Bike grips provide a firm and secure surface for your hands, allowing you to maintain better control over your handlebars when navigating turns, rough terrain, or tricky conditions.
The best MTB grips are the RaceFace Half Nelson locking grips and the ESI Chunky MTB grip. The RaceFace is lightweight, has easy lock-on grips, and has excellent shock absorption on rough terrains. The ESI has a silicone fabrication that sustains a good grip even in the presence of wetness.
In this guide, I will discuss the specifications of the top bike grip options on the market that help absorb shock and vibrations from the road, reducing strain on your hands.
Best Mountain Bike Grips
- Ergon GA2 Lock-on Bicycle Handlebar Grips
- RaceFace Half Nelson Locking Grips (Top Pick)
- Lizard Skins Moab Lock-On Grip
- ESI Chunky MTB Grip
- FIFTY-FIFTY Mountain Biking Grips
- BV Bike Handlebar Grips (Budget Buy)
- Oury MTN Grip
- ODI AG-2 Signature Grips (High End)
Compare Top Handlebar Grips for MTBs
| Product | Overall Score | Bottom Line | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 Ergon GA2 Lock-on | 79 | Provides bikers an evenly-spread traction | Check Out On Amazon |
 RaceFace Half Nelson | 88 |  Excellent shock absorption on rough terrains | Check Out On Amazon |
 Lizard Skins Moab Lock-On | 75 | MOAB soft texture grips | Check Out On Amazon |
 ESI Chunky MTB Grip | 85 | Extremely light-weight | Check Out On Amazon |
 FIFTY-FIFTY Mountain Biking Grips | 81 | Vibration damping rubber feature that boosts comfort | Check Out On Amazon |
 BV Bike Handlebar Grips | 79 |  Equipped with double clamp | Check Out On Amazon |
 Oury MTN Grip | 83 | Capable of providing maximum grip power | Check Out On Amazon |
 ODI AG-2 Signature Grips | 77 |  Offset grip design for better padding | Check Out On Amazon |
Detailed Analysis of the Best MTB Grips
There are different mountain bike handlebar grips available for you to pick from. However, some are much better than others.
For this reason, we have taken the time to provide you with mountain bike grip reviews so keep reading for more details:
1. Ergon GA2 Lock-on Bicycle Handlebar Grips
Overall Score: 79
If you’re hoping to buy the best MTB lock on grips, this product should be considered. The Ergon – GA2 has a wonderful reputation among mountain bikers.
The grips have a soft texture and are fabricated with a UV stable rubber material. This combination makes them comfortable and capable of providing excellent traction on rough terrain.
As its name implies, this product is structured ergonomically to provide maximum efficiency.
Also, this unit is ultra-lightweight and is equipped with inward clamps that make it even easier to have a firm hold of your handlebars.
These handlebar MTB hand grips are manufactured to satisfy high standards. It’s a German-made unit that features attractive aesthetics.
Advantages
- It’s made for optimal efficiency.
- It has a soft feel on the palms.
- Light-weight unit.
- No complications when using the grips.
- Excellent fit and improved comfort.
- The grips provide bikers with evenly-spread traction.
Disadvantages
- When compared to other grips, it’s quite pricey.
- Bar-end plugs cannot be used with the grips.
2. RaceFace Half Nelson Locking Grips
Overall Score: 88
RaceFace Half Nelson Locking Grips is a product that satisfies all the requirements of an excellent grip.
It’s an aesthetically designed piece that delivers a great amount of traction to keep you balanced all through your bike rides.
The grips also feature some elevation on the interior parts, which makes them retain their firm grips even in the presence of rain or wetness. The grips are securely held in place by single lock-on features.
These lock-on grips are easily set up around the bike’s handlebars. Also, they have an ultra-light weight, and they come in different unique hues.
Summarily, these can be considered as the best MTB handlebar grips, and they deserve to be added to your list of biking accessories.
Advantages
- Easy lock-on grips and lightweight.
- Excellent shock absorption on rough terrains.
- Featuring a super thin layer that increases firm grips.
- Regardless of rain or wetness, the grips retain their excellent traction.
- Structurally designed to perform well in different weather conditions.
Disadvantages
- It’s a bit pricey.
