Lizard Skins Monitor Traverse Gloves Review

A lightweight, but durable pair of gloves are perfect for daily MTB use and cold-weather gravel or road riding. I’ve been keen to use the Lizard Skins Monitor Traverse Gloves for all of the above, so let’s dig in.

Lizard Skins Monitor Traverse Gloves Features:

• Gel-padded palm
• Three panel AX suede palm
• TPR wrist strap and pull tab
• Flexible mesh back
• Silicone finger tips for enhanced grip
• Microfiber nose wipe
• Articulated fingers
• MSRP: $29.99

Versatile, lightweight full-finger gloves

Full-finger gloves are a no-brainer for mountain biking. And, they do come in handy for road/gravel use on colder days. I’ve happily used several pairs of Lizard Skins full-finger gloves over the years — maximizing their useful lifespan. With the Monitor Traverse Gloves, Lizard Skins has a lightweight glove that can also provide ample protection in case of spills.

The breathable mesh upper offers excellent comfort and stretch to naturally move with every hand motion. Instantly-comfortable, these gloves really do feel great on the bike. With gel-padded palms, the Monitor Traverse Gloves provide added comfort and vibration absorption without feeling overly-bulky. That said, they do feel best when worn with standard-style grips, as opposed to something like the Ergon GE1. It’s not terrible, but the gel does end up feeling like there’s too much of a good thing with the GE1’s. On the road/gravel side, those gel inserts offer added comfort and feel great on long rides or rough terrain.

In an interesting move, Lizard Skins chose not to include touchscreen-friendly materials on the thumb or index finger. In 2022, that’s quite a cheeky move, but I’m told that touchscreen issues are a high cause for product returns. Interesting. While I have yet to find any gloves that are as sensitive as my fingertips, it is a nice feature to have (even if it is a little problematic). I did find that if I licked the tip of my thumb or index finger, it works with my iPhone 13 Mini. Admittedly, licking a dirty pair of gloves isn’t the most sanitary, but it does work in a pinch.

Speaking of finger tips, the silicone tips are grippy for braking and shifting and remain fully-intact after extended use. The velcro cuff makes for easy entry and removal, but the cuff could be designed so as not to need it. With a nice pull-tab, it’s easy to pull your fingers into place. And, while the palms do have lots of stitching going on, I don’t notice the seams.

As an added bonus, I have crash tested the Monitor Traverse Gloves for you and they have held up just fine. I was rolling through a section of trail I’ve ridden hundreds of times and my front tire let loose — causing me to go down in a split-second. Both hands were first to contact the rocky trail as I skidded through the scree. When I came to a complete stop, I looked at the gloves, dusted them off and thanked my lucky stars that my digits were protected. The gloves were still intact with no rips or tears anywhere.

The Good

• Stretchy comfort
• Very protective
• Gel is great with standard-style grips
• Taken serious abuse and they look great
• Breathable mesh for added airflow
• Takes the edge off on cool mornings

The Bad

• No official touchscreen capability
• Could be a tad more snug
• Gel can feel a little bulky with ergonomic grips like the Ergon GE1

The Bottom Line: Lizard Skins Monitor Traverse Gloves

Lightweight and comfortable, the Lizard Skins Monitor Traverse Gloves are a great choice for MTB or road/gravel duty. With a breathable mesh design and AX suede palms, bar feel remains solid at all times. They have also passed the crash test with flying colors.

Buy Now: Available on Amazon