Leather Gloves For Motorcyclists

Updated on Jan 14th, 2023 | By Mohit Chauhan

If you are looking for some expert advice before buying your new pair of leather gloves, we can help you make the right choice. As a specialist in the field of motorcycle touring, and also as a professional reviewer of motorcycle apparels, we can provide you with valuable suggestions that will help you make an informed decision.

It is indeed rather difficult for a beginner rider to distinguish between a good quality glove and a bad one, since the difference between the two is not obvious at first glance. At times the retailer might try to sell you an expensive pair of gloves, taking the advantage of the technicality of leather which might actually be cheaper in quality.

After all, it is not enough to base your choice on the selling price of your glove.

To make it as convenient as possible for our riders, we conducted an extensive research, tested multiple leather gloves and compared them with each other before coming up with this final recommendation.

Best Leather Motorcycle Gloves

REV'IT! Monster 2 Gloves

The original Monster glove is now replaced by the bomber styled Monster 2, featuring a short, beefy goatskin that is a little more universal and aggressive.

Offered in two colors; black and tan, REV’IT Monster 2 gloves are available for both men & women. For women they offer the same features and characteristics, but with a slightly different ergonomic fit.

These gloves are inclined towards a retro theme and are ideal for café racers as well as daily commuters. In fact, these stylish hot weather leather gloves can really rock the style of a biker who owns a naked bike and plans to sport a classic look.

Thanks to the use of goatskin leather, they are water repellent and offer a tactile feedback. Some other noteworthy features include; an elastic panel that allows flexing of the knuckle, a low-profile leather-covered aluminum knuckle, elevated TPR’s on the inside of the glove, soft elastic across the thumb, and a reinforced palm finished with goatskin leather.

And one of our favorite features about this glove is the shield at the tip of the pinky, extending through the scaphoid and around the base of the palm.

To sum it all up, the REV’IT Monster 2 gloves, priced just over hundred dollars, are two to three season warm weather riding gloves designed to offer great functionality without burning a hole in your pocket.

Price: $139

Held Rodney Gloves

An alternative to the traditional vintage glove is Rodney’s from Held. These gloves go equally well with a leather jacket on a cruiser motorcycle as they do on a standard motorcycle with a casual shirt. In fact, many celebrities from Hollywood enjoy wearing these typical yellow leather gloves when they go out for a ride on their motorcycles.

While these motorcycle gloves might look casual, they are ideal for short commute in warm weather. One of the most practical features of this glove is the perforated panels all over the glove and a Coolmax lining that improves breathability. The outer shell is made from goatskin and underneath the palm you have kangaroo leather, which is supple and thin but still guarantees great resistance to abrasion.

Further, there is a Velcro® fastener and an elastic strap on the cuff. You get specialized stretch fabric on the backhand to provide freedom of movement, and the stitching is positioned outwards in some places to ensure more comfort.

In addition, they are equipped with a soft knuckle protector. All fingers and thumbs are perforated and a small Superfabric slider on the palm has been included for additional safety. And the best part, this glove is available separately for both men & women.

Price: $150

Rukka Mars 2.0 Gore-Tex Gloves

The Mars 2.0 from Rukka is a leather-based motorcycle glove equipped with Gore-Tex membrane that guarantees 100% resistance to water yet provides adequate amount of breathability.

When it comes to comfort, these gloves perform an excellent task, and still ensure a high level of safety. At the same time, they ensure that your hands are dry and warm when it rains and that you have a good grip on your bike at all times.

Thanks to Gore-Tex membrane, these leather gloves are 100% windproof, waterproof and breathable. They feature visor wipers on the left index finger, padding on the knuckles, and leather reinforcements around the edges of the hand.

Moreover, the long cuffs prevent the ingress of wind and water. And thanks to the Velcro® strap and the gusset on the back of the hand, the glove fits comfortably and securely in all riding situations. Even in colder temperatures, the inner fleece lining keeps you comfortably warm.

To sum up; designed with Gore-Tex leather construction and lightweight fleece insulation, the Rukka Mars 2.0 leather motorcycle gloves are perfect for winter riding. Featuring full waterproof technology and an extra padding on the back of the hand for protection, these premium gloves are ideal for winter touring.

Price: $189

Alpinestars Oscar Robinson Gloves

Robinson is the part of new Oscar collection developed by Alpinestars featuring a full goatskin construction, lightweight and durable reinforcement, and perforated outer shell ideal for warm weather riding (spring, summer and fall).

