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Endura Luminite Gloves

7
£32.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Nicely-fitting gloves for cold and wet conditions. Warm and reasonably waterproof. Fair price too.
Weight: 
90g

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Endura makes a wide range of clothes and accessories including these rather good Luminite gloves. They're warm and comfy without being bulky, and waterproof too, so ideal for commuting, touring or any kind of cycling in cold and wet weather.

At first meeting, these Endura Luminite gloves appear neat and stylish. Later use shows they live up to their good looks, providing protection on test rides in air temperatures down to 4 degrees C. At the same time, these gloves are lightweight and relatively thin – so there's no clumsiness when braking or changing gear. They're also very comfortable, with gel pads on the palm and a cosy fleece inner lining.

A major plus-point is the fleece liner is fixed to the outer glove, so it doesn't turn itself inside-out when you take it off with damp hands. (More on damp hands later.)

As well as the pads, there are also honeycomb-patterned anti-slip silicone pads across the top of the palm and on the two larger fingers, plus a handy patch of softer material along the index finger for wiping your eyewear or nose.

As befitting the Luminite name, there's a reflective strip across the back of each palm and some dots on the thumbs to reflect back car headlights when you're riding at night. On the front of three fingers (not the index), seams across the knuckles open up to reveal a small patch reflective liner. It's not much but it's better than nothing, and will reflect back on-coming car headlights if you're riding on the tops (or use flat handlebars).

We're testing the black version of these gloves. They're also available with day-glo green backs as well as the same reflective features for night-riding.

The gloves are claimed to waterproof, so they were lab-tested in my usual scientific manner, by sticking my hands (wearing the gloves) under the bathroom shower for 10 minutes, to simulate cycling in the rain. Yes, life's a riot. I regularly pumped my hands as if breaking to move the seams and expose any weakness. Throughout this rigorous test, my fingers and back of my hand stayed dry, but some water got in through the stitching on the palm after 8 minutes.

To simulate a real deluge, the next test involved immersing my hands inside the gloves into a bowl of water for 10 minutes, pumping as before to mimic braking action. After 10 minutes my fingers and back of hand were still dry. My palm was damp, but not soaking.

The shower and bowl of water test give a useful picture, but may be regarded as extreme. So next I tested the gloves in real world conditions: a four-hour training ride on a cold, wet and miserable December day. The air temperature was about 3 or 4 degrees, made a tad lower by windchill. After an hour or so, the inside of the gloves felt slightly moist (which could have been sweat, or rain ingress, or both), and became steadily more damp over the remaining three hours, but throughout the ride my hands remained warm. Most cyclists will put up with a bit of damp as long as their hands stay warm, so overall this is good performance for a glove of this type.

The gloves have a neoprene cuff, which you can pull tight around your wrists with Velcro tabs, but the size of the cuffs is the only downside of these gloves; they're quite short, so if you have long arms you might get a bare patch of skin between the end of your jersey sleeves and the cuff of the glove (depending on the length of your jersey sleeves of course). In an ideal world I'd like to see the gloves' cuffs a bit longer.

On price, the Endura Luminite gloves have a recommended retail price of £32.99 (they're not to be confused with the Luminite Thermal Glove, which has extra insulation and has a RRP of £39.99). You can find them for a pound or so cheaper in some local bike shops and further discounted at the usual on-line stores. For a glove of this type, it's is a very fair price. You can get gloves that offer more protection against the elements, but you'll pay more for them (SealSkinz go for around £40, the likes of Assos around £100).

The Endura Luminite gloves are a good combination of various elements - slim fit, good warmth, reasonably waterproof, fair price – and on that basis they're recommended for commuting, touring or general cycling in autumn or early spring (and even most winter) conditions.

Verdict

Nicely-fitting gloves for cold and wet conditions. Warm and reasonably waterproof. Fair price too.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Endura Luminite 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?

This product is a pair of cycling gloves, designed for winter or night-time cycling. The Endura website highlights the following features:

' Seam-sealed internal breathable waterproof membrane

Stretch, wind-block fabric for dexterity and warmth

Fast-dry fleece inner

Durable thumb crotch overlay

Gel padding on suedette palm

Reflective print and knuckle flashes

Full finger Terry sweat wipe

Embossed neoprene cuff with Velcro adjuster

Silicone finger and palm prints for grip'

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

The Endura website details the construction of the gloves:

Polyester 45%

Nylon 30%

PU 20%

Elastane 5%

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Quality of construction seems good. Turning the gloves inside out, there are no loose seams, and all the pads and separate bits of fabric on the outside are all neatly in place.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Performance is very good for gloves of this nature. They're not 100% waterproof, but they offer good protection against rain. They're neat, stylish and comfortable. And they're very warm without being too bulky.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10

These gloves weigh about 100 grams the pair – very impressive for the levels of weather protection provided.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10

Comfort around the palm is very good, with non-slip gel pads on the palm and a fleece inner lining, but some cyclists may find comfort levels are reduced by the short cuff.

For gloves of this type - slim fit, good warmth, reasonably waterproof – the value is very good.

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

These gloves won't stand up to Arctic or apocalyptic conditions, but they performed well in that they protected my hands against rain and cold weather for four hours, while remaining warm and comfortable.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Comfort, fit, style. The reflective flashes are good for night-time riding.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Cuffs too short.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Personally, no. I like a glove with a longer cuff

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, as long as their jersey sleeves weren't too short

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

These Endura Luminites provide decent warmth, though they're not quite as waterproof as claimed, so for sub-zero or totally-pouring-all-day rides you might need something different, but overall these gloves do a good job of protecting against the elements that most cyclists will encounter during autumn or early spring, and even on most winter days, while remaining neat and comfortable to wear. On that basis they score 8. The slight leaks and short cuffs together knock off a point, giving an overall score of 7.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 53  Height: 5ft 10 / 178cm  Weight: 11 stone / 70kg

I usually ride: an old Marin Alp, an old steel classic  My best bike is: an old Giant Cadex (can you see a theme here?)

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, Trail riding and rough-stuff (off road on a road bike)

 

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2 comments

Avatar
Reg Molehusband | 9 years ago
0 likes

I've got the dayglo green version of these. Their great gloves. Not too bulky. Excellent quality, very warm and comfortable. I'm hoping drivers will more easily see me when I'm signalling to turn. I'd certainly recommend them.

Avatar
jollygoodvelo | 9 years ago
0 likes

These are extremely similar to the Endura Strike gloves I have. I've been commuting with them for the last three years and they're still in one piece after many washes; they also stayed windproof despite becoming absolutely soaked through on RideLondon. Strongly recommended.

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