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Galibier Zephyr All Surface Mitts

8
£28.90

VERDICT:

8
10
Very well made mitts that work well on the road and are sturdy enough for gravel excursions
Very comfortable after a few wears
Well made
Inexpensive
Some stitching took a while to soften up
Hard to get on and off in a hurry
Weight: 
44g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Galibier has a strong reputation for producing high-quality and affordable bike wear and the Zephyr All Surface Mitts don't buck the trend: they're well made and comfortable, and at less than £30 are well priced too.

Check out our guide to the best summer cycling gloves for more options.

Instead of using a Velcro closure, these mitts rely on a high-stretch knitted back to keep everything in place. And it's a very effective solution: the gloves are in full contact with your hands and don't slide around at all. It does make them harder to get off, though, so pulling them on and off for bike fettling or nature breaks is a bit more of a faff than some. There are finger tabs, but the gloves are snug enough that I didn't find them that effective.

> Buy now: Galibier Zephyr All Surface Mitts for £28.90 from Galibier

The padding on the AX suede palm isn't thick but it is effective, and Galibier says that it's optimised for multiple hand positions on the bars. Certainly after a few rides I found them very comfortable, and a fit-and-forget option for road and gravel excursions.

2023 Galibier Zephyr All Surface Mitts - palm.jpg

I say 'after a few rides' because some of the stitching between the fingers took a couple of washes to soften up and form itself into shape, and for the first couple of rides the gloves were rubbing a bit between first and second fingers.

2023 Galibier Zephyr All Surface Mitts - back.jpg

It probably didn't help that their first outing was on a long ride on the hottest day of the year, where I definitely wouldn't have worn any gloves had I not had some needing some miles. These Zephyr mitts are thicker than many, and when it's very hot – 'very hot' here in the British sense, so over 25°C – they're probably not your best option.

Luckily this summer I've not had to think about overheating too often. They're fine in the rain, though, I can report after extensive testing, and that's no doubt helped to form them to my hands as well.

The Zephyr mitts are very well made, and after 1,000km or so on the bars they've made it to the top of the mitts pile and they're first out of the drawer; they definitely wear in rather than wear out. I wasn't sure about these mitts at first, but now I'm really happy with them.

I've got them nice and sticky with dust and sweat and rain and snot a few times, and they wash up just fine. There's no specific snot wipe on them but the whole of the back sort of works, so I didn't miss it.

2023 Galibier Zephyr All Surface Mitts - side panel detail.jpg

Just under 30 quid for a well-made pair of mitts certainly isn't expensive: you could pay double that for some Giro Supernatural mitts if you wanted (although Ben did think they were excellent). Equally, good cheaper options such as Lusso's summer gloves (in various designs) are available.

These Zephyr mitts are good value without being the huge bargain that some Galibier kit is; they should last, though, so they're definitely worth adding to your wish list.

Verdict

Very well made mitts that work well on the road and are sturdy enough for gravel excursions

road.cc test report

Make and model: Galibier Zephyr All Surface Mitts

Size tested: XL

Tell us what the product is for

Galibier says: "A super durable, knitted cycling glove for maximum comfort in summer.

Your hands are the crucial contact point on loose surfaces. Changing grip with the tyres require ever changing control and grip on the bars. Our new Zephyr knitted mitts are highly breathable contact with your bicycle. AX Suede anti-slip palm ensures you are always in control. Using a light, high stretch knitted fabric mean there is no need for velcro to maintain perfect fit. The padding is optimized only to protect the ulnar nerve and provides excellent comfort without reducing handlebar feel.

Comfort and control are key, so we have optimised the padding where is is needed, so multiple hand positions – while palm perforations and mesh finger inserts will prevent your hands getting clammy. Plus, the tab for easy removal and machine washability make these gloves easy to care for.

Easy fit. Easy Care. Are these the best mitts on the market..? Possibly"

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

From Galibier:

Main Fabric Content

KNIT PANEL: 96% POLYESTER, 4% SPANDEX, PALM: 80% POLYESTER, 20% PU

Custom engineered knitted top panel creates comfort fit

Highly durable Nylon upper offers crash protection and durability

Reflective galibier logo

AX Suede anti slip palm – grips when wet

Breathable inner finger mesh fourchettes

Breathable laser cut palm perforations

Touchscreen conductive fingertips

ARIAPRENE® engineered palm padding

UV sun protection

Care instructions

Machine Wash at 30°C / 86°F

Do not use fabric conditioner

Dry flat, do not tumble dry

Do not bleach, iron or dry clean

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

I wore XLs, my hands are big (size 12) and they were fine. They're nice and stretchy.

Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
7/10

I needed to get through a couple of rides where I didn't find them especially comfortable, and after that they fitted like, erm, a glove.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Good value, though not the obvious bargain some Galibier stuff is.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Chuck 'em in the wash, come up looking like new.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Very comfortable after a few wears, well made, inexpensive.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Some stitching took a while to soften up, and they're hard to get on and off in a hurry.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Quite a lot of mitts are around £30, although you can pay quite a bit more if you want. There are some cheaper options but probably they're not as sturdy as these Zephyrs are.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Very good overall: they're really well made and very comfortable after you've worn them in.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 50  Height: 189cm  Weight: 98kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Merida Scultura, Dward Design fixed

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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2 comments

Avatar
RobD | 1 year ago
1 like

I've got nothing but good things to say about the Galibier kit I own, I've been considering some of the long finger versions of these as I only really wear gloves for warmth. Even more tempted now.

Avatar
huntswheelers | 1 year ago
1 like

i've got these and the long fingered ones too..... these are pretty good gloves....love the pull on nature of them and agree are a little akward to remove but that is the nature of these gloves construction. They  are great when on, light and comfortable

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