Also see: Best mid-season gloves

Featuring a retro style, these gloves are reinforced with carbon knuckles that are covered with light foam padding. Additionally, elastic inserts are positioned directly on the first three fingers which are further padded with EVA foam. The palm is made of synthetic suede, which adds durability and provides more grip on the bars, followed by some additional reinforcement around the pinky in case of a sliding impact.

By taking much of the vintage styling and inspiration and incorporating today’s modern safety features into these pair of gloves, Alpinestars have showcased their craftsmanship and age-old expertise. These gloves offer a lot of protection, a lot of durability, and also a lot of style. Making them ideal for all the vintage riders out there who like to keep things casual and classy.

To sum up, these pair of leather gloves feature classic era in a modern-day package.

Price: $99

Dainese Blackjack Gloves

Blackjacks from Dainese are an urban pair of motorcycle gloves that can accompany a lot of motorcycle outfits. The glove is made entirely of leather and practically all throughout the glove you will find perforation that ensures maximum breathability and ventilation on a hot sunny day.

Speaking about the protection, you will see additional reinforcement by means of padded leather that ensures durability and protection against any kind of impact.

Featuring an exposed back hand, which adds a throwback style to this classic glove, Blackjack is a step taken towards catering the café or naked bikers who prefer to hang out with their motorcycle group on a warm sunny day.

Also see: Summer gloves for motorcyclists

Some noteworthy features include; Velcro® cuff closures, padding over the knuckles, double layer reinforcement around high impact areas, lightweight goat skin palm with reinforcements around the thenar area that additionally increases the tactile response.

To sum up; a stylish motorcycle glove with a vintage design that adds up to a trendy fashionable look, the Blackjacks are perfectly suited for both men as well as women riders. These gloves will keep your hands cool and comfortable at all times, so summer or spring time riding will be extremely comfortable.

Price: $95

REV'IT! Boxxer 2 H2O Gloves

Now the Boxer 2 from REV’IT is a perfect glove for riders looking for something that is not bulky and yet will serve all the requirements of a winter glove.

In fact, its light weight construction is based on the notion that winter gloves do not necessarily need a long gauntlet or multiple layers of insulation and are therefore more comfortable to wear than other gloves.

If anything, these are a premium goat leather glove with great tactile feedback and an absolutely incredible durability.

These gloves have everything you could want from a winter riding glove; you have that elasticity around the wrist that is both nice and thin, accordion stretch around the back, and a simple Velcro® closure that snugs around the wrist perfectly.

And while they might look low profile, you still get the waterproofing capability thanks to Hydratex® membrane and an outstanding abrasion resistance of goat leather. Moreover, you get TPU hard knuckle guards for extra impact protection, padded foam protection on the top of the fingers, tri-fleece liner, reflective back to increase visibility in low light conditions, stretch lips at fingers, and a suede leather visor wiper to wipe off any dirt from your helmet.

Price: $129

Joe Rocket Windchill Gloves

So, the first thing you will notice about the Joe Rocket Windchill is its soft premium cowhide leather. These pair of gloves are beautifully designed, featuring 100 grams of Thinsulate on the interior that ensures a warm and cozy feeling every time you wear them.

It is a three-season cold weather glove, constructed from cowhide leather, featuring a thick insulation on all fingers and reinforcements on the back of the hand and palm. As the name implies, Windchill is a waterproof, breathable and durable glove with Dry-Tech waterproof breathable liner baked in to make these ideal for touring riders.

Also see: Best motorcycle touring gloves

With a price around $80, these gloves really do offer good value for money. Another interesting point about Joe Rockets is that they have a single wrist adjustment strap that goes across the base of the thumb, making them extra comfortable to wear.

Some other notable features include: Visor wiper to clear off any dirt from your helmet, pre-curved fingers that reduces fatigue, one piece leather construction, high density knuckle armor, vibration dampening gel palm, toggle and draw cord at top of cuff, and articulated FullFlex stretch panels around the fingers.

All in all, Windchill gloves are perfect for tourers and daily commuters who are looking for warm leather gloves.

Price: $84

Cortech Scrapper Gloves

Made from 100% goatskin leather as the outer layer together with a polyester tricot lining as the inner layer, the Cortech Scrapper provides a soft and supple feel all throughout the day.

