Motorcycle gloves are the second most important piece of gear after helmets for any rider. Even ignoring the chance of a crash, a good pair of gloves will protect your hands from the wind, an occasional loose stone and allow better control of the control on your bike. It shouldn’t need to be said, but all leather gloves are definitely not made equal and a pair of deerskin gloves you might use for yard work will offer next to no protection for your hands. And sometimes, leather is not the best choice for riding gloves. Keep reading to see what we recommend.
Contents
Top 7 Best Motorcycle Gloves 2016
| GLOVES | OUR RATING |
|---|---|
 ILM Alloy Steel Knuckle Motorcycle Gloves |  (4.4 / 5) |
 Joe Rocket Resistor Textile Motorcycle Gloves |  (4.9 / 5) |
 Biltwell Moto Gloves |  (4.7 / 5) |
 TitanOPS Motorcycle Gloves | (4.4 / 5) |
 Leather Motorcycle Ventilation Gloves |  (4.6 / 5) |
 Tour Master Airflow Textile Motorcycle Gloves |  (4.5 / 5) |
 Fox Racing Motorcycle Gloves |  (4.1 / 5) |
Motorcycle Glove Reviews
Whether you need the best motorcycle gloves for hot weather or cold weather, we’re confident that the gloves listed above will meet your needs. Our editors compared all the top motorcycle gloves on the market on value, comfort and performance. Keep reading to learn more about our top picks.
TitanOPS Motorcycle Gloves Review
TitanOPS Motorcycle Gloves offer a powerful blend of dexterity, durability and comfortable protection for your hands. The gloves are crafted from a mixture of microfiber, leather, lycra and nylon with extra stitching around the seams and on the reinforced palm to hold up under the toughest conditions. The palm is lined with a nylon gripping surface for expert control. Leather padding and hard-molded plastic on the knuckles offers protection and an adjustable wrist strap ensures retention in a crash. The Titan OPS Gloves are machine washable and antibacterial treated to remain odor-free.
Pros: high dexterity, offers protection in a motorcycle fall, appropriate for tactical use on the shooting range, comes in a variety of colors
Cons: Not appropriate for winter use, not waterproof
Our Rating: (4.4 / 5)
Fox Racing Motorcycle Gloves Review
If you want a great fitting glove for the right price, then these Fox Racing Motorcyle Gloves are sure to please. Insanely comfortable with a great feel, its padded palms keep your hands protected without skimping on durability or flexibility. Have a solid grip on your bike’s handles when your hands are fully gloved! The hook and loop wrist closure also makes sure your gloves stay on no matter where your adventure takes you.
Pros: These gloves have been updated with Pawtector-series chassis. Gloves save your hands from blisters.
Cons: This is the 2011 model.
Our Rating: (4.1 / 5)
Leather Motorcycle Ventilation Gloves Review
Have you ever driven your motorcycle and thought to yourself how wonderful it would be to have gloves to help your grip? If so, then you should look into our Leather Motorcycle Ventilation Gloves. These gloves have ventilation areas to help keep your hands dry and cool. They are made of sheep leather and are easy to wear and move in. The band contains elastic so it is easy to slip them on and off. For a tighter grip, you can utilize the velcro strap. These are great no matter how hot it may be outside and you will look great wearing them on your bike.
Pros: Ventilated. Easy to take on and off
Cons: Some complaints that sizing is not exact
Our Rating: (4.6 / 5)
Biltwell Moto Gloves Review
These gloves are designed with both comfort and safety in mind. The synthetic leather palms are great for traction and abrasion resistance, while the back panels are laminated to allow for air flow. Stretch fabric in the knuckles make them flexible.
Pros: flexible, multiple sizes up to XXL, breathable
Cons: short cuffs may not be ideal for people with larger hands
Our Rating: (4.7 / 5)
Joe Rocket Resistor Textile Motorcycle Gloves Review
Looking for a pair of reasonably priced fabric gloves with all the features found in premium brands? Then slip your hand into these ride-ready fabric gloves. Equipped with a handy fitment pull tab and hook-and-loop closure, these pre-curved gloves go on easy and fit nicely under any jacket cuff. And if you ride at night, you’ll be pleased with the attractive placement of the 3M reflective piping and logo.
