The Best Mountain Bike Grips of 2024

Your mountain bike grips are one of only three contact points between you and your bike and are important for comfort and control. For such a seemingly simple component, the right grips can improve your comfort with the right fit, cushioning, and ergonomics while ensuring you maintain your grip through whatever comes down the trail.

Compared to most other mountain bike-related upgrades, grips are among the most affordable, so it’s easy to freshen up the look and feel of your ride. But with so many options to choose from, finding the right pair to suit your riding style and preferences can be a challenge. Different diameters, materials, cushioning levels, patterns, and attachment styles can all play a role in the mountain bike grips that are best for you.

Our team of testers have decades of riding experience and have tried nearly every mountain bike grip on the market. We tested the models included here for months — in some cases years — to come up with this curated list. So, whether you’re after a gravity-oriented grip like the Ergon GDH Team, a lightweight slide-on like the ESI Chunky, or something in between, we’ve got recommendations to steer you toward the best.

To learn more about what characteristics distinguish mountain bike grips, take a look at our Buyer’s Guide and Price & Value section at the bottom of this article. You can also see how the grips we tested compare side-by-side in our Comparison Chart.

Editor’s Note: We updated our mountain bike grips buyer’s guide on October 24, 2024, with the addition of our new Price & Value section.

The Best Mountain Bike Grips of 2024

• Best Overall Mountain Bike Grips: ODI Elite Pro
• Best Budget Mountain Bike Grips: PNW Components Loam Grips
• Best Mountain Bike Grips for XC Racing: ESI Chunky
• Best Mountain Bike Grips for Gravity Riding: Ergon GDH Team
• Best Mountain Bike Grips for Large Hands: Wolf Tooth Fat Paw
• Best Mountain Bike Grips for Small Hands: Race Face Half Nelson Grip
• Another Great All-Around Mountain Bike Grip: Wolf Tooth Echo Lock-on

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Best of the Rest

Mountain Bike Grips Comparison Chart

Mountain Bike Grip	MSRP	Length	Diameter	Style	Weight	Cushion
ODI Elite-Pro	$30	135 mm	32 mm	Lock-on	100 g/pair	Moderate
PNW Components Loam Grips	$26	133.5 mm	30mm, 34 mm (XL)	Lock-on	90 – 120 g/pair	Moderate
ESI Chunky	$20	120 mm	32 mm	Slide-on	60 g/pair	Moderate
Ergon GDH Team	$40	135 mm	29.5 – 32 – 29.5 mm	Lock-on	115 g/pair	Moderate
Wolf Tooth Fat Paw	$27	135 mm	36 mm	Slide-on	110 g/pair	Thick
Race Face Half Nelson Grip	$27	133 mm	29 mm	Lock-on	92 g/pair	Light, low profile
Wolf Tooth Echo Lock-On	$30	132 mm	32 mm	Lock-on	106 g/pair	Moderate
ESI Grips Racer’s Edge	$19	130 mm	30 mm	Slide-on	48 g/pair	Light, low profile
Ergon GE1 Evo	$35	135 mm	32 mm	Lock-on	119 g/pair	Moderate
Supacaz Grizips	$25	110 mm	32 mm	Lock-on	140 g/pair	Light, low profile
Ergon GA3	$35	136 mm	30 / 32 mm	Lock-on	115 g/pair	Moderate
Lizard Skins Strata Single Clamp Lock-On	$34	135 mm	32.25 mm	Lock-on	118 g/pair	Light, low profile

How We Tested the Best Mountain Bike Grips

At GearJunkie, we’re always seeking the best products to enhance our comfort, control, and enjoyment while riding our mountain bikes. Over the years, we’ve learned that choosing the right set of mountain bike grips is a great, affordable way to freshen up our bike’s cockpit and dial it into our specific needs. Our team also just loves testing out and reviewing new gear to provide our readers with honest feedback and recommendations to help them choose the best products for their needs.

The GearJunkie staff is composed of trail hogs who love to crank out long days in the saddle. Our lead tester of mountain bike grips is Jeremy Benson. Benson is an editor at GearJunkie, and he’s been mountain biking for three decades and professionally testing and reviewing mountain bikes and related accessories for the past eight years. He spends an inordinate amount of time in the saddle while training for races, testing bikes, accessories, and apparel, or riding just for fun and fitness. He’s used well over thirty different mountain bike grips in his search for the perfect fit and often gets to try different models when testing complete mountain bikes. As a person who hates hand numbness, arm pump, and the lack of control that goes along with it, he is very particular about the grips he chooses for his personal bikes.

