Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Pearl izumi ELITE Gel-Vent Gloves

7
£29.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Cool summer gloves with low-bulk gel padding.
Weight: 
47g
Contact: 
www.madison.co.uk

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.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

These gloves are among the more expensive out there but they keep your hands cool and the lightweight padding is effective.

The palms are made from soft synthetic leather with patches of perforated gel padding of differing depths along the base of the fingers, the thumb and the heel of your hand.

If you like a big wodge of padding right across the centre of the palm, these gloves aren't for you, but I found the cushioning to be well-positioned and successful at keeping numbness at bay. It covers the major nerves without adding too much bulk.

Being perforated, the padding allows a little air in and a little moisture out to reduce palm sweatiness. I half expected the gel areas to look really tatty and worn within a few rides because they're covered by just a fabric gauze, but they're surprisingly hardy and look as good as new several weeks down the line. They're certainly not going to fall apart any time soon.

The backs of the hands, including the sides and back of the fingers, are made from lightweight mesh fabrics that let the air blow right through, so these are suitable for the hottest days. You also get a soft nose/sweat wipe on the back of each thumb.

Closure is via a small hook and loop tab that works exactly as it should to keep the gloves in place, and you get a tab on the ring finger to help with removal. That said, I found it easier to pull the gloves off inside out, the same as usual.

What's not so good? Well, the stuck-on graphics came off one of the closure tabs almost straightaway, and the reflective print on each index finger soon followed. It would have been good to keep that reflective print but once it had all gone, at least the gloves didn't look like it should ever have been there.

That aside, these are well-made gloves that are also cool and comfy.

Verdict

Cool summer gloves with low-bulk gel padding.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Pearl izumi ELITE Gel-Vent Glove

Size tested: White Size: M

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?

Pearl Izumi say, "In addition to the unique palm venting design, our popular Men's ELITE Gel-Vent Glove has been updated this year with our anatomic 1to1 Glove Fit and 1to1 Gel padding arrangement which is designed to work in harmony with the bony structure of your hand and relieve pressure on Median and Ulnar nerves for the ultimate in comfort, durability and ventilation

1to1 Gel Glove Padding creates bridges over Ulnar and Median nerves for superior riding comfort

1to1 Glove Fit minimizes palm bunching for superior grip comfort and handlebar feel

Synthetic leather palm is soft and durable

Anatomic palm patterning for optimal comfort

In-R-Cool mesh palm lining provides optimal skin-cooling effect and moisture management when you perspire

Easy-Off glove removal tab

Soft, low-profile wiping surface on thumb is perforated for maximum ventilation

Hook and loop closure

Weather forecast: Warm and sunny

Temperature rating: +/- 20 degrees"

They're lightweight and comfy gloves for the hot weather.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

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

They've comfy and well ventilated which is the whole idea.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

They offer good padding while keeping your hands cool.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The graphics coming off early was a bit of a pain.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

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, club rides, 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. 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.

Latest Comments