Wearing gloves is a great idea whenever you hop on the bike to go for a ride. Motorcycle gloves are one of the key parts of motorcycle safety gear that you never want to leave home without.
The reason it’s a good idea to wear gloves is to protect your hands when you’re out riding. The best leather motorcycle gloves will protect your hands from the elements, debris getting kicked up off the road, and can prevent serious injury in the event of a crash or accident.
Another benefit to wearing gloves when riding is they make it more comfortable for holding onto and gripping the bars. They reduce vibrations, keep your hands out of the wind, and they look pretty cool as well.
In this post, we put together a list of our recommendations for the best leather gloves for motorcycle riding. Don’t forget to scroll past our recommendations for an in-depth buying guide and FAQ section.
Otherwise, let’s jump right into it!
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Milwaukee Cruiser Gloves (Best Leather Motorcycle Gloves Overall)
The Milwaukee Cruiser Gloves are perforated, premium leather motorcycle gloves designed for cruiser riders. These take advantage of a low profile, streamlined design that protects your hands while looking good on your cruiser.
With the premium leather design, these gloves are soft, comfortable, and stylish. Thanks to the perforated material they help to offer better airflow and more Comfort during those warm summer rides.
When it comes to comfort, these are easy to slide on and off. They come with padded gel palms, which reduces vibration and makes it more comfortable to hold your grips for a longer period of time.
As for protection, these feature soft, molded knuckles that protect the top of your hands in the event of a crash or accident. The leather design offers further protection and helps with abrasion resistance while protecting your hands from wind and road debris.
Overall, the Milwaukee Cruiser Gloves are a great choice if you’re searching for the best cheap leather motorcycle gloves. They’re well reviewed, available any number of different sizes, and make a great choice for cruiser riders.
Harley Davidson Commute Gloves
The Harley Davidson Commute Gloves are the official Harley-Davidson riding gloves. These are well-designed and come with some great features for improving your riding experience.
As a leather glove, the Harley Davidson Commute Gloves are made from a high-quality, premium goatskin leather. On the inside is a partial tricot lining, which improves the overall comfort and long-term durability of these gloves.
There is a padded palm, making it more comfortable to grip the handlebars for an extended period of time. They even come with an elastic wrist for a better fit and comfort seams that won’t bother your hands or wrists when you’re wearing them.
Those of you looking for the Harley-Davidson Brandon will be pleased to find it on the top of the glove. Here you’ll find a subtle and stylish embroidered Harley graphic that matches the rest of your gear.
Some other features worth mentioning include the ergonomic thumb design and 30-degree pre-curved fingers. This helps make them even more comfortable and ready to wear right out of the box.
Overall, the Harley Davidson Commute Gloves are a great choice if you’re looking for Harley Davidson riding gloves. They’re well-designed, comfortable to wear, and enjoy long-term durability thanks to the goatskin leather.
Indie Ridge Long Riding Gloves
The Indie Ridge Long Riding Gloves are a great choice if you’re looking for long riding gloves that will protect your hands in a wide range of riding conditions and weather elements. When it comes to comfort, flexibility, and durability these gloves are ideal for protecting your hands and safely operating your bike.
These are black leather riding gloves that come with an arch-shaped knuckle protection. This protects your hands and fingers from road debris or impacts while offering plenty of movement and flexibility for operating the motorcycle.
The longer design helps to prevent wind and rain from blowing down your motorcycle jacket when you’re riding in poor weather conditions. With a full grain, premium leather design you can use these gloves for spring, summer, and fall weather riding.
Another feature that makes these gloves unique is the mobile fingertip. This makes it possible to use your smartphone with these gloves using the thumb, index, and middle fingers.
When it comes to protection, these gloves feature high-density and hardened rubber on the knuckles and palm. There’s even finger protection that helps to protect your finger from debris and in case of a crash or accident.
Overall, the Indie Ridge Long Riding Gloves are a great choice if you’re looking for longer gloves that you can use in a wide range of riding conditions and weather elements. They’re comfortable to wear and the multi-purpose design is great for adventure riding.
Joe Rocket Briton Motorcycle Glove
The Joe Rocket Briton Motorcycle Glove is a classic leather motorcycle glove available from Joe Rocket. This is a popular motorcycle gear brand that’s well known for their affordable and entry level motorcycle gear.
