Giro’s DND glove stands for Down N Dirty, but we’re sure its soft, highly grippy, and all-day-comfortable feel would also work fine for Dungeons N Dragons. Designed to compete with the best mountain bike gloves, it's tough enough to keep you safe when your 20-sided skill dice rolls a one, and the pull-on fit features some really neat details for the price. The lack of reliable touchscreen compatibility makes it an analog choice though.
Design and Specifications
There’s obviously been a lot of thought put into the DNDs and that includes a lot of different materials. The back and fingers are mostly a single piece of ribbed four-way stretch, abrasion-resistant fabric with contrast stretch sections over the knuckles of the first and second fingers.
The finger sides are even stretchier lycra while on the outer side of the thumbs there's a soft terry toweling for snot wiping. The palm is perforated synthetic AX Suede microfibre with a reinforced palm pad but no padding to interrupt a very tactile feel. The same material is used to reinforce the tips of the first and second fingers too. Depending on the design you’ll also get various amounts/patterns of silicone gripper on the thumbs and fingers.
Performance
A snug stretch fit needs a wiggle to pull on but the upper gripper is a securely attached rubber patch and the palm tab is silicone-stripped too so they handle a firm tug fine. Once on, the three-panel ‘Super Fit’ cut genuinely fits like a glove too with no bunching or lumpiness to cause friction or interrupt feel so they’re ideal if you’re all about engagement rather than plump padding. There is a very shallow 2mm crash pad in the heel of the palm just in case though. While it’s stretchy enough to never cause cramps or tight spots, the backing material will shrug off most undergrowth attacks lighter than a serious thorn, although you’ll want Giro’s Remedy glove if you want more punch protection. The DND is a good balance of sweet shifting but some wind protection for temperate three-season riding.
Their already reasonable value is boosted by what’s proved excellent durability too. I’ve had a couple of sets of DNDs on test for a while and while my original camo pair are looking a bit faded on the leading edges and there are a couple of pulled threads, none of the stitching or materials has given way despite heavy use for about 18 months. The Wave design pair I’ve been wearing a ton through summer and autumn look barely used either with all the silicone gripper waves across the fingers and upper palm still intact.
The only obvious downside is that while Giro claims the fingertips have Touchscreen Technology (their caps not ours) neither of the pairs I’ve got wants to play with my phone unless I pull them off.
Verdict
Giro’s DND gloves deliver a great balance of toughness and tactile bike feel in an excellent pull-on fit for a reasonable price. The lack of consistent touchscreen connection will frustrate riders who can’t leave their phones alone on the trail though.
Tech specs: Giro DND MTB gloves
- Price: $24.95 / £26.99
- Sizes: XS-XXL
- Colors: Black, Black Sintra, Black Heatwave, Sardine, Wave (tested)