Contributing authors Morgan Tilton and Matthew Medendorp also provided feedback for this guide. Both are experienced mountain bikers who put in big miles and have been testing and reviewing outdoor gear for many years. Their riding and testing experience makes them both particularly adept at scrutinizing the gear they use.

In considering which grips to test, we surveyed our trail partners, scoped out parking lots, and handled a lot of handlebars to get a feel for how each grip fits into the market. Then, we put in the work climbing, descending, and mashing about on our bikes to test the durability, texture, and feel of each grip. In order to find the best mountain bike grips available today, we mounted every grip we could get our paws on and hit the trails to test the cushioning, control, and robustness of each. From shuttle runs to cross-country races, each set of grips in this guide has been tested for at least a month. Others have been in use for over a year, and some we keep going back to year after year because they are great.

The mountain biking market constantly changes, and our testing follows that trend. As new mountain bike grips hit the market, rest assured that we’re putting them to the test and will update our guide accordingly.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose Mountain Bike Grips

For such a simple component, choosing the right mountain bike grips can be more difficult than you might expect. There are quite a few factors to consider, which we’ll explain below. And if you’re among the many who suffer from hand or wrist discomfort or numbness while riding, you may find some helpful information in our article specific to mountain bike grips for sore hands.

Slide-On vs. Lock-On Grips

Mountain bike grips fall into two general categories based on how they attach to the handlebar.

Lock-on grips

As the name suggests, lock-on grips secure on handlebars with a locking collar — a metal ring-shaped clamp on one or both ends of the handlebars with a bolt, which locks them in place and prevents them from sliding or rotating. These typically have a rigid plastic interior sleeve covered by a rubber compound outer.

This design also allows the diameter of the inside of the grips to be a bit wider than the diameter of the handlebar, so it is easy to install, remove, and adjust. This contrasts with a slide-on grip, which has a smaller interior diameter than the handlebar and uses friction to keep the grips in place.

Lock-on grips are easier to install and are generally more secure. However, they’re also heavier and tend to be more expensive than slide-on grips, as they have a rigid tube core and metal collars.

Slide-on grips

A slide-on grip is a simpler design with a rubber or silicone foam tube that slides over the handlebar. Because they lack an internal core and collars, they tend to be much lighter than lock-ons. That said, they are more difficult to install, sometimes requiring lubrication. They’re also more difficult, or impossible, to adjust and can move if improperly secured.

If your priority is security and ease of application, lock-on grips are the way to go. But if cutting weight and saving money are first and foremost, slide-on grips are the better option.

Shape & Length

Choosing the right shape and length can depend on the rider’s anatomy. Most grips are between 130 mm and 140 mm in length. But there are shorter 90mm options for riders with small hands and 150mm grips for riders with larger hands.

The most basic and common shape is the plain gauge grip, which has the same thickness throughout the length of the grip. Riders who downhill often or who simply prefer a better grip tend to go with this option, especially with the flange (a rubber disk near the inside of the grip) to help prevent the hand from sliding off.

Ergonomic grips feature a variety of different shapes that aim to improve the alignment of your wrists and hands on the handlebar. These can include a flat section near the outside of the grip to add support for your hand or wrist, which can increase comfort and fight fatigue on longer rides. Other grips may be tapered or have variable thicknesses.

An extension of this is the integrated bar end — a short bar that points forward from the end of the grips — which allows riders a second outboard hand position.

Bar Plugs

Many grips are open on both ends, while some lock-on grips are closed on the outboard end. For those grips with open outboard ends, bar plugs or bar end caps are designed to fit into the end of the handlebar to protect the handlebars and grips. Generally made of plastic or polymer (some alloy options are available), the end plugs typically just get pushed into the end of the handlebar. They serve the purpose of protecting the ends of the bar from scrapes with trailside obstacles, contact with the ground when setting the bike down or crashing, or from the handlebar impaling your body in a crash.

Materials

Most of the grips on the market are made from various rubber compounds. The types and amounts of rubber in the compounds vary between makes and models, but they are designed to provide a combination of grip, cushioning, and durability. Generally speaking, a harder plastic sleeve extends from the lock ring, which is then covered in the outer rubber layer.

Silicone foam grips are popular for cross-country riding and touring, as they tend to be lighter weight and provide comfortable cushioning. Given the silicone material, most of these tend to be slide-on designs, which are less convenient to install and remove. The silicone material is also more prone to damage in the even of a crash. There are some lock-on silicone grips on the market as well, which simplifies the installation and removal process.

Patterns

The texture and pattern of each design are unique. Some grips combine multiple textures in targeted areas around the grip to provide varying cushioning or grip characteristics and moisture management.

