Alpinestars Stella SR-3 Drystar gloves review

I was pleasantly surprised to find this pair of Alpinestars Stella SR-3 Drystar gloves without a three-figure price tag. Priced at just shy of £60, these three-season gloves have been a great find. With a hardwearing textile outer and soft brushed faux-leather palm, they’re comfortable, offer level 1 CE approved protection and are showing little signs of wear and tear. Worn through the backend of winter and into spring, I can see they’ll be my go-to gloves for less inclement riding days, even into the warmer summer months.

From the first wear, these gloves have needed little to no breaking in, with soft lining and padded armour, there’s not edges to dig in. Available in sizes XS to XL, the Alpinestars Stella SR-3 Drystar gloves are designed to fit a female hand. I found the finger length to be ample and after a couple of wears, that initial tightness, that you tend to get with all gloves, eased and they’ve formed to my hands well. 

Designed for female fingers the gloves fit well and sizing seems fair, I have elongated fingers and opted for size XL, they give ample room. Designed for three-season wear, the Thinsulate lining is warm, without being bulky. They worked well from late winter into spring. They’ve kept my hands dry on damp rides and are showing little sign of wear. One thing I would criticise them for this the length of cuff, while it’s adjustable, with a velcro closure, it’s not quite long enough to go either over or under a jacket sleeve, often leaving a draughty air gap. 

There’s really not much to say about a three-season pair of gloves in the looks department. They are exactly as you’d expect, they’re functional, practical but what I do like, is the little bit of bling, by way of a gold AStars logo on the finger. 

I’m impressed with the quality of the Alpinestars Stella SR-3 Drystar gloves. At this price point I wasn’t sure if I’d get the normal quality I’d expect from Alpinestars, but I’ve been really impressed. The textile outer appears to be hardwearing and the soft, brushed, faux-leather palm is comfortable and gives plenty of feel. Velcro closure works well and hasn’t lost any of its grip through use and touchscreen leather fingertips work. 

These Alpinestars Stella SR-3 Drystar gloves score an overall CE level 1 rating and offer padded armour on the fingers and knuckles. I’m never sure if padding is better than the hard armout but with the CE approval, that offers peace of mind. The armour isn’t intrusive and doesn’t dig in, at all, so they’ve been comfortable from the get-go. 

At £59.99, for an Alpinestars branded pair of gloves, these are great value. They are the quality that you would expect from this top-notch brand but without the weighty price tag. 

Other gloves I’ve tested, from lesser-known brands such as the DXR Winter Carbon CE Leather Gloves, which retail for £49.99, are comparable to these but if you are someone attracted by the brand name, potentially you’d opt for these from Astars. 

Verdict

Made from a hard-wearing textile outer, with a soft leather palm and touch screen sensitive fingertip, they are the quality you’d expect from Alpinestars but without the hefty price tag. After being ridden in all manner of conditions, they are showing no signs of wear and tear.

They come with a Thinsulate liner and with a breathable and waterproof Drystar membrane. I have found that they have kept my hands dry but not always the warmest. I’ve worn these gloves through winter and into spring, they’ve been waterproof, comfortable, they lack warmth on the coldest days but are badged as three-season, so a little hard to criticise in that department. 

Cuffs could do with being slightly longer, they are not quite long enough to go over the sleeve of a jacket. They have padded knuckles and palms and are rated CE Level 1. I have rather large hands and sometimes have issues with finger length, I opted for size XL and they fit perfectly. 

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