Picking out a motorcycle glove can be awfully challenging if you know very little about motorcycle safety gear. You have to consider factors like size, shape, material, and the price of the gloves you want to buy. Without adequate information about women's gloves, you could end up doing something as thoughtless as buying smaller men's biker gloves. In this guide, we will teach you what you need to look out for when buying a glove and tell you all about all the common mistakes so that you can avoid them.
Why are motorcycle gloves so important for both men and women?
A lot of people might not know this, but the Gloves are the second most important safety gear any biker can own. It is only natural to try to protect the rest of your body with the only part of you that is long and strong- hands and legs. While your legs are covered in boots or shoes, your hands are often left unguarded- that is where gloves come in. Motorcycle gloves were designed to keep your entire hand safe. They are either made of high-quality leather or synthetics. They come with special padding for parts of your hand, like your palm and your fingers. They can often be the difference between completely losing all feeling in your hand and a mild road burn.
Motorcycle gloves also offer protection from the elements. The wind can be pretty harsh on your hands when you are on a motorcycle moving at 50mph. Motorcycle gloves come with pads that prevent the friction from damaging your hand. If it ever gets too hot, certain types also come with holes to make sure you get all the ventilation you need. There are about 4-5 major types of motorcycle gloves, and depending on the kind of biker friend you have, you might have to think long and hard about the appropriate motorcycle gloves for her.
Different Types of Motorcycle Gloves
Motorcycle gloves are not general-purpose accessories. Depending on the type of motorcycle you own, the time of the year, and the sort of riding you or your friend prefers, your choice of gloves will vary. Here are 10 of the most popular types of motorcycle gloves.
Fingerless Motorcycle gloves
Fingerless gloves are regular motorcycle gloves that come with no finger protection. Unlike the rest of the gloves, they remain unprotected and free. Some people opt for fingerless gloves because they allow them to do every day things like eat, use their phones and pick up things easily without necessarily removing their gloves.
Since they leave most of the fingers exposed, fingerless gloves are not as safe as the other types of gloves. They don't protect your fingers from the elements; they do nothing about the vibration of the motorcycle, and they leave your fingers exposed during crashes. They are incredibly fashionable and should offer some degree of protection in serious crashes.
Motocross gloves
Motocross gloves were designed for dirt bikers and professionals. They were once something that only the pros used to wear, but now they are considered regular gloves that just about anybody can wear. They come with hardened plastics on the knuckles, they have dual silicone filling for the clutch and brake, and they are incredibly lightweight. They offer impressive palm and finger protection, and they are often heavily perforated to help with airflow. The biggest con of this kind of gloves is that they do not protect the forearm and wrist. They can be very dangerous to use if you ride without a jacket.
Gauntlet Gloves
Gauntlet gloves are motorcycle gloves that were designed specifically for protection. They are often made with high-quality leather, hardened plastics, and full silicone fillings. They are very sticky, and they completely tune out vibration. Gauntlet gloves go all the way up to the forearm and go over the jacket. They were designed for impact, and they are the safest types of motorcycle gloves you could ever go with.
Gauntlet gloves are not as weird and old school as they sound. A pair of Harley Davidson gauntlet gloves should be enough to help you make up your mind about gauntlet gloves in general. Safe doesn’t have to mean ugly.
Off-Road Motorcycle Gloves
Off-Road Motorcycle gloves are for dirt bikers and riders who venture onto off-road tracks and duke it out in the mud and dirt. They come with average impact protection and focus more on grip and control than anything else. They are made of incredibly breathable materials, and they are often lighter than regular gloves. They are also built to last very long, and their fabrics can withstand several visits to the washing machine.
Street Motorcycle Gloves
These types of gloves were built for casual riders who are all about the journey. Traditional street gloves are made of leather and are incredibly durable and ventilated. They are appropriate for all seasons and usually focus heavily on padding.
Modern street gloves are a lot like traditional gloves, except they are not made of leather. They are made of synthetics and often offer a comparable degree of comfort and control as traditional gloves. They are arguably the best leather motorcycle gloves for beginners.
Summer Motorcycle Gloves
This category of gloves technically falls under larger categories like street, Gauntlet, and even motocross. Some of the gloves we have gone over offer a summer and winter option for all those interested. So, you could technically end up with two versions of the same kind of gloves if you are interested.
Summer gloves have one single purpose- to cool down the user's hands and keep it moisture free while he/she rides. These types of gloves are heavily ventilated. They are often made of perforated leather, or some other type of breathable synthetic, and are very lightweight. High-quality materials like Kevlar, Carbon are used in the production of these sorts of gloves.
