The Sportful Matchy gloves are the brand’s entry-level offering, which Sportful says are designed for ‘training and exploring’. The short-finger mitts sit below the TC gloves in the range and are available in seven colours. I’ve tested the women’s version here, but the men’s and women’s versions offer near-identical features.
Sportful says the Matchy gloves are ideal for warm weather riding, and are listed for road and ultra-cycling use. The gloves have a stretchy, compressive upper, with relatively long fingers to help prevent movement, and a polyester sweat wipe panel on the thumb.
The shape is relatively loose at the wrist and, while this initially felt odd, it does allow for easy on and off. The palm has a tendency to crumple so it’s worth making 100% sure you order the correct size.
Material + technology
The Matchy gloves are Sportful’s summer training option and are made from polyamide (nylon) and elastane on the upper (87%/13%) and palm (60%/40%). The sweat panel on the thumb is made from 100% polyester.
The elasticated fabric allows for pull on and off with no fastenings and a raw-cut oversized pull tab has been included to help with putting them on.
Sportful says the upper panel is breathable to help regulate hand temperature, as well as using microperforations on the palm for airflow. The underside has a segmented pad on the underside of the knuckles and another section of padding at the base of the palm.
Sportful Matchy gloves fit + sizing
The Matchy mitts are available in sizes XS to XL. Although I tested the women-specific gloves, there was only a unisex size chart available and, with a hand circumference of 19.5cm, I measured as a small.
The mitts are a slightly odd fit as they are quite snug at the top of the hand but relatively loose at the wrist. I would say these are the correct size for me but would argue the lack of women-specific size chart makes initial choice unclear.
Wearing the Sportful Matchy gloves
The loose cut at the wrist and large pull tab make the Matchy gloves easy to get on and off, though the shape renders the compressive fabric slightly redundant.
The breathability of the upper is middling at best so I’d recommend these mitts for mild rather than very warm rides. Also, the padding is quite thin so fares better on shorter, road-based excursions.
The long fingers keep the mitts in place when your hands are on the bars and the sweat panel is useful for wiping your face.
Sportful Matchy gloves review summary
I would recommend the Sportful Matchy gloves for anyone who is after a simple set of mild weather training gloves whose best feature is their easy on-and-off design. The padding is decent but not ideal for very long rides and, at £35 a pair, they are at the pricier end of the entry-level spectrum.