3. Lizard Skins Moab Lock-On Grip
Overall Score: 75
This one has been designed to provide mountain bikers with a firm grip while biking along the bumpiest trails.
One of the wonderful features associated with this unit is its ability to provide good traction even when wet.
The Lizard Skins Grip has a soft feel for added comfort. The grips are also made to last long – meaning that you won’t have to buy a new pair of grips every time you ride your bike.
Its shock-absorbing feature is fair; although, some improvements could be made to it.
The grips are made with widths and lengths that boost both comfort and traction. Length specification is 5.1 inches, while both grips have radiuses of 0.61 inches.
Both grips also have covers on their bottom ends.
Advantages
- Small diameter.
- Integrated alloy collars.
- MOAB soft texture grips.
- Comes in various sizes.
Disadvantages
- Not all parts can be found in the package.
4. ESI Chunky MTB Grip
Overall Score: 85
The next item in this review is the ESI Chunky MTB Grip. If you want to get the best MTB handlebar grips, you shouldn’t overlook these ones.
These grips are able to provide quality traction and shock absorption during the bumpiest rides. Also, riding in the rain isn’t a problem.
This is thanks to the silicone fabrication that sustains good grip in the presence of wetness.
The ESI Chunky is extremely light-weight. It weighs less than a pound. However, this unit doesn’t feature lock-rings to secure them around the handlebars, so they need to be properly glued in place.
Advantages
- Vibration-damping chunky grips.
- Grips have a length of 130mm.
- Grip diameter of 32mm.
- Each grip has a cover on the bottom end.
- Weighs less than a pound – just 60g.
Disadvantages
- It doesn’t last very long.
5. FIFTY-FIFTY Mountain Biking Grips
Overall Score: 81
The FIFTY-FIFTY are quality grips that can be purchased in up to 6 different colors: Black, Red, Green, Purple, Orange, and Yellow – feel free to pick any of your choice.
The grips are securely held around the handlebars by a double lock-on system. This means that the grips remain tightly fixed in position regardless of how bumpy the trail becomes.
The grips’ traction is boosted by a rubberized feature that assists in vibration damping.
The grip’s body is made with a textured structure for added traction, and it has a radius of 0.6 inches.
Advantages
- Firmly attached to handlebars – thanks to the dual lock-on system.
- Vibration damping rubber feature that boosts comfort and improves traction.
- Fast and simple setup.
- Works excellently for that prefer a smaller grip width.
Disadvantages
- The padding isn’t sufficient for some bikers.
6. BV Bike Handlebar Grips
Overall Score: 79
Next up are the BV Bike Handlebar Grips. The grips have a contemporary design that creates an aesthetic look and attraction.
The grips are firmly held in place by a pair of clamps that won’t easily come off. Apart from its aesthetic design and firm double clamping, this unit is also capable of vibration damping.
You also get to choose from five different hues: Black, Blue, Yellow, Red, and Green. The grips feature a technical distribution of thickness that improves overall traction.
Each grip has a radius of about 0.6 inches.
Advantages
- Equipped with double clamp.
- Secured on handlebars by the double lock-on system.
- It’s sold at a pocket-friendly price.
- Works perfectly for several handlebars.
Disadvantages
- The patterns might not be attractive to everyone.
7. Oury MTN Grip
Overall Score: 83
Another available MTB grip, which can provide you with excellent traction, is the Oury MTN grip. If you care much for variety and aesthetics, this unit is for you.
It’s available in different hues and you can buy it at a budget-friendly price for those who cannot afford to spend much on the best most comfortable mountain bike grips.
Regardless of its low price, this unit is rubberized to ensure maximum grip power while biking along bumpy trails.
However, when compared to other products in this review, the Oury MTN Grip isn’t so lengthy. In fact, it can only match handlebars that aren’t above 5’’ in length.
Advantages
- Regardless of its pocket-friendly price, it’s still capable of providing maximum grip power.
- You get to pick from a wide range of available hues.
- Thick and convenient grip padding.
Disadvantages
- Cannot support handlebars above 5 inches.
8. ODI AG-2 Signature Grips
Overall Score: 77
The ODI AG-2 Signature Grips truly deserve to be mentioned in our review of the best grips for mountain bike.
