Although riding sans gloves feels great, protecting your hands with gloves is a good idea. They keep nettles and thorns at bay, help prevent sore calloused hands and even light gloves can keep the chill at bay.

A decent pair of light weight gloves is the best way to combine protection with ultimate feel on the bars. Despite being as light weight as they are, most of these gloves could still be used through our ever-warming winter weather.

Here are three of the best decent lightweight MTB gloves that we’ve been shredding in all summer…

Race Face Stage

Full Product Name: Race Face Stage

Retail Price:  £29.99

Available From: Silverfish

With a completely perforated Nylon mesh back, ventilation is top of the list on this minimal glove from the North Shore born company.

Using a cuff-less design, the Stage is easy to pull on thanks to a decent sized tab on the under side of the wrist. The fit is very snug and the elasticated cuff holds them in place securely.

The nylon mesh backing is mated to spandex finger sidewalls to keep the fit snug, and the palm is made from Amara and features articulated panels that avoids bunching. Although there is a fair bit of stitching on the palm, you can’t feel anything in use.

Finger tips have silicon grippers on them, and the middle finger has a touch screen panel that works really well – unlike some other touch screen gloves we’ve seen the Stage has a fabric that doesn’t wear after a few rides.

The thumb of the glove has a towelling fabric for wiping your nose, and the crotch is reinforced for durability. We found at first that the crotch was a little stiff, but after they’ve been through the wash a couple of times and worn in, the Stage gets much better.

We say

The Stage is a nice light glove with plenty of ventilation, and a durable yet thin palm. Ours have got better with age, though snagging on brambles has started to take it’s toll on one of our gloves.

Despite the light weight, the Stage is a pretty tough glove and serves well. Although we tend to ignore our phone ringing when out riding, the touch screen finger is really effective and works better than other solutions we’ve seen.

Troy Lee Designs SE Pro

Full Product Name: Troy Lee Designs SE Pro

Retail Price:  £34.99

Available From: Fisher Outdoor

Although our all-time favourite Troy Lee Designs gloves are the classic XC model, the SE Pro manages to feel lighter, stretchier and every bit as comfortable.

The back of the glove is made from a 2-way stretch spandex material and is stitched to a Clarino synthetic leather palm, which is perforated and has no stitching or padding. The palm is fairly flat in profile and doesn’t have any stitching or panels aid the fit, the basic palm wraps round the bar perfectly and we never found it bunched up.

The fingers have spandex sidewalls, and both the index and middle finger have Clarino reinforcements on the finger tips for added durability. The crotch of the thumb is also reinforced and there is a Velcro wrist strap that closes on the under side of the wrist and ensures a secure fit.

We say

Thanks to the great fit and the stretchy fabric, the SE Pro is super comfortable from the off, and the minimal palm has great feel. It doesn’t bunch up, and nor does it get baggy with use like some other plain palm options.

We’ve had a few sit-downs wearing the SE Pro, and despite being a light weight glove it’s about as tough as you get. Our only issue is that this particular colour is starting to fade a little – but we’ve pretty much worn them non-stop for four months and have done a fair bit of trail clearing and bike maintenance wearing them…

Royal Racing Signature

Full Product Name: Royal Racing Signature glove

Retail Price:  £19.99

Available From: Decade Europe

The Signature glove is about the thinnest glove you can possibly get. The ultra thin and stretchy polyester backing is super ventilated, and is mated to the thinnest Clarino palm possible.

The glove lacks an adjustable cuff, but uses a low profile slip-on neoprene cuff that grips the wrist firmly and there’s a micro fibre wipe on the thumb.

Thanks to the super thin and stretchy fabrics, the fit is incredible – it’s the nearest to a second skin you can possibly get. Which is also the down side – the Signature is so thin that it simply won’t last as long as thicker gloves, and also offers less protection  – from both brambles and crashing.

We say

The Signature is the thinnest and comfiest glove out there, and it works amazingly in both dry and when saturated. Due to it’s ultra thin design, it’s not going to stand up to many crashes and the thin back can be prone to tearing. It is a bit of a bargain though, already £10 cheaper than the other two gloves – and you can find them for £15 online. Get yourself two pairs and they could last you as long as some other gloves – they feel good enough to warrant trying out.

We love the Signature glove, even if they don’t last as long as other gloves. 

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