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Oct 14, 2024

Best mountain bike grips reviewed and rated by experts - MBR

There are hundreds of grips on the market, but our expert testers have picked the very best options for small hands, big hands, gloved hands or gloveless. Mountain bike grips have one very important

There are hundreds of grips on the market, but our expert testers have picked the very best options for small hands, big hands, gloved hands or gloveless.

Mountain bike grips have one very important job to do: keep you holding on, even if things get rowdy on the trail. How they do this is actually quite sophisticated, with specially developed rubber compounds and multiple tread patterns.

There’s more going on than just sticking you to the bike too. The best grips cushion you from the trail, increase your confidence, let you tailor the position of your bars, and colour match your socks if you so wish. But with so many grips out there on the market, it’s hard to know which is right for you. And while you’re here, to get the ultimate control and comfort check out our best mountain bike gloves buyer’s guide too, and our guide to the best mountain bike handlebars.

DMR’s Deathgrip is a crazy-paving of designs that comes together beautifully in your hand.

Diameter: 29.8mm or 31.3mm | Length: 133mm | Weight: 117g | Rating: 10/10

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The strength of the DMR Deathgrip is not that it was designed with the help of Brendan Fairclough, AKA Brendog (although that must have helped). No, what’s really important is there are multiple grip patterns placed just where you need them: Ribbed where your thumb joins your forefinger for extra cushioning; waffled under your fingertips for ultimate grip, and knurled everywhere else for cushioning.

The Deathgrip is also eccentric, meaning there’s more rubber under your palm than on the other side, helping comfort without making the whole thing too bulky. Choose between flanged, for that full-on moto feel, or flangeless if you need direct access to shifters and dropper post levers. There are also two diameters to fit different hand sizes, a rainbow of awesome colours, and an ultra-sticky Race compound for those who like to ride gloveless.

Read our full review of the DMR Deathgrip grips

The Ergon GE1 EVO are a fettler’s dream, use them to fine tune your effective bar position and improve control.

Diameter: N/A | Length: N/A | Weight: 105g | Rating: 10/10

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Ergon GE1 EVO grips are pretty unique because they let you change the sweep of your handlebars. That means you can effectively adjust the angle of grips in relation to the bar, simply by rotating them. Turn them towards you 180° and the bars will wrap around your body by a few millimetres more – turn the other way and they’ll move away from you.

The idea is to tailor the fit to your individual hand size and body position. So if you ride too far off the back of the bike, rotating your grips forward will help pull your weight back towards the front. And aside from the adjustability, the textured rubber is comfy and grippy with plenty of padding to reduce shocks and harsh vibrations. Ergon offers the GE1 Evo in a Slim version for smaller hands and a Factory option for ultimate soft tackiness.

Read our full test review of the Ergon GE1 EVO grips

The ODI Reflex grips are built for comfort, but not at the expense of control.

Diameter: 33.5mm or 34.5mm | Length: 135mm | Weight: 108g | Rating: 10/10

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ODI set out on a mission to rid the world of hand pain with its new grip, the Reflex. The goals were to damp down vibration and reduce arm pump, thereby improving overall ride comfort. ODI wanted to do all this without reducing control or introducing any vagueness to your steering.

It’s a chunky old grip, and takes cues from plenty of other top designs. You get a raised grid palm, a ribbed mushroom panel on the inside, and a waffle pattern under your fingertips. All this adds up to lots of lovely cushioning, with the size of the grip and the offset padding working especially well on long rides.

Read our full test review of the ODI Reflex grips

Burgtec’s Bartender Pro is super soft, mushy, and shock-absorbing.

Diameter: 31.5mm | Weight: 103g | Rating: 9/10

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The Bartender Pro gets a single collar lock-on while the main grip area uses skinny rubber ribs separated by narrow channels. The grooves give your finger purchase, while the mushroom-style ribs provide the comfort and shock absorption. They are on the spongier side, which has its drawbacks when it’s wet, as you do get more hand movement when wrenching on the bars, but on rough descents they really help reduce fatigue.

