Gloves are essential for mountain biking. Not only do they improve bar grip but the best mountain bike gloves offer vital protection against the elements and during crashes. Some are even built to offer unparalleled bar feel and communication. Here's our curation of the very best gloves we've tested.

The best mountain bike gloves offer a range of advantages but there's one attribute that outshines them all – increased grip on the handlebar. While there are benefits of riding gloveless, gloves supply myriad benefits to the rider, which we will get into later. Gloves also protect in more ways than one. For example, the padding will protect your palm area in the event of a crash. Many gloves – particularly downhill and enduro options – also come with D3O panels, upping protection against impact while travelling quickly on the bike. This could save your knuckles during those unexpected brushes with trees.

Moving into cooler and wetter months, the best winter mountain bike gloves will keep your hands and fingers warm and more comfortable. There are also waterproof options available.

The best mountain bike gloves

• Troy Lee Designs Swelter 
• POC Resistance Enduro Adjustable
• Lizard Skins Monitor Ignite
• POC Thermal glove
• Stolen Goat Voltage
• ION Logo Glove
• Endura MT500 D3O
• 100% Hydromatic
• 100% Brisker
• Troy Lee Designs Ace 2.0
• SixSixOne Comp

Troy Lee Designs Swelter 

£50

The Swelter is Troy Lee Designs' entry into the cold-weather glove market and the brand has done a commendable job. Their build is very slim, so the general feel of the gloves is very good, as is bar feel but because there's plenty of insulation, they stay warm even down to minus temperatures.

They come with extended cuffs too, which add extra weather protection by reaching up under the sleeve, covering off any bare skin.

If it's winter gloves you're looking for, these are well worth considering. Here's the full review - Troy Lee Designs Swelter glove review.

POC Resistance Enduro Adjustable

£60

With the Resistance Enduro Adjustable gloves, POC has hit the do-it-all nail on the head. They might be one of the more costly pairs of gloves on the market but they justify their price tag. That's thanks to a superb build quality, excellent fit, and features that work incredibly well.

Durability is another shining aspect as any silicone printing or seams are yet to falter. Plus, comfort is second to none.

If you're after the best gloves you can buy, head over to our POC Resistance Enduro Adjustable gloves review for a deeper look.

Lizard Skins Monitor Ignite

£25

Lizard Skins' Monitor Ignite gloves are mega slim and minimal gloves that don't hinder dexterity while packing excellent feel and communication on the handlebar. And although the whole glove is thin, with a mesh upper, they're still rather warm in the cooler months.

Their build is simple, there's silicone printing at the fingertips and there's a microfibre wipe on the thumb. The palm is of a one-piece construction and it's perforated to encourage extra airflow. There's then Lizard Skins' Cool Max upper which is essentially a thin mesh that boosts airflow further. Taking up retention duties is a pair of neoprene cuffs.

If you want to find out more about these gloves, check out the Lizard Skins Monitor Ignite glove review. 

POC Thermal glove

£90

If it's a pair of winter gloves you're looking for, POC's Thermal gloves will fit the bill. They're certainly on the pricier end of the scale but they're built to an excellent quality.

The POC Thermal gloves employ Primaloft Aerogel insulation and Primaloft Gold ECO to take up the warming duties and the latter is made using 90 per cent post-consumer recycled fibres, so they tick eco-friendly boxes, too. During testing, we found that these gloves aren't bulky which is a plus in our books and there's handy reflective detailing.

To see what all the fuss is about, have a gander at our POC Thermal gloves review.

Stolen Goat Voltage

£29

The Stolen Goat Voltage is the brand's first foray into mountain bike gloves and, for the most part, it's a great option. They're built to a high quality and they come with a bunch of useful features that help make for a great time out on the bike.

Importantly, they're comfortable thanks to a stretch microfibre and cotton-blended upper and anti-slim palm that gets extra padding to boost comfort. A feature we like to see on all gloves is the terry cloth thumb. We found the fit to be spot on and, even though there's extra padding on the palm, it supplied good bar feel.

Niggles are few but while Stolen Goat touts the Voltage gloves for cool to warm temperatures, they tended to overheat when the weather got properly warm.

For more, read the Stolen Goat Voltage Grey glove review.

ION Logo glove

£20

Often, the best MTB gloves are the simplest, and that's exactly the case with ION's Logo gloves. They're designed for enduro, bike park and even urban mountain biking and they get a synthetic leather palm combined with a flexible mesh fabric at the upper. 

Built with a slip-on construction, the Logo gloves are super comfortable and offer great grip on the bar while looking pretty good. While reasonably cool during warmer rides, the uppers can show dampness from sweat and the silicone dot grippers can disappear over time. Still, it's hard to beat when it comes to value. 

To find out why simple is better, check out the ION Logo glove review.

