motorbike gloves

Looking to buy a new pair of motorcycle gloves? This handy guide from the team at Venhill will help you to understand what to look for when purchasing.

Why You Need Motorcycle Gloves

Motorcycle gloves should be an essential part of your riding kit. It is human instinct to put your hands out when you fall, so by wearing gloves you are helping to keep them protected from bruises and scrapes should you come off your bike. As well as this, remember that a variety of things like debris and rocks often fling up during rides, so if you’re not wearing gloves, your hands are more susceptible to damage.

They don’t just provide protection, however, they also help you to keep comfortable whilst riding in heavy rain, strong winds and the blistering sun, enabling you to fully focus and stay alert. In addition, a good pair of gloves will help you to maintain a grip and operate your bike’s controls.

Types of Motorcycle Gloves

There are specialised gloves for every riding style and weather condition – there isn’t one type of style that is suitable for every rider - so it’s worthwhile understanding the different types so that you can make the right choice. Here we’ve listed and explained some of the most popular types of motorcycle gloves.

Gauntlets

Gauntlet style gloves refer to any glove that covers the entire wrist and goes halfway up the forearm. Not only do they help to protect your wrists from serious damage in the event of a fall, they also help to prevent moisture and cold from getting to the hands.

Short/Summer Gloves

Short gloves refer to gloves that end at the wrist. They are suited to summer riding as they help to prevent your hands from becoming sweaty and uncomfortable in the heat. They also contain padding and protection around the knuckles and palms of your hands so that safety isn’t compromised.

Waterproof Gloves

These gloves do exactly as their name suggests. Featuring water-resistant membranes, they are ideal for riders who often have to deal with rain.

Heated Gloves

Heated gloves are battery powered and perfect if you ride in extremely cold conditions.

Similarly, winter gloves are made of thicker leather and contain additional insulation to help keep your hands warm at all times.

Racing Gloves

Racing gloves are always full gauntlet style gloves and consist of high-end materials and advanced armour to protect you from high-speed crashes. They also have thin palms for good throttle control and lots of vents to prevent hands and fingers from becoming too sweaty.

Touring Gloves

Also known as adventure gloves, touring motorcycle gloves are designed to protect you from extreme climates, moisture and crashes. They are made from a range of modern materials and can be quite expensive.

Off-Road Gloves

Off-road gloves are designed to help you maintain grip on the bars rather than protect you in a crash. They are therefore quite thin and lightweight, focusing on ventilation and breathability.

Importance of Correct Fit

Just like it’s vital that your helmet and boots fit correctly, it’s crucial too that your gloves fit properly. Loosely fitting motorcycle gloves can shift around your hand (or even come off completely) meaning that they won’t provide adequate protection in a crash or fall. On the other hand – no pun intended! - if your gloves are too tight, you won’t be able to use the controls as comfortably as you’d like.

Your gloves should be snug but not too tight. There should be no excess material at the end of your fingers and towards your wrists/forearms the glove should be tight.

Every brand is different, so we recommend visiting a motorcycle shop in person to try different pairs on.

How to Choose the Right Pair of Gloves

There are some important things to consider when choosing which motorcycle glove is right for you. You may even want to own multiple pairs of gloves for different types of riding.

  • Riding style – How you ride your bike is a fundamental aspect to take into consideration. For example, if you’re often touring you are inevitably going to have very different requirements to a rider who frequently races.
  • Weather climate – If you don’t mind riding in heavy rain, your gloves will need to be able to handle the harshest weather conditions.
  • Budget – Prices vary significantly when it comes to motorcycle gloves. Most reputable brands offer solutions for budgets of all sizes.

Get Started with Venhill

We hope this short guide has provided you with some handy tips and ideas to bear in mind when it comes to choosing motorcycle gloves. Regardless of your riding style and budget, we strongly advise that you try various pairs on before making a purchase so that you can find a pair that is comfortable and correctly fits your hand. As aforementioned, it can even be beneficial to own multiple pairs.

Be sure to also take a look at our range of motorcycle tools on offer here at Venhill. We stock a wide range of motorcycle products and equipment allowing you to get more out of your bike.

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