Larger 3mm diameter bolts help reduce the risk of rounding out, and there’s a palette of wild colours and patterns to choose from to match, or clash, with your bike.

Read our full test review of the Burgtec Bartender Pro grips

The Race Face Chester grip is soft as Labrador-endorsed toilet tissue.

Diameter: 31mm or 34mm | Length: 136mm | Weight: 110g | Rating: 9/10

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A fresh grip from Race Face, and one that’s found fans already here at MBR. Available in two thicknesses, the thinner 31mm diameter will work for most riders, while the 34mm option is suited to large hands. What’s common between both sizes is the soft rubber compound and the finely tuned tread, that uses different patterns for specific jobs. In that respect it’s a little like a DMR Deathgrip, albeit not quiet as aggressive in terms of depth and edge sharpness of some textures. It still provides excellent cushioning and good security, while standing out for its comfort and ability to be ridden without gloves.

Read our full test review of the Race Face Chester grips

Renthal’s Traction Ultra Tacky makes your hands feels like they’re covered in tree sap

Diameter: 32mm | Length: 120mm | Weight: 119g | Rating: 10/10

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This grip is all about the rubber. Everything else about it is pretty mediocre, but the rubber is like velcro for your hands. The twin-collar design is outdated and can cause palm pain among riders who ride with their hands slightly overhanging the ends of the handlebar.

Equally, the tread pattern is far from sophisticated and there’s little padding to speak of. But this So sticky they’re like riding with your hands glued to the bars. If you ride without gloves, these are worth trying out.

Read our full test review of the Rental Traction Ultra Tacky grips

The Deity Knuckleduster is a bit like a toned-down Deathgrip.

Diameter: 32mm | Length: 132mm | Weight: 100g | Rating: 8/10

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Deity’s Knuckleduster comes on lots of Specialized models, and the fact we never feel the need to swap them on test bikes speaks volumes to their comfort and grip. The surface mixes chevron ridges under the outer palm for shock absorption, thin radial ribs sit under the thumb and forefinger, and a deep waffle pattern across the underside gives your fingers excellent purchase.

The Knuckleduster is a touch fatter than most grips, which makes them especially suited to large hands. But even average-sized hands will enjoy wrapping around these grips.

Read the full review of the Deity Knuckleduster grip here

The SDG Thrice is not perfect, but the price means it’s a bit of a bargain

Diameter: 31 or 33mm | Length: 136mm | Weight: 80g | Colours: Seven | Rating: 9/10

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The SDG Thrice cuts costs and undercuts the competition by integrating the lock-on clamp into the moulding for the grip base, before adding the rubber over the top. It works pretty well, and also saves weight, but doesn’t look quite as sleek as an alloy collar.

SDG uses a gel compound for the the padding, with a mushroom pattern for the inner thumb/forefinger zone, and raised SDG logos to provide cushioning. Both comfort and grip are good, as long as you don’t ride with your hands towards the end of the grips. Here, the harder rubber flange transmits more shock to your palms. Considering the price, and the weight, SDG has done a good job with the Thrice.

Read our full test review of the SDG Thrice grips

Shades of the DMR Deathgrip with a more subtle tread pattern, the Gusset S2 Extra Soft grips offer plenty of traction.

Diameter: 32mm | Length: 131mm | Weight: 75g | Rating: 9/10

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The S2 Extra Soft is the latest tech-heavy grip from Gusset. This UK brand has a strong focus on components designed for hard-hitting use, but with a pleasingly affordable price tag.

With only one 32mm diameter offered, the S2 will suit most riders looking for a mid-size grip. It uses an eccentric core and a single, inboard locking collar, so it’s more comfortable when your hand is towards the edge of the bar. Although our tester noted that it’s not as cushioned as the Burgtec Bartender Pro. The S2’s multi-texture, soft compound rubber offers stacks of traction, in both wet and dry conditions, and is a stand-out feature, along with the low price tag.

