Lusso Summer Gloves

Lusso's Summer Gloves provide very good long-ride comfort for not a lot of money. They're nicely stretchy – though you might want to size down, even if the guide suggests you don't – and the padded palm provides enough protection without being overly deep and squidgy.

• Pros: Cushioning; slim fit
• Cons: Fit might not suit all (good in the palm, tight round the fingers, for me)

I started off testing the medium size, after slipping my hand into them in the office and finding that they were perfect, which the size guide confirmed. However, after a few months of testing and wearing in hot weather, I realised they were actually beginning to stretch in the palm and squirm about a little, especially if things got a bit hot and sweaty.

> Buy these online here

After one particularly long ride I ended up with a blister on the heel of one hand (not that I knew until I took the gloves off – it didn't actually hurt), which I put down to the slight movement. Trying a smaller pair – which were quite a squeeze to get into but then felt comfortable – I was much happier with the lack of movement.

Going down a size means they're quite tight in the webbing area between my fingers, and on long rides this can – suddenly, I find – start to hurt. A quick pull up on the fingers relieves it though, and is definitely preferable to the moving-around palm. (Those aren't my hands in the photos, by the way.)

Testing mitts once you have the remnants of a blister makes it tricky to work out whether it's just going to reappear whatever gloves you wear, but I certainly found that these Lussos kept me comfortable despite it. I had this great idea on one long ride to carry a different pair of mitts and to swap mid-way, but trying to wear those (non-padded) ones over the blister was an immediate no-no.

Although I'd reviewed a couple of pairs of non-padded gloves and found them both comfortable for long rides, a slight roughness at the heel of my hand with both (from Rapha and Supacaz) meant I chose these padded Lussos for the three-day Scotland leg of the Ride Across Britain. Again, that one blister reappeared, and again it didn't hurt, at all – on either the 112-mile day or the 119.4-mile day. I wore different mitts on the third day, but that was more to do with the odour after a very soggy end to the second day...

> 9 ways to make your bike more comfortable

Quality-wise, the Lusso Terrains are good – the seams are neat and are holding up well.

The stretchy tops are made of 80/20% polyester/Lycra and are all one piece – the only seams are where they meet the palms and the hem at the cuff. They're long, too, coming right up the wrist, which I like, though it can interfere with your watch if you wear one. They probably help masses with airflow, too, so your gloves aren't slowing you down...

Those padded palms that have kept me and my blisters so comfortable are made of suede, with slim foam for the padding. Having tried non-padded mitts, after some deeper-padded designs, I'm probably going to plump for 'slightly padded' from now on. (Or sort out some comfier bar tape.) The only thing I'd question is why you need the extra seams down the centre of the lower pad. I might be tempted to remove them.

There's no ventilation in the palm and they can get sweaty (and smelly), but you can bung them in the wash with the rest of your sports kit and they dry quickly. There's no dedicated sweat/snot-wipe area either, but they still do that lovely job just fine. I had no issues with grip in (torrential) rain or sun.

As well as this contour-line 'Terrain' design (in blue as well as red), you can have stripy or zig-zags if you prefer. I rather like the Terrains, but I do have a thing about maps.

> Read more road.cc reviews of cycling mitts here

All in all, for just less than £20, I think the Lusso Summer Gloves are a great buy. They're lots cheaper than the Rapha Souplesse and Supacaz SupaG mitts I tested earlier in the year, and ultimately, I've found them more comfortable. They even have helpful tags top and bottom to help with pulling them on and off.

Verdict

Slim padding keeps you comfortable but connected, and a great price too