These are the best winter gloves to keep you riding all year, as reviewed by our team

A good pair of winter motorcycle gloves is essential through the colder months. Riding a motorbike with cold hands can be uncomfortable, painful or even dangerous once numbness sets in and affects your ability to use the controls. Good gloves can mitigate this by keeping the elements out: wind- and water-proof layers help protect your hands from the worst of the weather.

What to look for in a winter motorcycle glove

Even if it doesn’t feel particularly chilly when you leave the house, the combined chill and wind blast can make your hands freeze up as speeds increase, especially on the motorway. A fleece or thermal lining can trap heat inside the gloves to keep your hands from getting cold. Other features to look out for are long cuffs that enable you to tuck sleeves inside to reduce any cold breeze making it inside. Something to remove rain from your visor with – either an absorbent pad or plastic wiper is also useful.

Waterproof gloves are definitely worthwhile in winter, because if you get caught in the rain and your gloves get wet through, this is a really fast way to strip the heat out of your hands. So having a waterproof membrane will help to keep the warmth in your fingers.

On the flipside, thick, bulky gloves can leave you feeling just as detached from the bike’s controls, so it’s worth seeking out a pair that balances warmth with dexterity. Luckily for those who ride a motorbike in winter, there are loads of options out there for keeping your fingers warm, including heated gloves, but having another thing to remember to charge or plug in isn’t for everyone. The MCN team has racked up some considerable miles and saddle time weeding out the best of the bunch.

Safety considerations for winter motorcycle gloves

You also need to be aware of the safety and protection that your winter gloves will give you. They should feature a CE rating to be sold as motorcycle clothing and there are two scores: either 1 or 2, with the addition of knuckle protection, or KP. So you should be looking for at least a rating of 1 KP or ideally, 2 KP (the KP is optional for Level 1 but compulsory for Level 2).

Comparing winter gloves to all season motorcycle gloves

A winter glove will be designed purely with warmth and weatherproofing in mind, obviously alongside important safety considerations. So they will be thicker than an all season glove. As with most things, a jack of all trades is usually the master of none, so an all season pair of gloves will be trying to be suitable for all seasons, but it’s almost impossible to achieve this. If it is waterproof, windproof and warm then it probably won’t be cooling, thin and super breathable for warm summer days.

How to choose the right winter gloves for your riding style

In terms of styling of winter gloves, you are going to be more limited than you would with a more general use glove. Most winter gloves will have a touring type feel to them as they will be focusing on practicality over looks. You are unlikely to find a pair of retro gloves for instance that manage to harmonize the vintage leather looks with waterproofing and thermal insulation. Similarly a really sporty race glove is probably not going to be warm enough for true winter days because most sportsbike riders are not going to venture out for a spirited ride once the summer is gone. So it really will come down to what features are your priority and which of the options you like the look of best.

But which should you buy?

Our best winter motorcycle glove picks

Frequently asked questions

Is it better for winter gloves to be tight or loose?

Motorcycle gloves want to be a snug fit so that you don’t have lots of loose fabric getting the way but not so snug that they restrict with your freedom of movement or control. If clothing is too tight it will restrict the blood flow to the area, only making you colder. Where if it is slightly loose, the air gap creates a warm insulating layer.

Are leather gloves good for winter motorcycle riding?

Leather gloves can be good for winter riding, however usually advanced synthetic fabrics will be more versatile with waterproof membranes, because dampness will draw heat away and insulating thermal linings. The outer shell of the glove plays less of a role in keeping your hands warm than the linings and membranes.

Should I wash my gloves?

The label that comes with the gloves should include care instruction, it is best to read and retain this information to know what is best for your particular gloves.

If i’m between sizes should I size up or down?

If you are buying a leather glove it is worth bearing in mind that leather will give and stretch a little over time. With this in mind it is advised not to size up to prevent to gloves from ending up too loose. Your gloves should feel comfortable and allow good movement and feel without there being long gaps at the end of your fingers.

How MCN tests winter gloves

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles. We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions. That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on.

Each of our writers has an in-depth understanding of the needs of today’s biker… because they are one.

To make it onto this list, these winter gloves must have been worn for thousands of miles by our team of experienced testers, show no major flaws, and meet modern safety standards as well as offering decent value for money. 

Each of our expert reviewers tests their winter gloves for a variety of things, both subjective and objective, and these are no exception. Factors assessed include how comfortable they are from the off, what knuckle protection gloves have, if they fit well, whether they’re breathable, and if they include details such as waterproofing, visor wipes or perforations, and of course how warm they keep their hands.

We’ve worn each of the tested winter gloves in this page while we’ve been covering miles on test bikes in all the appropriate conditions for the product.

If you can’t see a review against a pair of gloves on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested them yet. These items will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

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

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Our scores explained

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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