Hand numbness is a common problem for many cyclists. It commonly afflicts long-distance cyclists but doesn’t infrequently affect cyclists of all stripes, too.
Gripping the handlebars for extended periods of time is typically what causes hand numbness among bikers. The prolonged compression of the ulnar and median nerve inside the wrist due to a rider’s tight grip can eventually lead to a persistent numbness and weakness in the hand, which is referred to as “cyclist palsy.”
Needless to say, this impacts both the performance and pleasure of riding a bike. In fact, many riders who get cyclist palsy say it makes them unable to control the bike properly, which is one of the worst feelings for a rider.
In this article, we’ll discuss various hand gloves designed to combat the dreaded hand numbness from which many cyclists succumb. Many brands say their gloves resolve the issue of hand numbness, but based on our extensive research, the ones below are the best cycling gloves for hand numbness that are available on the market today. The right glove, after all, can alleviate the problem, while the wrong one will only succeed in making it worse.
So we’ll be testing various gloves, weighing their pros and cons, and let you know our thoughts. Hopefully, you get a good idea of what best suits you by the end of the review.
Zookki Cycling Gloves
Not only have we heard good things about these gloves, but our buddy also happened to own a pair, too—and he absolutely swears by it. So, naturally, we had to go check it out and see whether the hype was true. And our initial impression is that it’s very comfortable. It’s made from a really stretchy and flexible Lycra, which we liked. This made it fit each of my squadmates easily. However, if one’s hands were, how shall we say, unconventionally-sized, then one needn’t fret since Zookki Cycling Gloves come in different sizes, and they’re certainly will be a size for everyone.
Ok, so the palm area has this gel pad, which looks thick enough to combat hand numbness but not too thick that it reduces grip. That’s good. There’s also external padding that is supposed to absorb shocks on bumpy roads, which will, in turn, also reduce hand numbness.
Overall, it is quite comfortable, and the double padding provides a good measure of protection against hand numbness. What’s notable about these gloves is also the price. It is quite cheap, but one definitely feels like they’re getting more than they paid for. Will we recommend these? Certainly!
Giro DND Long Finger Gloves
Giro is a pretty reliable brand at this point. They make all kinds of clothing; from shoes, helmets, to other kinds of biking wear, Giro makes them all. We’ve owned quite a few items from Giro, actually, and we can confirm that they’re well-made. But can the same be said for their cycling gloves? Well, that’s what we’re here to check!
Initial impressions are that the gloves tick all the boxes for us. It’s light with an almost “not there” feeling. It’s comfortable, and some would even say, luxurious on the hand. There’s a huge amount of grip, too, which we love. It’s also cut around the wrist area, so the wearers’ wrist comes out exposed. We’re not sure what benefit this design proffers, but it does look cool, both literally and metaphorically—literally because the wrists are exposed to the air outside, which some might like if they want to come home with less than sweaty hands.
There isn’t that much padding… no wait, there’s absolutely no padding, so we’re not sure how this would fare on the numbness front. So, of course, we decided to test it.
After testing, we can confirm that these are among the most comfortable gloves we’ve tried. As we mentioned, the padding wasn’t a lot, but the grip was fantastic, which meant that we didn’t have to grip the bike handles as hard as we normally needed to. So, basically, it does really well to combat hand numbness. They are nowhere near the cheap side as far as cycling gloves are concerned, but we definitely think the price is worth it—scratch that, we think they’re a steal.
Pearl Izumi Select Gloves
Pearl Izumi, like Giro, is another reliable brand in the bicycle industry. And it looks like their gloves proffer the same good quality that many have come to expect from the brand.
The gloves’ palm area is made from synthetic leather, which from our testing seems to provide a good amount of grip. The same area has a gel padding, too, which is supposed to increase comfort and reduce hand numbness. The rest of the gloves are made from what seems to be a flexible polyester and polyamide mix that feels snug, secure, and breathable. Our fingers are indeed able to move unrestrictedly and comfortably, which we really liked.
Overall, the gloves feel comfortable and durable. And in terms of eliminating hand numbness, we’d say it’s somewhere in this middle between the Zooki and the Giro, in that it utilizes both its excellent padding and grip to make riders confident enough to loosen up on the handlebars in order to reduce numbness.
One minor issue we had with the Pearl Izumi Select Gloves, however, is that their sizing seems a bit off. We got the size XL but had to replace it with another pair that’s a size bigger since it was somewhat tight around our hands.
