In short, the Fox Ranger glove is the minimalist’s dream. It is lightweight, breathable, comfortable, durable, and protective. These have quickly become my go-to MTB glove for any ride as it is a highly versatile glove. In this Fox Ranger glove review, we will look into the details of the glove and if it lives up to the Fox Racing standards.
When looking for a new pair of mountain bike gloves, there are a few things to keep in mind.
The first is padding. If you typically get a bit of hand numbness while out riding, padding may be the way to go. Most mountain bikers tend not to have padding in their gloves as it detracts from the ‘feel’ of the handlebars. I simply don’t like having padding as it makes it harder to move my hands around on the bars as I try to grab the brake levers.
The second is fit. You don’t want excess material when you grip the bars. If the material folds over when you hold the bars, you will end up with
The third is features. Having a glove that is touch screen compatible saves me a bit of time when trying to use my phone while out on the trails. It is a very handy feature to have if you often text to meet up with mates or stop to check a map on a regular basis.
Another handy feature is having an absorbent micro-suede thumb (otherwise known as a sweat wipe). A soft material, typically found on the top of the thumb, can stop the sweat dripping into your eyes while riding. It is an often-overlooked feature, but one I find can come in use very often!
Fox Racing Ranger Glove Review
Now let’s look into what makes this glove great and what lets it down.
Pros
- Minimalist Glove
- Silicon Grip
- The velcro strap is on top of the wrist
- Touch screen compatible
Cons
- Silicon Grips tend to come off over time
- Not great for colder rides in winter
- The palms are showing signs of wear
Grip
The palm is made of a nylon material that helps grip the handlebars. This is assisted by the silicon grip that is strategically placed on the thumb, index, and middle fingers. This helps with grip on the brake leaver as well as the handlebars.
I have found no issues with the grip. Even when I wore down my handlebar grips to the metal, the Fox Ranger gloves kept me riding with no issues!
Breathability
The material on the tops of the hands is super breathable, super light, and super comfortable. My hands have never overheated in them, despite wearing black gloves all through the summer months.
If you are interested in lightweight, breathable gloves, also check out this post on the best Summer Gloves.
You will notice that on the insides of the fingers, there is a mesh material. This is an area that doesn’t require a durable material as it isn’t exposed to too much. Hence, Fox was able to make it a very thin, breathable mesh fabric which allows air to pass over your fingers.
Padding
There is next to no padding on the Fox Ranger gloves. It is certainly a minimalist’s glove. If you like the feel of the bars and find that padding is reasonably annoying, then you will enjoy these gloves.
I personally do not enjoy the feel of padding on gloves and find it a bit unnecessary, so the Ranger mountain bike glove is great for me.
Fit and Comfort
The fit is excellent, given you do not have long, thin fingers. For your ‘standard hands,’ you can’t get a much more secure fit than the Fox Ranger glove.
Sizes range from small through to 2XL, and there is also a women’s specific Fox Ranger for smaller hands.
Check out this post on women’s specific gloves.
As you make your fist into a ball/grip the bars, you notice how the material sticks with you and doesn’t prevent any movement. This is because the material on the top of the hand is a 4-way stretch polyester material which is a nice feeling.
One aspect that I really like about the Ranger gloves is that the cuff comes up the wrist a little way. This means when I flex my hand back (i.e., when falling off), the base of my palm is still covered. It is a minor detail, but I can save a bit more of my hand when I go for a slide!
Durability
Having worn these gloves for the past few months, and they haven’t had an easy few months, they are standing up extremely well. The silicon grips, which I was quite skeptical about, have stayed on well and don’t look to be coming off any time soon.
All the stitching, both inside and outside of the glove, is in perfect condition. The seams are also constructed very well and show no signs of wear.
The only part of the glove showing wear is the palm. I have taken a number of falls in the past month, and the material on the palm is showing that. There are no holes or tears, but the material is slightly worn. But having looked at the inside, the material is still going to withstand a significant number more crashes!
Cuff and Closure System
The cuff is constructed of neoprene fabric which can stretch as you slide the glove on. This material is absorbent and will stop a bit of moisture running down the arm into the glove.
The closure system is a Velcro hook and loop system. I generally tend to stay away from this type of system due to the Velcro becoming less sticky and coming undone while riding. However, I haven’t had this issue with the Fox Ranger.
I believe that the position of the strap on the inside of the wrist has helped as this part of the wrist barely moves. The Velcro shows no signs of fatigue and hasn’t come undone on me while riding to date.
Touch Screen Compatibility
The conductive thread on the thumb and index finger provides excellent touch screen compatibility. I can very easily text, answer calls, and check my maps with the gloves on.
Protection
There is no additional protection, besides the material covering your hands, on the Fox Ranger gloves. While knuckle protection may be necessary for some riders, I haven’t found it necessary for me, and the protection that the material provides has been more than ample.
Other Features
The Fox Ranger Glove has a small patch of micro-suede on the thumb. This allows you to wipe away sweat or moisture, which this small piece of material absorbs. A very handy feature to have, and you will certainly appreciate it while climbing on hot and sweaty days!
Final Thoughts
It is pretty hard to beat Fox gloves. It is a popular glove for a very good reason- you get a premium glove for a much lower price.
The breathability, durability, grip, and price are all winning factors for me. But I also appreciate the touch screen compatibility and the fit of the glove.
All around, a great minimalist’s glove!
Another glove to consider in this range is the Fox Ranger Gel version. This is a padded mountain biking glove, which is effectively the same as the original Ranger, but with gel padding on the palm.
More gloves to check out include:
- Fox Ranger Fire, which is a water-resistant, slightly warmer glove.
- 100% Ridefit (pretty similar to the Fox Ranger)
- POC Essential Mesh Glove (lighter weight)
