The Best Cycling Gloves: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

Rapha Core Mitts

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Rapha's Core mitts balance padding, grip and breathability without over-thinking it. Endura's Xtract gets you most of that for less.

Cycling mitts do three jobs: pad your palms against road buzz, keep your grip when your hands sweat, and give your palms skin left if you go down. The differences between a good pair and a cheap pair are where the padding sits, how the palm is built and how long the stitching lasts. We compared a mid-price all-rounder, a budget pick, a heavily padded option and the cheap generic mitts that fill the search results.

RBE top pick

Rapha

Rapha Core Mitts

Buy it

Lightweight, breathable mitts with foam pads where your palm needs them and a synthetic suede palm for grip.

Best for: Most road and gravel riders who want a mitt that disappears until you need it.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Larger foam pads, positioned to minimise road vibration without turning the palm into a cushion, so bar feel stays sharp.
• Synthetic suede palm grips in wet and dry conditions, and the four-way high-stretch mesh back keeps hands cool.
• Bound cuff for a tight, stable fit at the wrist, in seven sizes from XXS to XXL.

Know before buying

• Padding is moderate: riders with very sensitive hands or long rough rides may want more gel.
• Priced above the budget mitts for a design that is deliberately simple.
• The understated look is a pro for most and a bore for anyone who wants a loud kit.

Find it on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Endura

Endura Xtract Mitts

Buy it

The budget mitts that punch above their price: gel padding where the palm bends, silicone grip and an adjustable cuff.

Best for: Value-conscious riders and beginners who want real mitt features at the lowest sensible price.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Palmistry gel padding placed where the hand bends and creases, so it cushions where your palm actually contacts the bar.
• Microfibre palm with a silicone grip print holds in wet or dry conditions, and a Velcro adjuster strap keeps the cuff put.
• Priced at the budget end while still feeling like a real cycling mitt, plus a terry sweat wipe and finger tabs for easy removal.

Know before buying

• A simpler build than the premium mitts, with no named palm fabric beyond microfibre.
• Endura's own store lists a single colour, Bright Yellow, though sizes run XS to 2XL.
• Padding is still moderate; riders who want maximum cushion should look at the gel-heavy options.

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Pearl Izumi

Pearl Izumi Elite Gel Gloves

It depends

The padding-first option: gel pads placed over key nerves, aimed at riders whose hands go numb on long rides.

Best for: Riders who get numb hands or ride long distances on rough roads and want all the padding.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Pearl Izumi says its strategically placed Elite Gel padding relieves pressure on key nerves to prevent numbness and absorbs road vibration.
• An AX Suede Uno synthetic leather palm for grip, a breathable mesh back and easy-off finger tabs.
• A low-profile hook-and-loop closure adjusts the fit at the wrist.

Know before buying

• Gel padding is still more under the palm than a minimal foam mitt, which riders who want the closest bar feel may not like.
• Sizes start at S, where Rapha goes down to XXS.
• Some colourways are marked final sale on Pearl Izumi's own store, with no returns or exchanges, so check the colour before you order.
• Priced above the budget options for a feature some riders do not need.

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

We'd skip it

INBIKE

INBIKE IH23C203 Half-Fingered Cycling Gloves

Skip it

The cheap generic half-finger gloves: fine for a spin around the block, not a season of riding.

Best for: Occasional riders who want the cheapest possible glove and accept replacing it soon.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Very cheap half-finger gloves with 3 mm gel padding, a textured anti-slip palm and a reflective logo.
• Lightweight, quick-dry breathable fabric that works for casual warm-weather use.

Know before buying

• INBIKE names no palm material, so there is nothing to judge durability against.
• No padding placement is described beyond 3 mm gel, where the named brands here explain where their pads sit.
• INBIKE's own store lists the model in blue only.

See our pick instead See it at Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

Four things decide a pair of cycling mitts: where the padding sits, how the palm grips, how breathable the back is, and whether the stitching survives a season. The trap in this category is the cheap generic mitt that looks identical in a thumbnail but documents far less about what it is made of.

