La Passione Duo Gloves

The La Passione Duo Gloves are simple yet very effective cycling mitts – the lightweight fabric used for the back is breathable and soft while the palm gives excellent comfort.

The Duos are about as basic a design as you're likely to see in a summer cycling mitt. This isn't a bad thing. They work perfectly, combining a breathable back with a suede microfibre palm and slim padding. This all gives you plenty of grip on bar tape while also being comfortable on hot days.

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Staring with breathability, the Duo uses a 'premium Italian fabric' across the entire back panel. It has plenty of stretch in it and conforms to the back of your hands well. I've been using the gloves in the British summer, providing some warm days and some very humid weather, and they've been comfortable in everything.

The fingers are cut with a raw edge that, despite looking rather flimsy and prone to fraying, has remained looking new. La Passione uses small mesh pieces to join the back section with the palm and everything feels securely stitched.

The palm is a simple design but I really like it. There are no awkward gel padding sections, just two thin pieces of sponge. I always prefer a natural grip on the handlebar so I'd even be happy for there to be no padding at all.

The suede microfibre material is really nice, too, providing a soft feel against the skin that also gives plenty of grip on bar tape. It's not the grippiest that I've used – Hirzl's Grippp Light SF gloves take the crown on that score – but it's still good.

Size-wise they come up a touch on the small side, with this size large fitting snugly when I'd expect to use a medium. I'd say that if you're in the mid to upper end of a size, go one up.

My only slight gripe is that the wrist could be cut a little lower as you do get a little bunching of fabric when on the bike. It's marginal, though, and could just be my skinny wrists.

> Buyer’s Guide: 9 of the best summer cycling mitts

Price-wise, £24 strikes me as very good. The gloves are well made and, while simple, offer everything that I'd expect from a good pair of summer cycling mitts. The Hirzl gloves that I mentioned are far more expensive at £36, though Lusso's Summer gloves are very good and still £19.99. 

Galibier's Campionissimo 11 Luxury mitts are an excellent choice at £25 if you're looking for something a little more retro.

Overall, I'd say the Duos are very good – they're comfortable, breathable and good value, plus they look great.

Verdict

Comfortable, breathable and good value summer cycling mitts