When we talking about motorcycle gloves, the first image that flashes before us is the half finger or fingerless bike gloves you would get at sports shop on the corner. But this is the worst thing you can buy as motorcycle gloves. Let’s have a look at what you should look for while buying Motorcycle Gloves.
We will be covering these topics in this guide
- What are riding gloves
- Types of motorcycle gloves available in market
- Material is used for riding gloves
- Protection offered by Riding Gloves
- How to measure glove size
- Other points to consider
- Frequently Asked Questions
What are Riding Gloves
When a biker meets with an accident in which he/she is skidding forward because of the momentum. Anyone’s impulse action would be to stop skidding by using our hands. No matter how small the crash is, hands are mostly going to be the first point of contact with the road. Wearing riding gloves can protect the rider’s hands from getting cuts or bruises because of an accident.
The Best Riding Gloves would be the ones that provide protection on the outside and comfort on the inside.
Types of motorcycle gloves available in market
As we had mentioned earlier, half finger or fingerless are useless for motorcycle riding. They just make you look like 1980s hero in a B grade film. So I guess you should skip them… unless you are participating in some costume drama.
These gloves as the name suggests, are short and cover just the palm area. They are more suitable for inside the city riding where speed would be less and impact in case of a crash would be low. They are light weight and easy to carry around.
These would be the cheapest among other motorcycle gloves. This does not mean they are just for show. These gloves prove decent protection and usually have good ventilation.
Here are some short cuff riding gloves for your consideration:
These gloves are for the riders who don’t want to go all out to full gauntlet gloves but aren't happy with the protection offered by short gloves.
Semi gauntlet gloves typically are in between short gloves and full gauntlet gloves. Not too bulky for riding inside the city and still offer a decent level of protection. They usually have better fastening system and more features than short gloves.
Here are semi gauntlet gloves that you can choose:
Full Gauntlet riding gloves offer the best protection out of all the three types of riding gloves. They should be used by every serious rider who wishes to step outside city limits. They offer multiple fastening points and are usually full of additional protection / useful features.
Want to get full gauntlet gloves? Look at these:
Gloves variety based on material used
Mesh gloves
These gloves offer maximum ventilation and minimum protection. Most of these gloves are good only for very slow speed riding or are just for looking good. Not really recommended for any ride outside city limit. We aren’t outright objecting to using these gloves simply because of fantastic ventilation offered by them that you can enjoy while riding to/from sabzimandi.
Mesh + Leather gloves
These gloves offer ventilation for our typical hot weather and leather where we need abrasion resistance. These offer best of both worlds, air ventilation and protection. Of course, when it comes to protection, these compromise a bit when compared with full leather gloves.
Leather gloves
Leather, by its nature is abrasion resistant so in most cases, it won’t tear off in case of a crash. A ventilated full leather glove offers best compromise between ventilation and protection.
Types of Protection offered by Riding Gloves
Riding gloves keep your hands protected. Even a small fall can do some big damage to your hands so picking gloves with right kind of protection is very important.
The first protection is material used in construction of the gloves. Leather has natural anti abrasion properties so it is considered to be best. Now a days, many manufacturers are now using exotic material like Carbon fibre, Kevlar, titanium to enhance protection.
Typically riding gloves will have protection at knuckles, padding on fingers, padding at palm area. Some decent gloves also offer finger sliders, pinkie finger protector, padding on side of wrist and back of hand.
Motorcycle gloves that meet the European EN 13594 standard have been tested for abrasion resistance, tear strength, and impact protection at the knuckle. It's not the only sign of a good glove, but a CE rated glove gives you a tested baseline rather than just the manufacturer's word for it.
How to measure glove size :
Correct fitting of gloves is a must. If you wear loose gloves, you won’t get proper feedback from your handlebar and chances of they getting off your hands in case of a crash are very high. If you wear too tight gloves, your fingers/hand would start paining. So measure twice before ordering any gloves.
