10 Best Mountain Biking Gloves Review 2022

Want to have enjoyable mountain bike rides? Then a good pair of cycling gloves is a must. They will protect your hands from friction and will also provide a better grip with the handlebar.

In today’s guide, our task is to help you find the best mountain bike gloves. To achieve our goal and to provide you with a good starting point, we will showcase our personal 10 glove picks. And so that you better understand MTB gloves, we’ll also glance over the key features to look for in MTB gloves.

Let’s get started without further ado!

Comparison Table for The Top 10 Mountain Bike Gloves

IMAGE	PRODUCT	FEATURES	PRICE
	MOREOK Men’s Cycling Gloves	• Style: Fingerless • Materials: Lycra & mesh upper, suede palm, SBR grip pads. • Outsole material: Vibram TC5+ rubber	Check Price
	HTZPLOO Bike Gloves	• Style: Fingerless • Materials: Lycra upper, microfiber palm, and silicone gel pads on the palm • Easy on and off	Check Price
	LuxoBike Cycling Gloves	• Style: Fingerless • Materials: Lycra upper, microsuede palm, and silicone gel pads on the palm.	Check Price
	Fox Racing 2020 Dirtpaw Gloves	• Style: Full-fingered • Materials: Stretchy polyester, neoprene cuff.	Check Price
	Cool Change Full-Fingered Bike Gloves	• Style: Full-fingered • Materials: Microfiber on the palm and upper, leather, SBR padding	Check Price
	BIKINGMOREOK Cycling Gloves	• Style: Fingerless • Materials: Lycra & mesh upper, suede palms, SBR padding	Check Price
	INBIKE Cycling Gloves	• Style: Fingerless • Materials: Lycra & mesh upper, gel padding	Check Price
	GEARONIC Cycling Gloves	• Non-skid base • 4-inch thick solid memory foam • Multiple colors	Check Price
	Aegend Cycling Gloves	• Style: Full-fingered. • Materials: Lycra, spandex, and mesh upper; suede palm with silica gel inserts & SBR pads.	Check Price
	Cool Change Fingerless Cycling Gloves	• Style: Fingerless. • Materials: Lycra & microfiber.	Check Price

10 Best Mountain Bike Gloves Review 2022

As usual, let’s first take a look at our top 10 picks. When researching the gloves, we’ve paid careful attention to user feedback to ensure that we are recommending objectively good products.

The results of our research are below – we’ll talk about the benefits, unique features, and disadvantages of the selected gloves.

1. MOREOK Men’s Cycling Gloves

These MTB gloves from MOREOK are some of the best out there in terms of value.

First up, these are fingerless gloves, so though they won’t provide full protection, they will keep your fingers mobile and reasonably cool during the warm season. For added breathability, MOREOK employs a breathable layer of lycra on top as well.

In the middle of the palm, there also is a mesh area for increased breathability (though this model is all in all on the warmer side). On each thumb, MOREOK has additionally placed an absorbent terry cloth to help you wipe sweat.

These gloves have 3 SBR pads for added cushion and grip in the palm too. The pads seem a little bit flimsy, but given the price of these gloves, they work well enough.

Finally, these gloves have tabs on the underside of the fingers to help you take the gloves off easier. The tabs are a little small, but they do their job fine.

2. HTZPLOO Bike Gloves

If you don’t need too much breathability, then these bike gloves from HTZPLOO might be a better fit for you.

The biggest advantage of these gloves over the MOREOK ones is the grip. The entire palm area is covered with lightly textured microfiber gel pads for added grip. This is unlike the MOREOK gloves where the grip pads covered the palms only partially.

What we also like in these gloves is the oversized pull loops. They shouldn’t get annoying while you are riding, and they will allow you to take off the gloves more easily.

Additionally, you are again getting absorbent thumbs for sweat wiping, which is nice.

With all that said, there’s one thing where these gloves are weaker than the MOREOK gloves – padding. The padding here covers the entire palm but is rather thin, so it may not be able to provide sufficient protection for really bumpy rides. It’s not breathable too, so these gloves probably aren’t the best for hot-day rides.

3. LuxoBike Cycling Gloves

Functionally similar to the HTZPLOO gloves, the LuxoBike cycling gloves are a little cheaper.

