Troy Lee Designs Air Glove - Review

Aug 4, 2014
by Dylan Stucki  
The Air glove from Troy Lee Designs features a simple design that uses a mid-weight Lycra mesh upper that should prevent those awkward prom night sweaty hand sensation on the trail. A 3D sonic welded rubber graphic that adds a simple and clean style to the upper also provides some basic knuckle protection, and the palm of the glove is made from single layer vented Clarino synthetic leather that provides a positive and form-fitting feel. There's silicone screen print throughout the palm and forefingers of the glove that increases traction on the handlebar and brake levers, and mesh Lyrca fourchettes tie the palm and upper mesh together. The Air glove is available in x-small through xx-large sizes, and there are five different colour options to choose from. MSRP: $29 USD www.troyleedesigns.com

Troy Lee Designs Air glove review test

The Air glove proved to be robust over two full seasons of use.



bigquotesI'm a bit of a 'tweener when it comes to wearing gloves, preferring the natural feel of the grip without being bothered by too much extra protection that takes away from that. Appealing to my near no-glove preference, the Air glove is a rather simple design, really allowing for a next-to-skin feel of the grips and handlebar. The mesh upper, although heavier than would be expected from a lightweight glove, lasted much longer than expected, especially when taking a constant whipping from unfriendly desert shrubbery that fences in a lot of my local singletrack. That said, the 3D welded rubber graphics did not provide much protection and serve mostly as visual eye candy. Sizing-wise, I went back and forth between two sizes but ended up with the larger option in order to accommodate my long and skinny middle finger. After punishing these gloves for over two seasons now, the palm material has far exceeded my expectations, as most gloves with similar construction develop rips and holes after only a couple months of hard use. The silicone grippers, on the other hand, did not put up a strong battle and continue to rub off with the miles. Consistently securing the gloves in place, the 3D molded Velcro strap made quick work out of getting the gloves on and off and, even after two seasons, they still hold strong throughout the ride. At a fair price, the Troy Lee Designs Air Gloves have been trusty throughout the years, with a good feel, breathable fabric, and robust construction. All told, the only change that I'd make would be the addition of a soft nose-wipe along the inside edge of each glove as you find on most of the competition - the lack of one can quickly rub your nose raw on a cold weather ride if you're not careful. - Dylan Stucki


Author Info:
dlstucki avatar

Member since Sep 22, 2013
1 articles

55 Comments
  • 8 0
 One of my all time favorite gloves! It can fold a little in the palm, but holds up really well and I'm a big fan of very thin and snug fitting gloves.

Time will tell if my Deft Family or 100% iTrack (very similar feeling gloves) will hold up as well, or if I'll have to get some new Air Gloves.
  • 2 0
 A testament to how well made and durable these gloves are.
Tree seasons of DH/XC/AM/DJ abuse, all faded from sunlight and machine washes - but still not a single hole, loose thread, torn velcro closure or missing silicone-thingy to be seen: peecee.dk/uploads/082014/2014-08-05_14.43.18.jpg

Not my only pair of gloves in that period, obviously. But still, by a large margin, the longest living gloves I've ever had!
  • 1 0
 My glove of choice for DH/XC for the last few years. However, I sourced the older style when I wanted another pair, as I just can't see the point of the velcro strap.
  • 1 0
 "... as I just can't see the point of the velcro strap." The exact reason why I'm now putting the iTrack www.ride100percent.com/products/gloves/#itrack and Artisan www.deftfamily.com/shop-deft-1/deft-gloves/artisan-2-lifestyle.html through it's paces now.

