Hands Down: My Review Of Mesh Riding Gloves

Riding horses and all that comes with it (barn chores, grooming etc…) is hard on our hands. Our hands take a beating on a daily basis in the barn and after a bout with extreme dry hands and eczema, I figured it was time to invest in some gloves. Unfortunately for me this came at the same time that summer heat set up shop and traditional riding gloves and leather work gloves were going to be too hot.

So, lucky for me a number of riding apparel companies make a summer version that includes a mesh back to allow for better air flow. I ordered a few brands and spent the last few weeks getting to know them like the back of my hand. I definitely found a “hands down” winner. Before my puns get out of hand, let’s get started.

Thanks to Amazon’s speedy delivery Noble Equestrian’s Perfect Fit Cool Mesh Gloves were the first pair I tried. Right off the bat, I love the way these fit and feel. The soft mesh back is very stretchy and the ultrasuede fabric on the palms bends and gives easily while providing good grip. These gloves are extremely lightweight and cool while doing barn chores and riding. The velcro around the wrist allows for full tightening so you an keep out horse hair, dust and hay. They are touch screen compatible but the thumb does not work well on phone screens, so I ended up using my pointer finger when I used my phone. Durability may be sacrificed for soft, lightweight fabric because a few of the fingertips have some fraying and I don’t see them lasting more than a season with daily use. I find myself reaching for these on a regular basis and would definitely recommend them. They come in a variety of colors and sizes and are available at Dover Saddlery ($25.95) and Amazon ($35.95).

The next pair I tried were the Ariat Air Grip Gloves. These gloves win the award for most durable. After a few weeks of hard use they still look brand new. They feature a stretch mesh back for breathability and a synthetic suede palm for grip. The fingers fit smoothly and bend easily but are a bit square and bulky at the tips. The mesh is probably the thickest and least breathable of the gloves I tried but when combined with reinforced fingers and key stress areas it makes for a lightweight, durable summer glove. They are touch screen compatible but the bulky finger tips make fine typing and touching a bit difficult. They also have velcro wrist that allows you to block out hay, dirt and horse hay. If you are hard on your gloves and spend a lot of time doing barn chores I would highly recommend these and often grab for them when I clean stalls and sweep the barn. Available from Ariat and Smartpak ($34.95)

These are the “hands down” winner and my favorite pair of mesh gloves! What makes the Roeckl Roeck Grip Lite so perfect is that they almost feel like you aren’t even wearing gloves. They are super lightweight, very cool, very stretchy but still durable. The stretchy mesh on the back allows lots of airflow and my hands never sweat in them. The palms have a soft, yet grippy faux leather fabric that provides excellent grip and movement. The fingers bend easily and all fingertips work perfectly on my phone screen. They have such a natural and seamless feel. The only downside to them is the velcro wrist does not tighten all the way so you can still get hay and horse hair down the glove. If you want a cool, comfortable riding glove for summer this is it. Available at SmartPak and Dover ($59.95)

The next gloves on my list is the Kunkle Mesh Equestrian Gloves and if I hadn’t tried the Roeckl before this glove then it would have been my favorite. It is very, very similar to the Roeckl glove, sharing similar design and fabrication. The mesh is a little thicker and not as cooling but still very stretchy and breathable. The faux leather pebbled palm provides good grip and bend. It is touch screen compatible and works well on all fingers. They have a great second skin feel and dry quickly between rides. The velcro allows you to get the perfect fit but does not close completely around the wrist. If the Roeckl’s price tag is a little high for you then definitely give these a try. Available at Kunkle ($39.99)

I hate writing bad reviews but also feel it is important to give honest feedback and unfortunately the Heritage Pro Flow Summer Show Gloves were my least favorite. I actually disliked them so much that I put them in a separate drawer away from the other gloves so I wouldn't grab them by mistake. I did use them daily for two weeks to give them a fair try but they fell far short of the others. This is the only glove that is made from a mix of actual leather (cabretta sheepskin leather) and stretchy mesh. The coolmax mesh (designed to move moisture away) is stretchy and breathable and the leather palm and fingers contain small air holes. They pull on and have elastic around the wrist but ride up with use and everything gets in them. The thumbs and pointer fingers are supposed to be touch screen compatible but rarely worked on my phone. The fingers and finger tips were bulky and not very bendable. Just over all the gloves are not very comfortable on. You definitely feel like you are wearing gloves. The worst part is that when they get wet they dye your fingers black and it takes quite a few hand washings to get the black dye off. Available at SmartPak and Dover ($30.95)