The Best Mountain Bike Gloves of 2025-2026

The Dakine Covert mountain bike glove is a lightweight full-finger model that is simply one of the best gloves we’ve used in recent years. With a thin mesh back and synthetic suede palm, these gloves are designed for riding in warm to hot conditions, offering an excellent, “barely there” bar feel.

The Covert gloves are lightweight, but they are slightly thicker than something super lightweight, such as the 100% Sling. Still, the light mesh back is great on warm days, allowing for excellent airflow and drying quickly when you sweat. The synthetic suede palm creates a thin layer between you and the bars, keeping sweaty hands from slipping, while providing an excellent bar feel and a little protection should your hands end up in the dirt. The palm material wraps around the outside edge of the hand and around the thumb and pointer finger, where you grip the bars for added abrasion resistance.

The Covert gloves do not offer much in the way of knuckle protection except for a thin PU layer on the outer two knuckles to fend off minor encounters with trailside bushes. The pointer finger and thumb both feature silicone strips for grip on brake levers and shifters, as well as conduction threads that work relatively well with touchscreens. The thumb has a large, soft nose/sweat wipe, and the stretch wrist cuff has a reinforced pull tab and a clean-cut edge that is comfortable and looks good, too.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Dakine Covert gloves is their surprising durability. One of our testers rode in the same pair for over three seasons before the mesh between the fingers started to degrade. Add to that the impressive comfort, grip, and bar feel, and you can’t go wrong with these gloves. They come in sizes XS to XXL, with six color options, and a women’s version is also available.

The Giro DND gloves are a perfect example of an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” product. These gloves have been a mainstay in Giro’s line of mountain bike gloves for over a decade, and they still work just as well as they always have. They are also very reasonably priced, making them an easy choice for riders on a budget who don’t need or want knuckle protection.

The Giro DND is a relatively simple glove that falls toward the lighter-weight end of the spectrum. The 4-way stretch breathable mesh back of the hand is a tad thicker than the Dakine Covert described above, but is plenty breathable for warm to hot conditions. The relatively thin AX Suede palm has a few perforations for ventilation, and it features Giro’s Super Fit design and paneling that avoids excessive material or bunching when you grip the bars. The outside heel of the palm also features thin, 2mm EVA pads for added crash protection.

The pointer finger and thumb have conduction threads that work reasonably well with touchscreens, and the thumb, pointer, and middle fingers have silicone strips added for grip on brake and shift levers. A soft microfiber wipe on the thumb has your nose and sweat wiping needs covered.

With an excellent, comfortable fit, versatility, and a reasonable price, the Giro DND is a no-brainer. These gloves come in an array of color/pattern options, sizes S to XXL, and a women’s version called the LA DND. Additionally, these gloves are part of Giro’s custom program and are commonly available at bike shops or events with custom colors and designs.

Outdoor Research (OR) is one of the latest outdoor brands to add mountain bike apparel to its product range. A few years ago, the brand made a splash with the launch of its Freewheel lineup, which includes shorts, pants, jerseys, and jackets for men and women, along with accessories such as hip packs and gloves. OR currently makes three models of mountain bike gloves, with the Freewheel Leather Palm hitting the middle ground between the lightweight Freewheel and the winter-ready 4-Finger Bike Gloves.

As the name suggests, the Leather Palm gloves have a durable goat leather palm. This supple leather covers the entire palm side of the gloves and breaks in nicely over the course of several rides. Not only is it soft and comfortable against the skin, but it also provides excellent grip on the handlebars for maximum control. The palm and outer two fingers feature perforation for ventilation, and the heel of the palm has light padding and reinforcement for durability.

The back of the hand is made with a midweight nylon/spandex mesh that contributes to the gloves’ tough, durable feel. This material also contributes to their warmth, making them a great option for the cooler shoulder season rides when lightweight options no longer suffice. That said, we found the lightweight Freewheel gloves to be a better option for riding in the summer heat.

With a Velcro wrist closure, we found these to be very easy to get on and off, and our large test pair fit true to size. We thoroughly appreciated the soft, sweat- and nose-wipe covering the back of the thumb. This has been especially handy for the drippy nose that often accompanies cool fall rides. Conduction threads on the tip of the index finger and thumb work fairly well for basic touchscreen use, but precision is limited by the leather material.

