• Fox Unabomber gloves
• £29.99
• www.foxeurope.com

Fox’s Unabomber gloves are of the full finger variety, and combine a lightweight XC glove with strategically placed armouring for those tree-lined singletrack sections where the risk of brushing said trees is high.

The main feature is the carbon fibre section covering the two outboard knuckles. The carbon is stitched to reinforced fingers, which are made from a lightweight yet tough material, with silicon side panels and strips across the front. The palm has a double layer of Clarino, and a large patch of Terry towelling covers much of the thumb. A small Velcro strap keeps them snug, and we found the fit excellent. They’re available in a range of sizes so getting a good fit is easy.

While they don’t offer the same level of protection that other more burly gloves do, it is more than your typical lightweight XC glove. They don’t carry much of a weight penalty for the little extra protection they do offer though, which is nice. They’re comfortable gloves for all-day use or bombing around the woods, and cope fine in hot weather. We liked the extra protection, and even though we’ve not managed to crash in them yet we have skimmed the carbon knuckles on more than a few rocks on a recent trip to the Alps, and so far are standing up just fine, as are our knuckles.

Positives: Lightweight, comfort, great fit, styling,

Negatives: None yet

Verdict

We like lightweight full finger gloves, and have been very impressed with the Unabomber’s for offering more protection without managing to be too chunky to actually use, and still be comfortable. Great styling and the Velcro tab is still working.

Performance: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 4/5