GripGrab Nordic Cycling Gloves Review

I first wrote about the GribGrab Nordic Gloves in mid-September in my New Winter Gear First Look post. Since then I have worn them a fair amount in mixed conditions and feel confident that I have put them through their paces adequately, to write a review of their performance.

They are billed as thermal insulated, windproof and water-resistant. They have a 4mm gel insert that sits on the heel of the hand, conveniently placed for when riding on the hoods and silicone grips on the fingers, thumb and palm. They are lobster style with a 2 finger and thumb design, but with a layer of separation between the fingers. The cuff is not only fully elasticated around the whole wrist but also has a drawcord to sinch them up further if required. They have a ‘sweet wiper’ (whatever that is) and apparently are touch screen compatible, which I can’t confirm or deny as my Garmin has a resistive screen so reacts to pressure not conductivity.

There are also some small reflective logos on the back of the hand which honestly I think are probably fairly useless in any practical sense but they are there none the less.

I would suggest that the measurements given on the size guide are maximums not “to fit” type size guidance. If your fingers are the exact length as described then they will touch the ends of the gloves, so if in doubt you almost certainly want to size up. If you think you might want to wear some liner gloves, as many people do in the winter, then I suggest sizing up as well. I found them snug and a little stiff to start but as I wore them in over a few weeks they stretched a little and the padding settled comfortably to the shape of my hands. In terms of manoeuvrability any glove that binds your fingers together is always going to reduce your hand dexterity, there is simply no way to avoid that. However, for me, it does not affect it sufficiently to make riding the bike any more difficult. I’m still able to change gear using STI’s, reach for the brake levers from all the normal drop bar hand positions and pull and replace a bottle from the cage perfectly well. I suppose the only thing that is slightly more tricky with them over conventional gloves is pulling my GoPro out of my pocket when I’m trying to record my VLOG entries.

Cuff buckle

Cuff elastic

In terms of warmth, they are really very good. I have done rides that got down to freezing with no trouble what so ever. I have also ridden in cold windy conditions and they have been able to keep the wind out, the cuff working well to not let in any unwanted drafts. I have found that the comfort of the cuff is somewhat dependant on what type of long sleeve top I’m wearing. With most of my windproof jackets, the cuff is loose enough to go outside of the sleeve cuff but with a proper storm level waterproof you need to tuck them inside. Another point about the cuff and bare with me on this one. The cuff does not have a huge amount of material, it is somewhat lighter than the rest of the construction, which means that there is not a lot of volume to hold water that can transfer upwards to the sleeve of your jersey or windproof jacket. I can’t say the same for the GripGrab Optimus Gloves that I will also be reviewing soon (TM).

These gloves are definitely not waterproof but don’t wet out quickly in showers. I have ridden with them in torrential rain a few times and although they did eventually saturate, most importantly they still kept my hands warm. My fingers looked like prunes but they were perfectly comfortable to ride. On one particular day, they got soaked very early in the ride and although I spent another 150km in progressively dropping temperatures, including a ridgeline in freezing fog, my hands were still nice and warm. After a mechanical or refuelling stop where my hands got cold, in 10-15mins they had warmed up again and I was very happy with how they performed. I even had a pair of much lighter but dry gloves with me, that I left in my back pocket. My reasoning being that warm but damp is better than dry but cold.

Time will tell if they are hard-wearing enough to last the 3 winters of commuting, mountain biking and Audax’s to match the gloves they replaced but right now I’m fairly confident I choose wisely. I have no reservations at this point in recommending these gloves.