These gloves are made from a premium cowhide leather and come with high-density padding on the fingers and palm. They’re comfortable to wear and are designed to protect your hands and fingers in all riding conditions.
As for protection, there is internal injection molded armor on the knuckles. Combined with the thick, cowhide leather design, your hands are totally protected from a crash or impact.
What makes these gloves unique is the conductive leather at the fingertip. This makes it possible to use your smartphone without removing the gloves.
It’s also worth mentioning that these gloves come with a waterproof insert for keeping your hands dry if you happen to get stuck riding in the rain. There’s even a zipper and snap closure so you can get a better fit for more comfort.
Overall, it’s hard to go wrong with the Joe Rocket Briton Motorcycle Gloves. These are from a well-known brand, they’re comfortable to wear, and they’re a great choice for most riders.
AXBXCX Full Finger Gloves for Motorcycles
The AXBXCX Full Finger Gloves for Motorcycles are another pair of basic leather gloves for motorcycle riding. Despite the basic design, they come with some great features that can improve your riding experience.
These feature a blend of microfiber leather and mesh materials that’s both flexible and comfortable. This unique blend of materials means these are cool and lightweight to wear during the summer.
On the outside of the gloves is a molded knuckle for protection. The rest utilizes the leather design for protecting your hands while you’re riding, whether from the wind, road debris, or for any necessary abrasion resistance.
The palm is made using reinforced microfiber material as well. This reinforces the gloves, makes them more comfortable to wear, and improves durability.
One of the best features is the smartphone friendly touchscreen function on the tip of the forefinger. This makes it possible to use your smartphone without having to remove the gloves.
Overall, the AXBXCX Full Finger Gloves for Motorcycles are a great choice if you’re looking for basic and lightweight leather motorcycle gloves. They’re inexpensive, well-reviewed, and decent for riding with during the summer.
How to Choose Leather Motorbike Gloves
There are a number of factors to consider when you’re in the market for a new pair of motorcycle gloves. Some of these are based on personal preference while others can have an impact on your riding style, capability, and comfort.
Investing in the right pair of gloves will help with overall comfort and protection. All of the best motorcycle leather gloves provide abrasion resistance, knuckle protection, and are an important form of protective riding gear.
Here are some of the main factors to consider if you’re in the market for a new pair of riding gloves:
Riding Style
The first thing you’ll need to consider is the style of riding you’re doing the most. For example, if you’re mostly riding a cruiser, you’ll probably want gloves that have a traditional look to them
On the other hand, sportbike riders will want sporty gloves that come with extra protection or that are available in a wider range of colors. There are also options available for adventure riding (Such as on a Honda CB500X), long distance touring, and most other riding styles.
Weather
The next factor to consider is the type of weather you’re usually riding in. Most riders will only ride when the weather is nice or during the summer.
In this case, you would want to check out the options for the best summer motorcycle gloves. Those of you that are riding throughout the year in a variety of different weather conditions we’ll want to look at waterproof and weatherproof options.
There are even cold weather and padded winter motorcycle gloves made from leather available to choose from. These are ideal for winter riding or riding during cold weather.
Size
It’s important that the gloves you’re wearing are comfortable and fit properly. You need to be able to operate the controls and fully grip the handlebars while enjoying a comfortable riding experience.
Always double-check the sizing chart provided from the manufacturer or take a look at reviews to see what people have to say about the sizing. There are many gloves available that come with adjustable straps, making it easier to customize the fit.
Length
Along with the size, the length of the glove also needs to be considered. Most leather motorcycle gloves are rather short and will only stretch to your wrist.
Those of you looking for added protection around the wrist or gloves that are warmer during cooler weather will want to look for long gloves. Both of these different types are ideal depending on your personal preferences and the conditions that you’re riding in.
Touchscreen Capability
Some of you might want to use your smartphone without taking off your gloves. In this case, you’ll need to look for leather gloves that have touchscreen capability.
Whether you want to use your smartphone while it’s on the motorcycle smartphone mount or you’re stopping quickly to take pictures, you might not always want to remove the gloves. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for touchscreen motorcycle gloves that can be used on your phone screen.