Our biggest complaint about our test gloves is that the brownish color of the leather palm stained our hands on a couple of extra-sweaty occasions, though that issue seems to have subsided after a couple of washes (and plenty of use). We’ve also read reports of durability issues, but ours are holding up very well after months of heavy abuse. In fact, they just keep getting better like a well-worn pair of work gloves.

Balancing hand protection with comfort and breathability isn’t easy, but Leatt has achieved this goal with the MTB 4.0 Lite gloves. With a large Airflex Impact Gel pad covering the knuckles and outer fingers, the 4.0 Lite offers heaps of protection in an otherwise lightweight, breathable glove with a great fit and excellent bar feel.

The most obvious feature of the MTB 4.0 Lite gloves is the latticed Airflex knuckle protection. While it is noticeable on the back of the hands, it is formed to the knuckle shape and articulated for the grip position, meaning they are most comfortable when you’re holding onto the bars. This padding covers all four knuckles and extends down the outer two fingers for extra coverage on your most vulnerable digits. The latticed, open design of Airflex padding allows some air to pass through to the hands, and, coupled with the lightweight back of hand fabric, enables impressive breathability for a protective glove.

One of the other highlights of the MTB 4.0 Lite gloves is the excellent fit and bar feel. The 3D contoured palm is perfectly articulated for the grip position and is made of material that Leatt calls “NanoGrip” which provides an incredibly natural grip and bar feel. The tips of the finger and thumb also work very well with touchscreens, so you don’t need to pull these off your sweaty hands every time you pull out your phone to get more footage for your next reel. A sizable wipe on the thumb is a nice touch, and the thin, stretchy wrist cuff is quite comfortable as well. The only drawback to these gloves that we found is that they can be a bit difficult to put on and take off, especially when hands are sweaty.

At $85 (you can often find them on sale for less), the Leatt MTB 4.0 Lite doesn’t come cheap, but they are a very well-executed glove that manages to balance serious knuckle protection with comfort and breathability. The palm shaping is perfect, the NanoGrip material provides great grip, and they look pretty cool too. Leatt offers the MTB 4.0 Lite in five color options and sizes ranging from S to XL.

Since most people don’t go mountain biking when it’s truly frigid outside, a wind-blocking, cool-weather glove like the Gorewear C5 Gore-Tex Infinium is the perfect thing to keep you riding in comfort in temperatures above the freezing mark. By completely blocking wind and insulating better than standard warm-weather gloves, this model keeps your hands toasty in temperatures from 50 degrees F down to around 35 degrees F while maintaining a sleek profile and excellent dexterity.

Though they look like any old pair of mountain bike gloves, the C5 Infinium has a slightly thicker, softshell-esque back of hand that includes the Gore-Tex Infinium windproof membrane. In addition to being impervious to wind, Infinium is also highly water-resistant — not waterproof, mind you — and it effectively repels water from light rain or puddle splashes. At the same time, it breathes impressively well, meaning your hands don’t get too sweaty, even if the temperature warms up during your ride. This balance of attributes is rare, but Gorewear has nailed it with these gloves.

One thing that sets the C5 Infinium gloves apart from other cool-weather options is the lack of bulk and streamlined fit. While they are a little thicker than regular gloves, they stretch nicely around the hand for a precise fit that allows for excellent dexterity. The synthetic palm material provides a good bar feel, and silicone strips at the base of the fingers enhance the grip. The C5 also works with touchscreens, although precise typing is much easier with the gloves off. The wrist cuff is low-profile and closed with a very grippy, small velcro tab that makes getting in and out of the gloves quite easy, although peeling the velcro open can be a little tricky with gloves on.

If you don’t want to compromise dexterity to keep your hands warm during cool fall, winter, and spring rides, the Gorewear C5 Gore-Tex Infinium is our top recommendation. These gloves work well in temperatures above freezing and repel water fairly well for a non-waterproof glove. Additionally, the snug fit and excellent breathability will keep you comfortable while riding. The C5 Infinium gloves are available in black and neon yellow color options, with sizes ranging from XS to XXXL.

