The La Passione Duo Gloves are simple yet very effective cycling mitts – the lightweight fabric used for the back is breathable and soft while the palm gives excellent comfort.
The Duos are about as basic a design as you're likely to see in a summer cycling mitt. This isn't a bad thing. They work perfectly, combining a breathable back with a suede microfibre palm and slim padding. This all gives you plenty of grip on bar tape while also being comfortable on hot days.
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Staring with breathability, the Duo uses a 'premium Italian fabric' across the entire back panel. It has plenty of stretch in it and conforms to the back of your hands well. I've been using the gloves in the British summer, providing some warm days and some very humid weather, and they've been comfortable in everything.
The fingers are cut with a raw edge that, despite looking rather flimsy and prone to fraying, has remained looking new. La Passione uses small mesh pieces to join the back section with the palm and everything feels securely stitched.
The palm is a simple design but I really like it. There are no awkward gel padding sections, just two thin pieces of sponge. I always prefer a natural grip on the handlebar so I'd even be happy for there to be no padding at all.
The suede microfibre material is really nice, too, providing a soft feel against the skin that also gives plenty of grip on bar tape. It's not the grippiest that I've used – Hirzl's Grippp Light SF gloves take the crown on that score – but it's still good.
Size-wise they come up a touch on the small side, with this size large fitting snugly when I'd expect to use a medium. I'd say that if you're in the mid to upper end of a size, go one up.
My only slight gripe is that the wrist could be cut a little lower as you do get a little bunching of fabric when on the bike. It's marginal, though, and could just be my skinny wrists.
> Buyer’s Guide: 9 of the best summer cycling mitts
Price-wise, £24 strikes me as very good. The gloves are well made and, while simple, offer everything that I'd expect from a good pair of summer cycling mitts. The Hirzl gloves that I mentioned are far more expensive at £36, though Lusso's Summer gloves are very good and still £19.99.
Galibier's Campionissimo 11 Luxury mitts are an excellent choice at £25 if you're looking for something a little more retro.
Overall, I'd say the Duos are very good – they're comfortable, breathable and good value, plus they look great.
Verdict
Comfortable, breathable and good value summer cycling mitts
Make and model: La Passione Duo Gloves
Tell us what the product is for
La Passione says, 'A refined and stylish pair of Gloves for your Summer rides. The perfect balance between comfort, elegance and grip.
'Duo Gloves are ideal for warmer weather riding. They are made with a Premium Italian mesh fabric and the palm is made with microsuede. A reinforced padding has been provided to improve the shock absorption ensuring a perfect balance between comfort and grip. Extra feature is a reinforced pull-in and pull-off tabs for easier wearability.'
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
La Passione lists:
Premium Italian fabric
Mesh fabric between fingers
Suede microfiber palm
Perforated palm for ventilation
Easy pull-on and off tabs
Comfort padding cushioned
Logo printed on palms
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
6/10
The wrist could be cut a little lower.
Rate the product for sizing:
5/10
Come up on the small side.
Rate the product for weight:
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
9/10
Rate the product for value:
7/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Apparently you should handwash them. I didn't read that until just now so they've survived the washing machine against all odds. Like all my other cycling kit, they didn't get tumble dried though.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Comfy on the bar on warm days in the saddle.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The simple design is very effective. It's unfussy with no gimmicks.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The wrist could be cut a little lower, simply to prevent a small amount of bunching of fabric.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
You can get summer mitts for less – a few we've tested on road.cc come in at £19.99 – but £24 is pretty good compared with many others.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
Comfy, breathable, look great and good value. The wrist could be cut a little shorter and they size up small, but overall I'd say they're very good.
Age: 24 Height: 177cm Weight: 62kg
I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Di2 My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 5-10 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, I specialise in the Cafe Ride!
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