Price
The last factor to consider is the price of any of the gloves you’re interested in. Most riders will have a budget so you’ll want to look for options available in your price range.
Thankfully, there are a wide range of options to choose from that will fit most budgets. Whether you’re looking for cheap leather motorcycle gloves or something more expensive, you’re bound to find something in your price range.
Some people like to start by deciding which factors are the most important when it comes to hand protection. Don’t forget to look at reviews to see what other people have to say about the overall value and features of anything you’re interested in buying.
Types of Leather Motorcycle Gloves
There are three different types of leather motorcycle gloves available to choose from. These would be armored gloves, short cuff gloves, and gauntlet gloves.
Here’s a quick look at each type and what makes them unique.
Armored Gloves
For the best safety when you’re out riding, you want armored leather motorcycle gloves. These come with knuckle protectors as well as palm sliders.
Having these features offers extra protection for your hands if you happen to get involved in a crash or accident. Without these safety features, you’re putting your hands at risk in a worst case scenario situation.
We would always recommend going with armored gloves as a first choice, especially if safety is your concern.
Short Cuff Leather Gloves
For warm weather riding, it’s a good idea to go with short cuff leather gloves.Â
These are ideal for the late spring, summer, and early fall when it’s still warm.
The benefit of these is that they are naturally breathable, offering ample ventilation for your hands, while providing some decent protection.
These also look pretty cool and are easy to take on and off because of the short cuff design.
Gauntlet Gloves
Gauntlet leather gloves for motorcycle riding are better suited for colder temperatures.
These will extend a couple of inches over your wrist and offer more coverage, wind protection, and overall safety.
The benefit of these is that they will prevent cold air and wind from blowing up your jacket or making your hands cold.
How Much do Leather Motorcycle Gloves Cost? Leather Glove Pricing
There is a wide range of pricing available for all different kinds of leather motorcycle gloves.
In our experience, you should be able to find a quality pair for between $50 and $150.
Of course, this depends on the features you want, the brand, the type you’re buying, and whether or not they offer any additional protection.
Helpful Tips
- Leather gloves can be used to keep your hands warm and dry. Along with a quality set of heated grips, they keep your hands out of the harsh weather elements and make it more comfortable for riding in various weather conditions.
- Depending on when you’re riding, you’ll need to choose between both summer or winter motorcycle gloves. Each offers their own benefit for the particular riding season. Don’t forget a winter motorcycle jacket if you’ll be riding during cold weather.
- Double check the product page for the particular sizing recommendations. It’s a good idea to measure your hands before ordering a pair of gloves to make sure they fit. You don’t want them to be too tight or too loose, they should comfortably grip your hand and allow you to fully control the motorcycle.
- Make an effort to regularly clean your gloves. This will help them preserve their shape and they will last longer with regular use. Use lukewarm water for cleaning leather and never put them in the washing machine.
FAQ
Do Leather Motorcycle Gloves Stretch?
Yes, most motorcycle gloves made from leather will stretch once you start wearing them more often. Real leather will only stretch slightly as it conforms to the shape of your hand.
Should you need to stretch the gloves, let them soak in lukewarm water and then dry them while they’re on your hands. This should help get them to the perfect size so that they’re not too tight or loose.
How Should Leather Gloves Fit?
As we just mentioned, the gloves shouldn’t be too tight or too loose. They should fit snugly on your hand and shouldn’t restrict any of your movements.
It’s important that they aren’t tight around the wrist or knuckles. You should be able to freely move your hands and fingers without feeling restricted or having them slip off.
Can You Shrink Leather Gloves?
Yes, it’s easy to shrink them using warm water. Place the gloves in a bowl of warm water for about 5 to 10 minutes.
After they are thoroughly soaked, remove them and let them dry on a flat surface overnight. The next day they should be slightly smaller and may offer a better fit.
Are Leather Gloves Good for Riding?
Yes, another gloves are definitely a great choice when you’re riding your motorcycle. They’re comfortable to wear (like a leather motorcycle vest), they offer ample protection, and they keep your hands warm during cooler riding weather.
If you’re in the market for a quality pair of gloves, going with a set of leather motorcycle gloves is always a good idea.
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