Motorcycle Riding Gloves: [Everything You Should Know]

If you are a motorcycle rider, you might be aware of how important it is to have motorcycle riding gloves. However, many may feel skeptical and perplexed while selecting the right gloves. Also, lack of information often creates confusion about how and why to buy riding gloves.

Though much information is available online, you may need a complete guide on how to choose the right glove. Besides, adequate information can help you in making informed and aware decisions.

If you are intending to learn about motorcycle riding gloves, then this article is for you. Here, I would provide you a complete guide on various gloves, their features, and make your decision-making process easier and faster. 

I request you to stay with me if you want to buy the best gloves that suit your purpose and give you a smooth ride. 

A Price List Of Top 5 Riding Gloves: 

Before we move further, I want to present a price list for the top 5 motorcycle riding gloves of my choice. I would discuss each brand and glove in the later part but let me provide you an idea about the price range.

Recommended Brand	Price range
Alpinestars	$55- $65
Joe Rocket	$40- $50
ILM	$28- $35
Blok-IT	$28- $35
Milwaukee	$22- $27

These are the top 5 riding gloves of my choice that are budget-friendly yet excellent in quality. However, knowing their features can help you decide which one fits your needs. 

So, let’s have a brief discussion on each of the products to help you choose. However, there are other brands too that you may like to browse. Here I have selected those that are affordable but provide satisfactory and long-lasting service. 

Alpinestars:

Alpinestars is a well-known brand for motorcycle riding gear especially for riding hand gloves. Alpinestars’s gloves offer comfort, flexibility, durability, and full hand coverage for protection. 

The main features are noted below:

• Leather crafting of the gloves ensures long-lasting performance. Also, the hands stay safe due to the thick leather pads that protect your hands from severe injury.
• The gloves include mesh portions that make them suitable for summer. The perforated area allows ventilation thus keeping your hands cool and sweat-free. 
• To protect the knuckle area, a polymer section is added. The leather padding extends to the sideways too for full hand protection.
• Alpinestars’s gloves are available in 6 different sizes. Therefore, you can get the one that matches your hands and fits well.
• The gloves offer excellent flexibility. You can comfortably stretch and move your hand with the gloves on. Thus your riding becomes more convenient and smooth.

Needless to say that Alpinestars’s glove collection is unarguably stylish and trendy.

Joe Rocket:

The next on the list is Joe Rocket’s gloves that cost around $44. This is another trusted brand for riding kits. Joe Rocket’s gloves provide full hand protection with ultimate comfort. This glove is more or less the same as Alpinestars but has some different features. 

The main characteristics of Joe Rocket’s gloves are mentioned below:

• Joe Rocket’s gloves are made of high-quality leather with a textile top. The whole glove is leather padded that covers your entire hand. This adds extra protection and durability.
• The knuckle design is unique in this glove. The design is molded and wide providing extra space to the knuckle area. Thus you can move and bend your knuckle freely.
• The finger areas have extra padded leather that safeguards your fingers. It offers mobility and comfort too.

Joe Rocket’s glove is one of the best choices in this price range as you would get a relaxing, long-lasting, and stylish pair of gloves.

ILM:

ILM gloves are probably the most unique product available in the market that would leave you in awe. Especially within the range of $28- $35, ILM is a premium choice. Not only the design would blow your mind, but the exceptional properties would convince you to believe it to be the best option available in today’s market.

Without further commenting, let me note down the properties of ILM gloves that make them stand out from others:

• With the premium quality leather body, the glove has alloy steel knuckle and finger joint protection. These steel areas not only protect your bone areas and joints from fractures but also enhance the look. In addition to the steel portion, the soft yet thick leather pads provide extra comfort, flexibility, and top-notch protection.
• The most unique feature of ILM’s glove is its anti-slip property. This property stops your hands from sliding or slipping. This means your gloves would stay in place during a ride making the ride easier and safer.
• Another excellent property of the ILM glove is that it has touchscreen ability. You can use your phone easily without taking off your gloves. Isn’t that amazing?

