Prologo’s Energrip Long Finger gloves are a super close-fitting highly breathable pair of mitts with superb grip and comfort from hundreds of hollow polymers on the inside of the palm. They might not be cheap but the comfort, breathability and shock absorption are superb –especially on long rides.
Prologo Energrip Long Finger gloves – Technical features
The Energrip Long fingers glove is a long-fingered mesh-backed version of the gloves worn by several teams in the Pro peloton (Bahrain-Victorious and Intermache-Wanty) not to mention the Cannondale Factory Mountain bike team. Prologo has used its connections within the professional athlete world to help develop its patented CPC technology (Connect Power Control) which Prologo says is the pinnacle of glove design offering a natural extension of the hand and delivering three benefits in one glove.
The first and most obvious feature of the Energrip glove is the unusual palm-padding treatment. It is a little like a dart bullseye design and is made up of 3D-printed hollow polymer cones of different sizes in different locations. Where you grip the bar and where your fingers meet your palm, the polymer cones are at their shortest, then as you move towards the inside of the thumb and index finger area and the heel and palm pad the polymer cones increase both in length and in diameter.
The Bullseye design is also segmented to prevent the bunching of material on the bars when wrapped around the chosen grip and provide the best shock absorption possible for your hands.
The second feature is easy to see between the fingers; the three large ventilation holes or vents and a pattern of perforations all across the palm in between the polymer blocks to allow cooling air into the glove. Coupled with the nylon and polyester mesh back panel this air circulation helps regulate your overall body temperature by allowing excess heat to easily escape on hot rides.
These two unique features are designed to work together to help create the final benefit of increased duration or stamina in the saddle. Prologo has research from the University of Besançon that shows its CPC polymer palm outperforms gloves without it, absorbing 10% more vibration that reduces muscle fatigue and carpal tunnel strain.
Certainly some big claims from a very unusual-looking palm material and while we will not be able to verify them scientifically they will be tested as all gloves are, out on the trail.
Only available in one colour, Black (just like Johny Cash) and in five sizes; X, S, M, L and XL and retailing for £67.
Prologo Energrip Long Finger gloves – Performance
I’ve been using these gloves on my mountain bike and gravel bike in cool UK weather and the baking heat of summer in southern France. I’ve used the gloves with their matching Prologo X-shred grips as well as grips from ODI and WTB and I’ve used them with Lizard Skins DSP tape on my gravel bike. Both bikes feature some form of shock absorption be it front suspension forks or shock-absorbing stem(s) as standard.
My favourite slim/summer gloves are the outstandingly grippy Hirzl gloves which I’ve loved for years, especially in the wet and more recently Troy Lee Design’s Ace 2.0 Glove which is perfect for hot summer rides. Neither offers any palm padding, so the Energrip gloves are immediately different in feel.
From the off, the Energrip Long Fingers glove fit is snug. I measured my hands multiple times trying to persuade myself that I should be testing a larger size but each time I came back with the same answer, medium. For such a tight-fitting glove, they are reasonably easy to get on, unlike some other second-skin gloves I’ve tried.
Initially, I thought they were too small between the index finger and the thumb but wrap them around a bar and all the tension in the material disappears and the fit is spot on with no extra material between your hand and fingers and the grips or bar tape. It’s a super snug fit and definitely in the second-skin glove category.
The Energrip Long Fingers feel good even after a very long hot day in the saddle where some gloves leave my fingers and the tip of my thumb feeling numb I had no such issue with these which was a welcome surprise. Whilst they are super tight there is enough give in the material and design meaning that my fingers and thumb never felt restricted.
The closeness of the fit and thinness of the material makes you think that these are fragile gloves and while I haven’t slid out on the gravel with them or crashed through a bramble patch in the woods they have stood up well to everyday riding foliage strikes and narrow tracks in between gorse bushes. They even had several encounters with the dirt on the mountain bike and each time I’ve just washed them in cold water and dried them and they were good to go.
The grip from that mad palm is extremely good. I’ve yet to experience saturated rain rides with them so I cannot vouch whether they are better than the Hirzl gloves in this area but their performance in the morning mist and dry cool to roasting sun has been fantastic. If you slap them on and try to slide them across your desktop they feel like sticky Spiderman gloves, The way those 3D-printed polymers grip is very impressive.
