Searching for a new pair of bike gloves? Read this before you buy!
While cycling gloves are often an after-thought, they’re actually pretty important. They protect your palms from serious injury in the event of a crash, absorb road vibration to make your ride more comfortable, and improve your grip on the handlebars.
We’ve researched and tested dozens of pairs of women’s bike gloves, and surveyed all of our favorite ladies that ride, and the gloves on this list consistently came out on top.
If you need a little extra help choosing, we’ve also included a comparison chart and some tips on what to look for when choosing a new pair of gloves.
Also note that these gloves are primarily intended for road cycling. We also have a list of women’s mountain bike gloves if that’s what you’re looking for instead.
Terry Bella Bike Gloves
Most women’s bike gloves are BORING–but not the Terry Bella. These gloves are both pretty and functional. They come in several different colors and designs and even match the Terry Bella jerseys, should you choose to grab one of those as well.
The palms have plenty of padding which make these gloves good for long century rides and the wrist closure doesn’t have velcro which many women (including myself) really appreciate.
Most women we spoke with recommended ordering up a size as they seem to run a little small.
Price: $61.54 (Last updated: 2023-05-12 at 14:20 – More Info)
Giro Tessa Gel LF
The Giro Tessa is a lightweight, minimal-feeling full-finger glove that works well for road riding as well as mountain biking. We like the mesh upper that keeps your hands from getting sweaty, as well as the gel padding in the palm–it is comfy without being bulky feeling.
The gloves come in black or pink. They also run REALLY small, so keep that in mind when ordering.
Read Our Review: Giro Tessa LF glove
Price: Price not available (Last updated: 2023-05-20 at 08:54 – More Info)
Terry T-Glove
Like the other Terry gloves, the T-Glove comes in a variety of patterns, so no matter your personal style, you’ll probably find a design you like. The palm is heavily padded, so if you have issues with numbness, this is a glove that will work well for you.
In my personal experience with these gloves, they are well-made, durable, and will last a long time. That said, I did have issues with the velcro snagging the fabric on top of the hand which made them look a little beat up.
They run a bit small, so order up a size.
Price: (Last updated: – More Info)
Bontrager Meraj
The padding on the Bontrager Meraj offers the ultimate in comfort: memory foam AND gel. Suffer from hand pain while riding? Give the Meraj a shot.
Bontrager is also owned by Trek, so these are easier to locate at a local bike shop (Treak dealer) than most of the gloves on this list.
The Meraj gloves come in blue and grey.
Price: $30
Bontrager Circuit Full-Finger Women’s Cycling Glove
Are you a no nonsense sort of gal? If so, you’ll love the Bontrager Circuit gloves.
They come in one color (black), have easy on-off capability thanks to the hook and loop wrist closures, and palms that are comfy but not bulky.
These gloves work well for cooler-weather riding and offer plenty of protection. They are also reasonably priced for a full-finger glove.
Price: $35 at TrekBikes.com
Pearl Izumi Women’s Elite Gel Bike Gloves
Pearl Izumi tends to make good products at an affordable price, and the Women’s Elite Gel bike gloves are no exception. These gloves have feature we’d expect to see on a more expensive glove such as gel padding and a hook-and-loop closure (yay! no velcro!).
One thing to be aware of is that the finger holes are rather slim, so if you have wider fingers you might want to skip these gloves.
Price: Price not available (Last updated: 2023-05-12 at 09:31 – More Info)
Giro Jag’ette
Hello cute gloves! We’ll admit it: our favorite thing about the Jag’ette is how darn adorable the designs are.
That said, they perform well also. These gloves are stretchy, comfortable and minimalistic. We like them for hot summer rides and anytime we don’t want a glove with too much bulk.
Price: Price not available (Last updated: 2023-05-20 at 08:54 – More Info)
Giro Womens LA DND Gloves
Looking for a full-finger glove? The Giro LA DND might be just what you want.
These gloves are cute, lightweight, and comfortable. They have minimal padding but plenty of protection, and work well during the shoulder season where you want a full-finger glove but not a “winter” glove. We also like the lack of a velcro strap at the wrist.