The LuxoBike gloves again offer oversized loops for easy pulling along with a thumb towel. Additionally, the breathability is about the same too – the fingerless design makes them reasonably cool, but don’t expect anything exceptional. The padding in the LuxoBike gloves is good for not too heavy use as well.

Considering the less textured design of the palm, we’d expect these gloves to provide a little worse grip than the HTZPLOO pair. But other than that, the two glove models are very comparable.

By the way, the black dots on the upper of these gloves are not vents. They are decorative and don’t perform any cooling function.

 4. Fox Racing 2020 Dirtpaw Gloves

Fox Racing’s 2020 Dirtpaw gloves are the first full-fingered gloves on this top. Thanks to their closed design, Dirtpaw gloves provide great protection from bruises and impacts.

Despite being full-fingered, the Dirtpaw gloves are rather breathable. The stretchy upper is mainly composed of a mesh-like material, so your hands shouldn’t get too hot even on warm days.

For protection and shock absorption, the Dirtpaw gloves employ padding in the palm area and also in the knuckles. There are also rigid inserts at the base knuckle area that seem to perform a protective function. All in all, finger protection in Dirtpaw seems very solid.

The palm area in these gloves is conductive and therefore touchscreen-compatible as well, which is a must-have feature these days.

One shortcoming in the Dirtpaw gloves is sizing – they seem to run small. So you may want to go a size larger to get a good fit.

5. Cool Change Full-Fingered Bike Gloves

The Cool Change bike gloves might be better for you if you want breathability. Cheaper than the Fox gloves, this pair won’t offer the same quality and protection, but it should breathe better.

The particular glove we reviewed has a breathable upper along with a bunch of ventilation holes in the palm. There is also a variant of this glove without any palm ventilation holes – this model would probably be more suitable for use in fall.

In terms of protection, Cool Change gloves are solid. They, of course, cover your entire hand, and additionally, there is some SBR padding in the palm area. The padding in the Cool Change gloves seems to be weaker than in the Fox gloves, but your hands should also stay more mobile.

The thumb and index finger in this glove are touchscreen-compatible as well, so you don’t have to take the gloves off to use your smartphone. Besides, the thumbs in the Cool Change gloves are absorbent and may be used to wipe off sweat.

One thing to note with these gloves – they are advertised all-purpose and suitable for fall & winter. Given the breathability of these gloves, we feel that they won’t work well in cold weather.

6. BIKINGMOREOK Cycling Gloves

These gloves from BIKINGMOREOK (which seems to be the same brand as MOREOK) are possibly the most breathable gloves on this top.

Not only are these gloves fingerless, but they also have a breathable Lycra & mesh upper along with some ventilation in the palm. For summer rides, these gloves should be just right.

One thing to note – the white variant of these gloves has a different, less breathable design. So don’t make a mistake assuming that the white gloves will offer the same performance – their upper is more restrictive.

These gloves also have a small tab at the wrist to assist you with putting them on.

Other than breathability and the wrist tab, we’d say that these gloves don’t differ much from the MOREOK fingerless gloves we’ve reviewed at the very beginning. You’ve again got decent SBR padding (we would like a bit more of it frankly), an absorbent thumb area for sweat wiping, and compact yet functional pull tabs.

 7. INBIKE Cycling Gloves

The strong suit of the INBIKE fingerless mountain bike gloves is their padding. Among the reviewed fingerless gloves, these perhaps have the best padding. It covers most of the palm area and offers solid cushioning from impact.

The breathability in the INBIKE gloves is also nice. It’s not as good as in the MOREOK gloves we’ve just reviewed, but most of the upper is mesh, and there also are finger holes for added ventilation.

Like the MOREOK model, these gloves have tabs to assist you with putting them on and pulling them off. The off tab is a little small, but it does its job adequately.

The Velcro strap in these gloves is large too. It’s rather easy to use, but not everyone likes its bulkiness. It might get in the way when cycling, so some people have just trimmed it to make it more compact.

8. GEARONIC Cycling Gloves

The GEARONIC cycling gloves are great for those whose budget is very limited. As of this review’s writing, these were the cheapest gloves on this top!

Full-fingered, the GEARONIC gloves also provide good hand protection. The palm area is rather decently padded, and the closed design prevents bruises.

The breathability in these gloves is nice too. The upper is mesh-like and allows air circulation, and there also are a few ventilation holes in the fingers.

