Table of Content
- All you need to know about motorcycle gloves
- The Different Types of Motorcycle Gloves
- Pre-Purchase Self-Assessment Questions for Motorcycle Gloves
- What Are Motorcycle Gloves Made From?
All you need to know about motorcycle gloves
Before you read this comprehensive guide to motorcycle gloves, we think we should come to some important agreements. Your hands play a significant role in leading a fulfilling life. They should be available to you for the rest of your life. The key to being able to accomplish that is to protect them.
The main lesson to be learned from this blog of RP Comtrade is that you must wear motorcycle gloves. Like a helmet, quality motorcycle gloves are a necessity if you want to safeguard your priceless hands.
The fact that not all gloves are created equally is the second point to keep in mind. Wearing gloves is one thing, but wearing gloves that are tailored to your riding style—as well as riding circumstances, weather, and other factors—is quite another.
The Different Types of Motorcycle Gloves
Motorcycle glove makers now offer highly specialized solutions for every riding style, type, and circumstance, just like anything else in today’s world. It’s crucial to recognize the differences and make the best decision because not every riding style or condition necessitates the use of the same pair of gloves.
Below, RP Comtrade added every category we could think of. Because different people refer to certain glove types in various ways, you should be aware that some features and types may be repeated.
Always keep in mind that when selecting motorcycle gloves, your goal is to match the glove to your riding style, the terrain you ride in, the weather you ride in, and finally the level of protection they offer for your hands and fingers in the event of an accident.
Obviously, we all have budgets, so you might need to make concessions. There is nothing improper about that; just make sure you comprehend them and choose wisely.
The list below is ordered from worst to best based on features and protection.
1. No Gloves
Although some individuals are unaware that you should wear gloves when riding a motorbike, I’m confident that after a few trips they will understand the protection it provides. Leather gloves not only look wonderful, but they also shield you from the motorcycle’s vibrations and wind blow.
Additionally, most individuals instinctively try to catch themselves with their hands if they crash—just it’s a natural reflex. On a motorcycle, you might be traveling at a speed of 20, 30, or even 60 mph when you collide, and your hands will sustain the majority of the injuries.
If you’re still unsure, try running as quickly as you can—for most people, that’s less than 20 mph—then throwing yourself to the ground while bracing yourself with your hands. Even at running pace, you’ll see that your hands are bleeding and scratched up. Wear gloves, then!
2. Fingerless Gloves
Like your fingers are very important for you since you play the guitar; they must be strong while still being sensitive so that you can feel the guitar’s strings. Fingers are quite useful for picking up objects and are therefore very vital.
So it seems stupid to you to wear a glove that simply shields your palms while leaving your most delicate tools exposed. Hands would be useless without fingers! Protect not just your fingers, but the entire hand.
RP Comtrade believes that fingerless gloves are just marginally preferable than wearing no gloves at all. These may provide a small amount of hand and knuckle protection, but not much more. Keep away.
3. Dirt Gloves
There are four basic places of contact when participating in motocross or other off-road sports: your foot, inner leg, buttocks, and hands. These four points’ major purpose is to aid with your grip, thus they all need to be safeguarded. Your hands and feet are undoubtedly the most significant of all these sites of interaction.
Riding on dirt requires a lot of use of your hands. They need to keep you in contact with the bike in addition to controlling the throttle and brakes. The amount of grip needed might be enormous when riding aggressively over challenging terrain and landing massive air. The challenges of the dirt track must be able to survive your upcoming pair of dirt driving gloves. They ought to be able to withstand the worst of the weather and motivate you to work harder and more quickly.
The majority of the time, fabrics and mesh will be used to make these gloves. Consider examining characteristics like grip, ventilation, and protection (ranked in that order). The majority of your riding will take place on a well-maintained track, so safety is the least of your concerns. RP Comtrade introduced the motorcycle gloves to ensure that your hands remain comfortable even when riding hard, grip and ventilation are necessary. Traditional low-profile TPR or EVA should be adequate for impact protection.
