Tested: Knox Covert Gloves review

Date reviewed: October 2018 | Tested by: John Milbank| Price: £119.99 | www.planet-knox.com

I’ve used the Knox Coverts for several years now, though this is my second set – the previous pair got pinched last year. Made of 1.9mm cowhide, with 0.8mm Pittards goat leather overlays on the palm and finger tips, they have an OutDry waterproof membrane bonded to the outer shell. They’re designed for spring to autumn use…

Fit and feel

As with other Knox gloves I’ve used (Handroidsand Orsa MX), the fit on my size L hands is very good, the fingers being just the right length.

For waterproof gloves, the feel is great – of course they’re not as thin as a pair of summer gloves, but you still rarely notice them. The main extra bulk (little that it is) doesn’t come from the waterproof membrane; it’s more the soft fabric liner, which does make these a little warm in the summer – over 20°C I find them a bit sweaty, but I tend to have hot hands. Having said that, they’re still hugely versatile, and my gloves of choice if there’s any risk of rain… I wore them to work today.

Temperature

Because I have fairly warm hands anyway, I wear these quite deep into winter. Once the cold really sets in, I switch to some more heavily-lined gloves. 

With the UK’s unpredictable weather, these are extremely useful; it could be that they’re the only gloves you need for most of the year, but I prefer to switch to summer gloves when the weather permits.

Protection and CE certification

Both palms have a pair of plastic sliders – Knox’s Scaphoid Protection System (SPS) – that help prevent the gloves grabbing on tarmac in a slide; if your hand stops moving while you’re sliding down the road, the force can quickly break the scaphoid carpal bone, just below your thumb.

The knuckles and tops of your finger joints have firm but flexible padding, and with overlays covering the sides of the gloves, they’re well-built and should offer a good level of protection.

These aren’t currently CE-approved, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see that change soon (it’s a costly approval process), especially as all gloves already have to meet the CE standard in France.

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Fastening

The wrist has a Velcro-fastening strap to ensure the gloves can’t pull off in a crash; it has a tag at the end so it won’t pull through the loop – a useful design touch.

The cuff is drawn tight with a zip, so there’s no adjustment, but you should always wear waterproof gloves under the sleeve of your jacket. You probably won’t be able get them over the top of your jacket (and nor should you – the water runs down your arm, into the glove). I’ve worn them with a variety of kit – most recently the double-cuffed Rukka Navigattor– and always found them fine.

Wet weather use

The Coverts have proven to be totally waterproof, and despite having a leather outer they dry surprisingly quickly.

My only real criticism of these gloves is that, despite being designed for wet-weather use, they don’t have a visor wipe built into the outer edge of the left forefinger – I think this is a real oversight on a product like this, and hope it’s addressed in future models.

Lining

They’re a little warm for the summer, but what I love about these gloves is that the lining doesn’t pull out; a real bug-bear for me in waterproof and winter gloves.

Conclusion

If you’re on a budget and need one pair of gloves for all but the coldest months, or you want a second pair that’ll keep your hands dry, without feeling bulky, the Knox Coverts are an excellent choice.