We compared a mid-price all-rounder, a budget pick with real features, a heavily padded option for numb hands and the inexpensive generic mitts that dominate the low end, working from each maker’s published feature list.

The Core Mitts are the balanced buy. Rapha lists larger foam pads positioned to minimise road vibration on longer rides, a synthetic suede palm for grip and bar feel in all weather, a four-way high-stretch mesh back for breathability, and a cuff that is bound at the wrist for a tight, stable fit. They come in black or navy and in seven sizes from XXS to XXL, and Rapha files them under its Core range, which it describes as the balance between comfort, performance and value.

The compromises are deliberate. The padding is moderate rather than maximal, the design is understated rather than flashy, and you pay a little more than the budget mitts for the refinement. Rapha does not list finger pull tabs, so taking them off is the old-fashioned way. For most riders, the balance is exactly right.

The Xtract Mitts are the value pick that behaves like a pricier glove. Endura’s Palmistry placement puts the gel padding where the hand bends and creases, the microfibre palm gets a silicone grip print for wet conditions, and the feature list covers the details: a high-stretch backhand, a Velcro adjuster strap, a terry sweat wipe on the thumb and finger tabs for easy removal. Sizes run XS to 2XL. At a budget price, they deliver the features that matter.

The step-down is in refinement: the build is simpler than the premium mitts and the padding is still moderate. For the money, they are the easiest recommendation in this comparison.

The Elite Gel Gloves are the padding-first choice: Pearl Izumi places Elite Gel pads to relieve pressure on key nerves and absorb road vibration, which it says prevents numbness and reduces fatigue on long rides, and adds an AX Suede Uno synthetic leather palm, a breathable mesh back, a low-profile hook-and-loop closure and easy-off finger tabs. For riders whose hands go numb or who ride long distances on rough roads, the extra cushioning is the point.

For everyone else it is more than they need. Gel is still more material under the palm than a minimal foam mitt, and it costs more than the budget mitts for a feature not every rider needs. Whether it earns the buy depends on whether your hands are asking for it.

The INBIKE gloves are the cheap option that looks like a mitt in the thumbnail. INBIKE publishes 3 mm gel padding, a textured anti-slip palm, quick-dry breathable fabric and a reflective logo, listed in blue and in sizes S to 2XL. That is the whole specification, and it is the whole pitch: open-finger gloves for warm-weather commuting and fitness rides at very little money.

The problem is what is missing. INBIKE names no palm material and describes no padding placement, so there is nothing to judge durability against, where the Endura costs little more and documents gel placed where the hand bends, a microfibre palm and an adjuster strap. For anything beyond occasional spins, the Endura is the safer budget buy.

Rapha Core Mitts vs Endura Xtract Mitts: which should you buy?

Both are padded, breathable mitts that do the job, and the split is price against refinement. The Rapha has the more polished build and the synthetic suede palm; the Endura has the gel padding, the adjuster strap, the pull tabs and the lower price.

If you ride regularly and want the nicer tool, buy the Rapha. If you want the cheapest mitt that still feels like a real cycling product, buy the Endura and pocket the difference.

What to look for

• Padding placement over thickness: cushioning where the palm contacts the bar beats a padded lump.
• Palm grip material: synthetic suede or microfibre with grip zones holds in wet conditions.
• Breathable back: mesh or stretch fabric keeps a summer mitt wearable in heat.
• A secure cuff and easy-off tabs: the details that make a mitt you will actually use.
• Durability signals: a named palm material and visible stitching decide whether a cheap mitt is a deal or a waste.

Our final take

For most riders, the Rapha Core Mitts are the right call: balanced padding, good grip and a fit that fades into the ride. The Endura Xtract Mitts are the budget buy that still covers the essentials, and the Pearl Izumi Elite Gel is the pick for numb hands and long miles. Skip the INBIKE generics: the specification is too thin to judge them on, and the Endura covers the budget end with real detail. Good mitts protect your palms on a crash and your nerves on a long day; buy the pair that does both.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Rapha Core Mitts vs Endura Xtract Mitts.

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