Le Col cycling mitts review

The Le Col cycling mitts are mid-tier short-finger gloves, with perforated padding and stretchy backing in a unisex design. They’re available in small, medium and large and come in three colours.

Le Col says the palms have zonal padding to alleviate pressure and use breathable fabric to help keep the hands cool. There are discrete pull tabs at the wrist to help with removal as there is no closure mechanism to undo.

The Le Col mitts are longer at the wrist than most traditional designs and I found that this prevented chafing at the base of the palm. The upper fabric is highly elasticated and compressive and despite not having visible ventilation holes kept my hands nice and cool. Given their length, they aren’t the quickest to get on and off so I typically only removed them when stationary.

Le Col cycling mitts material + technology

The Le Col cycling mitts are made from 73% polyamide (nylon) and 27% elastane. The upper is a highly stretchy fabric, which runs fairly seamlessly into the palm with three main areas of support at the knuckles, between the thumb and index finger and at the base.

There are small perforations in the centre of the palm for ventilation and there is also mesh between the fingers. Le Col says the fabric has ‘moisture management’ properties though it is not fully explained how this works.

The mitts are available in navy, black and white, each with a large reflective decal on the sides for added visibility when indicating.

Le Col cycling mitts fit + sizing

The Le Col cycling mitts are unisex and, with a hand circumference of 19.5cm, I came in as a small. My hands aren’t particularly petite so riders with smaller hands may find even the smallest size too big. It would be useful if more size options were added given that they’re a unisex fit.

I found the overall fit to be true-to-size but it’s worth noting that the style is fairly compressive. The fabric is highly elasticated but if you prefer a looser fit it might be worth sizing up.

Given the stretch of the fabric, I had no issues with range of movement and found that the length and cut of the fingers helped the material to stay in place and not ride up.

Wearing the Le Col cycling mitts

As the Le Col mitts don’t seem to have much noticeable ventilation, I was keen to test them in hot conditions. Up to around 30°C I found the fabric to be efficiently moisture-wicking, not necessarily stopping my hands from sweating, but preventing me from noticing it too much. Above that, my hands did feel a little clammy though that’s largely to be expected.

I really like the overall cut of the Le Col mitts, with the compressive fabric nicely hugging my hands without feeling too restrictive, and the longer shape stops the material from moving and causing chafing. The padding helps with road rumble without being so thick as to feel bulky or bunch up.

They’re not the cheapest cycling mitts at £50 (get 25% off using code SUMMER25 here…) but they are incredibly comfortable. If you’re after a pair of short-finger gloves that you can put on and forget about, the Le Col mitts could be a good choice. They’re not ones for popping on and off every 10 minutes but they should keep you comfortable while you’re wearing them.

Buy Le Col cycling mitts here , using discount code SUMMER25 for an additional 25% off RRP, courtesy of Cyclist Magazine (SAVE £12.50).