They have the same snug "barely there" feel as the Air Glove, but without the velcro strap. They have their work cut out though, if they want to match TLD's long term comfort and durability!
  • 1 0
 got some the other day and wore them for race practice and my race and i got painful blisters on my left hand from the seams on the palm...........new gloves or bad seam....
  • 2 0
 sorry tried to edit....... diff glove mine are the xc tld......my bad
  • 2 1
 I ride the fox demo glove and its been the only glove I've had yet been riding for 6 months with gloves and its still holding up fine have nothing to compare it to but I am certainly a fan
  • 11 1
 Gotta love that next-to-skin feel.
  • 5 2
 Only and always rawdog
  • 6 0
 I don't like riding in gloves, but where I ride there can be a ton of unruly bush that likes to reach out and slap your knuckles, so these gloves are perfect for me! been riding mine 4 days a week for almost a yeah and still holding strong!! Worth every dollar! Nice write up!!!
  • 6 2
 I prefer riding without gloves to but my hands tend to sweat a lot on the grips
  • 52 0
 Nobody likes unruly bush.
  • 2 1
 These gloves have lasted me 2 years and been to Whistler 3 times!
  • 7 3
 One could say the write up was gripping.
  • 5 0
 If you want a genuine tip for a good pair of gloves for riding (might seems a little odd) Nike diamond batting gloves. Designed for holding a wooden baseball bat so they have amazing grip when holding a mtb grip, durable as hell, skin tight. You'll see loads of nike sponsored BMX supercross racers using them cos they're as close to skin as you can get and they grip like nothing else.
  • 1 0
 Oh, that and they cost next to nothing compared to any MTB industry offerings.
  • 2 0
 I'm the same way with the sweaty hands. I like the feel without gloves but it it's all all warm or humid, my hands are sweating and the grips get real slick.
  • 1 0
 one could also say TLD's future is pointing up by grabbing hold of the mtb glove market with this release.... ok i'll stop Wink
  • 2 0
 These gloves were my first pair of gloves. Have been using them for almost two seasons now. They have saved me several times from cutting up my hands while falling, scrubbing hard against the ground. They've never let me down once. They still holds up very well! Comfortable, good vent, bomb proof... Well, havent tried many other gloves to compare with, and probably wont.
  • 3 0
 Remember those gloves that had carbon fiber armor around the knuckles? I think they were made by 661 or fox, back when full body armor with full face helmets and sunglasses were all the rage! Oh yeah and no neck braces.
  • 3 0
 Fox bombers? Still being made I think. JT racing makes a pair for enduro (mx enduro, not endurobro) racing that's surprisingly minimal.
  • 1 0
 I've got a pair of those fox gloves. Absolutely bomb proof, saved me from buying brass knuckles too Wink
  • 1 0
 YLD still makes a set. They are called the Apex. You have to buy them from the moto gear section, though.

www.troyleedesigns.com/moto/gloves/apex-pro-glove
  • 1 0
 I ride with gloves for 2 reasons, grip and protection. First, Grip. My palms get sweaty quick, and my hands start to slide around on the grips, put a set of gloves on and bam so much more grip even if bucket loads of rain falls. Protection, from sharp shit on the side of the trail hitting my hands to falling off.
  • 2 0
 Fox Demo gloves FTW! Have endured an entire seasons worth of abuse and still look new (albeit they do get thrown in the washer every few weeks!).
  • 3 0
 The rubber comes off the fingers after one ride. Happened to me and two of my friends
  • 9 1
 With that being said, they do have a Troy lee designs logo on them so the are worth every penny
  • 1 0
 lol haha same happend with mine but I do like the glove overall and it's one of the few that have stayed in-tact without rips or holes.
  • 5 1
 fapping*
  • 4 2
 dont quit your day job bruh
  • 4 1
 You guys in canada don't fap with troy lee?
  • 1 0
 Gloves or no gloves?
  • 4 0
 love glove
  • 3 2
 Its all good with super thing gloves until you are at the hospital getting stitches in your hand because the minimal gloves did zero
  • 1 0
 You got to work hard for that, i've tried to cut up my hands with these gloves on many times. Did not work well, they're too durable for that.
  • 1 0
 hahahahah ya right! love troy lee stuff but buddy must not ride alot... set of gloves lucky to last half a season with out wearing right through.
  • 1 0
 Couldn't agree more with this review. Can't believe how much more durable they are than the many other gloves I've tried.
  • 2 1
 more reviews like these please! when I go looking for a product, it is nice to know which will last the longest.
  • 2 1
 Completely agree. I've had really bad luck with glove durability, and I'm tired of replacing them more than once a season. I know long-term durability testing takes time (obviously), but PB staff have the luxury of riding much more than most of us, so its great to hear what works for them day-in/day-out.

TL;DR - make these durability reviews a regular thing, and archive them properly for easy searching!
  • 1 0
 Had those exact gloves for 3 years until i finally lost them at Northstar. I miss them.
  • 2 0
 troy lee designs ace glove > air
  • 1 0
 Agreed. The Ace is the best damn glove. Super comfy, breathable and NO VELCRO!
  • 1 0
 Lacking a soft nosewipe is not a big deal for me. I usually just blow a snot rocket on the trails.
  • 1 3
 I dont see the point of wearing gloves that wont protect your hands in a crash. For me its the thickest glove I can stand when riding dangerously or nothing at all on a leisure ride. These panty thin gloves are a waste of space.
  • 3 2
 How long before the rubber wears off from tapping is the true question.
  • 4 0
 Wonderful name you have there
  • 1 0
 Love to get a pair of these
  • 2 1
 So if I wear these I'll get more air?
  • 1 0
 And here I am still using my alpinestars moto gloves on my bike
  • 1 0
 I use the same gloves as Blenki.
  • 1 0
 I own 2 pairs and I'd buy a 3rd if I had the chance or reason.
  • 1 1
 is it a rocket ? is it a lightning ? no ladies and gentlemen it's RATOY !
  • 2 0
 where d f*ck did that got posted ?
  • 1 4
 it's just a glove...
Below threshold threads are hidden







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv42 0.027833
Mobile Version of Website