Pros: The embossed neoprene padded full flex fingers, double reinforced palm and thumb, and fuel injected molded knuckle protector enclosed in elastane all do triple duty, providing comfort, flexibility, and adequate protection for every day riding.
Cons: Since the fabric allows air to flow through freely, they are great for riding in mild to hot temperatures, but inadequate for cold or rainy day riding.
Our Rating: (4.9 / 5)
ILM Alloy Steel Knuckle Motorcycle Gloves Review
Are you looking for some truly rugged, high-quality motorcycle gloves that will last you a long time? Then look no further than the ILM Alloy Steel Knuckle Motorcycle Gloves. Made from professional alloy steel protection parts, these gloves offer 100 percent full protection while remaining comfortable and fashionable.
Pros: Engineering for the fingers and offers finger-joint protection
Cons: Pricey
Our Rating: (4.4 / 5)
Tour Master Airflow Textile Motorcycle Gloves Review
These gloves are designed to give you the maximum amount of protection and comfort. The breathable, mesh material used throughout the gloves makes them breathable and cool. The Armor-Link mesh panel gives you protection from scrapes while still allowing air flow. Even the fingers in these gloves feature mesh sides. Don’t worry, additional padding is provided in the knuckles to protect your hands.
Pros: mesh throughout makes them ideal for summer riding, multiple sizes available
Our Rating: (4.5 / 5)
Cons: 2011 model
Factors To Consider
Your budget may be a factor in a glove purchase, but in the event of an accident, spending $300 on a top of the line pair of riding gloves will become easily the best investment you could make when it saves the delicate bones and tissue of your hands and fingers. Hands we use for typing, controlling our phones, eating and working at almost any job are the first body part the body naturally throws out reflexive to break our fall in an accident and the speed and force of most motorcycle crashes will tear apart the unprotected hands.
So clearly a good pair of gloves is an essential piece of gear for any rider, but the task of selecting the right pair of gloves can be dizzyingly complicated with the choices of style, material, levels of protection, thickness and added features. When shopping for a pair of motorcycle gloves, you should keep in mind several factors that will impact your decision and help you select the perfect pair of gloves for you.
- First, have clear what type of riding you intend to use them for and keep in mind that most riders will own more than one pair to fulfill very different usage roles.
- Second, you should come armed with an understanding of the three main functions of a motorcycle glove that need to be balanced for each use case: protection, control and comfort.
- Third, have an understanding of the type of gloves available from racing to short and from from off-road to heated or waterproof gauntlets.
- Fourth, know the advantages of each material.
- And fifth, be aware of the features that will affect the performance of each type of glove.
Your Riding Style
Are you an aggressive street rider who enjoys weaving between cars at high speed or a casual fair-weather biker who likes to take the chopper out for a weekend cruise in the summer time? If you tend to ride fast and on pavement, you should look for gloves marketed to racers that offer a high level of protection and include both reinforced synthetic material and armor for your joints as the impact of a crash can not only tear skin but shatter bone. A more casual rider, however, will be fine with a well-made pair of leather gloves that cover the full hand and offer well-placed leather padding.
Consider the seasons you will be riding in, your mix of road surfaces between pavement and off road and the chance of riding in rain. Wearing offroad or motocross style gloves for highway or urban riding can set you up for serious injury since the protection is meant for slower speed dirt landings rather than the extreme abrasion of pavement. If your bike will be your main commute vehicle and not just a weekend ride, you will need to put water resistance on your list of desired features, which is available in a good all-weather gauntlet style glove.
Those who prefer fast sport bikes often look for gloves with more padding in the palm since more of their weight is distributed towards their hands as they ride. Consider also the comfort factor if you will be wearing the gloves for an extended period of time. Whatever your style, there should be a glove made for you, except for the fingerless gloves. They may look stereotypically “biker” but they do little to protect your fingers or allow any greater level of control.
