I’m not sure what it is about bike gloves, but kids love them. I hear it from parents time and time again—a simple pair of bike gloves has motivated their kids to ride.
The problem for parents of toddlers and young children, however, is that there aren’t many SMALL gloves out there. And the ones that do exist sometimes cause sensory issues for little ones.
Our top pick for young riders are the ZippyRooz gloves. They fit small hands, come in both half-finger and full-finger versions, and are easy to put on and take off.
Review in a Nutshell
Pros:
- Half and full finger options
- Cute designs
- Soft and comfortable
Cons:
- They aren’t free?
Specs:
- Machine washable
- Size small: Ages 1-2
- Size medium: Ages 3-4
- Large: Ages 5-6
Price and Where To Buy:
- $22 List
- Check price at ZippyRooz.com
- $16.95 at Amazon.com* (Last updated: 2023-03-08 at 01:31) – More info
Why bother buying bike gloves?
You’ve already spent a bunch of money on a bike and helmet for your child—do you really need bike gloves too? Depending on the age of your child, the answer might be yes or no.
ZippyRooz makes gloves for toddlers as young as a year old. A 12 month old is most likely NOT riding a bike; they are probably riding in a bike seat or trailer. In this case, you are buying gloves because they are FUN.
Once a kiddo starts riding a balance bike, gloves become more about protection. Hands are the #1 thing to get scraped up in a fall.
By the time your child has graduated to a pedal bike, gloves become even more important. Kids are going at faster speeds and real crashes become more likely. As their riding becomes more aggressive, gloves can also provide grip and keep sweaty hands from slipping.
Kids LOVE These Gloves
When two new pairs of ZippyRooz showed up in the mail, our son lit up with delight. The only problem was that there were TWO PAIRS, so he couldn’t figure out which ones to put on first. He went with the half-finger “monster” gloves, and went running out to his bike so fast I had trouble finding his helmet before he was half way down the driveway.
In the years since then, we’ve given the ZippyRooz gloves as gifts to friends and as giveaway items to our community. The reaction is always the same. Kids LOVE these gloves.
Half-finger and full-finger options
ZippyRooz offers both half-finger and full-finger gloves, so no matter which style your child prefers, you’re in luck. Because we do a lot of off-road riding, I personally prefer the full-finger gloves as they provide extra protection and keep fingernails clean. (If your child is like mine, there is a lot of digging in the dirt on the side of the trail).
Sized for toddlers and young kids
It may seem ridiculous that your 1 year old needs a pair of bike gloves, but for some tiny tots, a pair of bike gloves can bring a lot of joy. This was true of my son at that age. When he started wearing my bike gloves around, I knew it was time to get him his own.
Fortunately, ZippyRooz understands this. Their size small gloves fit kids ages 1-2, so even the littlest kids can join in on the fun.
My almost 4 year-old wore the size medium, which fit like a glove (excuse the pun, I couldn’t help myself). Lastly, the size large gloves fit kids up to 6 years old.
Cute designs
Most other kids bike gloves I’ve seen look just like adult bike gloves—in other words, functional but not much fun. The ZippyRooz gloves come in cute fabrics that kids respond to. Based on comments we’ve gotten from strangers, adults think they are pretty great too.
Comfortable
The most important thing is that the gloves are comfortable and that your child is going to actually keep them on. When my son first tried on the full-finger “alien” gloves, he commented several times that they are “so comfortable, mom.”
Although I can’t actually try them on myself, the fabric both on top of the hand and at the palm felt buttery soft and flexible. Flexibility is important for kids gloves because bulky gloves make rock collecting and raspberry eating pretty tough.
The ZippyRooz also have a fair amount of padding on the palm, but not so much that they become bulky. The half-finger gloves provide more padding than the full-finger gloves.
Finger loops
The defining feature of the ZippyRooz gloves are the finger loops on the half-finger gloves. These short elastic loops help kids take gloves off on their own—genius!
When we first tried the ZippyRooz gloves, our kiddo had been wearing half-finger bike gloves for a couple years, so he was actually pretty good at getting gloves off on his own, BUT with his other gloves they were always getting turned inside out in the process. With the ZippyRooz, he pulled the elastic loops and off came the gloves—still right side out.
Bottom-Line
If you are looking for bike gloves for your toddler or preschooler, look no further than ZippyRooz. Cute designs, soft material, and quality construction make these gloves winners. Whether you are looking for a half-finger of full-finger glove, ZippyRooz has you covered.