Read our full review of the Gusset S2 Extra Soft grips

A subtle ergonomic shape and flanges ensure Ergon’s GDH grips give a secure feel.

Diameter: 31mm | Weight: 115g | Rating: 9/10

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The GDH Team is a recent addition to Ergon’s ever-growing range of quality grips. With DH in its name, this model has a gravity focus, with a surface design that uses multiple raised zones to tackle hand fatigue and arm pump.

With a medium-soft rubber blend and a similarity in design to the popular ODI Elite Pro, this grip ticks plenty of boxes. Traction is a key focus and it’s here where our tester identified this as a more divisive design than the top-scoring Ergon GE1 EVO grip. On the GDH team, a small inner flange and raised outer bumper gives a ‘locked-in’ feeling when riding, following the contours of the rider’s hands. The raised waffle panel and pronounced finger box enhance this feel further.

Ergon’s GDH Team is a premium quality lock-on grip, with a price to match. It scored well, but may not suit every rider’s tastes.

Read our full review of the Ergon GDH Team grips

Lizard Skins Gradient grips help reduce fatigue on longer rides with their padded palms.

Diameter: 30.5-36.6mm | Length: 136mm | Weight: 115g | Rating: 8/10

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Lizard Skins claims that this Gradient model is the most ergonomic grip it’s ever made. Brands such as Ergon consider riding position as well as comfort, hand size and traction when designing grips, and now Lizard Skins has done the same. The Gradient grip puts hand support as a top priority, with a design that doesn’t look weird or goofy.

The main feature of the Gradient is the transition from a conventional round inboard section to a deep airfoil shape at the outer end – the grip diameter tapers from a fat 36.5mm outboard measurement, to 30.5mm at the collar. The wing gives more pronounced support than the top-scoring Ergon GE1 EVO and is not off-putting visually, however this does place your hand in a relatively fixed position. Traction and control is on point, but our tester felt the Gradient isn’t as plush and forgiving as our favourite grips.

Read our full review of the Lizard Skins Gradient grips

Testing contact points, like grips, can often be as subjective as it gets. Everyone has a unique hand shape and general physiology. Hence, when it comes to grips, one person’s meat can be another person’s poison.

For this test we continuously swapped grips between a variety of different bikes for several months. From lightweight XC race bikes to long-travel enduro bike beasts, each set of grips was moved about to assess the suitability and compatibility of the components. Keeping things fair from a contact point perspective, we stuck to the same gloves (or no-gloves for some testers who opt to ride bareback).

The one question we can’t help you with: Which colour to choose!

Mountain bike grip design has moved on rapidly over the last five years, with new thinking, improved materials and simpler but still secure fastenings. A model that we favoured five years ago might not make it onto our current list of top models, but there are grips we’ve tested with distinctive or notable designs that are still worth considering.

Bike brands in-house models rarely win us over, but the Giant Swage grip scored top marks in 2019. This slim, tapered lock-on grip places more rubber under your hand where it counts, mimicking premium ergonomic models in shape but simple push-on grips in comfort. It’s a bargain at under £20.

If you favour a slim grip, then the Sensus Lite is well worth a look. With a dense ribbed design, a 29mm diameter and a generous 148mm length, our tester felt this is the most comfortable of any skinny grip he’s ridden.

One of the companies offering alternative sizes across its models is Race Face. Its Getta Grip lock-on grip has a slightly ergonomic shape and is available in both a slimline 30mm and a chubbier 33mm option. The outer end is reinforced, boosting durability, but we found this flexed a touch when we were wrenching hard on the bar.

With dual grip zones, dual-density rubber and a harder compound panel adjacent to the collar, the All Mtn Style Cero grip looked promising, especially as it was designed by ex world cup-downhiller Cesar Rojo. However, our tester felt this skinny-feeling grip transmitted more trail feedback and buzz than our highest-scoring benchmark designs.

