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review
Gloves - mitts
Ana Nichoola Kestrel GloveAna Nichoola Kestrel gloves.JPG

Ana Nichoola Kestrel Glove

8
by Lara Dunn
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published May 14, 2011

6
£34.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Stylish, well designed gloves offering levels of performance to match their good looks
Weight: 
38g
Contact: 
www.ananichoola.co.uk
How we test

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A glove for those seeking something a bit more stylish and a little less 'techy' looking, the Kestral from Ana Nichoola is an old-school leather mitt, with some feminine chic.

Made from soft but durable high quality goat skin leather, these white mitts combine good looks with decent performance and enough features to keep your hands happy on your ride. There's a zoned padded palm, a contrast colour soft nose-wipe panel, a ventilated mesh back for comfort, reflective accents, stretch fabric between the fingers, a reinforced area at the thumb web and pull loops to make getting them off easier, since the fit is snug as you'd expect from a leather mitt.

In wear, the Kestrals are comfortable right from the off, but with the subtle molding that goes on with leather, they become an unobtrusive extension of your hand. The neat fit means there's no excess material to crease or get in the way, and the padding is well positioned. There was no discomfort or rubbing in even longish rides, and the temperature of the hands remained stable and pleasant, with no sweat or stickiness problems.

Sizing is on the generous side, so consider going down a size if you are unsure. The size small tested equated to a medium in most marques.

Verdict

Stylish, well designed gloves offering levels of performance to match their good looks

road.cc test report

Make and model: Ana Nichoola Kestrel Glove

Size tested: Small/White

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Aimed at female cyclists looking for a stylish alternative to traditional technical cycling gloves.

Spot on.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Made from high quality goat skin leather.

Reflective accents

Slimline padding on palm

Stretch fabric between fingers

Reinforced area at thumb.

Nose-wiping/sweat wiping patch in contrast colour soft fabric.

Press stud fastening

Mesh back for ventilation.

Available in sizes S, M, L

Sizing is on the large side so go down a size if in doubt.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Lovingly made from high quality components and fabrics.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Extremely comfortable in use even for prolonged periods.

Rate the product for durability:
 
5/10

Leather should last well and mould nicely to the shape of the hand, but long term care of leather is more difficult so they will stiffen with age and sweat absorption.

Manufacturer recommends only gentle hand wash, with specialist leather cleaning products, when really necessary.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10

Very comfortable. Leather moulds nicely to the shape of the hand and cushioning is well positioned and unobtrusive.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

You're paying a slight premium for what is essentially a designer product, but the looks and quality make this worth the extra.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Good levels of comfort for rides of all lengths.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Style, comfort, fit

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing really.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes. Very much.

Would you consider buying the product? Definitely. And for friends too.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

Gloves that effectively combine above average comfort with stylish good looks.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,

 

women's cycling clothing
Ana Nichoola Kestrel Glove
Ana Nichoola
Lara Dunn

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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6 comments

Avatar
ananichoola | 13 years ago
0 likes

Hey, thanks for your comments. I have discovered "Wizz leather clean and feed" is wicked for cleaning up the white leather. So good that when my gloves next get dirty I'm going to make a little video on it!!
Anna

Avatar
simonmb | 13 years ago
0 likes

Oooooh! Hadn't thought of that. Thanks Leonie 40

Avatar
Lara Dunn | 13 years ago
0 likes

I suspect that sponging off the offending area would do the trick nicely 16 It's just the leather that's not liking the wash.

Avatar
simonmb | 13 years ago
0 likes

Still puzzled by those instructions, perhaps a girl's mucus is different from a guy's - they wouldn't last long with mine though 31

Avatar
simonmb | 13 years ago
0 likes

I think they look bloody nice actually. The first thing that puts me off buying them is the juxtaposition of 'nose wipe panel' and 'try to avoid washing'. The second thing that puts me off is that I'm a guy anyway.

Avatar
nbrus | 13 years ago
0 likes

They make you look like Rocky Balboa...

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