Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to REVIEWS
review
Gloves - mitts
Pearl Izumi Women's Elite Gel Vent GlovePearl Izumi Women's Elite Gel Vent Glove

Pearl Izumi Women's Elite Gel Vent Glove

8
by Lara Dunn
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Mar 31, 2012

0
£24.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Comfortable, good value for money, warm weather riding mitt. Available in men's version too
Weight: 
60g
Contact: 
www.madison.co.uk
How we test

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

The Elite Gel Vents are Pearl Izumi's mid-high end cycling mitt, with only the P.R.O Pittards Gel Gloves coming with more bells and whistles, and a higher price tag. At this price they are competing with most of the better featured gloves in the marketplace, short of tackling the specialist, handmade and race arenas.

These are good looking gloves, with a pleasing choice of two attractive but not overly girly colours and some swirly patterns to cheer things up a bit. The overall effect though isn't too in your face, and should keep most women happy. These are fully featured gloves, with complex gel pads to protect the ulnar and median nerves, mesh vented synthetic leather palms, mesh fabric backs to keep ventilation to a max, a soft nose wipe and a tab to pull on to help get the gloves off more easily. The fastening at the wrist is Velcro and there's a reflective logo on each index finger.

When riding, they are very comfortable indeed, with just the right amount of padding and really well located protection for the nerves. They are grippy enough, well ventilated and don't let your hands get too sticky, and would happily suit energetic riding throughout the spring, summer and early autumn. They're definitely better suited to warmer temperatures though. Sizing is pretty much spot on, with the mediums being very, well, medium.

It's hard to find fault with a pair of really comfortable riding mitts at this price. The quality isn't entirely 100%, with some of the stitching at the fingers on the pair I tried threatening to start the unraveling process within a few rides, but they're made from such light meshy fabric that that's not too surprising, and pretty easily fixed.

Verdict

Comfortable, good value for money, warm weather riding mitt. Available in men's version too.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Pearl Izumi Women's Elite Gel Vent Glove

Size tested: Blue- Medium

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?

Aimed at female riders looking for a lightweight summer mitt with nerve protection.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Back 80% nylon/15% polyurethane/5% spandex

Palm 60% nylon/40% polyurethane

Clarino synthetic leather palm

Comfort Bridge Gel Vent padding to protect ulnar and median nerves

Mesh palm lining for better moisture transport

Anatomic palm pattern for comfort

Glove removal tab

Machine washable at 30

Available in sizes S, M, L

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
5/10

Some niggles with stitching but high quality materials and components.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Performed really well.

Rate the product for durability:
 
5/10

There are more durable gloves out there, but these are light, airy and exceptionally breathable and that's a partial trade-off.

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

Pretty light and very breathable.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10

Extremely comfortable.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

Great value for money for a high performance pair of gloves.

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

very well indeed.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Style, padding, comfort, breathability

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Some unravelling of stitching on one finger very quickly.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Definitely.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

Really comfortable and great value for money. Particularly good for hot weather.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,

 

women's cycling clothing
Pearl Izumi Women's Elite Gel Vent Glove
Pearl Izumi
Lara Dunn

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

Latest Comments