Need motorcycle gloves?
You have four important features to look for when selecting motorcycle gloves. Your gloves should…
- Feel comfortable and keep you comfortable…
- Protect your hands – especially if you have a motorcycle accident…
- Make operating your bike’s hand controls easy…
- Suit you and the way you ride…
Comfort
It’s important for your gloves to fit right, feel comfortable and keep you comfortable. If they’re not comfortable, they can become a distraction. And when you’re riding a motorcycle, distractions can be dangerous.
Comfortable riding gloves help you to stay focused on your driving.
Protection
While your gloves can be stylish, their main purpose is to protect your hands when you ride.
A good pair of gloves is your primary defense against bruises and pain caused by airborne stones and bugs, and by debris launched from cars or flying up from the road.
And if you have a motorcycle accident, a pair of well-designed, purpose-built motorcycle gloves can give you a fighting chance to avoid serious cuts and bruises and other injuries to your hands and wrists.
Control
Even if your gloves are well-insulated for cold weather, or they’re armored for high-speed or off-road riding, they should enable you to operate your motorcycle’s hand controls easily.
They should help you to maintain a firm, non-slip grip on your accelerator, and to have a sensitive touch to flip switches, push buttons and easily pull the brake and clutch levers.
Suitability
Your gloves should suit your riding style — when, where and how you like to ride.
So, before considering what kind of gloves to buy, first consider…
- The kind of riding you enjoy most — touring, off-road, cruising, etc…
- Your typical daily travel mileage…
- Weather conditions in which you ride…
- The seasons when you usually ride…
- The types of roads or trails you ride on most…
- How laid back or aggressively you ride…
If you’re a fair-weather rider who only takes short, local trips, then one pair of light- or mid-weight gloves will probably do just fine.
However, like most motorcycle riders, you’ll probably need two or more pairs of gloves to cover the variety of weather and riding conditions you’ll encounter across at least two or three seasons.
Whatever your riding preferences, you have three basic types of motorcycle gloves to choose from. All three types have overlapping qualities and features…
Hot Weather Motorcycle Gloves
Hot weather motorcycle gloves are padded and ventilated in the right places to protect your hands while also keeping them cool.
Glove manufacturers often use high-tech materials such as Kevlar in summer gloves to give you light-weight strength and protection.
Medium Weight Motorcycle Gloves
Mid-weight gloves are very versatile because they can…
- Keep you comfortable across three seasons and varying weather conditions…
- Provide better sensitivity and control than thicker winter gloves…
Winter Motorcycle Gloves
Winter gloves are built much thicker than medium weight styles.
However, while you’ll want gloves with sufficient heat-retaining insulation, too much padding will lessen your ability to feel and operate your bike’s controls.
Look for winter gloves that provide comfort, warmth and protection without sacrificing your hands’ sensitivity and dexterity.
Motorcycle glove features to consider…
Once you zero-in on the type of gloves that suit you best, consider these features to fine-tune your choice…
- Waterproof lining. Look for gloves that have a waterproof lining made of Gore-Tex or a similar lightweight, breathable material. Such a lining will spare you the trouble of pulling on rain covers or a different pair of gloves in wet weather.
- Additional crash protection. You might feel safer with gloves that give you the extra protection of Kevlar, carbon fibers or titanium studs on high-impact areas.
- Gauntlets. These stiff glove-top extensions cover your wrists and the ends of your jacket sleeves to protect your wrists while keeping the wind out.
- Wrist straps. Well-designed wrist straps are a necessity because they’ll keep your gloves in place if you have an accident. Look for sturdy, non-elastic straps that will stay closed if your hand slides on the ground.
- Removable lining. Some gloves have a lining you can take out and wash.
- Reflective material. Reflective seams or stripes increase your visibility when driving at night.
Once you find the right pair of motorcycle gloves that best suit you and the way you ride, you’ll give yourself a great safety advantage by always wearing them when you’re on the road — even in hot weather.
A good pair of motorcycle gloves is your best insurance and primary defense against hand and wrist injuries.
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