Reviews

Sportful BodyFit Pro Gloves – review

Excellent mitts as used by the Tinkoff team

The Sportful BodyFit Pro Gloves are excellent mitts which offer good breathability, grip and comfort. They’re the same mitts as used by the Tinkoff squad, but without the team colours, and you can see why they are favoured by Alberto Contador, Peter Sagan and co.

The top of the mitts are made from a thin, stretchy lycra material which is both supple and breathable, meaning the fit is close and the gloves are comfortable to wear in warm summer weather. Unlike other gloves, Sportful have decided against using perforated fabric, but that doesn’t impact on breathability as the fabric used is very light.

The Sportful BodyFit Pro Gloves use a lightweight, stretchy lycra fabric on the top to ensure a close fit

Specification
Price: £30
Sizes: XS-XXL
Colours: blue; white; black
Website: Sportful

On the top of the thumb you’ll also find a nose/sweat wipe area made from ‘Ultrasuede’ fabric. Sportful say it’s designed to feel like natural suede, but it’s durable and stain-resistant, while also being machine washable. In use it feels like a microfibre fabric and works well for wiping sweat, your nose or to clear your glasses.

On the palm, the mitts use a synthetic suede material with five areas of very well-placed pads: one across the bottom of the fingers, two on the thumb, one on the outside of the palm and another smaller pad between the thumb and the outside of the palm. They aren’t overly thick but provide a good balance between comfort and handlebar feel.

That suede material has a very nice, supple quality and also provides a good level of protection and durability. Across the palm and fingers there are perforations which help with breathability and I didn’t find my palms getting particularly sweaty on hot days. On the palm there’s also a gripper across the bottom of the fingers, which helps to keep a decent grip on the hoods or handlebar.

At the wrist the mitts have an elasticated hem which helps keep them in place. The wrist area is also dropped slightly, which helps to offer a bit more protection in this area. Putting the gloves on and taking them off is particularly easy, thanks to both the elasticated hem and the pull tab between the second and third fingers.

The palm is made from a durable, protective suede material which has five areas of well-placed pads

The quality of construction is also good, with strong stitching throughout. I found the look a bit of a throwback to the early 2000s but that’s a personal call and Sportful offer three colours, with white and black options alongside the blue tested. The gloves are also available in six sizes from XS to XXL.

Conclusion

These are impressive mitts: lightweight, comfortable, breathable and offering a good level of protection. The pads are sensibly placed and a couple of small but smart touches – like the pull tabs and additional wrist protection – ensure these are well thought out gloves They’re fairly priced against the competition, too.