The Functions of a Motorcycle Glove
The first and most important function of a motorcycle glove is to protect your hands in the event of a crash and this should be at the forefront of your mind during a purchase decision. Yes, you may save big by getting the cheapest pair of gloves in the store, but is the damage to your body going to be worth it? Look for extra reinforcement on the palms and armoring on the knuckles and the back of the hand. Also be sure to check for a secure and non-elastic strap that will prevent the gloves from coming lose in the extreme forces of an accident.
Control of the bike is another important factor to consider as you try on gloves. Although wearing gloves that are too tight can interfere with your ability to operate the controls, you should buy leather gloves slightly smaller because leather stretches as it is broken in. For any gloves, make sure that they are snug fitting around the hand and without excess material in the finger tips that would give weak control dexterity.
Comfort is another important consideration when selecting your riding gloves, both with regards to style and material. While leather gloves are likely to fit better and mold to your hands as you continue to wear them, textiles offer better resistance to the elements including insulation in the cold and resistance to the rain. If you will be riding in very cold weather, look for heated gloves and glove liners that can fit inside your protective gauntlets.
The Types of Gloves Available
There is a wide variety of gloves available for nearly every use case and it is common for riders to own several pairs for different seasons, road conditions or specific rides. Check out the following quick list to get an idea of some of the options:
- Short – Often leather, these gloves stop at the wrist and provide an understated look for casual riding. They don’t have the level of protection of racing, gauntlet or other glove types but can be serviceable for short, good weather rides.
- Racing – Built to withstand serious impact, racing gloves come complete with armor for your joints that can be a mix of titanium and composite plastics. Heavily padded, these are recommended for those who take their bikes on the highway or may have a tendency to ride aggressively.
- Gauntlet – Not really a specific glove, the term refers to the wrist covering common to racing, urban touring and other gloves.
- Cruiser/Urban – A heavy leather gauntlet style glove, these give fuller protection than some smaller leather gloves but can be more cumbersome.
- Adventure/Touring – Appropriate for long rides and able to withstand the elements, these full-protection gloves are made from textiles and come at quite a cost, but the comfort and protection can be well worth the price.
- Waterproof – Look for Gore-Tex in these gauntlet-style gloves meant for riding in inclement weather.
- Heated – For winter gloves, there are insulated options but there are also electrically heated gloves that require a wired connection to a battery pack.
- Offroad – Avoid these gloves if you ride on pavement because they don’t protect against high velocity abrasian, but if motocross is your thing, then by all means go for it.
- Liners – If you don’t have a dedicated winter gloves, you can use liners inside another pair of gloves to keep your hands warm in the winter weather.
Materials to Look Out For
Leather is the most common material in riding gloves but textiles are preferred for winter and summer riding as it can be made either more insulated or more breathable than leather. Look for materials such as Kevlar, titanium and even stingray or kangaroo leather to be added to the gloves to provide extra strength and protection. There is no clear answer on which material is better because it will depend on your ride style, preferences and specific needs.
Parts of the Glove to Focus On
- Palm – Thinner than the upper for better control.
- Upper – Covers the back of the hand. This should be strong and thick enough to protect you in crashes not only from abrasion but also the impact.
- Fourchettes – These are pieces that the connect the upper to the palm and go between the fingers.
- Lining – Provides comfort for gloves that have strong, stitched layers. The lining can also provide insulation, moisture protection and can use materials such as Gore-Tex and Thinsulate.
- Cuff – This is the part that connects with your sleeve and can provide a barrier against wind and moisture.
- Closure – Holds the gloves closed. Avoid any elastic as it will not stay closed during a crash.
- Armor – Found usually on the backs of the fingers and the upper, armor is literally that. It often contains foam padding under the hard plastic, carbon fiber, steel or titanium so that it can better absorb extreme impacts.
- Stitching – The stitching should be doubled in key areas of the glove and Kevlar fibers are ideal for stitching since they won’t break on impact.
Leave a Reply