Specialising in high-end mountain bike and ski protective gear, POC Sports is a swedish brand that has burst onto the downhill mountain bike scene with a range of body armour and full face helmets that are here to rival, and exceed, the best. With a fresh approach that balances a scientific background with real world rider feedback, the POC body armour range has a focus on rider safety like no other brand. So if you're looking for high-end bike wear that fits as good as it looks, POC protection is a new alternative to the usual motorbike-styled products on the market, packed with the kind of technology that will keep you out of hospital and on the bike.

The Index Air glove from POC is their MTB-specific XC glove, but is so much more than that. An extremely breathable mesh on the back of the hand provides superior ventilation on even the hottest of summer days, and the lycra hem removes the need for a wrist strap to further reduce excess material and pressure points.
You will notice a distinct lack of velcro straps, tabs, stitches and panels on the Index Air gloves, and that is exactly what POC set out to do. In fact, POC is one of the only brands to offer a glove that is not stitched at the end of each finger, and without a stitchline you will find these avoid that annoying rubbing and chafing you can get with lesser gloves. The entire palm is made from Pittards goats leather, that is durable, hard wearing, breathable and abrasion-resistant, and a nice touch is the terry cloth on the back of the thumb for wiping sweat off your brow.
For sure there are cheaper options out there, but nothing will come close to the comfort and durability of the POC Index gloves.

From POC:

"All our products have been tested by top world gravity sport athletes and then further refined to perfection. Our athlete friends love to go flat out but without suffering cuts, bruises and headaches, or in the worst cases, risking back or brain damage as a result of crashes that sadly happens to even the best athletes. The end result is a line of lightweight, high performance gear that offers the ultimate protection against injury thanks to superior impact absorption and penetration resistance.

When developing a product at POC, we do it in the spirit of doing the best. We never compromise in choosing materials or construction, to make a product cheaper or to increase margins, if that means compromising safety, quality or performance".

"It's our mission to do everything we can to develop protective gear that can save lives and reduce the severity of injuries"

The POC Index Air Gloves feature:

• Breathable nylon mesh backing
• Lycra hem around the wrist for secure fitting
• Pittards goat leather on the palm
• Terry cloth cover on the back of the thumb
• Stichless fingertips
• Patterned texture on fingers for shifter and brake control