The best cycling gloves, or track mitts, as they are commonly known, have been worn by cyclists for decades to protect their hands and provide extra comfort on the bike. The humble track mitt or short-fingered glove is one of the few pieces of cycling equipment that has stayed the same over the years.
We use our hands constantly when cycling. Whether it is gripping the handlebar tape and gear and brake levers, wiping our faces, drinking, repairing mechanicals, and wrenching on the bars when sprinting or climbing a steep hill. Cycling gloves can protect the skin on our hands, particularly in the event of a crash, and add grip and comfort. Winter cycling gloves do the job of keeping our hands warm in the cold, but when summer arrives, gloves can still serve an important purpose.
The best cycling gloves
Best Overall
+ Very comfortable design
+ Simple, classic styling
- No dedicated thumb wipe panel
The Rapha Core Mitts are twenty pounds cheaper than the top-end Rapha Pro Team mitts and pack a real punch. Available in black and navy with a simple white Rapha logo on each glove.
A perforated mesh fabric on the back provides great comfort and cooling whilst a synthetic, lightly padded suede palm provides solid levels of comfort and grip. The gloves are lightly compressive but remain really comfy everywhere which isn't always the case, my pick of the bunch.
Best budget option
+ Competitive price
+ Superlight
- No thumb wipe panel
- White may be hard for some to keep clean
Irish brand Galibier is the manufacturer of some functional yet great value cycling kit. The Specialissima gloves are no different. They are a comfortable, super lightweight pair of gloves that tip the scales at a hardly believable 18g per pair for a size M. There is lightweight but well-placed padding on the palm whilst the hassle-free white uppers are very comfy.
The end result is a lightweight and really comfy pair of stylish summer gloves. Perfect for an event or racing in. Just make sure you keep them clean.
Best aero option
+ Nicely padded palms
+Pull tab
- May not be faster for every rider
Riders will often go for an 'aero glove' for all manner of racing. Aero gloves tend to extend further up riders' wrists and be constructed to offer a tighter fit.
The TT Raceday glove from GripGrab does just this and uses a silicone gripper to keep its longer aero wrist cuff in place. The gloves are still comfy though and have a nice amount of palm padding and a handy pull tab.
We took these gloves to the wind tunnel recently to find out more, you can read more about this at the bottom of the page.
Best for the style-conscious
+ Unique palm gripper
+ Stylish design
- Higher retail price
The MAAP Pro Race Mitt is a seriously breathable premium mitt from the Australian brand. Featuring a mesh backing and perforated palm, these gloves are perfect for hot days in the saddle when you are sweating. I've used them indoors on Zwift until they were sodden and they dealt with the moisture well.
The gloves feature an elastic interface palm, the best way to describe this is a series of tiny velcro hooks, they are soft to the touch but add grip and we haven't seen them on other gloves.
The gloves are available in eight different colours and are stylish to boot if a little on the pricey side for track mitts.
Best if you want a multi-discipline glove
+ Great value for the features included
+ Nice Terry cloth thumb wipe panel
+ Ample Gel palm padding
The Xtract mitts from the Scottish brand Endura are good quality mitts that have some design features we value.
The Xtract mitts come in four bright colours and are competitively priced. They are the only gloves in the test to feature a velcro wrist closure strap. Seemingly a rare design choice of late for brands but one that makes getting the gloves on and off really easy.
There's a generous Terry nose wipe panel on the thumb which really helps if you need to wipe your nose or face. There's also gel palm padding overlaid with a silicone grip. If you want a solid pair of gloves that won't break the bank look this way.
Best if you like a lightweight mitt
+ Superlight, minimalist design
+ Rubber palm gripper is nice and tacky
- No pull tabs to help you take them off
The Velotoze Featherweight gloves are a new addition to the guide this year. If you want a super light, thin track mitt then look this way.
The Velotoze feature an incredibly lightweight design with a fine mesh palm topped with a silicone honeycomb pattern which I have found to be surprisingly grippy. They feel light and unrestrictive and are a lot less compressive than something like the Endura XTRACT mitt.
If you favour a lighter glove to feel your bars or want something that won't feel too heavy in hot conditions or when indoor training the Featherweights are going to be a strong contender.
Best gloves if you like a longer cuff
+ Low-key classic styling
+ Reflective strip on hand
- No thumb wipe panel
The simply named 'cycling mitts' from Le Col are the brand's padded all-rounder. Made in Italy, they come in three colours and feature lightweight and perforated palm padding and a reflective stripe. The cuff is a little longer than the Rapha gloves for example, useful if you don't like a gap between long sleeves and your mitts.
There are tabs on the fingers to help you pull them off and the lycra backing is stretchy and lightweight. They are slightly snug around the fingers so size up if you think you may have larger fingers or are at the upper end of a size.
Best cycling gloves if you need extra palm padding
+ Soft, well-fitted mesh top section
+ Well-padded palm
- No thumb wipe panel
Nalini has been making cycling kits for a long time for other brands and pro teams.
Made in Italy, the summer gloves are lightweight and mix an ultralight, comfortable mesh back with a durable, padded palm. There are perforations on the undersides of the fingers to aid cooling and four strategically placed palm pads with silicone gripper dots to help you grip.
Their fun, bright design helps them stand out from a lot of dark cycling mitts and brightens things up.
Best if you still like to 'feel' the handlebars
+ Thin palm offers really nice grip
+ Soft thumb wipe panel
- The wrists area sits slightly loose in places
The Pearl Izumi Pro Air gloves have a really interesting design. They use a thin synthetic leather palm with perforations and no added padding. It's really comfortable and lets you really grip and feel the handlebars.
The outer section of the gloves is fast-drying thin mesh and there's a really soft thumb wipe panel. There is a nice contrast between the retro-influenced synthetic leather palm and mesh outer that looks really smart.
These gloves sit in between the barely there Velotoze mitts and more regular padded gloves, ideal if you want a thin palm to feel your bars a bit more.
Best for gravel and off road use
+ Touchscreen compatible
+ Lots of palm padding
+ Large nose wipe panel
These Specialized BG dual gel gloves are a really good buy for the money for me. They are well suited to gravel and MTB riding but would also suit warmer road rides. They are also cheaper than some of the mitts in this guide.
They have a velcro closure and large nose wipe panel, touchscreen compatibility and lots of palm padding that seems like it may be too much at first but in use, it doesn't get in the way. A solid buy!
Best long-fingered spring/summer cycling gloves
+ Thin backing to prevent overheating
+ Touchsreen finger compatability
+ Nose wipe panel on thumb
- No pull tabs to get them off
The Assos RS LF Targa gloves are a thin, long-fingered option that is perfect for cooler temperatures or riders who want a long-fingered option.
The mesh back is thin to allow plenty of ventilation so you won't overheat and the wrist isn't too long which also helps you keep cool and aids movement. There's a nose wipe panel and a touch screen finger tab so you can use your phone with them on. These gloves are great for autumn, spring or summer, the odd off-road ride and even running.
Best gravel style
+ Touchscreen compatible
+ Very easy to take on and off
- No nose wipe panel
The Zephyr 'All surface' gloves from Galibier will indeed work across all surfaces or riding disciplines but for me, suit gravel riding the best. They would also be solid for MTB riding.
I've worn them a lot lately for gravel rides and really like them. The woven material is soft and comfortable and the gloves are really easy to pull off and back on again if the temperature is changing or your using your phone.
The styling and bottle green colour also suit a more alternative, gravelly aesthetic and gloves have garnered a few positive comments from riding mates. They are also great value at under £35.
How to choose the best cycling gloves for you
