Giro Monaco full finger glove

It's warming up outside! The winter lobster mitts have retreated back to the glove drawer and it's time for something a bit lighter. The Monaco full finger mitts are an ideal glove for spring and early summer, full fingered but light enough to keep you cool when the sun breaks through. They're comfortable too, and the neutral styling means you can take them to the trails as well if the fancy takes you.

The Monaco glove mates a compliant and very breathable mesh upper to a well-padded Pittards leather palm. Styling is fairly minimal, with a two-tone upper and a rubberised Giro logo. A Velcro closure keeps the glove where it should be and the grippy leather palm features strategically placed 3mm gel padding for long-distance comfort.

Pulling ours on we were impressed by the comfort - the mesh comforms easily to your hand and the leather palm is very supple. The gloves purportedly feature "Giro Super fit ergonomics", whatever that is, but they do the job in terms of comfort. The fingers and wrist closure are good too with no exposed seams. On the bike they're great for milder days. It'll be a few weeks yet before they're the glove of choice for frosty morning commutes, but they should go from mid-spring onwards. It'll likely be well into summer before you'll need to swap to mitts, and then you can press them into duty as a trail glove if you're so inclined: the mesh is fairly resistant to scratches and snags, although being thin they won't keep all the brambles out.

The padding on the excellent palms is in sensible places and it's not so thick as to be intrusive. The leather is wearing well – the gloves have spent some time in the mud and the washing machine – and though the mesh has picked up a few snags, it's mostly cosmetic damage.

Niggles are pretty minor: a terry towelling snot patch might not be as aesthetically pleasing as a microfibre one but it's streets ahead in terms of how much snot it'll absorb, so I'd prefer one of them. The Velcro is a touch on the weedy side too. Other than that, I enjoyed using them. They're not cheap but they are comfy and look like they'll last: time will tell on that front and I'll report back.

Verdict

Well made spring/summer gloves with a superior palm and comfortable fit