With its diamond pattern, as opposed to just a single layer of leather, these are little fluffy and dense in thickness that makes them a great choice. In fact, this pattern allows an easy access and exit from the glove even when your hands are damp. Accordion stretch along the back of the hand and around the index as well as middle finger provides additional flexibility and freedom of movement.

Reinforcements over the thumb and palm with a foam padding underneath provides extra dampening and wear resistance in case you slip. On top of that, both the thumb and index finger are touchscreen compatible, so you can operate your mobile devices without having to take them off.

Although, these gloves may not have all of the motorcycle-specific reinforcements that are generally found in performance gloves, however, the Scrapper is loaded with features that can withstand exposure to harsh environments as well as protect you from day-to-day impacts that we generally face while riding.

Moreover, these are the most economically priced leather gloves you can find in the market!

Price: $34

Types of leather gloves

There are numerous possibilities that exist when it comes to designing a professional motorcycle glove. And with each design, comes into play different fabrics that can be used in their construction.

A leather glove is made out of a natural material that can be obtained from different kinds of skins. Primarily you will see gloves made from three different types of leather (and sometimes by combining them). These are cowhide, goatskin, and kangaroo leather. The selection of the leather is essential, since each of them has its own level of flexibility and resistance.

Cowhide leather for example, offers excellent durability and a pleasant feeling of suppleness. And just like cowhide, kangaroo leather is known for being stronger, flexible and lightweight. Most commonly, kangaroo leather is cut into strips and then used to design lightweight gloves. However, these are twice as expensive than cowhide leather.

Goat skin leather on the other hand offers excellent resilience and flexibility. However, it’s a compromise between cowhide and kangaroo.

Nevertheless, performance wise, you won’t feel any difference at all. Because all these leather types are good in comfort as well as safety. Our main objective is to let you know the difference between these types and why some leather gloves with the same amount of protection are priced a little higher than the others.

Advantages of leather over textile

As a reflex, it is always the hands, and especially the palms, that touch the ground first during a motorcycle crash. For this reason, it is more than necessary to choose a resistant material. This is why leather is perfectly suited for motorcycle gloves. Combine this with good stitching, a good quality leather, especially if it is reinforced, offers excellent protection to motorcyclists against knicks, scratches, burns and abrasions.

Real leather gloves are very stylish. So, if you prefer a retro biker style, they will surely be to your liking. In combination with a leather motorcycle jacket and high-rise motorcycle boots, they will look really good. Besides, natural leather does not let air pass through it, so gloves made of this material will be the best to protect your hands from cold.

Another major advantage of gloves made of natural leather is their durability. They are much stronger than synthetic fabric, and besides being soft, they allow easy operation of controls around the handle bars. Lately, they have also incorporated a specialized technology that allows the use of touchscreens on mobile devices.

Advantages

A leather glove is ideal for protecting the hands of motorcyclists in their day-to-day riding as well as in case of an accident.
It provides better sensitivity to the controls around handle bar.
It is a quality material that lasts for a long time.

Disadvantages

It is sometimes expensive to buy this type of glove owing to its high quality.
The fact that leather is a very warm material might make it unpleasant in summers.

Size guide

Now that you are aware about the type of leather that are primarily used in leather gloves, the size of your glove has to be second important consideration here, because an incorrectly sized glove will never protect your hand in case of a fall.

So, when you are trying out your next leather glove, make sure that it fits tightly, even if it is difficult to put it on the first few times. This is because leather is a natural material, and it will stretch with time in width to fit the shape of your hand. But do remember that it will not stretch along its length and must therefore be perfect at the time of purchase.

You can read everything related to size guide in this article: How to choose the right motorcycle gloves

Bottom Line

So, these were the most practical leather motorcycle gloves that are currently available in the market basis the price-performance ratio. Again, these are all tried and tested gloves, so, riders can pick any of these depending on their riding style and characteristic requirements. However, in case you feel that we have missed anything worth mentioning, do let us know, and we will try to review them in our next article. Thank you for reading. Good bye!

Further reading: Track gloves for motorcyclists

Disclaimer: A perfect buyer’s guide can only be established through real-world experiences. This is why we have reviewed no less than thirty products that are currently available in US market to compile this result. However, it should be noted that any kind of positive or negative remarks we have made are entirely based on our personal experiences and should not be considered as a statement.