Hi I’m Britt, and I’m a bit of a glove snob.

So I was super excited to get the opportunity to review Roeckl’s new eco-friendly glove, the Melbourne.

The gloves feature a new fabric on the palm that Roeckl calls Roeck-air, described as follows on their website:

The particularly thin fabric used on the palm is hard-wearing, provides superb sensitivity on the reins, and is highly breathable thanks to micro perforation. You’ll barely feel as though you’re wearing a glove. The fabric is also completely TOUCHSCREEN COMPATIBLE. This new material is combined with the equally new smooth and elastic Lycra made with ECONYL® yarn and elastane on the back of the hand. Made entirely from regenerated nylon waste (e.g. old fishing nets), ECONYL® yarn is infinitely recyclable without sacrificing quality.

Per their claim, I can definitely attest that these are the thinnest gloves yet that I’ve ever tried- something I absolutely adore given my abhorrence for thick gloves. I occasionally struggle with keeping my fists closed around the reins, and these gloves literally have zero bulk to get in my way- winning! They are also the perfect weight for sticky North Carolina summers, a handy feature for this southern gal.

Unlike many of the other gloves on the market, the Melbourne style also features a longer cuff in absence of a velcro closure. For me, I appreciate that this makes them fairly easy on and off, but I think I personally prefer the velcro over the added length. This is mostly vanity – in the summer I often ride in tank tops and the longer length makes those glove tan lines that much more prominent. Also re:my vanity, I am not a pink person. It’s just not my thing. And the pink on these is… well- there’s no avoiding it, unless covering it up with long sleeves. The video below shows off their length on my t-rex arms:

Still, despite my personal pink problems, I’ve been using these gloves a lot and have been really impressed by the new Roeck-Air fabric. I daresay it has held up better than other Roeckl gloves in the NC humidity and constant wear, and has even survived a wash coming out looking brand new: that’s a huge win in my books!

Post-wash picture

Besides their great functionality, the Melbourne gloves also give peace of mind to the environmentally-conscious. As described above, a yarn made from old fishing nets goes into the new Roeck-Air material, though you’d never know it. I enjoy knowing that there I’m supporting an equestrian brand that is putting effort into eco-products, without sacrificing quality in any way.

To sum up my review of the Melbourne gloves, I would say these are the best summer schooling gloves I’ve ever worn in terms of both durability and weight. Though I wish they came in more color combinations, they are worth the price for a glove that will last through many humid rides and trips to the washer. All this, and eco-friendly as well.

For this, the Melbourne gloves get an A- from me!