Maloja CaveM glove review
The CaveM is a minimalist multisport glove that keeps out the weather but doesn’t add bulk between hands and bars.
Review Rating
Basics
Temperature Rating: not available
Weatherproofing: Gore Windstopper
Sizing: S-XL
Pros
Fun design; sock-like wrist cuff
Cons
Stars fell off during first ride; velcro strap seems superfluous
$65
Maloja
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If you’re a rider whose hands warm up as fast as the rest of your body when you’re biking, you may not need a fully insulated glove. Maloja’s CaveM is a three-season cycling glove on steroids, and it is as suited for rainy spring and fall rides as for lightly frosty days.
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The CaveM isn’t insulated, but the textured, brushed interior traps enough warm air to keep my hands feeling good. The glove is sewn with Windstopper, a membrane laminated to fabric that’s totally windproof, essentially waterproof, and quite breathable.
The long ribbed cuff is likewise warm, in a “wearing socks on my arms” kind of way. But I like it. The CaveM’s faux leather palm holds the bar, but not with the same security as other gloves tested. It’s gusseted at the wrist, so pulling my hand out of or slipping it into this glove is a breeze.
Whimsical stars on the brushed black back of the CaveM’s hand fabric make me smile, though they started to peel off by the end of the first ride. And the fuzzy back absorbs water and melting snow. Maloja added a Velcro wrist strap to these Nordic Ski and multisport gloves, which I find perplexing. The ribbed wrist kept out snow and cold. The Velcro strap just adds extra stuff to get caught on my jacket cuffs.
Our take on the CaveM gloves
The fuzzy CaveM gloves feel good to slip into, and I like the knit, ribbed cuff, which extends up my arm further than other gloves. The Windstopper fabric is breathable, but also wind-blocking and highly water-resistant. And the star print on the fuzzy back is fun. But the Velcro strap is redundant and water-soaked the fuzzy back.