Pearl izumi ELITE Gel-Vent Gloves

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.