Maximum versatility: Best three season motorcycle gloves

Published: 22 April 2024

The best three season gloves, tried and tested by MCN staff

A pair of three-season motorcycle gloves is a staple in most motorcyclists’ wardrobes. They offer excellent versatility and can be had for a reasonable price, as well as offering very good protection and comfort.

Three season means that they will look after your hands from spring through until autumn. In fact, some three-season gloves will even keep you protected and warm into winter if your bike has a set of heated grips.

Being aimed primarily at the warmer seasons, they are not as thick as full winter gloves so offer better feel for the bike and its controls. However, they are not as thin as summer-only items so you will feel slightly more disconnected. They also won’t have the venting that summer-only gloves do, so you should be looking for a breathable membrane if possible, to stop your hands from getting too sweaty.

The best three-season motorcycling gloves:

Held Sambia 2in1 Evo

Price: £176.95

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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Tested by Justin Hayzelden for three months, 1,420 miles - "Short gloves have become my go-to gear for most journeys, due to their comfort and convenience. The downside of most that I’ve tried, however, is that they’re either sporty summer gloves which go soggy in the wet or textile off road/urban gloves that just don’t last very long. So I was dead keen to try the Held Sambia 2in1 Evo, a short cuff multi-season glove that promises to not only solve those issues, but provide the best of both worlds.

"As the name suggests, the Sambia is literally two gloves in one, but despite having two separate holes to put your hands in, the workmanship is such that it’s not easy to see how the German manufacturer has managed to achieved this – it’s almost magic. On close inspection it’s simply a case of having a lining that’s only attached on one side, across the back of the hand.
"Both openings are clearly marked as ‘Breezy’ and ‘Gore-Tex’, making it pretty obvious which does what. The ‘Gore-Tex’ side cocoons your hand in a soft breathable and waterproof liner, which keeps out the wet and draws sweat away from the skin, aided by generous air intake scoops across the knuckles.

"This highly effective ventilation system directs airflow across a fine mesh inside the glove and out through twin exhaust ports, plus the housing also acts as a CE 1KP protector. ‘Breezy’ simply sits between that and a large perforated outer panel that covers the palm, finger and thumb.
"Construction is a kangaroo leather and textile hybrid, resulting in a perfect combo of high abrasion resistance and exceptional comfort. I often struggle with fit – gloves are either too tight across the knuckles or too long in the finger – but these are absolutely bang on, especially once they’ve bedded in.

"Since I started using them back in April they’ve seen most conditions (except sub zero, but I wouldn’t wear them then anyway) and have performed flawlessly, keeping my hands dry and ventilated, whatever the weather. At almost £180 they’re not cheap, but they’re very well made and versatile – a worthwhile investment that should be good for thousands of miles more."

Pros

Well made and versatile
Short cuff
Waterproof
Well ventilated

Cons

More expensive

Quality

5.0
Value

5.0

Held Cold Champ Gore-Tex

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Tested by Richard Newland for six years, 25,000+ miles - "While many three-season gloves are akin to ski gloves, Held have managed to develop a glove that looks great, feels more like a thick sports glove and performs like one, too. The Cold Champ is protective (certified to EN 13594:2015), functional and warm enough to cope with all but prolonged sub-zero use (and how often do you ride when it’s below freezing?).

"They feel plush but well-fitted, with a luxurious 3M Thinsulate quilted liner and Thermoplush fleece on the back of your hands – but they don’t feel baggy or overly thick. The Gore-Tex liner has proved 100% effective, and while they’re windproof, they’re also breathable so you don’t get sweaty hands.

"The goatskin palm is tough but soft and flexible – the Velcro closures and leather stretch panels that haven’t lost any of their bite. The wrist and cuff closures are perfect for coverage and operation and are still holding fast after years of use. The visor wipe is useful, and the black Scotchlite reflectors are subtle but effective. The fact that they come with a 5-year guarantee speaks volumes for their quality.

Pros

Comfy
Protective
Waterproof
Look great

Cons

Not warm enough for seriously cold rides

Quality

5.0
Value

5.0

Richa Street Touring GTX

Editor's pick

Price: £129.99 (was £139.99)

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When RiDE tested mid-season gloves 18 months ago, these came out top and took a Best Buy triangle. They feature a leather outer with a Gore-tex membrane for waterproofing and breathability and they deliver. Excellent feel and comfort, enough warmth for them to be a genuine three-season garment and completely waterproof. CE Rating 1.

