Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Loffi Glove

8
£32.95

VERDICT:

8
10
Comfortable, well made and with a cheery bonus feature
Weight: 
71g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The aptly-named Glove from Loffi was "designed to make journeys happier for everyone", and I think it's a nice idea well executed. Technically it's a decent cycling glove that I was happy to use on training rides and commutes alike, and although it won't exactly change the world (Loffi isn't claiming it will) if it raises a smile or snigger amongst one of your fellow road users during your next ride, then Glove has done its job for the reasonable asking price.

  • Pros: Unique, well made, nice and grippy
  • Cons: Novelty element may be lost on some, they're not the warmest

Glove has a reflective smiley on the top and one on the palm side – the latter is also functional because it acts as a gripper. The reflective print is quite small and won't be immediately noticeable to others when you're riding, but if you're indicating then the vehicle behind you will spot your cheery outstretched hand. Loffi hopes this could lead to a little bit more harmony on the roads, however small the gesture of wearing a smiley cycling glove may be.

> Buy these online here

While it may look like a novelty product, Glove isn't just a pretty face; I was impressed with the performance and used them solidly for about a month, on commutes and training rides, and didn't miss my non-smiley ones at all. The lining is really comfortable, the grip provided by the smiley is more than adequate and you can operate a touchscreen phone or GPS easily thanks to the touch-sensitive AX suede fabric.

Loffi Glove - palm.jpg

They're water repellent enough to keep your hands dry during a downpour, and there's a fleecy bit on the thumb to wipe away sweat and nasal detritus.

Loffi Glove - back.jpg

I noticed that Loffi is quite vague about recommended weather conditions on its website, simply describing them as warm. After enquiring, Loffi told me a temperature range of 5-15°C is ideal, although some customers report that they're fine when it's colder than 5°C. I'd say they definitely aren't warm enough for temperatures plunging anywhere near zero, so you'll need to invest further in a liner or some deep winter gloves to cover all seasons. Perhaps a thicker and warmer Glove is something Loffi could introduce in the future.

> Buyer's Guide: The best cycling clothing and kit for spring

With its worryingly happy demeanour in this era of political crisis in the UK, some might suggest that Glove falls into the category of those slightly OTT cycling safety products – think your flashing indicating helmets with remote controls and apps and god knows what else, or massive high-vis vests covered in Christmas tree lights and so on. Or that the smiley faces act as a way of trying to appease other road users who might not otherwise treat you with the respect you deserve as a cyclist.

I don't think that's the case here. Loffi's Glove functions exactly the same as any other decent technical cycling glove, just with an extra feature. If you're unlucky enough to encounter a seriously dangerous and/or careless driver then wearing Glove probably won't do anything to counter their behaviour towards you or anyone else, but it might make fellow considerate road users smile.

Loffi Glove - reflective.jpg

I particularly recall riding back through Bristol one evening having just taken the new Cervelo S5 out for a test ride, and after stopping at a box junction, the cyclist next to me scowling as I pulled up on my all-the-gear-no-idea rocket ship bike and full Lycra; then as he spotted my smiley emoji cycling gloves, the scowl turned into a bemused chuckle. I'd like to think that on first impressions this gentleman thought I was a moron who took myself way too seriously, and rode off thinking I was just a moron... and that's good enough for me.

While Glove is unique as far as we know, compared with what other non-smiley gloves are out there for mid-range temperatures they're neither overly cheap nor overly expensive. Sportful's NoRain gloves are a bit more at £40, and you'll save a considerable amount of cash compared to the £55 Hirzl Grippp Tour FF 2.0. But you can go cheaper: Lusso's Windtex Terrain Red Gloves are £30.

> Buyer's Guide: 21 of the best winter cycling gloves

Overall, I'm happy to wear the Loffi Gloves for all occasions – they're a good conversation starter on a group ride, and while "making journeys happier for everyone" may be stretching it, they're not going to make you appear any less agreeable to other road users.

Verdict

Comfortable, well made and with a cheery bonus feature

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Loffi Glove

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for

"A new, high quality cycling glove with a mission. Designed to make journeys happier for everyone", so says Loffi.

"Cycling is booming but so are incidents of road rage. Glove's smile emoji makes waving more meaningful - an excuse to do it more often.

"We want to grow this culture of goodwill to build a movement, beginning with the only glove that says 'thanks'."

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

Loffi lists:

Reflective

Smiley cushioning on the palm

Touch sensitive

Highly durable, double layer AX Suede on the palm

Water repellent, windproof and breathable

Fleece wipe thumb for sweat and nose

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Really robust build, nice stretchy cuff and easy to feed your fingers into the glove.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Not the warmest, but in every other aspect they performed very well.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

Proved highly durable so far, the print hasn't faded at all after washing and the seams are well stitched.

Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
9/10

A size large fitted me as I'd expect it would.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10

Soft and fleecy inner lining, and fingers don't feel restricted as they're quite stretchy.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Not too expensive, not too cheap.

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

Very well, everything is intact after numerous machine washes.

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

Loffi alludes to the gloves being 'warm'; I found they're not ideal in temps creeping towards 0°C, but for 5°C and anything into the mid teens they're fine - ideal for autumn, milder winter days and spring.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The smiley faces get folk talking, and practically they're also really hard-wearing and comfortable. They're good gloves with something a bit different, though I can appreciate they won't be for everyone.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Not the warmest.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

About average for a mid-range glove – Sportful's NoRain gloves are a bit more at £40 and you can go cheaper with Lusso's Windtex Terrain Red Gloves at £30 (although there are no bonus smiley faces).

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Most of them.

Use this box to explain your overall score

As long as you accept that you won't be smiling too much if you go out in these on a sub-zero ride, they're very good – for milder days.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 179cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride: Road bike (currently Specialized Tarmac)  My best bike is: Ridley Chronus TT bike

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, triathlon races

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

Add new comment

2 comments

Avatar
Cugel | 4 years ago
0 likes

Hello Dave. Can I use your toilet?

You're my wife now!

Avatar
Yorky-M | 4 years ago
2 likes

the world needs more smiles

Latest Comments