Review: Dakine Women’s Covert Glove

Dakine is an outdoor backpack and gear brand that produces gear mainly for alternative sports such as snowboarding, surfing, biking and skating. Avid cyclists know a quality glove is essential to keep hands warm during cooler climates while maintaining grip on the bar and breaks. Find out how the Dakine Women’s Covert Glove holds up with the information below.

Functionality ★★★★
If searching for a glove that “fits like a glove” than look no further than the Covert Glove. The glove easily slips on and provides a snug, not over-tight, fit. The multi-material palm allows hands to maintain grip, without slipping, during wet climates. Although the gloves are not as warm as roasting hands over a hot fire, it provides enough air circulation to maintain warmth without a sweaty, overheated palm. The glove features a wicking four-way stretch polyester material on the palm to keep hands dry.

This glove is great for bike multitasking, such as grabbing water bottles, turning on headlamps, readjusting earbuds and poking iPods. The middle finger provides a touch screen compatible finger, which is useable but not always dependable. I have found I’ve had to poke or swipe several times for the phone’s function to pick up my touch.

I purchased these gloves for road cycling with the intention of maintaining warmth and grip while cycling. Plus, since I have been blessed with small hands, finding gloves that fit is challenging. Dakine has made me a lifetime glove buyer because of my positive impressions with their gloves.

Because of the glove’s function and lightweight materials, I cross-pollinated this glove into the hiking world. It is an ideal glove for maintaining a grip on hiking poles during cooler fall hikes. It also served purpose for scrambling up boulders, which unfortunately built up mud and dust, but with a simple wash-down in water the gloves were as pretty as ever. 

Design and Aesthetics ★★★★
Small and lightweight, these gloves easily store in pockets and bags when not in use. The glove is available in three colors: black, grape and harbor. The grape and harbor showcases flashy colors, which brings awareness to riding hands. The black features a modest look and offers a small textile print across the center of the glove. The colors and print are not for every rider, but its function serves its purpose and overrides any lack of color preference if bold hues are not for you. Remember, “function before fashion.”

For those ladies who enjoy vibrant fashion, get your hands ready for something fun. Females are not left out in the cold wearing mundane-looking gear. The glove features a chic, feminine design, which provides that extra- ounce of “fashionista” flare to every ride. Wearing the glove demonstrates a form-fitting look and can easily take layers on and off without having to take off the gloves.

The extra knuckle protection padding has not served use, but is a nice feature to look at and have in case of a wipe out. The multi-material palm showcases Dakine’s knowledge to understand how the hand works during cycling. The design provides comfort, protection and grip where the hand needs it most.

Durability ★★★★★
For the sole purpose of cycling, this glove holds up on any bike, in any weather condition. I became more impressed with its durability during the hiking and scrambling pursuits, which demonstrated the quality of the material to handle more than squeezing a break.

The glove is made for the true minimalist, but does not withhold quality materials or design. And minimalist should be taken lightly. The glove will not melt off hands after several wears. This glove is ideal for those who desire quality with an affordable price.

Value ★★★★★
Cycling gear can be expensive, which racks up credit card bills easily. For the price of $25, the Dakine Covert Glove easily exceeds expectations. The covert glove is one of Dakine’s least expensive gloves, which I find is an ideal glove offered as the baseline of Dakine glove products.

With the use for other outdoor pursuits that require grip and durability, the glove provides multi-purpose use for an affordable price. However, the quality holds up for the $25 price, which overrides competitor’s who sell cheaper-made gloves for a lower price.