Dainese Teyde GTX gloves in black

These days we are very choosy about the Dainese items we decide to feature. They need to be both functional and stylish. 

 

And so we have decided to add this new glove, the Teyde, to our Dainese range.

 

First thing; this is what we would call a summer-waterproof glove. And what that means is that it's got a waterproof membrane, but does not contain any insulation. And so this is the kind of glove that most of us would wear from, say, the beginning of April through to perhaps the end of September. If you were particularly hardy and had heated grips you might be able to extend those bookend timings, but the point is that the Teyde is not a glove you'd wear in the winter.

 

By the same token, at the height of summer, or on days when the temperatures were heading towards the mid twenties, you might find a summer-waterproof glove a bit sweaty. And so many people will probably have a second, pure-summer glove without a membrane for such days.

 

Of course, if you're somebody who only really rides between April and September, if you don't venture too far south in the summer, a glove like this may well be the only one you'll ever need.

 

The waterproof membrane in the Teyde is a Gore-Tex one. That means a few things. It means a membrane with the highest waterproofing score and a membrane with the highest breathability score. But even more importantly, perhaps, it means a glove with a lifetime guarantee for waterproofing.

 

And the Gore warranty is one that stands up to scrutiny. If you think your glove leaks you send it to a Gore-approved test facility. If they agree that the glove lets water in, they will let Gore know, and they will send you a new, replacement pair. No arguments.

 

The membrane on the Teyde, though, is not a Gore-grip one, meaning that this is not a laminated glove. Now this does raise the spectre of a certain degree of wetting out after many, many hours in heavy rain. But the upside is comfort. The Teyde is comfortable in a way that very few laminated gloves are.

 

The optimum construction for any waterproof glove is to have textile materials on the back of the hand with leather on the palm. You want leather on the palm for better feel on the controls. And you want a textile back to reduce the possibility of the glove soaking up the rain. Well, that's exactly what you get with the Teyde.

 

There's a mix of fabrics employed on the back of the glove. Although it's not clear from Dainese whether the two fabrics have different properties; to us it would seem that the two different fabrics probably serve largely to enhance the aesthetics of the glove. Both materials, though, are super stretchy, making the Teyde a particularly comfortable glove to ride in. Concertina stretch panels on the fingers contribute further to the cosseting way the glove wears. The other thing that works well on these gloves is the pre-curved fingers. Again it makes the gloves comfortable on the bars.

 

The palm is a suede-out, goatskin. And goatskin is always our preference, because it is thinner than cowhide, albeit stronger for its thickness than bovine leather.

 

For protection you get a hard knuckle protector beneath the textile outer. The protector is backed with foam to absorb the energy of an impact.

 

On the palm you get an extra layer of leather to improve grip on the controls, and to protect the glove from wear. There's another panel of leather that runs down the outside of the hand and onto the palm, where there are a couple of foam pads. It's here that some gloves feature a slider. Well, you wouldn't term what the Dainese glove has a slider. It's more about a bit of extra cushioning to cover those circumstances where you come off the bike, and put your hands out to break your fall.

 

On both hands the index finger and thumb are touchscreen compatible. On the left hand, you get a visor wiper. You also get quite a bit of reflective detailing on the glove for better nighttime visibility.

 

There are two closure mechanisms on the Teyde. At the wrist there’s a Velcro-backed, leather strap that allows you to secure the glove to stop it coming off. There’s also a Velcro-adorned flap that can be used to cinch down the slightly-flared cuff. And indeed that’s one of the things we like about the Teyde. Once cinched in you will be able to fit the cuff into the sleeve of just about any jacket; even one like the Richa Orion where they’ve tried to make this extremely difficult!

 

We really do like these gloves. They are lovely to wear. They are going to be supremely comfortable on the bike.

 

Increasingly, as a company, we are moving unerringly in the direction of Gore-Tex. Their membranes perform to a higher level, but their lifetime waterproofing warranty makes going Gore-Tex a bit of a no-brainer. The only issue with Gore-Tex products is that you will often pay a premium. But that can hardly be a consideration here given that the Teyde is priced at just £122.50 which, in our book makes it pretty amazing value.

 

If this glove had been priced at £175, or even £200, I think I would still have given it a very positive hearing. But at under £125, the Teyde is a bit of a steal!