Handup makes a couple of models geared toward cool and cold weather with their aptly named Cold Weather and ColdER Weather gloves. The styling looks nearly identical to their Most Days gloves, but hidden inside the ColdER Weather version is a two thin layers of fleece to provide warmth without excessive bulk.

It is worth mentioning that the ColdER Weather gloves fit a touch wider than non-insulated gloves, and that is by design. Compressed insulation doesn’t hold heat as well, so a little extra space inside the gloves allows your body heat to get trapped inside the insulating layers. And, as the name suggests, the ColdER gloves feature dual fleece layers and are made for use in properly cold temperatures, whereas the Cold Weather gloves have a single fleece layer across the back of the hand for moderately cold days on the bike. We tested the ColdER gloves in temperatures just below the freezing mark, and they kept our hands plenty warm as long as we generated body heat.

Beyond the intentionally more voluminous sizing, the gloves fit true to size, with appropriately long fingers and a slightly extended stretch neoprene cuff that makes getting them on and off relatively easy, even with sweaty hands. Given the addition of insulation, however, the fingers felt a little bulky at first, but after riding in them for a few minutes, they went otherwise unnoticed. There is only a light layer of insulation on the palm, so the grip still feels pretty natural and is aided by ample silicone print (the words “Ride Dirty”) on the palm and fingers. The entire palm and fingers are made from a seamless FullTouch material that works well for simple tasks on touchscreens as well.

At $36, the Handup ColdER Weather gloves are an affordable option that will keep your hands warm in cold (but not arctic) conditions while avoiding being overly bulky. Aside from the added insulation and slightly looser fit, they feel pretty much like normal mountain bike gloves, and that’s about the best we can hope for. They are available in the Green colorway shown above or plain Black, and in sizes ranging from XXS to XXL.

The Pearl Izumi PRO PowerShield gloves are relatively similar to the Gorewear C5 Infinium gloves described above, with a low-profile cut, windproof material, and cool-weather focus. With the Pearl Izumi gloves, however, the PowerShield membrane steps their water-resistance up a notch and provides a completely waterproof barrier for the back of the hands. And although they aren’t specifically designed for mountain biking, we’ve been using these versatile gloves on mountain bike rides for months, and they have been handling it swimmingly.

Pearl Izumi designed the PRO PowerShield gloves for use in wet, windy, and cool conditions with a suggested temperature range of 55 to 70 degrees F (13 to 24 degrees C). In our testing, we found them to keep the hands happy in temperatures down to around 45 degrees F, assuming moderate to high intensity and the production of some body heat. The PowerShield membrane worked well to block wind and kept our hands completely dry in steady drizzle and a faucet test.

We also appreciated the sleek, low-bulk nature of the PRO PowerShield gloves. They don’t really have any insulation, so they fit and feel similar to other mountain bike gloves. The AX Suede Slim Fleece palm is slightly thicker than summer gloves, but it’s a single layer that we found to provide a natural bar feel and grip. We also appreciated the streamlined fit and the velcro cuff for easy on and off. Cool rides often mean runny noses, so we also got good use out of the soft, absorbent microfiber material covering the back of the thumb.

Both the tip of the index finger and thumb are covered with a touchscreen-compatible material that worked relatively well for simple tasks. Our only real complaint about these gloves is a quirky fit in the tips of the thumbs that made them less useful on touchscreens. We found that issue easy to look past, and these gloves have been getting lots of use. When lighter gloves won’t cut it, and full-on winter gloves are overkill, these gloves are just right, no matter the weather.

The MT500 D30 II is the most protective model in Endura’s lineup of mountain gloves, featuring tough materials and D30 Ghost pads covering the knuckles. Combined with a synthetic leather palm and a generous amount of silicone grip on the palm and fingers, these gloves are both grippy and protective, while also being quite comfortable.

Brands utilize various materials for knuckle protection, and D30 is among the most popular. This non-Newtonian material is soft and flexible until a load is applied, when it becomes stiffer upon impact. While many gloves feature D30 in their protective gloves, Endura has chosen to use the newer “Ghost” version. This thinner layer moves more naturally and easily, making it more comfortable on the knuckles while still providing sufficient protection. Additionally, the tough materials feel durable and capable of withstanding significant abuse.

