Best Mountain Bike Gloves for Beginners
Gloves are the cheapest, most useful thing to add after a helmet: better grip, less vibration, and saved skin when (not if) you go down. Full-finger, always, for trail riding. Here are three worth pulling on.
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- Full-finger gloves are standard for trail riding — they protect your fingers and palms in a crash.
- Gloves improve grip on the bars (especially sweaty) and cushion trail vibration.
- Minimal, low-profile gloves give the best bar feel; lightly padded ones add comfort.
- Touchscreen fingertips let you use your phone without taking them off.
- They’re cheap and wear out — an easy, high-value first purchase after the helmet.
Why full-finger, and how much padding
For mountain biking, full-finger gloves are the standard (unlike road cycling’s fingerless mitts). Your hands always hit the ground first in a tumble, and brush, branches, and roost find exposed fingers — full coverage protects all of it. Gloves also improve grip on the bars when your hands sweat and take the edge off trail vibration.
Padding is a preference. Minimal, low-profile gloves (like the 100% Ridecamp) give the best direct feel of the bars and brake levers — most trail riders prefer this. Lightly padded gloves add a little comfort on long, rough rides. Avoid heavily gel-padded gloves for technical riding; they dull your control.
Fit and features
Gloves should fit snug with no loose fingertips so they don’t bunch on the levers, with a little stretch across the back of the hand. Most quality gloves now include touchscreen-conductive fingertips so you can check a map or snap a photo without peeling them off.
Look for a grippy palm (silicone print or suede-like microfibre) for lever control, and a simple slip-on or single-tab cuff — fussy closures aren’t needed for trail riding. They’re inexpensive and consumable, so don’t overthink it.
Best value100% Ridecamp Gloves
$22The value pick with the best feel. The Ridecamp is a streamlined, low-profile glove with no padding to get between you and the bars, a grippy Clarino palm with silicone print for lever control, and touchscreen threads. Light, breathable, and cheap — exactly what most beginners want, minus the bulk.
What's good
- Direct, unpadded bar feel
- Grippy palm and touchscreen tips
- Inexpensive and breathable
What's not
- No padding (by design)
- Runs a touch small — size up
Best all-rounderFox Racing Ranger Gloves
$30The default trail glove. The Ranger is a yearly best-seller for good reason — light and breathable with 4-way stretch, a grippy palm, touchscreen fingertips, and just enough protection to save skin in a tumble. Full-finger coverage, durable, and a help on every ride. The all-round pick most beginners are happy with.
What's good
- Light, grippy, breathable
- Touchscreen fingertips
- Durable best-seller
What's not
- Minimal padding
- Sizing varies — check the chart
Best premiumGiro DND Gloves
$35The comfort-and-quality upgrade. The DND (“Down ’N Dirty”) pairs a conforming AX Suede microfibre palm for excellent lever grip with light 2mm EVA crash pads and a sweat-wiping microfibre thumb. A touch plusher and better-finished than basic gloves, with touchscreen fingertips. A lovely glove that lasts.
What's good
- Excellent palm grip and feel
- Light crash padding
- Sweat-wiping thumb, durable
What's not
- Pricier than basic gloves
- Slightly warmer than minimal gloves
Try gloves on and flex your hands around an imaginary bar. They should be snug with no loose fingertip material that could bunch on the brake levers, but not so tight they restrict movement or cut circulation. Most MTB gloves stretch slightly with use, so a close fit out of the box is right.
Before you buy
Choose full-finger gloves for trail riding.
Minimal gloves give the best bar feel; light padding adds comfort.
Look for touchscreen fingertips.
Fit snug with no loose fingertips.
They’re cheap and wear out — replace as needed.
MTB glove questions
Do I need mountain bike gloves?
Full-finger or fingerless gloves for mountain biking?
Do I want padded gloves?
How should mountain bike gloves fit?
Add full-finger gloves right after your helmet — they help every ride and save skin in a crash. The Fox Ranger is the do-everything best-seller most beginners should buy; the 100% Ridecamp is the value pick with the best bar feel; the Giro DND is the premium, plusher option. Fit them snug with no loose fingertips.
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