb, middle, and index fingers.
Giro LX Gloves
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Leather biking gloves aren’t the best choice for everyone, but Giro’s LX offering gives one of the best options out there. Despite relying on leather for strong durability, the double-vented material help keep your hands cool—though the gloves do still tend to gather heat. Double-stitched seams help contribute to the long life of these gloves.
The choice of leather also can make gloves tricky to remove, but the welded pull tabs help with the process. You also get to take advantage of gel padding, three-panel design for fitting, and a microfiber wiping surface. Again, while not the ultimate cycling glove solution for everyone, Giro’s LX gloves are your best bet for a leather option.
Scott Endurance SF Gloves
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For those who take on long bicycle rides, you need a reliable glove that can stand up to going the distance, while also having enough padding to help you stay comfortable. When you take on these rides in the warmer months, breathability also becomes a priority. The Scott Endurance SF Glove is one of the best choices for all these considerations.
You have an elastic cuff that stays tight on your hand, and the padded palm makes it bearable to grip to your handlebars for long periods. The fabric is also excellent at wicking, so you won’t need to pause to air out any sweat or moisture. Another benefit is the thumb wipe panel. Thanks to Scott Endurance’s careful design, you won’t have to worry about the gloves wearing out, either.
Andyshi Bike Gloves
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Another excellent cold-geared and full-fingered glove comes from Andyshi. You have a sleek design with a zipper to quickly put the gloves on and off without sacrificing a perfect fit. The fabric is not only comfortable but also touchscreen compatible in the fingertips for easy phone use, without having to expose your fingers to the cold.
Though these gloves are a bit too warm for spring chill use, you’ll get a lot of use out of them in the winter—and they can take it. The gloves are durable, and they’re also very affordable, offering great value for the features that Andyshi chooses to include.
Things to Consider When Shopping for Bike Gloves
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No matter which of our top picks you consider, you'll have a great pair of gloves on your hands. Even so, you want the best ones for you—and so do we. To help ensure that you find the perfect fit, here are some things to consider in your quest for the best possible biking gloves.
Common Types
Bike gloves come in many types, with some even suited for specific types of cycling—such as those for on-road, cross-country, MTB, and more. Even with these different specializations, though, you'll find that some common types apply:
If you plan to cycle in all seasons, you'll likely need a few types. Make sure you choose the ones that are comfortable for you while still meeting your needs.
Weather Conditions
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As a primarily outdoor sport and exercise, the weather will have a significant impact on the type of gloves you need. For colder conditions, you'll want winter gloves that can provide you with warmth. Whenever the forecast includes inclement conditions, weatherproofing will help keep your hands dry from any rain.
Breathability is always essential (since it can help prevent moisture from becoming trapped inside your gloves), but you'll especially want breathable fabrics in the hotter months. Likewise, wicking (the ability of a glove to absorb your sweat and pull it to the surface of the glove to evaporate), is also essential for your comfort.
Other Important Glove Features
Depending on the type of biking you do, you may be at a higher risk for a fall than different types. Bike gloves of all kinds will help provide protection, from just the palms to full-finger. For those who engage in activities with great potential for accidents, some gloves have rigid panels that give extra protection from impacts.
You'll also find grip in the form of synthetic or leather palms, helping you hold onto the handlebars. If you want an additional hold onto your gear shifters or brake levers, you should choose a pair of gloves that come with grippers on the fingers.
Wrapping Up
Cycling gloves are an essential part of biking gear, and you shouldn’t go without them. Thankfully, our best picks are here to help you find the perfect fit for both your safety and comfort. Now it’s up to you to choose the pair you like the most!
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