The synthetic suede palm has no padding for a direct connection, and the generous amount of silicone on the palm and fingers gives these gloves a very tacky grip on both the bars and your brake levers. The stretch wrist cuff extends slightly up the wrist compared to most similar gloves we tested. And, while we could use these gloves to unlock our phones, using them with touchscreens proved difficult due to the silicone texture on the fingers and thumb. We also noted that our test pair was slightly larger in the palm than other models of the same size, giving them a less precise fit in that area, though that may not be an issue for all riders.

Still, the Endura MT500 D30 II is a great pair of protective gloves that offer excellent grip on the bars and a high level of comfort thanks to well-executed D30 Ghost knuckle padding. At $60 (or less, if you find them on sale), we believe they offer a good value for riders seeking comfortable hand protection in a durably constructed glove. Endura offers the MT500 D30 in two colors, available in sizes XS to XXL.

Handup Gloves has made a name for itself with a surprisingly extensive product lineup that includes their popular gloves, apparel like riding pants, shorts, and shirts, and a variety of other accessories. One thing the brand has always hung its hat on is selling products at reasonable prices, and making them in colors and patterns that are “not-boring”. The Most Days Gloves come in an incredible variety of patterns and colors, 29 options in total, so you can pick anything from donuts, floral patterns, dinosaurs, and collabs with brands like PBR, to solid colors like grey, black, and green, or subdued patterns like the prism black/white we tested.

Beyond the range of colors and patterns, the Most Days gloves are straightforward, lightweight mountain bike gloves. They’re constructed from a 4-way stretch mesh on the back of the hand that is comfortable, quick-drying, and offers good ventilation. That is coupled with a seamless FullTouch palm material that is nicely articulated to avoid bunching, provides great grip, and has a direct bar feel. The gloves have a stretch cuff that’s easy to pull on and off the hands, and the size large we tested fits true to size compared to other models.

While the Most days gloves are seemingly very simple, they do have a couple of features that we really liked. The FullTouch palm is touchscreen compatible throughout, making it easier to use your phone than with some other gloves. The massive nose/sweat wipe covers the entire thumb and is nice and soft, making it great for hot rides and/or managing runny noses. And, the large silicone print on the palms and index/middle fingers provides a positive grip on the bar and your brake levers.

Beyond that, the Handup Most Days Gloves are just that, solid mountain bike gloves that will have you covered for most days on the bike. Assuming you prefer a grippy palm and don’t require additional knuckle protection, these gloves are great and offer good value at $29 retail. Plus, with 27 colors and patterns to choose from, you’ve got more options to express your personal style than with other gloves.

When most people think of mountain bike gloves, something like the Endura Singletrack II is probably what comes to mind. These midweight gloves are made from a little beefier material than the lightweight options, with the addition of a light amount of Neoprene knuckle protection, ample silicone grip on the fingertips and palm, and a velcro wrist closure.

The Singletrack II gloves are made from a midweight open-weave knitted fabric that feels tough and slightly warmer than truly lightweight gloves, yet it still breathes quite well and is comfortable in warm temperatures. A layer of cushioned neoprene has been added to the knuckles to add a bit of hand protection from brushes with trailside bushes or tree bark. The synthetic suede palm manages sweat well and provides a good bar feel with excellent grip, thanks to a little silicone texture on the palm. Both the pointer and middle fingers have silicone strips for brake lever grip as well, and there is a terry cloth thumb wipe for your nose and/or sweat.

The wrist is closed with a small, unobtrusive velcro tab that works well and makes getting in and out of these gloves quick and easy. This is good considering the Singletrack gloves do not have conduction threads on the pointer finger or thumb. They work occasionally if your fingers are warm enough, but you’ll be taking your gloves off to respond to texts or take photos with these gloves. The fit is generally great with well-sized fingers, although the palm is a touch spacious compared to stretchier models.

Otherwise, the Endura Singletrack II Glove is a great option for riders seeking a versatile, mid-weight glove for warm weather, offering moderate knuckle protection. At $50, there are cheaper options, but the quality materials and durable construction should make these a worthwhile investment for most riders. They come in sizes XS to XXL.