For instance, some grips blend chevron, rib, waffle, and other patterns. The chevron feels comfortable to some riders. The ribs, separated by narrow gaps, prevent side-to-side play. Waffle pockets are designed to prevent hotspots. Patterned and textured mountain bike grips often require mounting in a specific orientation to provide the desired cushioning and grip benefits.

On the other hand, other grips have the same pattern all the way across and around. And other designs are totally smooth, with no lines or divots at all. Ultimately, the best option is determined by each person’s personal grip/cushioning preferences, hand shape, and size.

Diameter

Since our hands come in a range of shapes and sizes, mountain bike grips do, too. Choosing a diameter that fits your hands best can enhance your comfort and bike control. The grips we tested range in diameter from 29 mm up to 36 mm. Riders with smaller hands will typically find better grip and comfort with smaller grips in the 29 – 30 mm diameter range. Riders with especially large hands may gravitate towards thicker grips of 34 mm+ in diameter or more. Most riders will fall in between those two extremes, which is why so many grips come in a 32 mm diameter.

It’s not just hand size that dictates what diameter is right for you. Many people have preferences that will steer them one way or the other. Thankfully, you can usually wrap your hands around some grips at the bike shop to get a feel for the different sizes to see what will work best for you.

Cushioning

The amount of cushion in a grip design is as important as the pattern and also comes down to personal preference.

Slim, less-cushioned designs provide an athletic and very direct feel under the palms. Some riders prefer a more sensitive, aggressive touchpoint and responsiveness. This style of grip doesn’t provide as much damping for the hands. Instead, it prioritizes feedback and precise control.

At the other end of the spectrum, thick and well-cushioned grips offer comfort. Pillowy, siped blocks and ribs can help prevent fatigue on long, tough rides or more enjoyment for less experienced riders. Cushioning can also help support some riders with hand or wrist ailments. Often, a super cushioned grip sacrifices a touch of steering precision in trade for the comfort it provides.

Moderately cushioned grips are the sweet spot for most riders. These grips tend to balance the benefits of a little bit of cushioning with a direct and responsive bar feel. This is typically where we gravitate when choosing grips for all-around riding.

Price & Value

Mountain bike grips are comparatively much less expensive than most other things we attach to our bikes. Even the more expensive options we’ve tested are a cost-effective way to refresh your bike’s look and feel. The grips we tested range in price from simpler designs, which are close to $19, to high-end, ergonomic, and texturized options, which can be up to $40.

Budget

The least expensive grips are typically simple slide-on silicone foam tubes. With little complexity in the construction and no lock ring, these grips just cost less. They are a little more involved to install and remove, but they get the job done while also being the lightest options on the market. The ESI Racer’s Edge ($19) and the ESI Chunky ($20) are two of the least expensive grips you can find and also some of the lightest. This price-to-weight ratio runs contrary to most other things in the bike world, where you typically spend more for things that weigh less.

Our budget lock-on pick, the PNW Components Loam ($26), will cost you a few bucks more, but it’s the least expensive lock-on model we tested. These grips look great, work well, and come in two diameters to suit different-sized hands. Realistically, you don’t need to spend more because these are awesome.

Mid-Tier

Climbing just slightly higher up the price ladder — only a few dollars — moderately priced lock-on grips will usually cost you around $30. The addition of a lock ring, an internal plastic sleeve, and an exterior rubber compound means that these grips cost a bit more for the materials and slightly more complex construction. Still, they aren’t exactly expensive, and most people should be able to find a grip that will serve them well without spending more.

Our favorite all-around grip is the ODI Elite-Pro ($30). This grip has been around for years, and we’ve been riding them for years because of the great balance of cushion, tactility, precision, and price. Similarly, the Wolf Tooth Echo Lock-On ($30) is another of our new favorites. Not only are these grips comfy, but the option to color-match your lock rings to other components on your bike is pretty neat.

Premium

It almost feels silly to call grips in the $35 to $40 range premium, but they are a bit more expensive than other options. Most higher-end grips are lock-on, and typically, these include some ergonomic or more intricate design features. The Ergon GDH Team ($40), for example, uses a tacky rubber compound and a more complex pattern to vary cushioning and grip characteristics. While they aren’t wildly different from other grips on the market, the balance of tactile grip and cushioning is certainly notable.

There are even more expensive grips on the market. We haven’t tested them, but Revgrips ($60 to $90) is a unique offering that provides “suspension” by allowing the grips to rotate slightly with your hands — independent of the handlebar — with the goal of isolating them from shock and vibration. This system requires a more complex design with dual lock rings, washers, and elastomers, so it isn’t too surprising that they cost more. We’ve heard mixed reviews, and we hope to try them out for ourselves soon.

Frequently Asked Questions