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review
Gloves - full finger
Madison Skye women's mittsMadison Skye mitts

Madison Skye women's mitts

7
by hgorman
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Oct 12, 2009

0
£14.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Comfy and good value, you can't go wrong, unless your hands are too big
Weight: 
0g
Contact: 
www.madison.co.uk
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My first impression was that these were really nice gloves, and when I saw you could pick them up online for a little over £5 I expected them to score 10 out 10.

They're really lightweight and soft, and the padding on the underside seems generous. They do feel pretty luxurious as the manufacturer claims!

However, I noted 3 key downsides:

1. I tested size large and they fitted perfectly, but I wouldn't have expected to have been large as I'm pretty small in general. Not for girls with big hands!

2. The underside of two fingers on each glove has additional fabric that seems to serve little purpose. The manufaturers don't sell it as a feature and I've checked a load of other gloves and none seem to have it - so I'm either missing the point, or feeling slightly irritated that these really comfortable gloves are made less comfortable by a bit of extra fabric that seems to serve no purpose...

3. After their first 30 degree wash all the detailing (white spots) came off. Doesn't affect performance, but makes me nervous about what will happen next time they go into the wash!

Verdict

Pretty good value at RRP of £14.99, althought Lycra backed versions at £9.99 are even better value, if you can pick them up through a specical offer online for a fiver you can't really go wrong!

road.cc test report

Make and model: Madison Skye women\'s mitts

Size tested: L

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?

A cycling glove aimed specifically at women and our delicate soft hands! Manfacturers say they are soft and luxurious, which I tend to agree with in general.

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

What the manufacturers say:

Lycra-backed with a vented section on the knuckles to keep your hands cool.

Soft lining added for comfort and neoprene filled padding to reduce vibration and protect your hands.

Ergonomic women's specific palm design.

Machine washable.

Easy Off pouch for easy removal after a ride

My view:

Soft fabric, good padding on the hand and really comfortable but strange extra layer of material on two of the fingers of both glove - not sure of the purpose and makes the glove slightly less comfortable.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
6/10

Have washed once at 30 degrees and all the decoration on one hand fell off - doesn't alter performance but also doesn't reassure me that these gloves will wash and wash and wash.....

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Asside from possible issues with long term durability, the performance and comfort is really good. Best fitting gloves I've ever had!

Rate the product for durability:
 
5/10

Being soft and relatively thin I'm not sure how well these gloves will stand up to multiple washes - possibly not fair to say at the moment having only washed them once.

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

Really lightweight!

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

Great, apart from the extra fabric on the two fingers of each hand, no idea why it's there!

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

I think these are the cheapest performance gloves I've seen, particulary as they're being sold online for a fiver - you can't really go wrong and if they eventually fall apart after a few washes just order another pair!

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

Really lightweight and comfortable. First test was an 80mile ride on a hot day and they passed that with flying colours.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

They feel like something a pro might wear!

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Not sure why all female products are pink or baby blue? And I wasn't impressed that all the detail came off in the wash, not very reassuring.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, as long as they could get it at the offer price of £5 and didn't have big hands

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 5ft4  Weight: 63kg

I usually ride: Giant TCR  My best bike is: Giant Aeryn Alliance TT

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, sportives, general fitness riding, Triathlon

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