The Dakine Cross-X 2.0 ($44) has been in the brand’s lineup for several years and has seen incremental changes that have made it into one of the best midweight gloves that we’ve tested. With a killer fit, light protection on the outer knuckles and heel of the palm, and tough midweight fabric, the Cross-X checks all the boxes for a do-it-all mountain bike glove for any type of riding.

The Cross-X is made from a slightly thicker material than the true lightweight options and has a tough feel, but still manages to breathe quite well. It has plenty of stretch, and the gloves conform very nicely to the hand for a snug and secure fit. The synthetic palm is nicely contoured to avoid excess material and strategically reinforced in high-wear areas at the base of the articulated fingers and along the edges of the pointer finger and thumb. These gloves have a natural feeling grip and provide a solid connection, no matter how rough the trail gets.

Dakine gave the Cross-X 2.0 a light amount of protection on the outer three knuckles/fingers in the form of a neoprene layer with a textured TPU on top. This helps ward off small impacts and encounters with trailside branches, while a patch of DK Impact gel sewn into the heel of the outer palm can help during those hands-first OTB dismounts. Large silicone strips on the pointer finger and thumb add traction for brake levers and shifter paddles, and conduction threads stitched into the tips of those same digits work relatively well with smartphones.

The Velcro closure at the wrist makes it super easy to get these gloves on and off, and a super soft material covers the thumb for wiping your nose or sweat off your brow. We’ve seen reports of this velcro presenting durability issues for some riders, but ours have held up well, as have the rest of the gloves.

If you’re looking for a pair of mountain bike gloves that’s a bit more substantial than the lightweight options but isn’t a full-blown protective glove, the Dakine Cross-X 2.0 is worth considering. This model has light knuckle and palm protection, a good fit, and all the features we look for in a quality mountain bike glove. Dakine offers them in multiple color schemes, sizes ranging from XS to XXL, and the Cross-X Women’s for female shredders.

If your mountain bike riding includes heading out in temperatures just below freezing, the Fox Ranger Fire is a glove you should check out. These affordable, lightly insulated mountain bike gloves have a relatively slim fit, good dexterity and tactility, an extended cuff, and great grip. There are better options for wet conditions, like the Ranger Water, for example, but the Ranger Fire is a great choice for those dry, cold days in the 20°-40° F range.

Making gloves warm without being bulky is a challenge, but something Fox has done well with the Ranger Fire. With a brushed fleece interior and a relatively thin AX Suede palm, these gloves feel cozy and warm while retaining a slim profile and a snug fit that resembles regular warm-weather models. This allows for excellent dexterity, and the palms have a natural feeling grip that is enhanced by large silicone patches on the thumb and pointer/middle fingers for traction on the levers. Despite feeling quite warm on the hands, the Ranger Fire gloves breathe well and seem to manage heat and moisture buildup quite well. Additionally, the slim extended cuff fits nicely under the wrist cuff of jackets with plenty of overlap to help prevent cold air from chilling your wrists. The one caveat is that these cuffs can interfere with watches if you wear one.

Despite the snug fit and extended cuff, getting the Ranger Fire on and off the hands is relatively easy, thanks to its generous stretch and a large pull tab on the wrist. Fox included conduction threads on the tips of the pointer finger and thumb, which work well for simple tasks on your touchscreen. However, fine movements like typing are best done with the gloves off. A large wipe on the thumb comes in handy for those chilly rides when your nose is inevitably running. Fox also describes these gloves as water-resistant, and while they repel very light amounts of moisture reasonably well, they are more prone to soaking up water in steady rains than most of the other cool-cold weather options we tested.

At $55, the Fox Ranger Fire gloves are priced competitively, and given their warmth, breathability, good fit, and dexterity, they are a great choice for any rider seeking to keep their hands warm on those brisk fall, winter, and spring rides. The Ranger Fire is available in sizes S to XXL, as well as the Ranger Fire Women’s version.

The 100% Brisker is the brand’s dedicated cold-weather glove for dry conditions. With an insulated softshell back, Clarion palm, and a low-profile neoprene cuff with velcro closure, the Brisker gloves are one of the warmest we tested, keeping our hands adequately toasty in temperatures below the freezing mark.

