We’ve seen d3o pads many times in the past, and we hear the Army are now trialling them in helmets, but gloves are a new application.
The d3o pads on the knuckle remain very pliable until the molecules lock together on impact to produce a solid protective barrier.
Downhill gloves normally sacrifice comfort in order to offer knuckle protection, with a stitched-in plastic or carbon guard, but the use of d3o allows much more flexibility, and with more protection than cross-country gloves.
The Clarino palm is soft and grippy, and doesn’t bunch between the bar and grip. It’s not the toughest Clarino we’ve seen though, as the palm was showing signs of wear after a couple of rides.
The usual car park test of punching the floor with the knuckle showed the glove’s ability to fend off impact very well.
The glove looks like it can be used on cross-country rides, but we wouldn't advise it. It has no terry nose wipe, and some of our testers felt hand movement was restricted by the sewn-in d3o pads.