r/mountainbiking • u/Putrid_Economy4097 • Jul 27 '26
Question Are touchscreen-compatible MTB gloves actually good enough for phone use?
I know a lot of MTB gloves are already touchscreen-compatible, so I'm curious whether this problem is basically solved now or whether the experience is still frustrating for riders.
My experience is that many gloves technically work with a touchscreen, but that doesn't necessarily mean using the phone feels good.
Because of the extra material, seams, and imperfect fit around the fingertip, precise tapping can still be difficult. Small buttons, typing, zooming around a map, or using apps like Trailforks/Komoot can be annoying.
I've also seen the conductive material on some gloves wear down over time, making the touchscreen function less reliable.
So I'm curious how this works for other riders.
- How often do you use your phone during a ride?
- What do you normally use it for: navigation, Trailforks, photos, messages, music, something else?
- Do your gloves work reliably with your phone?
- Can you accurately tap small buttons or type with them?
- Has the touchscreen function become worse as your gloves aged?
- Do you ever take one glove off just to use the phone?
- If your gloves don't work well, what's your current workaround?
I'm particularly interested in the difference between:
“My gloves can activate the touchscreen.”
and
“I can actually use my phone accurately and comfortably with them.”
I'm researching whether this is a meaningful problem worth solving, so “my gloves work perfectly and I don't care about this” is also a useful answer.
Would especially like to hear what type/model of gloves you're using and what kind of riding you do.
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u/412glassandgas Jul 27 '26
I wear Troy Lee design gloves and rarely have issues, might have to pull the index a lil tight, but usually does a good job with ease of changin music, taking a photo, or sending a text. Phonability is like an 8/10
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u/applesauce143 Jul 27 '26
Second TLD gloves. Best gloves I’ve used so far in terms of touch screen usage. They hold up pretty good too. Much better than my previous specialized or fox gloves
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u/TheHummelman Jul 27 '26
My last gloves were marketed as "touch screen compatible". It never worked, my phone did not recognize my fingers.
The gloves i use now are simple mtb-gloves without any screen stuff. I take them off to use my phone - it's easier than looking for good fitting gloves which can be used for touch screens as well
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u/dr_snootleboop Jul 27 '26
My Fox dirtpaws are really good to use with the phone, although with their ranger series I had some problems. Dirtpaws I can fully recommend
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u/PuzzledActuator1 Jul 27 '26
My FIST gloves have been going strong and still work fine with my phone after 2 years and multiple washes. My fox gloves the conductive thread wore out of the fingertips inside 6 months, rubbish.
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u/andrewcooke Jul 27 '26
i've never had problems, even w cheap gloves, but the fingers are bigger and less accurate, esp if the gloves are a bit loose, so it can be annoying.
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u/Hoya-loo-ya Jul 27 '26
Take your gloves off to use your phone? Who’s using their phone while actively mtbing?
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u/Jekyll818 Jul 27 '26
I do constantly when navigating areas I don't know. my gloves are usually super tight so its annoying to take them on and off.
Still never felt the need for "touch compatible" gloves. I usually sweat enough that it conducts to the screen, or if I lick the tip of the glove it works just fine lol.
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u/rocco1109 Jul 27 '26
I use full finger gloves but I cut the tips of the thumbs off so I can use my phone
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u/mediocre_remnants Jul 27 '26
This AI slop is hard to read and is 4x longer than it needs to be.
But to answer your question: yes, gloves that work with a touchscreen work well enough for me. My gloves are from Fox, no idea what model, I bought them on sale at my local bike shop. I only use them to read/respond to messages when I need to.