4. Short Cuff Gloves
Short cuff gloves are the best option if you commute to work or ride your bike largely on city streets. Gloves with a shorter cuff, as the name suggests, are low-profile, simple to put on and take off, and quite comfortable.
Numerous short cuff glove variants are available to meet a variety of comfort, performance, and protection requirements. Your riding style and when you ride will determine this. The various kinds of short cuff gloves available on RP Comtrade website are as follows:
Summer gloves:
Their primary construction frequently consists of a mesh and leather mixture. Mesh allows for airflow on the back of the hand without compromising protection while leather gives the palm the necessary abrasion resistance and tactile sensation.
Winter gloves:
In addition to having a waterproof membrane, a thermal liner, or a mix of the two, they frequently have a textile primary construction. Even while you can definitely get leather gloves designed for winter, leather often does not withstand bad weather as well as textile. Textile and synthetic materials offer excellent adaptability and weather resistance and frequently have features like Gore-Tex.
Dual-sport gloves:
These are excellent choices for riders who frequently ride both the street and the dirt. These kinds of driving gloves, which offer greater comfort and airflow than pure street driving gloves, typically blend leather and textile in their core structure and integrate both street and off-road qualities. Some even have protection against compression and hyperextension.
5. Gauntlet Gloves
Not only can gauntlet gloves give more seasonality and crash protection, but they are also frequently chosen during bad weather. As a result, there are many more waterproof and thermal solutions available in this category.
The varieties of gauntlet gloves available on RP Comtrade website are as follows:
Winter gloves:
These will likewise have a textile main construction, a waterproof membrane, and a thermal liner, or a combination of the two, just like short cuff gloves. Typically, Gore-Tex or the manufacturer’s own exclusive waterproofing technology will be present. You should seek a feature like Thinsulate (or something similar) for heat regulation. Winter gloves almost generally have a full gauntlet design to offer optimum weather protection because gauntlet gloves are also worn over the jacket sleeve to prevent wind and water from seeping inside the jacket.
Touring / ADV gloves:
These frequently include a full gauntlet design that is more at ease and relaxed. They could be constructed of mesh, leather, fabric, or a combination of such materials. Since they are designed to be more comfortable for extended rides, they typically offer less significant protection than race gloves. Many ADV/tourist gloves are water-resistant. Their waterproofness is increased by the gauntlet design.
Race gloves are the last but certainly not least. Read more underneath.
6. Race Gloves
Due to the requirements placed on these gloves and the exposure they receive, manufacturers invest a lot of time and effort in creating and producing race gloves. All track day suppliers need race gloves to be full gauntlets. Additionally, race gloves are well-armored and protected from impacts at high speeds. When you are exerting your full might, they often have thin palms for excellent throttle control and enough ventilation.
Race gloves will also be strengthened and protected more. Around the heel of the palm and the outside of the hand, extra leather should be expected. To prevent the most common wrist injuries when your hands are out, hard plastic sliders are also frequently included into the palm areas. For comfort and to provide impact protection for your knuckles, the majority of race gloves are made of plastic or carbon and are backed by a thin layer of foam.
Pre-Purchase Self-Assessment Questions for Motorcycle Gloves
You shouldn’t just buy the most attractive motorcycle gloves or the ones your friend suggests. Choosing a pair of gloves is crucial for both your comfort and safety.
When selecting motorcycle driving gloves, there are a variety of aspects to take into account. To help you focus your search, we’ve highlighted the questions you should ask yourself. Keep in mind that if you fall into more than one category (as most riders do), you should essentially look to buy a couple sets of gloves to accommodate the many use cases you may find.
1. What kind of motorcycling do you do most frequently?
Although it might seem obvious, this is a crucial aspect to take into account when looking for motorcycle special gloves. For instance, the needs of a rider who cycles mostly on weekends and frequently goes on lengthy road trips are considerably different from those of a rider who rides around town on a regular basis.