Ladies fit version tested by Emma Franklin for six months, 3,000 miles - "An impressive pair of waterproof leather gloves, geared towards all but the coldest of weathers. They’re impressive both in terms of quality and fit.

"Richa haven’t just scaled down the men’s version of their Street Touring GTX glove, but rather created a whole new pattern based on women’s hands. The result is a glove that, for me at least, is a perfect fit in all areas.

"Performance wise, they’ve kept out the rain during heavy showers, and the visor wiper on the left index finger is a real boon. However, they do become a little sweaty on the hottest of days."

Pros

Visor wipe
Excellent fit
Great feel and comfort
Waterproof

Cons

Bit sweaty on the hottest days

Quality

5.0
Value

5.0

Furygan Midland D30 37.5 Lady

Price: £84.99

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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Tested by Emma Franklin for three months, 1000 miles - "Women with small hands rejoice - these are the three-season gloves for you. Designed for smaller female paws, the Midland Lady sizing starts at a teeny 15.2cm palm circumference (XS), whereas most unisex gloves start at around 17cm. The fingers, too, are also proportionally shorter than those of unisex gloves. With that in mind, the sizing is somewhat unique, with my fairly average-sized lady hands only just managing to squeeze into an XL/9 size, when I’m usually a S/8 in unisex gloves, so I’d strongly advise that you head to a showroom so that you can try a few pairs on.

"Away from the female-specific fit, the Midland are a great value pair of everyday riding gloves. There’s a goatskin outer that provides a reassuring level of protection as well as masses of feel, all backed up with a soft D30 knuckle armour and Velcro wrist strap.

"But their special skill comes by way of their thermal regulatory properties, courtesy of the clever 37.5 Technology embedded on the super-soft fleece layer inside. 37.5 features active particles that is claimed to remove perspiration from the skin at the vapour stage before liquid sweat forms, both preventing hands from getting too hot and clammy or cold and wet. And, based on my experience, the science works.

"Considering these gloves are closer in terms of bulk to summer gloves than winter mitts, they do keep hands warm down to temperatures as low as about 6°C. Likewise on warmer days, I’ve yet to experience the dreaded ‘sweaty lining’ syndrome, although I do feel that the 37.5 Technology would be overcome on the hottest of summer days, or when riding abroad.

"And on the subject of the lining, unfortunately it does have an annoying habit of becoming wrinkled up inside the fingers when you take the gloves off, meaning that you have to fight to straighten it out when it’s time to put them on again – a problem that would only get worse if your hands were to get a bit clammy. These gloves also have a waterproof/breathable membrane, but being a very short-cuff design, they’ll only ever keep you dry in a shower – as rain will quickly get in at the wrist."

Pros

Thin yet warm
Comfortable and practical
Sweat-wicking technology

Cons

Lining gets wrinkled easily when taking them off

Quality:

4.0
Value:

4.0

Rev'it Summit 4 H2O

Price: £114.99

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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Although commanding a higher price than some of the competition, the Rev'it Summit 4 H20 are a solid option that won't let you down. They're waterproof, breathable gloves that will see you through whatever the three seasons can throw at you.

Although there's been a number of changes since the Summit 2's, which Ali rated 5 stars in her review, most of them are upgrades. The only main downgrade is the knuckle armour moving away from the more comfortable moulded 'Seesoft' to a traditional TPU insert.

Previous Summit 2 version tested by Ali Silcox for four years, 3,500 miles - "I’ve worn these for thousands of miles, in all conditions and they’ve proved comfortable and hardwearing. They have moulded knuckle and scaphoid protection and padding on the fingers.

"A waterproof and breathable membrane keeps hands dry and the slide adjuster at the wrist, combined with Velcro ensures a snug fit. I have slim hands, with long fingers, and opted for a size large, which fit well and needed very little breaking in.

"Mine are the Summit 2 version, which have been superseded by the Summit 4."

Pros

Visor wipe
Comfortable and hardwearing
Waterproof and breathable membrane
Quick to break in

Cons

TPU insert less comfortable than the previous version

Other options to consider:

Richa Rock

MCN Rated: Best short cuff motorbike gloves

Price: £37.99 (was £49.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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These are superb short cuff motorcycle gloves. Made from leather with hard knuckle protection and reflective panels to help you show up in a car's headlight beam. In common with most gloves of this length, there's a Velcro closure at the wrist to keep it in place.

