GripGrab Gloves Review
Reviewed by:
Essex Herts MTB
-
We test out the latest gloves from GripGrab
The Raptor, The Shark, The SuperGel XC, The Racing, and The Predator.
The Raptor, The Shark, The SuperGel XC, The Racing, and The Predator.
Introduction
GripGrab are Danish company founded in 2000 by Kristian, Martin and Bjørn Krøyer. They are glove specialists. Getting your contact points right is vital to keeping control, and key in getting that all important 'feel'. We see how the GripGrab range stacks up.GripGrab Glove Specifications
- The placement of the shock absorbing DoctorGel™ pads is optimized to reduce the risk of nerve compression.
- How do you find the right size when shopping online? GripGrab have created a nice little tool that should point you in the right direction and help you find your size
- The GripGrab Shark is a full-finger glove with DoctorGel padding and durable synthetic leather palm.
- The GripGrab SuperGel XC is a top of the line full-finger glove with DoctorGel padding and durable synthetic leather palm.
- The GripGrab Racing is a lightweight glove for mountain-bike racing.
- The GripGrab Raptor is a A cross-season glove that combines warmth, durability and close fit, making it ideal for MTB and cyclocross.
- The GripGrab Predator glove combines flexibility and protection for MTB, BMX and Free riding. The synthetic leather palm with ventilated areas that reduce moisture provide superb Grip on challenging descends. Kevlar padded zones offers excellent crash protection.
"Ventilation is a priority... with highly breathable backs & perforated leather palms."
Design and Durability - Positives
- The detailing and design are unique and give the gloves a premium feel.
- The sizing guide on the site is very accurate and means you can order online with confidence.
- Glove fit is obviously a very personal thing, but the GripGrab's are some of the most comfortable gloves we have tried. A lot of effort has been put into making sure the material is cut to follow the contour of your hands. They feel great on.
- DoctorGel works well and dampens a lot of the shock you get through your palms. It's not overly thick and doesn't impair your control on the bars.
- Ventilation is a priority on all models with highly breathable backs and perforated leather palms. Sweaty wet hands were never an issue.
- Every GripGrab model features a very absorbent sweat wiper which came in very useful during summer testing.
- Most of the gloves feature a Velcro closure. This has worn well with no fraying or fuzzing, even after a lot of washing.
- The quality of the stitching is excellent on all the GripGrab gloves. Throughout testing we didn't have any threads come loose, or any rough edges in the fabric appear.
- Synthetic leather palms wear well. They don't get hard after drying from wet, and kept supple throughout a range of temperatures.
- Grip was excellent helped by the good fit and additions of strategically placed Silicon. This helped give all the gloves a very tactile feel.
Design and Durability - Negatives
- Some of the 'never loose your grip' wording on the fingers started to come off after a few rides.
- Having highly ventilated backs comes at a price. The odd thorn and bramble poked through the venting zones on the back of the gloves during summer testing.
- The range seems quite narrow. The Shark, Supergel and Racing are quite similar in design. The GripGrab Predator which is supposed to be the most 'hardcore' is an excellent glove but doesn't offer enough protection for full on freeriding. It's more of a trail / enduro glove despite the areas of Kevlar protection.
"DoctorGel works well and dampens a lot of the shock you get through your palms."
Test Info
- Tested when - Spring, Summer
- Level of care for kit - Washed when muddy, left in a heap with helmet and other kit between rides.
- Size tested - Medium and Large
- Other similar products used - POC, Fox, Troy Lee, Endura, Specialized
"Having highly ventilated backs comes at a price. The odd thorn & bramble poked through..."
Final Thoughts
Out of the box, the general reaction to all the GripGrab gloves was “oh these are nice”. I know that's not very scientific but that initial feedback tells you a lot. They have a premium feeling that I dont think us MTBers are used to. On closer inspection, you can see how well the GripGrab ’s have been put together. There are lots of neat, well placed features, and the detailing is excellent. The synthetic leather palms offer great grip, and the mesh backs, and wipers, throughout the range keep sweat at bay.The GripGrab size guide has meant that the gloves we ordered were an accurate fit. In addition clever material choices and the snug cut of the gloves offer a very tactile feel. We wish the range was a bit broader and a bit more protection on the Predator would make it a true Freeride glove. We would love to see GripGrab produce a real Downhill glove too as the quality of it would no doubt be excellent. Overall, for anything but Dh duties check out the GripGrab range of gloves. They take bike glove comfort and features to a new level.
Find out more about the GripGrab Gloves here.