Motorcycle gloves: how to choose by season, protection and size
Gloves are the one thing you cannot “swap later”
In a fall a person instinctively puts out their hands, so gloves often take the impact. At the same time they must be sensitive: on the handlebar you need to feel the levers, and on a long road your hands should not go numb. So good motorcycle gloves are a balance between protection and feel.
Start with the season. Summer gloves are perforated or mesh, with short or long cuffs. Between-season gloves have a membrane and are a little thicker. Winter gloves are insulated, with a long cuff, sometimes heated from the battery (useful in cold regions and the hills). For off-road riding people use light gloves without a membrane, which breathe and give precise control.
What to look at when choosing
- Material: leather lasts long and protects against abrasion, textile is lighter and cheaper, mixed models combine the advantages.
- Protection: knuckle guards (plastic, carbon), reinforcement on the palm and on the edge of the palm, where the skin slides most often, a strap against slipping off.
- Cuff: a long one covers the jacket sleeve and keeps out wind, a short one is handier in the city.
- CE certification: a useful extra assurance of the quality of protection.
- Touchscreen fingertips let you use your phone without taking the gloves off.
What to put in your request
- Riding style — touring, sport, city, off-road.
- Season — summer, between seasons, winter or heated.
- Material — leather, textile, mixed.
- Size — XS–XXL or palm circumference.
- Protection — knuckles, palm, CE.
- Men's or women's.
- Brand, for example Knox.
- New or used, delivery city, budget.
Example: “I am looking for women's leather summer motorcycle gloves, size M, with carbon knuckles and a short cuff. New. Delivery to Pretoria, budget up to R 990.”
How to compare offers
It is easy to get the glove size wrong, because it differs between brands. Ask for the palm circumference and the length of the middle finger and compare them with yours. A glove should fit snugly but without strain, and leather stretches a little with time. For used ones, check the seams on the fingers and the guards, and also the smell and the state of the lining. New leather models should be broken in.
Also check how the gloves behave on the handlebar: the wrist strap should hold them on in a fall, and the seam inside the palm must not rub. For winter, keep a spare pair, because wet gloves take a long time to dry.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You describe the gloves once in a request, and sellers of riding gear answer with offers in chat. The terms are visible side by side, and BlaBlaPrice shows the best one for your request first. Nobody sees your phone number until you choose. More in how it works.
To go with the gloves, pick a motorcycle jacket and motorcycle boots, and a helmet liner for the cold season.
