e-glove eQUEST Grip Pro riding gloves: review

Our reviewer found these gloves to be excellent if you like using your touchscreen phone while riding, but they took a lot of breaking in in order to make them soft

Before I begin I should say that when it comes to riding gloves, I am very fussy. I have small hands with slim fingers and dislike anything that is in any way bulky or that interferes with my ability to close my fingers securely around the reins.

On initial wear I found these gloves to not be particularly flexible and the internal seams in the fingers interfered with my ability to close them securely around the rein. The flexibility of the material did improve with time, but I was never really able to forget I was wearing them, which consider being the sign of a really good pair of riding gloves.

I typically prefer the fastening on the back of the hand (as it is here), rather than it being positioned around the wrist area, but found the material at the opening of the glove (around the wrist) stuck out quite a bit and so tended to catch on the sleeve of my jacket or top. Also on the right hand glove, the material where the Velcro flap closed on the back of my hand didn’t sit quite flat. It was a minor irritation, but an irritation all the same.

I tested these gloves during the winter when they are really designed for wearing in the spring/summer. I did suffer from cold hands from time to time, so I would say they are more suitable for wearing in warmer months (the manufacturer recommends them as ideal for temperatures above 5 degrees C).

The grip on the gloves was fairly good and I have worn them for all types of riding including hacking, schooling, cross-country and dressage. After four months of regular use, the technical fabric on the inside of the fingers is showing signs of wear, which I think is acceptable and to be expected.

Based on the size guide on the website, my hands measure 17cm from base to fingertip, which means I could wear either the small or extra small sizes. I had a small pair to test and I think that I might have got on better with the extra small. The website does advise that if your measurement is between sizes you should go for the smaller size.

These gloves have conductive fabric on the top of the forefinger and thumb, to allow you to use your smartphone without taking them off. This works well and is a bonus if you are a heavy smart phone user. However, the lack of comfort and flexibility outweighs this aspect for me and I won’t be looking to purchase a new pair when these wear out.

Verdict

If you like to be able to use your smart phone without removing your gloves, these could be a good choice, but make sure you choose the right size and don’t be surprised if it takes a few rides for the gloves to soften up