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review
Gloves - full finger
Madison Leia Women's GlovesMadison Leia Womens Gloves.jpg

Madison Leia Women's Gloves

8
by Siobhan Kelly
UPDATED Mon, Sep 05, 2016 15:45

First Published Sep 5, 2016

0
£17.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Comfortable, well priced gloves for spring and autumn rides
Weight: 
47g
Contact: 
www.madison.co.uk
How we test

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For such a small item, there's a lot of technology that goes into a pair of gloves. Madison's Leia gloves are constructed from multiple materials – nylon, polyester, PU, cotton and rubber – and the result is a comfy, well featured product.

The material on the back of the hand and top of fingers is super-stretchy in both directions while, most importantly, the suede-effect palm doesn't bunch. Comfort is increased by the two palm pads, one under the ulna nerve and the other along the base of the knuckles where you can sometimes get callouses.

The sides of the fingers are a very stretchy thin fabric for freedom of movement, while the palm suedette extends along the bottom of the fingers for durability. The thumb arch and tips of the middle and index fingers are reinforced for added durability. These two finger tips have silicone print to ensure your fingers don't slip on the brake levers especially in the wet. They also work very well with touchscreen phones – it's always a bonus to not have to remove your gloves to send a text or take a snap. If you're prone to a runny nose you'll appreciate the generous microfibre snot wipe too.

These are a great pair of lightweight gloves ideal for autumn or spring or when there's a nip in the air. My only niggles are that the Velcro is so strong on the wrist tab that I snag the fingers doing it up, and that perhaps the fingers could be a tad longer.

Verdict

Comfortable, well priced gloves for spring and autumn rides

road.cc test report

Make and model: Madison Leia Women's Gloves

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

A multi-discipline full-fingered cycling glove

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Built strong, the Leia gloves offer comfort and protection

Subtle padded suede palm offers all-day comfort

Double layered sections of the palm offers all day protection

Silicone print on the braking fingers give brake lever grip even in the wettest of conditions

A reinforced thumb arch, middle finger tip and index finger tip ensure long life

Micro-fibre wipe on the thumb does not irritate your skin

Wrist closure for the perfect fit

Limited lifetime warranty

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

The wrist tabs are such strong Velcro that I found they snagged on the silky material on the side of the fingers when I closed them so the fabric soon looked bobbly.

Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10

I have long fingers so would have liked slightly more length here.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

About right although if you're inbetween I'd advise going a size up rather than down. Mine are a medium.

Rate the product for weight:
 
10/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
10/10

These are about £7-£10 cheaper than comparable gloves.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Been through the washing machine multiple times no problem despite hand wash care label.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Comfort and colour options.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

Well made, comfy gloves at a very competitive price but Velcro snags easily.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 170cm  Weight: 64kg

I usually ride: Marin Point Reyes 29er  My best bike is: Giant Anthem X1

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, mtb, Audax

Madison
Madison 2016
Madison Leia Women's Gloves

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