The Lizard Skin Machine grip looks very similar to the classic ODI Ruffian MX, but brings things up-to-date with a single slimline collar. Our test notes reported effective mechanical grip that feeds back plenty of information about exactly what the bike was doing. We did find that the Machine grip is not quite as isolating, well damped, or as durable as some rivals though.

If you’re a minimalist, with a taste for integration, then take a look at the Wolf Tooth Echo Lock-On. This grip is an open ended design, compatible with Wolf Tooth’s EnCase System, which is a plug-in handlebar tool system. Instead of the plastic plugs provided, you insert a tool into either end of the handlebar. With a thick inner plastic core, our tester found this grip to give a firm, less forgiving feel, so it’s not the most comfortable. It is, however, covered by Wolf Tooth’s Right to Repair program, which means you can replace parts as and when they wear.

We’ll admit, there’s no glamour associated with these components. They aren’t as sexy as a set of carbon wheels or the latest 160mm suspension fork but without them your ride won’t go very far. Along with your pedals, your handlebar grips represent one of the only points of contact your body ever really has with your bike (your saddle being the other one).

They are your first line of control and your first line of comfort. You can happily compromise on most parts and still mainly enjoy a ride but get your choice of grip wrong and your enjoyment can go out of the window.

Along with your saddle, grips have to be one of the most personal components on your bike, just because you’ve got hold of them most of the time when you’re riding. Every rider has a grip they prefer so to match all of our taste, there are hundreds of different shapes and sizes, compounds and colours available.

Most lock-on grips use a single clamping collar on the inner edge, and a tapered bore to grip the outer edge of the bar

This type of grip has a collar that can be tightened around the handlebar, usually with a small bolt. This means you can fit them easily, take them off again to access other handlebar hardware and they won’t come loose, no matter hard to twist or how bad the conditions get.

We prefer grips with a moulded end cap, rather than a separate plug, but they can get cookie-cut in a crash.

We spoke to Mark Noble at DMR, makers of the renowned Deathgrip, about which compound to choose: “If you want a little more comfort, a little more grip maybe, then the softer compound would be the way to go and would be my personal choice, especially as I don’t ride in gloves myself.”

“However, harder-compound grips will tend to last a bit longer than soft compound grips, so if you’re after something more durable then pick harder grips. Also, some may feel a harder grip might offer more direct feel – which is useful if you ride in gloves for example.”

Another factor to consider when it comes to overall comfort is the number of locking collars. Old-school grips with collars on the outside of the bar can hurt your hand – new designs stay secure thanks to a single inside collar and clever tapered bores that deliver a friction-fit to the bar.

DMR has seen amazing success with the multi-pattern Deathgrip – a bold design at the time, but copied by many brands since.

Grip patterns are incredibly varied, with knurled patterns for your fingertips, waffle pattern for your palm, and in the case of the DMR Deathgrip a raised mushroom profile for thumb cushioning. Whatever you opt for, make sure there is a decent amount of rubber under your palm, and not a thin skim of rubber over the hard nylon core.

Choose a width and length suitable for your hands. Fatter gives you more padding and less shock and vibration. But too fat and you’ll lose feel and control, as your hands won’t be able to fully wrap the bar. If you’ve got small hands you might prefer a thinner grip.

Again we spoke to Mark Noble from DMR, designers of the Deathgrip about grip diameter. He said: “Again – it’s important, and down to personal choice. This depends not just on the size of your hand – but also how you want a grip to feel and how you hold it. It doesn’t necessarily mean if you have larger hands then you go for bigger grips all the time – with DMR Deathgrips we have two diameters / sizes available, and Brendan Fairclough and Olly Wilkins both prefer thinner diameter grips for feel, even though they are pretty big dudes who ride hard all the time. But again, if you have larger hands, then you could definitely benefit from running larger grips.”