Richa Arctic

MCN Rated: Best motorbike gloves for touring

Price: £99.99

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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Previous winners of a RiDE magazine Best Buy Award, these winter-weight touring gloves tick all the boxes. Warm enough to keep the chill at bay during the cooler months and also promising 100% waterproofing via the internal Hipora membrane, the gloves also offer decent crash protection with hard armour at the knuckles, a scaphoid slider on the palm, as well as a Velcro wrist restraint.

Constructed from a mix of leather, Superfabric and Keprotec they’re also superbly made and look as though they should cost double their recommended retail price. The gloves also come in specific men’s and ladies’ sizes so you should get the perfect fit.

Islero Professional

Value for money

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Another pair of gloves with good reviews, this time from several hundred buyers, the Islero Professionals are formed in leather with a Hipora lining to keep water out and let the hand breathe. There's also a Thinsulate lining for when the temperature drops and a free pair of inner gloves extend their use into winter. There are hard 'carbon fibre' knuckle protection and padding on the fingers, palm and cuff with a grip panel across the inside of the thumb. Again, no CE ratings.

Texpeed All Black

Value for money

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These impressive-looking gloves from Texpeed don't get a huge number of reviews, but what they do get are all positive. Leather gloves with Keprotech panels on the heels of the thumb and the palm, these feature a 'polyurethane layer' to keep water out. Carbon-fibre-look hard armour over the knuckles and the fingers are complemented by soft padding on the cuff and grip panels on the palm, but no mention of CE ratings though.

Held Twin

Best for warm and dry

Price: £119.99 (was £199.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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Another pair of gloves currently discounted by SportsbikeShop (£119.99 instead of £199.99), the Held twin Drys have a trick up their sleeve; each has two compartments to create two gloves in one. One compartment is unlined but has a Gore-Tex membrane, to keep the weather out but let the hand breathe. The other is fitted with a thermal liner as well as the membrane to keep the hand warm as well as dry. The best of both worlds to cover three seasons.

Oxford Mondial

Best for breathability

Price: £99.99

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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The Mondial gloves from Oxford use its Dry2Dry laminate, promising to keep water out while allowing the hand to breathe. They are formed in leather with moulded TPU knuckle protector and on the fingers, with padding on the cuff and Superfabric panels on the landing zones on the inside of the hand. They also include a visor wipe and touchscreen-compatible panels on the forefingers and thumbs. CE Rating 1KP.

Spada Shadow CE

Value for money

Price: £48.74 (was £64.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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Formed in Analine leather and textile material, the Shadows use a Hipora membrane for weatherproofing and breathability and a Thinsulate lining to keep the hands warm when it gets a bit chilly. They have hard TPU knuckle protection and Keprotech panels for abrasion resistance and impact absorption on the landing zones. There's also a visor wipe on the left index finger.

Alpinestars Vega V2

Best for sportsbikes

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The Vegas have a sporty look to them and they ride like it too; feel is excellent and they are warm without the hands getting sweaty, thanks to 100g Thinsulate insulation and the company's DryStar membrane respectively. There's hard carbon-fibre knuckle armour that's backed with foam to absorb impacts and soft padding on the fingers, thumb and wrist. A good all-round glove when tested by RiDE.

SPIDI NK-6

Price: $181.99

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These gauntlet-style gloves from Spidi may look more like winter gloves but they feature the company's H2Out membrane, allowing the hand to breathe while staying dry. They also feature a 200g Primaloft lining to keep the hands warm when the going starts to get cold. They have padding on the knuckles, palm and wrist and soft padding on the fingers and there's also a visor wipe and touchscreen-compatible sections.

Rukka Virium 2.0

Best for touchscreens

Price: £169.98 (was £179.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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Rukka is famous for its weather-beating clothing and these Virium gloves should do the same. The outer is formed in a combination of leather and textile and there's a Gore-Tex membrane bonded inside to keep water out and let the hand breathe. There is a knuckle protector, hard-plastic scaphoid pad and finger pads too and the fingertips are touchscreen-compatible.

What to look for in a three-season glove

A three-season glove also wants to be waterproof. You might not need the protection in the height of summer but there is a very real chance it will come in handy in spring or autumn while, of course, a British summer can always bring a downpour.

As with any gloves, look for protection across the knuckles and on the palm – the ‘landing zones’ – and any additional features, like visor wipes or device touchscreen-compatible fingertips. Finally, also look for CE ratings where you can – gloves are rated either 1 or 2, 2 being the better. Also, look for ‘KP’ in the rating; it’s Knuckle Protection and is optional for level-1 gloves but compulsory for Level-2.

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