Winter Motorcycle Gloves
Winter Motorcycle Gloves protect you from the elements by completely sealing off ventilation and adding extra padding. They are usually made from high-quality fabrics, and they are often much larger and far more rigid than summer gloves. They are completely covered in padding, and they most times end up looking like a gauntlet glove more.
If you prefer a little heat during your winter rides, some companies offer gloves with inbuilt heaters. They are truly wonderful and are often worth the extra cost.
Race Gloves
These types of gloves are for the hardcore racers. They are the kind of gloves you want if you are competing in any high-speed competitions. They are made of high-end materials like Kevlar and Carbon fiber. They are rigorously tested before they are released for retail. They are also well ventilated and often cost hundreds of dollars more than regular gloves. They are definitely the type of gloves you want to go for if you safest and most comfortable gloves money can buy. They are designed to be the best motorcycle gloves on the market.
Which one should she start off with?
There is no simple answer to this question, but if we had to pick one, it would definitely be a street or Motocross glove. If you have gone through this long list of glove styles and you can’t pick a single style, then we recommend starting off with those two types. They are lightweight, easy to use, and they are the best biker gloves for beginners.
Factors to consider before settling on a pair of gloves
There are a lot of things you have to consider before you are ready to pick the perfect gloves for you or your friend. Factors like money, materials, and the type of motorcycle come to mind. In this section, we will briefly review some of those factors that might influence your choice.
Budget
All important decisions ultimately boil down to how much we have saved, whether we like it or not. Allocating a surplus sum for the glove you are about to purchase is always a good idea. If the glove ends up costing more money than you budgeted for, you won't end up settling for less. You can get a motorcycle glove for as little as 10 dollars and for as much as 500 dollars. When it comes to motorcycle gloves, you can never have too much money saved away.
What time of the year is it?
As we have previously explained, there are dedicated gloves for hotter months and colder months. When you're planning your trip to the store, you have to determine which time of the year you or your friend would be wearing this glove. Motocross or street gloves would be appropriate for the summer, while gauntlets would be appropriate for winter months.
Type of bike
The motorcycle you ride determines the kind of gloves you use to a large extent. Professional dirt-bikers have no choice but to use off-road gloves, and Motorsport racers have to use racer gloves. A casual rider, however, is free to choose whatever glove they choose. They kind of bike your friend uses might be a little bit large and aggressive, or it could even be electric. You should consider the kind of glove that would be appropriate for the motorcycle you or your friend uses.
Material
Motorcycle gloves primarily come in two kinds of materials- leather and synthetic. Whereas leather is soft, comfortable, and well ventilated, synthetics are cheaper and comfortable. It really boils down to how much you are willing to spend. They are both great and should last you a lot longer than you expect.
Picking out a brand and getting fitted for the glove you want
This is the final and most crucial part of the glove selection process. Any great rider has a long list of manufacturers he/she is keeping an eye out for. Once you know what type of glove you want and have a budget in mind, then do a little bit of research so that you can fully understand your options before going for a fitting. You'd be surprised what sort of quality you can get for the money you have if you just do a little bit of research.
When you have selected the perfect manufacturer, the next step is to go to a shop for a fitting or measure yourself. If you cannot go to a physical store, you can get a tape rule and measure the dimensions yourself.
Get a tape rule and place your hands flat on a surface.
Measure the circumference of your palm by placing the tape rule below your knuckles and measuring the widest parts.
Measure the height of your hand by placing the tape rule on the tip of your middle finger and dragging the tape rule all the way to the bottom of your palm.
Make sure you take the measurements in inches
Once you have your measurements, pick up your favorite manufacturer's measuring book and find out which sizes you fall under or between.
After you have figured out your size, go to your favorite women's motorcycle glove store and buy a pair. It is always smarter to buy a size larger than yours. Motorcycle gloves can often be smaller than the actual glove size. Plus, a lot can change in a short time. You are sort of making sure you don't end up with something too small.
Does it have to be actual women Gloves?
The best Motorcycle gloves are not unisex. The temptation to settle for a stylish looking men's glove can be awfully tempting, but you need to remember that you are on the hunt for best bike riding gloves for you or your friends. Unisex gloves are unoriginal. They often come with ugly designs and patterns, and men's gloves are no better. Since men have a larger palm than most females, their gloves almost always come with a larger palm than most women have. Even if it does fit, it's always incredibly uncomfortable.
Singling out the perfect leather biker gloves or women's motorcycle gloves isn't a task that is supposed to be rushed. As a thoughtful gift giver and friend, you must take your time to go over the numerous features and guidelines we established in this guide. If you follow this guide, you should be able to find the perfect glove for yourself or your friend with no effort at all.
