Do You Actually Need MTB Gloves? What 25 Years of Riding Taught Me

There was a time when gloves were almost a fashion statement.

Back when I was racing XC and riding anything I could find, your gloves said something about you. What brand you repped. What kind of rider you were. Everyone had their brand and they stuck with it. Fox. Troy Lee. Giro. You knew who was serious and who just bought whatever was on the rack at Walmart.

That was a long time ago. After 25 years on a mountain bike, my relationship with gloves has gotten a lot more complicated.

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear I've actually used or researched thoroughly.

The Honest Answer: It Depends

I'll be straight with you — I don't wear gloves every ride anymore.

Living in the Inland Empire in Southern California, summer rides mean triple digit heat and dusty trails. At some point I started leaving the gloves at home. And then something happened: I liked it. You can feel so much more through your hands. The feedback from the bars, vibration from the trail, even whether something is loose on your bike, gloves muffle all of that. Some pro downhill riders have made the same call. The feel is real.

But here's the other side of that. I've had crashes, plenty of them, where I wasn't wearing gloves and absolutely wished I was. Palms on dirt and rock at speed is not a good time. And there's a reason I still reach for gloves on cold mornings or when I'm hitting big jumps. The protection is real too.

So the answer isn't yes or no. It's know when and know what.

The Moment I'll Never Forget

Years back I was out digging trails. Just building, working on some features, hands dirty. I was pretty broke at the time — not the season of life where you're buying new gear.

It was cold. I didn't have gloves on.

Some guy rode up, stopped, watched me work for a minute. Started asking about the features, who built them. Then he looked at my hands and said — it's cold, you don't have gloves?

I shrugged it off.

He reached into his pack and handed me his Fox gloves. Said he had a new pair at home.

They were a little too big. Didn't matter.

That's the kind of thing that sticks with you. The MTB community has those moments if you're out there long enough. Those gloves meant more than warmth.

What Actually Wears Out (And What to Look For)

After blowing out more pairs than I can count, here's what I know:

Where gloves die first: The webbing between your thumb and index finger. Every time. That constant grip-and-release on the bars just destroys that spot. After that, fingertips go. I've cut tips off gloves to squeeze out a few more rides. My dad patches his with electrical tape. No shame.

Closure or no closure: Gloves with a velcro wrist strap stay put better but can dig in. No-closure gloves feel cleaner but need to fit more precisely — too loose and they shift around. I've gone back and forth. Currently prefer no strap but you have to get the sizing right.

Full finger vs half finger: Half finger works great for XC and casual riding, good ventilation, less sweaty, still protects your palms. Full finger is what you want when it's cold or you're riding rougher terrain. I rode half finger a lot as a kid, mostly full finger now.

Touchscreen compatibility: This matters more than people admit. If you're commuting, listening to music, need to answer a text — a glove that won't work with your phone screen is a genuine problem. I've cut tips off gloves specifically for this reason. Most modern gloves have touchscreen-compatible fingertips now but they vary a lot in how well they actually work. Some are smooth and responsive, some you're standing there jabbing your finger at the screen four times.

Fit: Sizing is inconsistent across brands. What's a large in one brand is a medium in another. If you can try before you buy, do it.

Brands Worth Knowing

Troy Lee Designs — My current go-to. Quality construction, holds up well, fits my hands right. Not the cheapest but not ridiculous either. Worth it.

Fox — I've bought the same budget Fox pair multiple times. Got my dad a couple pairs too. When you find a glove that fits and lasts, you buy it again. That says something.

Giro — Solid. Been around forever. DND model is a popular trail glove and for good reason.

Budget options — I've had cheap $15 gloves that lasted surprisingly long and name brand gloves that fell apart fast. Price doesn't guarantee anything. Read reviews, look at the materials, see what other riders say. The Seibertron full-finger gloves on Amazon have strong reviews and come in around $20 — not a brand with heritage but the numbers don't lie.

When to Wear Gloves (And When You Might Not)

Wear them when:

• It's cold, hands lose dexterity fast and cold crashing without gloves is brutal

• You're hitting jumps, drops, or anything consequential

• You're new to the sport, your skin needs time to build up, gloves protect during that period

• Long rides, even if you're not crashing, friction and vibration add up

Maybe skip them when:

• You want to feel more connected to the bike, especially on technical trail riding where feedback matters

• It's genuinely hot and you run warm

• You're on an easy, familiar trail

Just know what you're accepting if you go gloveless. It's a real tradeoff, not a bad one, but a real one.

Most riders solve the sweaty hands problem with gloves, some go the other direction entirely with chalk, and there's a whole spectrum in between.

One More Thing

Gloves don't have to be MTB-specific. I've ridden in Milwaukee work gloves. I've worn garden gloves (don't ask). You might get some looks at the trailhead showing up in construction gloves, but if it's what you've got it's what you've got. And for cold weather riding see my post on best gloves for cold weather.

The best glove is the one that's on your hands when you need it.

Contact

© 2025 Mark Hower MTB