Notably, there also is a fingerless variant of these gloves. They seem to have identical construction, just without the fingertips.

One thing to note – given how pocket-friendly these gloves area, we don’t think that they will serve you long. So they are particularly nice for beginners or those who bike infrequently.

Additionally, keep in mind that these gloves seem not to be touchscreen-compatible. If this is important to you, go for the fingerless variant instead.

 9. Aegend Cycling Gloves

The Aegend cycling gloves are priced rather pocket-friendly yet offer quite a nice build quality. Though we again wouldn’t expect these gloves to serve you for a long time, their construction feels nice.

Among the reviewed full-fingered gloves, these are the hottest and should work well in fall. They are probably not warm enough for winter, and they also aren’t sufficiently breathable for summer.

The grip and padding in the Aegend gloves are very nice. The gloves have silica gel inserts in some areas for added grip, while the SBR palm pads provide sufficient protection for moderately tough rides.

You are also getting touchscreen-friendly index fingers and thumbs. The thumb is additionally absorbent for convenient sweat wiping.

10. Cool Change Fingerless Cycling Gloves

Lastly, we have these fingerless gloves from Cool Change.

This model is a good pick if you want fingerless gloves on the warmer side. Although the palm area is somewhat breathable thanks to the mesh portion, these gloves are hotter than most of our other fingerless picks. The only glove that will be warmer is probably the HTZPLOO gloves.

The design in these gloves is similar to the MOREOK gloves reviewed at the very beginning. You are getting similar padding, ventilation in the palm, and pull tabs. Additionally, these gloves have a small pull tab at the wrist.

The grip and shock absorbency in the Cool Change gloves are pretty nice, but they’re nothing exceptional – they’re comparable to previous fingerless gloves.

So all in all, these gloves seem like a good pick for those who want something on the warmer side.

Do You Need To Wear Gloves While Mountain Biking?

Mountain bike gloves can be a sizable investment, so it would be natural for you to wonder if they are even worth the money.

The short answer is that MTB gloves are a MUST for anyone who is more or less serious about mountain biking. There are 3 good reasons for this:

• Protection. If you’ve ever cycled without gloves for a decent amount of time, you’ve probably developed yourself blisters. Gloves block the harming friction and keep your hands safe.
• Aside from that, if you fall, gloves can also protect your hands from bruises and wounds.
• Grip. Without gloves, your hands will probably get sweaty after 10-20 minutes of cycling. If you are planning to comfortably and safely mountain bike for even as little as an hour, you should absolutely wear mountain bike gloves.
• Shock absorption. Every impact of the bike with the ground will fatigue your forearms and hands. You can combat this by just mountain biking more and getting fitter, but why waste time if you can just wear MTB gloves? Thanks to their padding, mountain bike gloves can absorb shocks and delay fatigue.

You should not ever mountain bike glove-less, unless your route is really short and goes through a safe area. In all other cases, wear mountain bike gloves no matter your experience level.

What To Consider In Mountain Bike Gloves

MTB gloves are largely similar, so in some cases, it may not really matter what kind of gloves you are getting. If you have some specific needs though, then you should make extra effort to get the perfect gloves.

To help you more easily choose the best mountain bike gloves, we’ll now discuss a few important specs and features that you should consider when shopping.

Fit

So first and foremost, your gloves should fit snugly but not tightly on your hands.

If your MTB gloves are too loose, then they will slide around and will not be able to do their job – protect your hands and provide grip. In contrast, if your gloves are too tight, then they might sit on your hands painfully and will probably hamper blood circulation.

Shopping for MTB gloves is pretty easy when looking locally – but when online, you will need careful selection and maybe some luck. Sizing charts are not always accurate, and even if you know your size within a brand, sizing may change over time.

With that, when shopping online, you should get yourself gloves that can be returned or exchanged. A badly fitting glove is no better than no gloves, so you should have a backup course of action in case the chosen gloves don’t fit you.

Comfort

The purpose of mountain bike gloves is to protect your hands and improve your grip, but it would also be nice if your gloves provided some comfort.