These unique properties make the ILM glove an outstanding choice especially when it comes in such an affordable range.

Blok-IT:

Block-IT gloves give a classic look with their all-leather body. The gloves have belts in the wrist area to make them fit well. Also, the extended glove hand would cover some parts of your forearm. 

Let me put down the features of Blok-IT gloves that you must know:

• The entire glove is crafted with top-quality leather. The leather body offers a smooth skin feeling and comfort. You can freely move and twist your hands thus operating the motorcycle better. The leather glove also provides top-notch protection during accidents protecting your hand from severe damage.
• Blok-IT gloves have an adjustable wrist belt so that you can tie them according to your comfort. Besides, the gloves come in various sizes to ensure that you get the right fit.
• The best thing about the Blok-IT glove is that it is usable in every weather condition. While it is waterproof, it also protects your hands from cold wind during weather and gives comfort during summer. Thus, this is a compatible glove for all weather conditions.

Such an affordable glove with unique properties and a classy look can be a great choice, isn’t it?

Milwaukee:

Here comes one of the most budget-friendly gloves that offer a retro yet elegant look with splendid protection. Milwaukee is for those who want a simple glove with long-lasting service. 

Let us focus on some of the features.

• The leather knitted glove is simple yet sophisticated offering longevity. It would last for ages if handled with care. The leather pads provide full hand coverage and protect the hand from injuries during the collision.
• The leather is of premium quality offering comfort, ease, and flexibility. Your hands can move freely and thus your grip would be excellent. The wrist area can be fitted well with the wrist closure. 
• The unique property of this product is its gel palm feature. This property provides a thick pad in the palm area so that you can less feel the vibrations. Therefore, your palm remains relaxed and you can drive more smoothly. 

This is the option for those who want a simple glove with premium quality. 

Why Do You Need Gloves To Ride A Motorcycle?

You may wonder why riders or new riders hurry in buying a pair of gloves after getting a helmet. You may contemplate why hand gloves are so important for riding a motorcycle. I understand your dilemma. 

So let me clear out all your confusions and doubts on why you must have riding gloves to ride a motorcycle. 

Safety:

Safety is the main concern when it comes to riding a motorcycle. Motorcycle riding gears are necessary to ensure safety on the road. After a helmet, the glove is the kit that you must have. But why?

This is because, during an accident, we tend to protect ourselves using our hands. Now if all the pressure falls on your hand, your hand may get wounded severely as hands and fingers are fragile. You may see a cut or wound or even break your knuckle or fingers. 

Gloves ensure that even during a serious collision, your hands remain protected. Also during long rides, you may feel sore in your hands due to the vibrations. Wearing gloves protects your hand from such vibrations. This means you must wear gloves for health reasons too. 

Comfort And Ease:

Comfort is mandatory when you are on a motorcycle ride. Your hands need to move freely and get a good grip while riding. The riding gloves are designed to offer ultimate comfort to your hands so that you can ride smoothly.

The gloves come in various sizes so that they fit your hands well. Diverse features ensure that your hands stay sweat-free, relaxed, and free. These properties help your hands to operate the motorcycle better than bare hands. 

Besides, as most gloves are weatherproof, your hands don’t get affected due to adverse weather conditions. While your hands stay cool during summer, they remain protected on a rainy day. Also, it offers protection against the cold wind in winters. Thus, your ride becomes easier and comforting. 

These two are the main reasons why you must buy a riding glove pair. All in all, riding gloves make you ready for a safe and protected ride where the accident consequences can be minimized and comfort is ensured. 

How To Select Riding Gloves? 

A bulk of hand gloves are available in the market. Now how would you know which one fits your necessity? This is why a buying guide is necessary as you must know the factors you must consider before purchasing motorcycle gloves. 

Here are the main 5 factors that you must scrutinize before choosing the right riding glove. 

