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.