2. How long do you typically ride for?
It’s a very different game if you’re riding for multiple 10- to 20-minute excursions and frequently getting on and off your bike than if you’re driving for three to four hours nonstop. For short travels, you probably won’t require touring gloves, but if you want to ride your bike for several days straight, you’ll definitely need them.
Consider carefully what you often do and make an investment in gloves that go with your style. For various uses, you could find that you require a few different pairs of special gloves. We recommend doing so because it makes life much simpler.
3. Do you ride when it’s bad outside?
The motorcycle driving gloves you want should be able to handle the worst weather conditions while still having fantastic grip and keeping your hands nice and dry if you’re the type of rider who isn’t afraid of a little rain.
Once more, decide which gloves you’ll need for the type of riding you want to undertake, and realize that you’ll likely need many pairs of special gloves to ensure comfort and protection for all of your riding types.
4. Do you prefer to ride in the summer or the winter?
This query gets to the essence of maintaining your hands’ comfort, just like with damp weather. You don’t want your fingertips to be freezing cold or stiff while riding in a chilly climate. It’s crucial to have a warm pair of motorcycle gloves, therefore you might want to check for textile all-weather touring gloves.
The inverse is also accurate when biking in warm weather. It stinks to have sweaty palms and fingers in 90 degree temperatures. Riders should search for lightweight leather gloves in warm and dry weather.
5. Do you travel on roads or off?
Obviously, you need a different pair of gloves than someone who rides their bike on a well-maintained race track if you spend your weekends wrecking motocross tracks. The same is true for the Australian outback biker and the Harley rider traveling across America.
6. What kind of riding do you do? Do you cruise or ride erratically?
If you ride primarily for leisurely cruising, you should seek for a more straightforward, conventional glove (probably made of leather). You need more durable gloves with carbon and protection if you’re an aggressive or even a risky rider. Choose a pair of gloves that are appropriate for your riding style by being honest with yourself about it.
7. What is the size of your budget?
You can get excellent gloves for dirt cheap, as we mentioned in our wildly successful Inexpensive Motorcycle Gear Guide. These gloves are made by reputable motorcycle apparel businesses with a long history in the market, not by no-name companies.
Budget counts, just like anything else, and frequently you get what you pay for (there is always a “but”). If you are a novice motorcycle rider or have a tight budget, you need to make sure that you strike a balance between cost, comfort, and safety.
If you have more money, feel free to splurge on feature-packed gloves that cost over $200. But keep in mind to be realistic about your financial situation before going overboard.
What Are Motorcycle Gloves Made From?
Motorcycle gloves used to be almost exclusively fashioned out of leather in the good old days. While many gloves are still made of leather, the usage of textile materials in bike gloves has significantly increased recently.
Here at Best Beginner Motorcycles, we favor leather gloves mostly because they need less reinforcement or additional protection than textile gloves, which typically require materials like Kevlar, hard plastics, or carbon fiber in certain locations to protect well. However, when it comes to weather, sophisticated textiles are advantageous because it is much simpler to create a warmer or cooler glove using such materials.
Glove manufacturers have been incorporating even more cutting-edge materials into leather and textile gloves over the past five years or so to improve protection and add glitzy functions. For instance, Gore-Tex is ideal for waterproofing gloves and enhancing comfort. The fabric is waterproof and breathable, making it perfect for damp weather. It keeps water out while allowing air to escape, keeping your hands dry and comfortable.
Miracle materials like Kevlar, titanium, carbon fiber, and extremely hard polymers are sometimes utilized to provide impact protection on specific gloves, as we discussed previously. By adding these materials, delicate parts including knuckles, palms, and fingers can be shielded.
Reverting for a time to leather There are several options available when it comes to the sort of leather you may purchase in gloves, as we described in the previous blogs. We’ve heard great things about leather and other sorts as well, however the vast majority still use classic. Check those out, please at our official website RP Comtrade.
