Altura’s ultra-thin Kielder gloves weigh in at a scant 32g. Most of that minimalism is down to an airy polyester/elastane mix back panel and slender synthetic suede palm. There really isn’t a lot going on with these gloves in terms of features, and I’m all for that. Most of what I consider to be the best gloves on the market come with very little in the way of frills. What little there is includes a padded pull tab on the inside cuff – the back is cuff-less – and a couple of silicone strips on the index and middle finger for extra grip on brakes and shifters. 

The Kielder is also said to be touchscreen compatible, but I couldn’t get them to work with my Iphone. 

That back panel is super stretchy, which makes them very easy to take on and off. There is some pre-curving to the glove to make it fit better when holding the grips, but there’s an excess of material at the palm and it’s very baggy in that area, particularly between the thumb and index finger. This leads to distracting and uncomfortable bunching while riding, as well as a tendency to slide and rotate around the grip when pulling on the bars. I also found the seams inside the fingers were quite pronounced and could be felt when tensing. 

Altura Kielder Trail gloves

The final nail in the coffin for the Kielder glove was that the ink stained my hands every time I wore them. My hands were literally blue after using them, even once they’d been through the wash. I’m guessing that this will get better with age, but I don’t plan on finding out, as I have plenty of much better gloves in my drawer that cost a similar amount and don’t leave my hands looking like I’ve just robbed a bank. Including Altura’s now discontinued One 80 G2 glove.