Endura MT500 D3O

£45

The Endura MT500 D3O glove specifically utilises the protective qualities of D3O to compensate for the extra risk of bashing trailside obstacles with the ever-widening width of modern handlebars. It's built with a four-way stretch fabric that's breathable along with a synthetic leather palm with no padding to offer the most comfort and best interaction with the handlebar.

Although we found it a little too warm for use in the summer, the MT500 D3O glove fits incredibly well, and despite its D3O knuckle, it offers great dexterity and manoeuvrability. The build quality is top-notch, too.

Have a look at the Endura MT500 D3O glove review if you would like to find out more.

100% Hydromatic

£37

The 100% Hydromatic are waterproof gloves that live up to expectations. They're kitted with a single layer PU palm and there's a mesh-mock fabric upper complete with a waterproof membrane that's secured to the outer layer. The cuffs are extended and are of the pull-on variety.

On top of all that, there are touchscreen friendly fingertips. During testing we found that the Hydromatics worked as expected, fending off water and keeping our digits warm. It does come at a small expense to bar feel, but given the weather protection they offer, it's an easy compromise. We did find some fit issues, however.

If you're in the market, the 100% Hydromatic is a solid choice, so head over to the review to learn more.

100% Brisker

£32

The 100% Brisker is a category-topping cold-weather glove. Fitting into the winter glove space almost perfectly, the Brisker takes advantage of a softshell upper for its insulation properties which we found to remain warm, even when wet.

However, the best bit is that this glove offers all of that insulation without compromising when it comes to bar feel. When riding, the Brisker feels almost like a thin summer glove but with the added warmth of its upper. This glove is sorted with a Velcro closed cuff but we would like to see a slightly longer cuff for better protection against the cold.

100% also offers the Brisker Hydromatic which combines the insulation found on the Brisker, with the weather protection of the Hydromatic.

To find out why we rate the Brisker so highly, check out our 100% Brisker Cold Weather glove review.

Troy Lee Designs Ace 2.0

£35

Although the Troy Lee Designs Ace gloves can be a little tricky to get off, they tick almost all of the boxes for a solid MTB glove. They're well-ventilated and offer good grip with their thin palms. The fingers work well with a touchscreen, too, which is always appreciated for those mid-ride selfies.

The Ace gloves benefit from synthetic leather palms and laser-cut perforations for airflow. The terry cloth thumb is a nice touch and we found that the glove's fit was ideal. A pair of Troy Lee Designs Ace gloves isn't kind on the wallet but we reckon it's money well spent.

Check out the Troy Lee Designs Ace 2.0 glove review.

SixSixOne Comp

£22

SixSixOne is known for offering quality kit at an accessible price and that's exactly the case with its Comp gloves. It's a minimalist glove that's ideal for mild days through the spring and autumn, without becoming a slouch during the summer.

It's built with a single-layer synthetic leather palm and handy mesh panels that boost airflow. And although the price is relatively low, we found that this glove is mighty durable. Of course, there are silicone grips at the fingers which add a tacky touch of grip to the brake levers and the mesh build is stretchy.

For detailed information on how they performed during testing, here's the SixSixOne Comp glove review.

How to choose mountain biking gloves

Picking the best MTB gloves is like any other choice when it comes to mountain bike kit. You need to think of what kind of riding you do and what features you might prefer. If you're looking for an uninterrupted feel and communication with the handlebar, look for minimal gloves with thin, single-layer palms. If you're looking to up the protection, gloves with D3O or similar offer impact protection to the upper of the hand, while gel inserts will add a protective layer to the palm.

If you want a really good winter glove, options with extended cuffs and insulation built in are worth looking at. These up the warmth while reducing the opportunity for cool air to make its way into your jacket's sleeves.

There are also mid-weight gloves that bridge the gap between full-on minimalist summer gloves and bulkier winter mitts, intended for year-round riding. However, these won't offer the warmth required in deep-winter rides, and they can overheat in the height of summer.

Should I wear MTB gloves?

Whether or not you should wear MTB gloves is up to you. Riding without gloves offers the best bar feel possible as there's nothing between your palm and grips, fingers, and your bike's controls. During the summer, many ditch the gloves for this exact reason.

However, riding without gloves poses one main issue and that's the lack of grip that comes as you sweat. This is where riders will rub their hands in dirt as a makeshift talcum powder but with gloves, there's no need to do this as the fabric absorbs sweat and keeps grip on the bar consistent.

Gloves also add a level of protection against impact and abrasion, as well as protection against poor weather, and are an absolute must when the temperatures plummet.

Why should I use full-finger gloves for MTB?

As mentioned before, hands sweat which negatively affects the grip on the bar but also the brake levers, and slippery brake levers can get dangerous. Gloves often come with grippy silicone patches that enhance grip on the levers. But it's not just about lever grip as mountain bikers often contend with overgrown foliage, which is where full-finger gloves add another level of protection. However, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from wearing fingerless gloves if you so desire.

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