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Hirzl Grippp gloves

8
£34.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Supple and very grippy gloves, well made with slimline padding
Weight: 
44g
Contact: 
www.nemesisgb.com

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.

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You'll never in a gazillion years guess the main selling point of these Grippp gloves.

Oh, okay, you did guess: they're grippy. Well, that's rained on my parade, hasn't it?

The funny thing is, it's not marketing nonsense. These are remarkably grippy whether your handlebar is dry or wet.

The palms are leather - kangaroo leather, to be precise - and they're very supple. Hirzl reckon they put the leather through 'an elaborate tanning process' and give it a 'special treatment'. They're short on details - that stuff is given out on a 'need to know' basis, apparently - but they say their technology gives the gloves up to three times more grip in dry conditions, and up to five times more when it's wet.

Now, I'm not going to be drawn on a figure - we don't have a gripometer here at road.cc - but these gloves don't slip. Soak the palms and drench your bar tape or grips and they stay put. In terms of grippiness, they deliver. Hirzl actually developed their technology for golf. I don't know a lot about golf, admittedly, but I guess it would be bad news all round if your bat slipped out of your hands mid-swing.

The Grippp gloves offer a modest amount of padding. There's low profile gel over the heel of your hand on the little finger side, and a little more at the base of your fingers. I found that there was enough protection over the ulnar nerve to stop my fingers going numb although I prefer more palm cushioning for extra comfort on longer rides. Horses for courses.

The backs are a lightweight and breathable synthetic fabric, a Velcro closure holds them securely in place, and you get a large towelling wipe on each thumb. Removing the gloves at the end of your ride is easy thanks to little pockets on the ends of two of the fingers. You stick the fingertips of your other hand in there and drag them off - simple.

The Grippps are still looking good after several weeks of regular use, the only slight deterioration being some pulled threads where the hook section of the Velcro has caught on the fabric that surrounds it once I've taken the gloves off. Of course, I could be more careful and stick the other half of the Velcro back in place to keep the hooks covered but the chances of me remembering to do that after a long ride are somewhere between remote and non-existent. You might be less of an idiot.

These gloves are available in a full finger version for £44.99 (test coming soon), and will be available in white and red options too from the spring.

Verdict

Supple and very grippy gloves, well made with slimline padding

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Hirzl Grippp gloves

Size tested: Black, XL

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?

Hirzl reckon they're suitable for both road and off-road riding. Here's what they say:

"The superior properties of these gloves are the result of the innovative GRIPPP technology that encompasses an elaborate tanning process of finest kangaroo leather. This special treatment guarantees GRIPPP TOUR SF and FF gloves up to 3 times more grip in dry conditions, and up to 5 times more grip in wet conditions. Features such as the breathable membrane on the back of the hand, the extremely light gel padding system, form-fit inlays in the palms, a low-wrist design and HIRZL's unique removal system make these gloves the perfect choice for on and off road biking.

"The cycling gloves promise excellent fit, superb feel for precise steering and unrivalled grip in any weather."

They are very grippy whatever the conditions; you can't argue with that.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Good. No problems

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

They're very grippy and you get good gel padding over the ulnar nerve. I'd prefer more cushioned palms but if you like the minimalist approach, these will do the job.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

They're going great so far.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10

Depends what you're after. If you like deep, plush padding, these aren't for you. If you like lots of handlebar feel, they're a better bet.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

They're certainly at the more expensive end of the mitts market, but they are kangaroo leather with Hirzl's special treatments, which to some extent justifies the price.

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

They performed well. They do the job they're designed to do.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The grippppppiness.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I wouldn't say I especially disliked it, but I'd have preferred more palm padding.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? I prefer more palm padding

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 190cm  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding,

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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