By comparison, the insulated softshell back of the Brisker gloves is comparable to the HandUp ColdER Weather gloves, and it keeps the hands warmer than the Gorewear C5 or Fox Ranger Fire gloves. They work best in temperatures between 20° and 40° F, and above that, they simply feel like overkill. They block wind very effectively and even handle moderate amounts of moisture fairly well, too. For truly wet weather, 100% makes the Hydromatic and the Hydromatic Brisker models, which are both more water-resistant.

The low-profile velcro cuff plays nicely with jackets and watches while making it fairly easy to get these gloves on and off. On the bars, the silicone print on the palms provides a good grip, but the palm itself isn’t well articulated and has a bit of excess material that we found to bunch and crease a bit on the grips. Not a huge issue for cold-weather riding, but notable nonetheless. A silicone strip on the pointer finger adds grip for the brake lever, while conduction threads on that finger and thumb work as well with touchscreens as you could hope for a bulkier, insulated glove.

Overall, the 100% Brisker is a solid option for riders seeking a warm glove for riding in dry conditions just above and below the freezing mark. They block wind effectively and provide adequate insulation to keep your digits happy at a very wallet-friendly price of $34.50. The Brisker gloves are available in a wide assortment of colors and sizes, ranging from S to XXL.

Dakine used to offer a wide range of mountain bike apparel, but these days, the brand primarily focuses on packs, accessories, and gloves. The Dakine White Knuckle Glove is the brand’s only cool-weather option and has a unique design and features. With a Gore-Tex Infinium softshell covering the back of the hand, a long cuff, and a tuck-away shield for extra protection, these gloves are intended to be a versatile option for riding in variable weather conditions and temperatures.

At first glance, the White Knuckles look like relatively standard cool-weather riding gloves. They’ve got a Gore-Tex Infinium softshell material providing a windproof and water-resistant barrier for the back of the hands. That’s paired with a single-layer AX Suede synthetic leather palm for a direct bar feel and comfortable grip. Other standard features include touchscreen-compatible tips on the index finger and thumb, silicone strips on two fingertips, and a soft sweat wipe on the back of the thumb.

Upon closer inspection, the long wrist cuff provides coverage and protection from the cold, and is equipped with a tuck-away cover that can be deployed as an additional layer of wind and weather protection. This extra hand cover has a “trigger finger” design with the index/braking finger remaining separate and the other three combined like in a mitten. This thin shell doesn’t provide any insulation, but it is completely waterproof and adds an additional layer of wind protection.

In testing, we found the White Knuckle gloves to be great for riding in cool temperatures, but our hands got cold when flirting with the freezing mark. The material blocks wind effectively, but it doesn’t insulate much, if at all, in properly cold conditions. But if you’re riding in the spring, fall, or winter in the 40 to 55 degree F temperature range, these gloves are in their element. When the rain starts falling or the temperature dips with the sun, the tuck-away shield helps protect from both.

Once you’ve determined the appropriate temperature range for the White Knuckles gloves, they’ll serve you well. Our biggest complaint is that the long wrist cuff makes it slightly more effort to put on and take off. The tuck-away shield also adds some bulk to the wrist and tends to hang up on the cuffs of jackets and jerseys slightly. Neither of these complaints is a deal breaker, and they are worth dealing with when riding in the cooler temperatures and variable weather these gloves were designed for.

There are lightweight gloves, and then there’s the 100% Sling. These gloves fall into the ultra-lightweight category and are about as close as you can come to riding without gloves while still wearing them. As ironic as that might sound, these are ideal for riding in hot weather or for the rider who wants maximum bar feel and needs a super-thin layer between their hand and grip to prevent sweaty palms from slipping.

With a knit mesh palm and a heavily perforated stretch back, this super-thin and lightweight model is by far the most breathable and airy option we tested. On hot days, the air flows freely about the hand, and sweat dries exceptionally quickly if it does build up. Unlike other gloves, the Sling has a continuous, seamless mesh palm that provides excellent tactility, dexterity, and a very natural bar feel. The grip on the bar is excellent, although the lack of any silicone on the thumb and pointer finger can feel a tad slippery on untextured levers. That said, the Sling works better than any other model we tested with touchscreens, so you can leave the gloves on, even when texting.