Purpose:

Are you going for an adventure ride? Or are you a regular rider? Or maybe you prefer to go for long motorcycle rides. What I mean is, you need to decide your riding style before you choose your gloves.

A variety of gloves are there that are made specifically for different purposes. Different riders would choose different gloves that fit their purposes. 

For example, racing gloves are very different from street gloves as they are used in different situations for distinct purposes. 

Size And Fit:

This is a crucial factor that many may miss out on. You must test gloves before you buy them. If you are buying online, make sure to read the size guide and choose the right one. 

A loose or a tight glove would create problems while riding as you won’t be comfortable. You must see if the glove is fitting you well or not. Examine the length, width, and ensure your hand gets enough ventilation. 

Make sure that the glove fits well in the wrist area. Try buying gloves that have adjustable wrist closure. 

Weather:

Gloves are crafted differently for different weather conditions. In terms of protecting you from adverse weather conditions during a motorcycle ride, these gloves are excellent. Also, the longevity of your gloves would depend on the material you are choosing.

Summer gloves are designed to prevent sweating and allow air to pass while winter gloves would restrict air to pass so that your hands don’t freeze. Similarly, other gloves are crafted to make them suitable for rainy weather. 

Therefore, judge your surrounding weather before you select the right riding glove. This would help it last longer and provide you with ultimate comfort.

Comfort:

Comfort should be your priority. Remember that everyone’s definition of comfort can be different. You might like a heavy glove while I may choose a lighter one. Also, you may prefer leather gloves while I may like textile gloves. 

My point is, you must wear and test the comfort level before buying. Consider the material, examine the fitting, think of the weight, and judge the flexibility before you buy a pair of gloves. 

Price:

The price of the glove would always matter especially when you are finding a budget-friendly product. You must examine the quality of the product and decide how much you may agree to pay for it.

Honestly, a lot of gloves are available. But a budget-friendly glove may be difficult to find that matches your requirements and provides long-lasting service.

You may choose from the aforementioned list of affordable hand gloves. These are excellent in quality but would not put pressure on your budget. 

Related Questions:

Should Motorcycle Gloves Be Tight? 

Gloves should not be much tight or extra loose. The wrist area must fit well. But the knuckles and fingers must get enough space to move flexibly. The gloves must allow air to pass and you must be able to move your hand freely. But the wrist closure should be tight enough so that the glove doesn’t slip off the hand.

Can You Ride A Motorcycle Without Gloves?

You can ride a motorcycle without wearing riding gloves. But that may hamper your ride. Your hand may sweat, get affected by weather, and your grip may slip without gloves. Also, safety would not be ensured if you are not wearing gloves. You can definitely ride a motorcycle without gloves but that is not suggested as it won’t be safe and disrupt your riding comfort. 

How Long Does It Take To Break In Motorcycle Gloves?

Generally, motorcycle riding gloves break in after riding 1000 miles. It would depend on the weather condition and how you are using the gloves. If you are not maintaining your gloves well, they may not survive till 1000 miles. But ideally, gloves should last up to 1000 miles of riding. After that, you must consider cleaning and oiling the gloves. 

How To Soften Stiff Leather Gloves?

Clean your gloves with warm water. Now wear it on your hands for 30-40 minutes so that it stretches well. Now dry the leather gloves. Once the pair is dry, wear it again to allow stretching. Now apply isopropyl alcohol and leather condition to make the leather gloves smooth and soft again so that you can wear them comfortably.

How Can I Make Gloves More Grippy?

You need to clean your gloves to make the gloves grippy. For cleaning, use rubbing alcohol to remove any excess oil that you have used for softening the leather gloves. Now use sandpaper to scrub the gloves. Do this gently. Now reuse the rubbing alcohol and keep it overnight. Now apply leather wax on the gloves to make them waterproof and grippy.

Conclusion:

Now that you have detailed information about motorcycle riding gloves, you can make an informed decision on how to choose the right gloves for yourself. 

Choose carefully following the aforementioned guide and get ready for a smooth, safe, and delightful motorcycle ride.