Several gloves also come in women's specific sizing, cut narrower through the palm and fingers than unisex sizing usually allows for. If your hand is on the smaller side, it's worth checking whether a women's specific size fits better before sizing down in the unisex range.
Check out this short, simple video to know how to measure for gloves.
Some other points you should consider before buying Riding Gloves
- Pre-curved fingers: Your fingers will be curved while holding throttle so gloves that have pre-curved fingers will reduce the strain on your fingers.
- External Stitching: Some gloves offer external stitching. It means the stitching on the fingers will be visible from outside. This helps you in getting smoother feel for the fingers while wearing gloves.
- Fitting: Your fingers should not be tightly pressing against the end of gloves. In case they do, they would start paining.
- Visor Wipe: Some gloves offer visor wipe feature. It is a simple plastic wiper on one of the fingers. You can use it during rains to clean helmet visor even while riding. It is simple but quite effective for better visibility.
- Touch Screen Compatibility: In many gloves, thumb and index fingers have a special coating that enable you to use your phone even while wearing gloves. As you don’t need to remove gloves to use your phone, this reduces the time if you want to answer calls, change music or even reply to messages.
- Insulation & Waterproof: Most of the waterproof gloves also have insulation. This makes them suitable for riding in cold, wet weather eg. During Leh ride. But this would make your hands sweaty if you are riding in areas where it is warm even while raining. Battery heated gloves also exist for genuinely cold rides, though they aren't very common or widely available in India yet.
If you want to keep your gloves smelling fresh and lasting longer, we have a dedicated guide for that too. Have a look at our Glove Cleaning Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. What is the difference between full gauntlet, semi gauntlet, and short gloves?
A1. Full gauntlet gloves cover the wrist and part of the forearm and are the standard choice for touring and highway riding since they seal properly over a jacket sleeve. Semi gauntlet gloves offer a shorter cuff as a middle ground, and short gloves stop at the wrist, which suits city commuting where you're getting on and off the bike frequently.
Q2. Are leather or mesh gloves better for riding?
A2. Leather offers the best abrasion resistance and is the safer choice in a fall, while mesh prioritises ventilation and is far more comfortable in hot weather but offers minimal protection at higher speeds. Mesh combined with leather panels is a common middle ground that most riders end up choosing for everyday city riding.
Q3. What is CE rating on motorcycle gloves?
A3. Gloves that meet the European EN 13594 standard have been tested for abrasion resistance, tear strength, and knuckle impact protection. It gives you a tested baseline rather than relying on the manufacturer's description alone, so it's worth checking for on the product page.
Q4. How do I measure my hand for the correct glove size?
A4. Measure around the widest part of your palm, excluding the thumb, and compare that number to the specific brand's size chart rather than your regular clothing size. Sizing varies noticeably between brands, so check the chart each time rather than assuming your usual size will fit.
Q5. Are touchscreen compatible gloves worth it?
A5. If you use your phone for navigation or music while riding, yes. The special coating on the thumb and index finger lets you operate a touchscreen without removing your gloves, which matters more than it sounds like on a long ride where you'd otherwise be stopping repeatedly.
Q6. Do waterproof gloves make my hands sweat in warm weather?
A6. Often, yes. Most waterproof gloves also include insulation, which is great for cold, wet rides but can make your hands uncomfortably warm and sweaty if you wear them in mild or hot weather while it's raining. If you ride mostly in warm climates, a separate pair of lighter gloves for occasional rain is usually more comfortable than one waterproof pair for everything.
Q7. Are motorcycle gloves available in women's sizing?
A7. Yes, several gloves come in women's specific sizing, cut narrower through the palm and fingers than standard unisex sizing. If your hand is on the smaller side, it's worth trying a women's specific size before assuming you need to size down in the unisex range.
Q8. How often should I replace my riding gloves?
A8. Replace them after any crash, even if they look fine, since the protective padding and stitching can be compromised in ways you can't see. Outside of a crash, watch for cracked or peeling material, worn out palm padding, or loose stitching, all signs that the gloves have stopped doing their job even if they still fit fine.
So choose wisely and ride happily.
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