The palm’s 3D-printed hollow polymer cones bullseye design works perfectly when you close your hand around the bar or brake hood to provide the fantastic tacky grip and super-close feel I prefer.
The polymer cones offer isolation from vibrations from trail chatter most noticeably on the gravel bike when you have no forks and larger softer tyres to help absorb the noise from the trail. With 700×42-45mm tyres running between high 20s – 30psi you can definitely get tired hands on a rough 30-mile route around the plain but these gloves have really helped in that aspect. Not only due to the vibration management from the polymer cones but also from the air vents between the fingers which on the drop bars make it easy to open your fingers and allow a very noticeable flow of air in to help cool your hands. On the mountain bike, the vibration taming is harder to notice due to long forks and softer tyres, but the grip and air vents work the same meaning less overheating hands.
After a huge five-plus hours of baking gravel in the summer sun of the Midi Pyrenees on a looping gravel ride to the Pico Noire Montagne, these gloves showed their worth. Previously in such hot conditions, my hands have become hot, sweaty and numb and I would be looking to remove the gloves to cool down but the air vents offer measurable airflow into the palm, keeping my hand cool and able to grip, my hands stayed numb-free which is a huge result for such a brutal test.
And finally a word about their feel on Prologo’s own X-shred mountain bike grips which feature the same type of hollow cone polymer design. The good news is that thankfully they don’t connect like Stickle Bricks or Velcro so you do not get stuck together but there is an increased feeling of shock adsorption whilst at the same time delivering fantastic grip and superb control of the bar.
Smartphone control is another strong point for the Energrip as the large pads on the thumb and index finger are the best I’ve come across. The control on my phone’s screen was excellent as was the fairly uncooperative Bryton S800’s screen which can often be a right pain even with your finger. Not only do these two padded sections work well with your high-tech gadgetry but they also provide super-important grip for the gear, brake and dropper controls.
The durability of the polymer cones is excellent with no wear patches or missing sections. Only long-term testing will help so I’ll update if anything changes. The mesh body has also proved durable so far although a few small loose ends are showing if you look closely but, importantly, with a glove of this design, all seems to be still tight. One small hole has appeared on the side of the index finger undoubtedly from an off-piste excursion through some aggressive scrubland. The hole has not run and would be easily repaired with a bit of care – a job for the cooler months for sure.
Prologo Energrip Long Finger gloves – Verdict
At £67, it is a decent wedge of cash to spend on a pair of gloves that look so odd. The design is unique and offers some noticeable benefits but what else should you take a look at before you take the plunge?
Troy Lee Design’s Ace 2.0 is an excellent lightweight highly breathable glove that is not quite as tight fitting as the Energrip and easier to get on and off although it has zero padding or technology in the palm. It has recently been given an update and been replaced by the new Ace version but you can find both versions for sale. Hrizl’s Light full finger glove is unbelievably grippy in the wet and deals with both bar tape and grips well. It’s another skin-tight glove fit and owes its sticky palm tech to its golf glove heritage.
The Prologo Energrip Long Finger gloves are superbly grippy and will please lovers of second-skin feeling gloves. It’s amazingly breathable and offers an excellent level of comfort, especially on drop-bar gravel bikes. It’s not cheap and I cannot verify some of the tech claims but I am very impressed by this glove and am a convert to the polymer and vent design.
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Product purpose:
The revolution in the world of cycling. A natural extension of the hand that enhances grip and absorbs ground vibrations. A new synergy between man and product.
The new Energrip, with Prologo’s patented CPC (Connect – Power – Control) cycling technology and its design, the result of research with partners and professionals of excellence, represents the ultimate in gloves, offering three benefits at once:
– GRIP and SHOCK ABSORPTION
The CPC’s 3D printed polymers have been specially developed to provide a secure grip in all conditions and weather, while the shape and positioning on strategic points of the hand ensure that most of the vibrations transmitted by the bike to the body are absorbed, significantly reducing stress on tendons, muscles and joints and allowing you to ride for longer without discomfort or pain. Ever heard of marginal gains?
Build extra:
Product construction
Product construction extra:
Product performance
Product performance extra:
At more normal temperatures the grip and comfort from the glove is superb, even if you push hard and start to overheat as the glove simply vents excess heat.
Product durability
Product durability extra:
Product comfort
Product comfort extra:
product value
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Product value extra:
Overall performance:
Breathability, Shock Adsorption, Grip, Control, Tech Control, Comfort
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