These grips have been manufactured to satisfy high standards and provide bikers with excellent traction while riding along rough terrain.
The AG-2 came after the AG-1 – the latter wasn’t good enough, and didn’t satisfy all the needs of good and soft top rated thickest mountain bike grips.
However, the AG-2 has been improved on, and it’s more comfortable to grip. It features a radius of 0.6 inches.
Securing the grips around the handlebars is not a problem – thanks to the clamp used to hold them down. Each grip has a length of about 5.3 inches.
Advantages
- 2″ height with a -inch width.
- The grip’s radius was increased and incorporated with an offset grip design for better padding.
- Includes softer pro compound material.
Disadvantages
- Users have noted that the grips might wear out quicker than expected.
How to Find the Best MTB Grips
To properly answer the question: what are the best shock absorbing MTB grips you should consider these things:
Material
Before buying your soft mountain bike grips, there are certain features that you’d want to enjoy. Some of these features would be greatly influenced by the material.
For instance, if you want the best MTB grips for numbness, you’d have to look out for a material with soft enough texture.
The material also affects the weight and durability. Bikers who want ultra-lightweight grips may go for silicon types. However, there’s a tendency for very lightweight grips to have poor durability.
Design
There are also different shapes and lengths of grips available to you on the market. The shapes and length usually determine which bike the grips can be efficiently used with.
Make sure you buy a grip that won’t be too short for your handlebar’s length. You should also test the grips before buying then to see if your hands wrap around their lengths firmly.
Profile
The profile design of grips affects their efficiency in providing traction and comfort and will help you improve pedaling efficiency as well.
There are various profile designs to pick from, and each is designed to suit different hands and bikers.
Feel free to test a couple of different grip profiles to see which suits you best. The profile design also affects the grip’s ability to dampen vibrations.
Fixing
Next is the fixing method. Ergonomic MTB grips that are poorly fixed on the handlebars will keep slipping off while riding. For this reason, a good MTB grip should always have a reliable fixing method.
Most ergonomic mountain bike lock on grips for exercise bikes will either have a slide-on fixing method or a lock-on system.
The lock-on systems could have a single clamp for securely holding the grips in place or a double clamp.
Grip Size
Grip size is another important feature to look out for. There are grips with very thick padding and those with lighter padding. You will need to choose between them based on your personal preference.
The size of your palm would determine which padding feels most convenient for you. Feel free to try holding a few of them at the bike shop to see which fits best.
Bar Plugs
The presence of bar plugs is another feature that you should look out for before selecting any bike grips. These plugs are meant to cover the bottom ends of the grip and bike handlebars.
It’s important to always have them on. Hence, make sure that missing ones are replaced immediately.
Comfort
Before purchasing a bike grip, you need to be sure that it will provide you with comfort. You should be aware that certain designs and materials are too harsh on the hands when gripped.
The most comfortable MTB grips usually distribute thickness around the fingers and palm region for the purpose of comfort and optimized traction.
Lock-On vs. Non-Lock-On Grips
Bikers are usually presented with the options of lock-on and non-lock-on grips. There are quite a good number of advantages that the lock-on grips have over the non-lock-on ones.
Slip-on grips have a tendency to shift out of place and be exposed to dirt, mud, and debris.
However, the lock-on grips are usually firmly held in place by single or double clamps – hence, they don’t fall out of place even on the bumpiest rides.
Extra Tips
- Make sure you don’t expose your bike grips or other biking accessories to very hot temperatures. This will only damage the grips faster.
- Grips naturally increase hand traction while riding along bumpy trails. However, their gripping potential can be fully exploited by wearing MTB gloves at the same time. Besides, using bare hands on grips might result in blisters.
- Before settling for a particular MTB grip, check to see if it comes with end caps. End caps are quite important because they cover the exposed ends of the grips and curb the unwanted entry of dirt and debris.
The Moisture-Resistant Texture of the Raceface Half Nelson Locking Grips Ensures a Secure Hold, Even in Damp Conditions…
Are you still wondering what are the top MTB grips for your needs? In my opinion, the RaceFace Half Nelson Locking Grips are the best.
They come in a good design that offers great traction for balanced bicycle rides and will last you for a very long time.
You can also check out my guide on the top 3 best bike grips for options not meant specifically for mountain bikes.