Two things to be aware of before buying: (1) the gloves do NOT work well with cell phone screens, and (2) they run a little small. Order up a size.
Read Our Review: Giro LA DND
Price: $24.94 (Last updated: 2023-05-12 at 14:00 – More Info)
Louis Garneau Mondo Sprint Women’s Gloves
They’re not cheap, but they’re not “cheap” either, if you know what we mean. The Louis Garneau Mondo Sprint is a high-end, well-made half-finger glove for women.
The fabric is nice and stretchy which we like, and the palm has ample gel padding without feeling bulky. They also have some of the better ventilation that we’ve seen, so you don’t have to worry about your hands getting sweaty.
The only bummer? They only come in pink or black, so if you want other colors–look elsewhere.
Price: $21.00
Comparison Chart: Women’s Bike Gloves
So how do all these gloves stack up against each other? Here’s a handy-dandy comparison chart. We’ve included info on price, style, fabric, and padding.
| Bike Glove | Full-Finger or Fingerless? | Fabric | Palm Padding | Velcro Closure? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry T-Glove* | Fingerless | Nylon/Lycra; palms: synthetic leather | Gel | Yes |
| Terry Bella* | Fingerless | Lycra; mesh backing | foam | No |
| Bontrager Meraj* | Fingerless | AX Suede; palm: synthetic leather | gel and memory foam | No |
| Bontrager Circuit | Fingerless | AX Suede; palm: synthetic leather | gel and memory foam | Yes |
| Pearl Izumi Elite Gel* | Fingerless | Back of hand: 100% Polyester; Palm: 60% Nylon, 40% Polyurethane; Imported; Palm: synthetic leather | Gel | Yes |
| Giro Jag'ette* | Fingerless | Lycra; palm: AX Suede | Eva padding | Yes |
| Giro Womens LA DND Gloves* | Full-Finger | Mesh; palm: AX suede; fingertip print: silicone | Gel | No |
| Louis Garneau Mondo Sprint* | Fingerless | Upper hand: Power Mesh (80% polyester, 20% spandex); spandex; Palm: Clarino synthetic leather | Gel | Yes |
| Giro Tessa Gel LF * | Full-Finger | Upper hand: polyester/polyester mesh; palm: synthetic leather | Gel | Yes |
How To Pick a Pair of Cycling Gloves
Not really sure what you should be looking for when shopping for a pair of cycling gloves? No worries, we can help! Here are a few things we recommend thinking about before picking.
Full-Finger vs Half-Finger Gloves
Whether you choose half-finger (also called “fingerless” gloves) or full-finger gloves is largely a matter of personal preference. For road cycling, half-finger gloves are all you REALLY need. They do a good job of offering grip, absorbing vibration, and protecting your palms in an event of a crash. They are also more comfortable in warm (or hot!) weather, and allow you to easily swipe your cell phone screen without taking off your gloves.
That said, some women prefer full-finger gloves even for road riding. (I happen to be one of them!). Full-finger gloves are a good choice for cooler weather, ultimate protection in the event of a crash, and protection from the sun. They also look slightly less goofy if you feel self-concious about wearing fingerless gloves.
Padding
Again, the amount of padding (or lack of padding) you choose is largely up to your personal preferences.
Gloves with padding are more comfortable on roads with lots of vibration and for long days in the saddle. They can also help if you get numbness or tingling in your hands while riding.
More minimalistic gloves offer just a little bit of padding or none at all. These are good for women who like to “feel” the road or otherwise dislike the feel of padded gloves. These gloves are solely for protection and grip — not vibration absorption.
Velcro or No Velcro
Most women’s cycling gloves have a velcro closure at the wrist. This can be nice if you like a nice tight fit.
A slip-on wrist (left) and a velcro wrist closure (right)
Some women, however, prefer a wrist closure that doesn’t have any velcro. Why? Velcro is notorious for snagging the glove fabric, attracting dirt and other debris, and can add an extra step every time you want to take your gloves on or off.