Being incredibly light and stretchy, the sling is one of the most comfortable gloves we tested. In the right size, they have a nice, snug fit on the hand and virtually disappear while riding. The only real drawbacks to the Sling are that it provides almost zero hand protection and that the light, thin materials seem more susceptible to damage if you are prone to crashing or brushing tree trunks while you ride.

Regardless, the 100% Sling is an excellent option for riding in hot climates or for any rider who wants their gloves to feel like they’re not even there. With excellent breathability, comfort, and dexterity for $39.50, the Sling is as close as you can get to riding gloveless. The Sling is available in black, grey, and navy, and comes in sizes S to XXL.

The Fox Ranger gloves are a simple, no-frills model that’s been in the brand’s lineup for years. Much like the Giro DND, these gloves ain’t broke, so Fox hasn’t fixed them, except for some subtle aesthetic changes from year to year. At $35, the Fox Ranger packs everything you could want in a basic riding glove into a well-executed, sensible package.

Falling at the lighter-weight end of the spectrum, the Ranger gloves are great for warm to hot conditions, assuming you don’t want or need knuckle protection. The back-of-hand material is a tad thicker than the truly lightweight options, but it’s far from hot, and it feels slightly more durable to stand up to scrapes and encounters with trailside bushes. The microfiber suede palm is thin and articulated to fit well and avoid bunching on the bars, and it provides a nice, connected feel and good grip. Numerous small silicone stripes on the thumb and pointer/middle fingers provide reliable traction on brake and shift levers, and the conduction threads on the tips of the pointer finger and thumb work very well with touchscreens.

Having been around for a decade or so, the fit of the Ranger gloves is generally spot on. The wrist cuff is short and low profile, and the velcro tab makes it super easy to get your hands in and out. The behind-the-thumb placement of the closure also avoids getting in the way of watches or snagging on jackets and long-sleeve tops. Our only fit-related complaint is that the stitching at the tips of the fingers isn’t quite as comfortable as some other models.

The Fox Ranger has everything a basic mountain biking glove needs and nothing it does not. At $35, it’s a solid value and an easy choice for most riders seeking a reliable pair of gloves for warm-weather riding. Fox makes the Ranger in a women’s version, in numerous colors, sizes S to XXL, and you can often find last year’s colors and graphics being sold at a discount.

The Defend D30 gloves are Fox’s protective, warm-weather gloves, designed to keep the knuckles safe from impacts and the hands comfortable while ripping bike park laps on warm to hot days. With a durable stretch backing, TruFeel Clarino palm, well-placed velcro wrist closure, and ribbed D30 knuckle padding, they do just that, although we feel this style of knuckle protection leaves a little to be desired comfort-wise.

The Clarino palm with TruFeel internal silicone texture offers a reliable grip that is neither too sticky nor tacky, much like the microfiber suede palm on the Fox Ranger. The shaping and articulation of the palm are excellent, with minimal creasing, providing a very natural and predictable feel while riding. Numerous thin silicone strips on the fingers and thumb provide additional grip on the bars and excellent traction on the shift and brake levers. The Cordura back of the gloves has great stretch, admirable breathability, and it feels tough and durable to stand up to the abuse of heavy-hitting riding. The well-designed velcro wrist closure makes glove on-offs a snap, and these gloves work quite well with touchscreens for mid-ride bike selfies.

The ribbed D30 knuckle protection provides solid protection across all four knuckles. There is a slight internal shaping of this pad for the knuckles to settle into, but given the stiffness of the material, it isn’t the most comfortable when the hands are gripping the bars. It feels marginally better when the gloves really warm up, but you can always feel the padding atop the knuckles. To be fair, this is an issue we’ve experienced with all gloves that have this style of padding, which is quite a few, as it simply doesn’t feel as comfortable as the flat-backed pads used on models like the Endura MT500 D30 or the Leatt MTB 4.0 Lite, for example. Our other gripe is that the thumb wipe is quite small, though it is much better than nothing.

Regardless, the Fox Defend D30 is a great-looking pair of gloves that’s well-made and provides good knuckle protection and a great bar feel. If you get along with this style of knuckle padding, and many people do, these are a great option for riders looking for a protective glove for any type of riding. Fox sells the Defend D30 in two colors and sizes S – XXL