Gripgrab Mitts

Fabric Tech & Wet-Weather Performance

The palm is where GripGrab put most of their material thinking. Higher-end models use AX Suede - a synthetic leather that mimics the feel of real suede but holds its grip when your hands are wet. On a damp August morning in the Peaks, or when a summer shower rolls in over the Yorkshire Wolds with zero warning, that matters more than you'd expect from a mitt. Regular synthetic leather can turn glassy when wet; AX Suede stays tactile.

Flip the mitt over and you've got a lightweight mesh back. It's there for one reason: temperature regulation. Humid British summer climbs - think the long drag up Box Hill on a muggy July afternoon - generate a lot of hand sweat, and a solid fabric back just traps it. The open-weave mesh lets air move through and moisture evaporate, so your hands stay drier and more comfortable across the whole ride. Quick-drying too, which is handy when you've stashed your mitts in a back pocket through a shower. If you're comparing across brands, Castelli mitts and Endura mitts take broadly similar approaches, but GripGrab's mesh tends to be more generously cut across the back of the hand.

Understanding the GripGrab Fit and Range

GripGrab short finger cycling gloves split into two fairly distinct camps, and picking the wrong one is a common mistake. The aero-focused models - think TT-style construction - use slip-on cuffs with no Velcro. They're cut close, almost like a latex glove, and they carry minimal padding. That second-skin fit is exactly what you want if you're racing or riding at pace and every gram and millimetre of drag is a consideration. The trade-off is that they offer less ulnar nerve protection on rougher surfaces, so they suit smooth roads and shorter efforts better than a five-hour mixed-surface day.

The endurance and ProGel-style models are the ones most UK riders will reach for. These come with Velcro closures at the wrist, a slightly more relaxed fit through the fingers, and GripGrab summer mitts featuring up to 4mm of DoctorGel padding. That gel is positioned specifically over the ulnar nerve - not just scattered across the palm - which is the detail that separates a properly engineered mitt from one that just has a foam insert. Two to four millimetres doesn't sound like much, but as a vibration dampening layer between you and rough chip-seal, it's the difference between arriving at your destination with functional hands or spending ten minutes at the café shaking feeling back into your fingers.

GripGrab's gMagnets system is worth a mention here: small magnets embedded in the cuff keep left and right mitts paired when they're not on your hands. Trivial-sounding, genuinely useful. Check your kit bag before a ride and you won't be hunting for a stray mitt.

One important boundary: mitts are strictly a warm-weather, short-finger proposition. Once the temperature drops or you're heading into full mountain bike territory, you need something different entirely - the GripGrab Gloves category covers full-finger and winter options worth looking at before you commit.

For another benchmark in this space, Giro mitts are worth a look if you want to compare fit and padding philosophies side by side.

Layering and Care for UK Riding

Early morning starts in June or September are where mitts show their limitations - and where a bit of kit management earns its keep. Paired with GripGrab arm warmers, mitts handle that awkward 10 - 14°C window without overcomplicating things. The arm warmers stuff into a back pocket once you've warmed up; the mitts stay on. It's a neater solution than reaching for a heavier glove. A GripGrab jersey with deep back pockets makes that transition easier, and if you're the kind of rider who gets sweaty feet, pairing with GripGrab socks keeps the kit consistent in terms of fabric behaviour and fit.

Care is straightforward but worth doing right. Machine wash at 30°C with similar colours, using a mild non-biological detergent. Biological detergents - the ones with enzymes - are harder on synthetic suede and will accelerate the breakdown of the AX Suede palm surface, making it stiffen and lose its grip character faster than it should. Always air dry flat. Tumble dryers and radiators are both bad news for GripGrab gel padding mitts: excessive heat degrades the DoctorGel, compresses it permanently, and shortens the lifespan of the mitt significantly. Give them a gentle wash after sweaty rides rather than leaving them for a week - salt from sweat is abrasive on both the palm fabric and the stitching.