Lizard Skins Aramus GC Gloves

The Lizard Skins Aramus GC summer mitts are comfortable and well made, easy to put on and off, and a decent price for a quality padded mitt. I tested the unpadded Aramus Elites at the same time and a lot of my findings are the same; if you liked the sound of those but prefer a bit of padding, these are well worth a look.

• Pros: Comfortable, easy to wear, well made
• Cons: Nothing really

The Aramus GCs are made from AX suede on the palm with well-positioned gel inserts (around 2-3mm thick) at the base of the fingers, thumb and side of the hand, and a breathable mesh on the back of the hand with the usual towelling strip. The materials are soft against the skin, with a Velcro strap for a snug fit.

As with the Elites, the fingers are longer than most mitts I've worn, giving a little extra grip on the handlebar. Between the fingers are two decently sized finger pulls – some gloves I have worn have had these but were far too small and fiddly – which makes pulling the gloves off without them turning inside out a doddle.

Sizing-wise they're spot on, the size large tested being just right for my hands (it's not my hands modelling them). Some brands can be wildly different and way too small (usually) or too big.

Like the Elites, they do a great job, providing a nice amount of grip on the bar, which increases somewhat when the suede is damp, with just that bit more cushioning from the gel. I'd say they're just a smidge more comfortable than the unpadded Elites, though both are capable of keeping your hands protected from road buzz on day-long rides.

The towelling strip is as useful as ever, especially in the hotter weather and, as mentioned, getting them on and off is easy, which is good for cleanliness at cafe stops; as I said in my review of the Elites, I don't always bother removing gloves if it's a pain.

I've washed them several times in the machine with Halo sports liquid, strapping down the Velcro (otherwise they will stick to anything else in the wash) and they've come out looking like new, supple and ready to go again after air-drying outside.

> Read more road.cc reviews of summer cycling mitts 

After a few weeks' wear and a bit of abuse they've held up really well, with no stitching coming undone or holes appearing anywhere, and look like they'll last a couple of seasons if not longer.

At £30 they sit in the upper price range for a pair of good mitts (the unpadded Elites are £25), but can be had for less online with a little searching. If you like padding in your mitts, I'd say these are a good buy.

Verdict

Really comfortable summer mitts for all-day riding, with well-positioned padding