Best Motorcycle Touring Gloves

TheAlpinestars Stella Tourer W-7 Drystar Gloves takes a combination of premium leather, suede, softshell and stretch textile to construct this comfortable women’s glove. The stretchable shell allows freedom of movement while the animal hides deliver protection. Impact absorption is provided by the ergonomically profiled soft viscoelastic material across the knuckles. Fingertip touchscreen allow access to your phone’s GPS so you can plan your ride, and if the weather gets wet, Drystar is there to keep your fingers out of the elements.

The BMW Genuine Motorcycle Riding Two In One Glove utilizes what it calls 2-chamber technology. The Proof chamber is breathable, waterproof and windproof with a Gore-Tex membrane and has an insulating thermal liner. The Grip chamber features extra-thin and tear-resistant kangaroo leather for excellent tactile feedback and crease-free fit. Crash protection comes from hard-shell armor on the knuckles and foam padding on the backs of fingers. The double layers of leather on the edge of the hand protects from a slide. 

How could I not include these? An ultra-light short cuff glove with Dainese quality and style. Synthetic suede palms provide excellent feel, while perforated mesh panels on the fingers and backhand flow as much air as possible – and a neoprene cuff is nice and soft where glove meets wrist. Dainese smart touch on the index finger lets you order pizza from the saddle. Kidding. Never do that. One of many great Dainese offerings.

The Firstgear Navigator Glove is more of a cool-weather gauntlet-style touring glove – waterproof and breathable, with a Hipora membrane lining. The outer shell is full leather construction, and the rubberized hard-knuckle cap provides additional protection. To keep the elements on the outside a drawstring wrist closure can be secured with one hand. A visor squeegee on the left thumb will help keep your vision clear. At this price, you almost can’t afford not to stow a pair of these for inclement weather.

Fly Racing is more known for its off-road gear, but that seems to translate into pretty rugged, reasonably priced stuff when it comes to street gear, too. Whether Fracture is a good name is up for debate, but these get high marks for mostly warm-weather street use. When the weather’s nice, you want gloves that are easy to get off and on, and the short cuff design with TPR wrist closure gives you that. Four-way stretchy material on the backs makes these super comfortable and breathable, but molded hard knuckle protection provides protection. Palms are leather, fingers offer touch screen technology, and these sport fun graphics including plaid.

Lots of people love their German-made Helds. The Held Air N Dry Gloves are an innovative, warm weather, waterproof touring glove, which features Gore-Tex 2-in-1 technology with two separate chambers. In warm weather, the unlined and perforated chamber keeps you cool. The second, Gore-Tex chamber is for when the sun isn’t shining. The index finger has a convenient visor wipe. Molded knuckle guards and SuperFabric offer an extremely high level of abrasion-resistance as does the leather that covers the remainder of the shell. A hook-and-loop closure keeps the gauntlet closed. 

Easy ingress and egress is also important when touring. The Klim Vanguard GTX Short Gloves are easy to slip on and off, thanks to the short cuff design and Kwik-access dual adjustment entry. Next comes the Gore-Tex waterproofing and index finger visor wiper. Poron XRD offers palm and knuckle protection, and the goat leather keeps the pavement on the outside. You even get Mult-E-Touch smart device functionality. 

What, you don’t already have a box of these in the house or garage? You should have, and you should carry a couple pairs whenever you’re riding far at all. Slipping a pair of these on under your gloves provides way more warmth when temps and/or precipitation unexpectedly drop. Also very nice to have to deal with messy roadside repairs or should anyone need an emergency roadside exam.

The Olympia All Season II Touch Gloves’ design goal was to be warm enough to wear in the 40-degree range without being bulky, to have touchscreen functionality, and deliver the palm comfort of gel padding. Oh, and if that weren’t enough, how about windproof and water resistant. You also get a three blade visor wiper and reflective knuckle trim. Not bad for a reasonably-priced glove, and there are plenty more in men’s and women’s sizes in the Olympia line-up. 

High marks for these light touring gloves from the MO peanut gallery.  This mid-length sport glove combines leather and mesh construction to produce a really convenient  and cool yet still protective glove. Clarino palm with silicone finger-grip diamonds, Super-Fabric covered scaphoid and knuckle protectors, and one quick Velcro closure. Racer makes great gloves.

The REV’IT! Summit 3 H2O Gloves are what you want when you’re touring through warm, wet weather. Thanks to the Hydratex waterproof membrane, the elements stay on the outside – where they belong. Still, there are plenty of safety features, including TPU hard palm sliders and Temperfoam on the knuckles. The touring fit will remain comfortable on a long day, while the laminated reflective material increases conspicuity. The shell itself is constructed of drum-dyed goatskin, PWR|shell 500D, PWR|shell 500D twill stretch, flock PU, and PU-coated fabric. You even get a digitally compatible fingertip. 

Like the intrepid honey badger, British riders tend not to care if it rains or freezes, long as they’ve got good gear. That’s where these Thermosport gloves come from, England, and the claim is they’re 100% waterproof, with Thinsulate thermal lining, Kevlar reinforcement, carbon knuckle guards and side palm protection – all in a Grade A semi-aniline leather shell at an excellent price. Find these and lots of other excellent curated British gear at BritishMotorcycleGear.com.

The Tourmaster Dri Perf Gel Glove provides a combination of cooling air flow while still maintaining waterproofness in case you run into summer showers. Gel inserts also reduce the tiring effects of vibrations on your hands. EVA foam padding on the fingers and outside of wrists team up with hard knuckle protectors to disperse impacts. The precurved gloves also have stretch panels for comfort, and the fingertips will work with your smartphone.