DAKINE Concept Glove Review

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As an avid mountain biker for going on 20+ years, I’ve worn a lot of gloves. As such, I’m pretty particular about what keeps my digits protected. When I read the specs of the DAKINE Concept Glove, I was excited to give them a try. They have all the earmarks of what I look for in a glove: seamless single-layer palm, a breathable back, and a slip-on design with no velcro closure. I immediately noticed two things when they arrived—the first being the material is extremely thin and slightly stretchy, which boded well to keep my hands cool while testing in Moab.

The second? The tag inside the glove is HUGE, large enough I was worried it would be uncomfortable or make my hands sweat. But five minutes with a pair of scissors and the tag was no longer a concern.

I found the gloves run true to size—I wear a large in every other brand of glove I’ve tried on and these are no exception. The finger length fits me well, they feel snug without being tight, and they don’t “twist” (i.e. try to work their way off) on my hand while riding. Over four days of riding in Moab on shortish 1-2 hours rides as well as all-day epics, my hands stayed plenty cool and the super-thin palm material delivered what I call a superb “trail-feel”—input from the terrain and bike itself are transmitted directly to the rider, allowing you to pilot your bike with confidence. Moab is full of rocks, ledges, and technical obstacles, so this feedback was welcome to me.

Gripping the bars while riding in Moab, wearing the DAKINE Concept Glove.

My hands never went numb or got sore, and no errant blisters showed up despite these being my first long days on the bike this year. I did notice the silicone mesh palm material doesn’t seem to wick as well as a natural leather palm, giving a somewhat clammy feel even though my hands weren’t overheated or hot. That said, the material is also very “grippy” and maintains a solid feel of control on the bars.

The DAKINE Concept Glove is extremely touch screen compatible, this feature worked very well and enabled me to update my Strava on the trail without removing a glove. There is a sweat wipe on the thumb which is nice and soft, but could be a little larger. Although DAKINE does not give a UV rating for these gloves, after four days of riding under the blazing Moab sun with no additional sunscreen my hands are still the same shade of pale they have been all winter.

Following a fall on some rocks in Moab, the DAKINE Concept Glove is showing a few wear holes after laundering.

During the course of testing I took a fairly substantial spill on the Moab rocks, and could see a few abrasions near seam junctions. These scuffs seem to have opened up into small holes after a single laundering, the rest of the glove is fine after washing with no fraying or shrinkage.

This glove is a good option for riders looking for a light-weight summer glove with minimal palm padding, lots of “trail feel”, and good grip. Riders who favor rough, technical riding where the potential of falling on abrasive surfaces is high may want to look for a sturdier glove, DAKINE offers several models that fit the bill. For more info on the Concept Glove and other DAKINE products, visit www.backcountry.com/dakine or www.amazon.com/dakine.

The DAKINE Concept Glove comes in four sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large. It’s available in Kelly, Octane, or Black.