Review: Loffi cycling gloves for kids

Loffi kids cycling gloves

Price: £12.50 (currently reduced from £18)

If there's one piece of kit that will help children to get on their bikes throughout the winter it is a decent pair of gloves. Little fingers get cold easily, so getting comfy and warm cycling gloves for them really helps you all stay out longer and keep smiling. 

Loffi's new range of children's cycling (and scooting) gloves will help to cheer up homeschool PE cycling lessons. The gloves have the Loffi reflective smiley happy face on both sides, encouraging you to cycle and indicate with a smile. 

They are easy for children to put on, with no faffing around with Velcro straps as they have a stretchy cuff instead. They come in a range of sizes to fit primary school aged children. You can also choose between fluorescent yellow or black. For older children or those with bigger hands there are XS adult sizes too which have a bit more padding and also can come with a inner liner for extra warmth. 

Both my children liked wearing the gloves best. They preferred them to their normal cycling gloves (from Decathlon) or the Loffi mittens for cycling - which would be better for younger children. Most of all the kids enjoyed waving at people as we cycled past at a safe distance. 

The combination of different materials make it a really flexible glove, with no stiffness, this is particularly noticeable around the thumb and both children found it easy to brake and change gears wearing the gloves (less so with the mittens).

The children have worn the gloves for a few months now and they wash well and are showing no signs of wear and tear. 

During lockdown this time round, the roads around where I live have been a little quieter (not as empty at the first lockdown) so I have used the opportunity to work on some Bikeability skills with my kids, aged 10 and 7.

The smiley face does really help children to learn to indicate well, as I have been able to say things that "great indicating, I can see all of your smiley face" or "give the driver a smiley wave to show you are turning left". 

Practising indicating is a really important road skill to learn, and the Loffi gloves do give an extra incentive to do it clearly. 

Verdict 

Recommended - easy to put on and keeps little hands warm. Great to use to encourage clear indicating. 

Pros and cons

+ Smiley reflective on both sides helps spread some cheer and signal to motorists

+ Wide-range of sizes and colours

+ Choice of mittens or gloves

+ Waterproof with a longer cuff

- Not as much padding on the palm as on a normal cycling mitt or glove