How To Choose Cycling Gloves - T-Tees - Your Answers Await, Life's Questions Unraveled

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For most cyclists, a good pair of gloves is essential for optimum comfort as well as protection from wind, rain, cold and possible accidents. We’ve all you need to know in our best cycling gloves buying guide.

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Why do I need gloves?

Cyclists will benefit from the additional grip and protection offered by gloves – keeping sweaty hands from slipping from the bar grips, or offering palm protection in the event of a crash. Gloves vary in price and application, ranging from lightweight summer mitts offering basic cushioning and crash protection to highly-technical and fully weatherproof winter gloves for polar conditions.

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The kind of gloves you choose will depend on the type of sport you enjoy (gloves for MTB and road riding, for example) and the weather conditions you are out in (winter gloves will be optimised for warmth and weatherproof, summer gloves will be lighter and more breathable).

Assess your priorities based on what kind of riding you do, and in what kind of weather, and choose your gloves accordingly. Some of the main factors that designers take into account when making different types of glove are breathability, wicking, protection, waterproofing, grip and warmth.

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Best Cycling Gloves: Buying Guide For Hand Protection

What cycling gloves are best for me?

Features to consider: in-depth

Some common features and terms to be aware of when looking a pair of cycling gloves:

Parts of a glove: Gloves are made from a number of constituent parts, these being the upper, palm, fingers and cuffs.

Uppers: This is the ‘back’ of the glove. The material is often thicker here to provide extra protection from wind and weather, and may have a waterproof coating membrane.

Palm: Cycling gloves have thicker palms made from leather or a synthetic leather for grip on the handlebars.

Fingers: ‘Full-finger’ gloves cover the entire finger while fingerless gloves are often described as ‘mitts’. The former offer more warmth and protection for winter trail/gravity riding, which are a popular summer choice for cyclists that still want the grip and palm protection of a glove.

Cuffs: This is the part of the glove that goes around your wrist. It needs to be snug and comfortable – too tight and it will restrict circulation, too loose and the glove won’t feel like a snug fit. Cuffs should ideally be adjustable (by means of a Velcro fastener) so they don’t flap or chafe.

Materials: Cycling gloves are generally made from synthetic materials including polyester, acrylic, fleece and polypropylene, or a blend of different ones (gloves may be constructed of individual panels, with the material in each one dependent on location and desired properties).

Polyester: High breathability and sweat-wicking ability but little wind- or waterproofing.

Acrylic: Breathable, stretchy and warm but again without much in the way of weather resistance.

Fleece: Used in winter running and biking gloves, fleece (microfibre) is warm and insulated but not so breathable. Many gloves have a microfibre or towelling panel on the upper for wiping away sweat.