The best sporty motorcycle gloves tried and tested by MCN | Expert buying guide and glove reviews

Sporty motorcycle gloves aren’t necessarily designed for riding on a track but they take their design cues from the top-spec gloves you see worn by racers at all levels down to trackday riders.

I expect two things from the sporty gloves I wear; maximum protection and as much feel for a sportsbike’s controls as possible. That said, I may sacrifice in one or other of these areas if it’s for a good reason.

If, for example, I want extra insulation than I’ll compromise on the feel to get the warmth (you can’t feel anything with numb hands anyway!). Or if I’m riding on the road in very hot weather then short gloves that offer less protection can be a good option.

In order for a glove to be considered ‘sporty’ it will generally be made of leather (although not always) and have external knuckle protection of some description. I’d also expect reinforcements in high abrasion areas like the palms as a minimum.

Sporty gloves for track riding

If you want to wear gloves on track, they must be 100% leather in design (no textile panels) and have a cuff that extends to cover the wrist. If I’m riding on track, I wear the highest-protection gloves (and all my other sportsbike kit) I can. The CE ratings for gloves (EN 13594:2015) are designated as level 1 (pass) or level 2 (superior pass) with the letters KP added if knuckle protection is present. Because a level 2 is only possible with knuckle protection, that means the only possible ratings are 1, 1 KP or 2 KP.

Your hands are vulnerable in a crash for a few reasons – your natural instinct is to extend your arms and brace for a fall if you’re flying through the air, meaning they hit the track first, if you roll through a gravel trap the centrifugal effect can throw your arms out smacking your hands into the ground and they can become pined between a handlebar and the track in a slide.

Because of that, I won’t hit the track in anything below a 2 KP but I also look for some additional things. Webbing between the third and fourth fingers offers extra bracing and makes it less likely you’ll break a little finger.

TPU sliders in places other than the knuckles such as on the outer bottom edge of the palm or the fingers are also a big bonus and also additional padding to protect the scaphoid (a bone at the base of your thumb).

If I’m between sizes then I always opt for the smaller option as the leather will stretch slightly over time and a tight fit (within reason) is better than a loose one for sporty track riding.

Sporty gloves for road riding

A good pair of track gloves will also be perfectly useable on the road. If you’re riding a sportsbike in the summer, there’s no need to buy anything else really. But there are also sport-style gloves that offer more creature comforts such as waterproofing, insulation or even heated elements.

When it’s very hot, I also wear ‘shorty’ gloves that let the air up your jacket sleeves and keep you cool. Many of the track gloves on the market have short versions available for summer road riding, too.

The best sporty motorbike gloves

Things to consider before you buy sporty motorcycle gloves

As outlined above, there are lots of things to consider before making a decision on the best sporty motorcycle gloves for you.

First of all, where will you be riding? If the answer is on a track then you need 100% leather coverage and a long cuff to be allowed on circuit. If you’re sticking to the road then there is no legal requirement to wear gloves at all in the UK (although we’d never recommend that if you value your hands).

if you only ride on sunny days (there’s no shame in it) then you can opt for a perforated glove or a short option for coolness and comfort.

If you’re likely to tackle a bit of weather then a sporty touring glove is probably a better option for you, or a waterproof summer glove.

Materials are important when it comes to any motorcycle clothing and gloves are no different. Leather is still the toughest option with kangaroo still at the top of the list (MotoGP suits are all made from this).

Goat leather is a popular choice for gloves as it is supple and soft so allows you to retain your dexterity. High abrasion zones are then usually reinforced with a layer of something tougher or a second layer of the same.

Armour is normally TPU but more exotic options like carbon or titanium are also available – normally at a higher price point.

How MCN tests sporty gloves

Here at MCN, we want to make sure you spend your money on kit that does the job. Bike kit is expensive stuff and buying the wrong thing can be costly.

So our expert team of testers pool their decades of knowledge and experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles, hundreds of races, thousands of trackdays and countless mistakes along the way to make sure it doesn’t happen.

We don’t test our gloves to destruction or crash test them (not on purpose), we use them exactly how you do – in the real world and in all conditions.

When testing gloves, we ask our writers to consider specific criteria and provide a score out of five for each. These are as follows:

Comfort

Comfort is often relative when it comes to high-protection gloves (or any kit) as there will always be a decision to be made and a compromise to be made. Generally, the more protection you build into a glove, the bulkier it gets and the less freedom of movement you end up with.

Our testers rate comfort with this in mind, comparing like-for-like products they’ve tested in the past. Comfort also covers things like the fit and adjuster straps, the finger length and so on.

Looks

The look of a glove is entirely subjective, but we ask our testers to give their opinion. They live and breathe motorcycling and will have a good idea of the styles and designs that work, even if they’re not to your taste. Ultimately, that’s up to you.

Quality

When you’ve had a lot of pairs of gloves over your riding life, you start to get a feel for the quality of them as soon as you pick them up. That’s not to say we don’t put the miles in to make sure, of course. Quality covers the materials used and the feel of the gloves, is the stitching neat and precise, are any sliders well-made and neatly applied?

Protection

There is an objective aspect to the protection score of a glove due to the CE level it has been tested to. These are just a minimum legal requirement, though, and many gloves go well above and beyond in their commitment to safety.

Sometimes our gloves get crashed in (especially by team members who race) and then we can give a verdict on how they perform when it really matters, too.

Value

Value isn’t the same as cheapness and an expensive glove can score well here if it’s deemed worth the asking price. Our testers also consider the price of comparable gloves on the market and warranty periods.

Overall

This is an aggregate of the scores above that can be rounded up or rounded down at the discretion of the tester. Only products that score four stars or more overall are included in our buying guides.

If you see a pair of gloves in this list without a review, that is because we think they’re important in the market but we haven’t put them to the test yet. We’ll be working behind the scenes to put the miles in and will bring you the review content as soon as it’s written.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

What our star ratings mean

When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given product, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

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