The GripGrab Ride Padded Short Finger Summer Gloves are a lightweight design with minimal padding – great for road riding or light gravel where feel at the bars is more important. They are reasonably priced too – there's plenty to like.
For more options, check out our guide to the best summer cycling mitts.
Contrary to the GripGrab SuperGel Padded gloves that I reviewed a while back, which offered loads of extra comfort at the palms, these Ride mitts are a more minimalist design.
The padding – one section located between thumb and forefinger, and the other, larger one, at the bottom of the palm – is thin, but still offers an improvement over no gloves at all. It's perhaps not enough for longer rides over bumpy terrain, which is where the SuperGel gloves shine, but for lighter gravel and road riding, it's great.
The grippy fabric at the palm helps to keep your hands firmly in place on the handlebar, and on hotter days you don't get that sweaty slipperiness that you can without gloves. Your bar tape should stay in better condition too.
The tops of the palms feature a breathable fabric, and they kept my hands cool and comfortable across a range of temperatures, whether a mild morning or a very unseasonably-warm October afternoon.
The only downside to the design is that they don't feature the same sweat/snot-wipe that the bulkier SuperGel version does.
The gloves are constructed from a mix of materials, including 40% polyamide, 30% polyester, 15% polyurethane, and 15% elastane. It's worth noting that none of these are recycled materials. GripGrab has committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 55% in 2030, however.
Available in a range of colours, including black, white, red, and blue, the Ride mitts also feature a decent amount of reflective detail on the tops for a boost of visibility early or late in the day.
The sizes go from small to XXL. I tested a large, as I did with the SuperGel version, and the fit was spot on for my long and wide, but slender hands (I usually wear XL in regular non-cycling gloves).
They fit snugly but very comfortably, with no tight spots thanks to the stretchy material. Unlike the SuperGel gloves there are no adjustable cuff straps, but I think they're unnecessary anyway.
One thing I neglected to mention in my review of the SuperGel gloves is the pull-off tabs located in between the finger exits, but given the same feature is included in the Ride version, I'll tell you about it now.
The idea is that they help you remove the mitts by giving you something to pull on, though I found it only marginally useful – because of the gloves sticking to my hands on the inside, I still had to partly remove them from the inside.
Value
At a very reasonable £21.95, the GripGrab Rides are at the lower end of the price spectrum for cycling mitts, with only one or two we've tested, such as the Lusso Momentum Summer Gloves, being marginally less expensive (£19.99).
If it weren't for the lack of a sweat/snot-wipe I'd say these gloves are very good value for money. Given that they don't, you could argue that the Stolen Goat Nettle Cycling Mitts, which do, are a better buy at only £3 more.
Conclusion
These are excellent summer mitts that work well for a variety of rides, though their lightweight padding makes them better suited to less harsh terrain. Only the lack of a sweat/snot-wipe lets them down slightly. I'd also like to see GripGrab start using recycled materials in the construction of its products.
Verdict
Effective and reasonably priced mitts for road or light gravel
Make and model: GripGrab Ride Padded Short Finger Summer Gloves
Tell us what the product is for
GripGrab says, "The Ride Padded Short Finger Summer Gloves use a high-density padding on the palms. This padding absorbs shocks from the road and trail, protects your hands from vibrations, and enhances your comfort and control when cycling.
The supple and durable palm material provides maximum control on your bike's handlebars; with the gloves fitting your hand like a second skin for a natural riding feel.
The comfort of these cycling gloves is further enhanced by the breathable fabric used on the back panels. The lightweight stretch material lets your hands move and breathe as you perspire in hot conditions or when riding hard on the climbs.
Getting the GripGrab Ride Lightweight Padded Short Finger Gloves on and off is easy thanks to the low-profile stretch cuff – which allows the gloves to adjust to your wrist, and the in-between finger pull-off tabs for easy removal of the gloves at the end of your ride.
The selection of four classic colours means that these gloves can be matched to any cycling kit to complement your style."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
GripGrab lists:
* Shock-absorbing high-density padding
* Breathable fabric
* Maximum control
* Easy fit
* Mix & Match – Available in a selection of classic colours
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
8/10
Spot on for me in a large, with long and wide palms but slender fingers (I am normally an XL/XXL in regular gloves).
Rate the product for weight:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
9/10
Stretchy material makes these really comfortable to wear.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
Similar to others from the likes of Lusso and Stolen Goat, but plenty to like for the price.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
No issues washing them at 30 degrees, although GripGrab does recommend you hang them up to dry every ride and wash them less frequently to increase their longevity.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
The gloves improve comfort without sacrificing feel, and the padding is just enough for road or light gravel.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
You barely notice them.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
No sweat/snot-wipe.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The price is at the lower end of the spectrum, with only one or two we've tested being cheaper, such as the £19.99 Lusso Momentum Summer Glove. For only slightly more you can get the Stolen Goat Nettle Cycling Mitts, which feature a sweat/snot-wipe.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes (even though the red didn't match my outfit!).
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
A very good all-round performance from these gloves thanks to a decent amount of padding, good grip, and a nice fit. Only the absence of a sweat/snot wipe prevents them from being a 9.
Age: 39 Height: 6'4 Weight: 175lbs
I usually ride: Condor Italia RC custom build My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, mtb,
How much walking/cycling/tram/bus/rail makes up for a little bit of flying? The journey by diesel/petrol to the airport will be the least damaging...
I found a cateye light in Japan that inexplicably is only available in the Japanese market. Cateye Volt 800 Neo. Great features include a large,...
You could try prayer. 5 minutes after I got home last night there was an almighty bang outside my house. I came outside to see two expensive cars...
Ha! Nice. Ok, am I the only one having trouble "appreicating" the new Colnago?? This one I like, but the new C...
I can see how this might be a relevant concern for you.
Well, except in this case her association with a celebrity might have helped her secure an unbelievably lenient sentence. That close pass on a two...
Not necessarily. https://dgllc.net/recovering-the-costs-of-litigation/
Quantum leaping is not limited to bus stops - also comes in handy for other obstructions....
Car flips onto its roof in dramatic crash off busy Nottingham roundabout...
Are the mentioned tyre levers hidden inside the lock?