Comfort-wise, here are the features that you may want to have in your gloves:

• Breathability. In warmer seasons, your gloves should be breathable to keep your hands cool and comfy.
• Moisture wicking. Your hands will most likely sweat a lot while cycling. To keep your hands dry and maintain grip with the gloves from the inside, you should ideally get yourself gloves with a moisture-wicking inner liner.
• Water protection. For rainy weather, water-resistant or waterproof MTB gloves would be really nice. With that said, keep in mind that water-protected gloves aren’t very breathable, so they wouldn’t be a good choice for all-situation riding.
• Insulation. For colder days, insulated MTB gloves would be an ideal choice. Thicker insulation would bring better thermal protection, but it would also make your gloves bulkier and less flexible.
• For thermal protection, MTB gloves may employ materials like PrimaLoft or down.
• Finger articulation. Finger articulation may not be too important for everyone. While riding, your hands are going to be on the MTB’s handlebars, so you don’t need much flexibility.
• With that said, good finger articulation can be very useful for speed-changing and in situations when you are off the bike.
• Touchscreen compatibility. Touchscreen compatibility is more about convenience than comfort, but it should be mentioned as well. These days, you probably will not find MTB gloves that can’t work with touchscreens. But you should make sure anyway since lower-end gloves may lack this feature.

Keep in mind that some features are competing – you can’t have excellent breathability and water protection simultaneously, for example. With that in mind, if you are an avid mountain bike rider, you should strongly consider getting yourself several types of MTB gloves.

Full-fingered vs fingerless

Mountain bike gloves are available in full-fingered and fingerless styles. And although there is much debate as to which style is better for mountain biking, most people will agree that full-fingered gloves are superior.

The primary reason for the popularity of full-fingered gloves is added protection. Fully covering your hands, this glove style will protect them from friction with the handlebar. Additionally, full-fingered gloves will provide protection from any debris flying onto you from under the front wheel.

Another good reason to opt for full-fingered gloves is grip. Fingerless gloves provide better grip only in the covered areas. As for your fingertips, they are likely to lose grip if they get sweaty.

For winter trips, full-fingered gloves are also optimal since they can keep your hands and fingers warm.

Does this all make fingerless gloves useless? Of course not – some people prefer to wear fingerless gloves because they can be lighter, and they are often more comfortable to wear in the summer.

But if you are a newbie, then you should probably start with full-fingered gloves. While inexperienced, you need all extra bits of protection you can get.

Durability

You want your mountain bike gloves to serve you at least one full season.

With very frequent mountain biking, you probably will not be able to get more than a season or two. That’s just the reality of this activity.

With that said, good MTB gloves will be able to provide adequate protection and comfort throughout their service life, and they are also more likely to survive a year or maybe two.

The greatest enemy of mountain bike gloves is friction and abrasion. Among abrasion-resistant fabrics commonly used in MTB gloves are polyester, polyurethane, and nylon. Thicker gloves will serve you longer, but they will also be heavier, less flexible, and less breathable.

For added durability and also protection, some MTB gloves use inserts strategically placed in areas that tend to rip. Additionally, cross-stitching or other reinforced stitching techniques make the glove stronger at the seams and prevent tearing.

Grip

To improve grip, glove makers employ a variety of methods, including but not limited to:

• Textured palms.
• Tacky palm material.
• Inserts with a higher grip than the rest of the palm.

When shopping online, assessing grip strength is challenging. There is no best material or palm layout for grip – it all depends on execution. With that, to hopefully more objectively determine grip, read buyer reviews.

Padding

Finally, you should also consider how the desired glove model is padded.

Unlike other biking glove types, MTB gloves typically have little to no padding in the palm area. Many MTB riders think that too much padding reduces gripping stability and makes the gloves very hot.

However, without any padding, MTB gloves would be painful to wear, so glove makers typically include ample padding in some specific areas like at the base of the fingers. A few mountain bike glove models though may have full-fledged palm padding for better impact protection.

When it comes to padding, you should follow your personal preferences. If you are buying MTB gloves for the first time, then you probably should go for lightly padded gloves just in case. Then, you may try gloves with less padding to see how they work for you.

Final Words

With biking gloves, a lot of things come down to personal preference. And chances are that you will need to do some trial and error before finding the very best mountain bike gloves for your trips.

With that, do not overthink your very first purchase but do try to get something that will work reasonably well.

Another thing to remember is that there is no such thing as universal MTB gloves. You will at least have to use one pair of gloves for winter rides and another one for summer trips. So when planning your MTB glove purchase, think ahead and remember that you should buy a few pairs for different occasions.

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