British summertime may not be renowned for its long-lasting nature but, when those sunshine-hued days do hit, you'll almost certainly want to spend them on the road.
Summer rides offer a lot more freedom than winter exploits but you'll want to ensure you've got the right gear to keep you safe and protected before you head out on your next adventure. And a key piece of gear you'll need to bring along? Motorcycle gloves.
Gloves are not only essential for your safety, but also for your comfort and performance. Choosing the right pair of motorcycle gloves depends on several factors including your riding style, your bike type and, of course, your personal preference.
The main things you'll want to pay attention to is the level of protection of your gloves, their ventilating abilities, their grip and their flexibility. Summer days can get very hot - especially in recent years - so you need gloves that can help keep your hands dry and cool. Look for gloves with mesh or textile panels, perforations or vents that allow the air to flow through them. Avoid gloves that are too thick or heavy - you don't want sweaty hands when you're on the road for a long time.
But just because it’s hot, it doesn’t mean that you can wear gloves with less protection. You'll still need gloves that provide padding for your hands against abrasion, impact and cuts in case of a crash. This means looking for gloves that have features like knuckle armour, finger guards, palm sliders or reinforced stitching.
Leather is a popular choice for motorcycle gloves, thanks to its high abrasion resistance and good grip. But textile gloves can also have leather inserts or synthetic materials that can provide similar protection for a lower price point.
We've rounded up all of the best motorcycle gloves for summer.
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Goldtop Mens Silk & Unlined Predator CE APPROVED Leather Motorcycle Gloves
Widely considered a top choice for lengthy rides in warmer weather, these Goldtop motorcycle gloves come in a huge range of colours to match whatever the shade of your jacket or combination suit that you’re feeling each time you venture out onto the road.
While they’re made from a supple, thin fabric, they havae a double skinned palm with a Knox Microlock impact-resistant protective pad on the lower palm. The gloves are also secured in place by a ribbed velcro strap to help reduce the chance of them coming off during an accident.
Buy now £74.99, Amazon
Tucano Urbano Men's Mrk2 Gloves
These Tucano Urbano gloves are touchscreen compatible, which means there’s no need to pull them off each time you need adjust your navigation or use your phone. With a universal fit and the combination of a synthetic suede with mesh inserts fabric designed with the warmer weather in mind, they bring together everything you need for a summer ride without getting quite so uncomfortably hot.
Buy now £54.79, Amazon
Cofit Breathable Mesh Motorcycle Gloves
Maybe you’re looking for something a little more vibrant on the open road than the standard black gloves that everyone else seems to wear. If that’s the case, stock yourself up with a pair of these bright orange Cofit ones.
Designed to keep you protected at all times, these carbon fibre motorcycle gloves come kitted out with hard shell shielding on the back palm, which offers better protection to your knuckles from shock and impact. Not a fan of orange? You’ll find them in a range of other bright shades too.
Buy now £15.99, Amazon
Knox Orsa or3 mk3 textile gloves
If you’re already a fan of the renowned Orsa Textile, you’ll love these new and improved Knox Orsa Textile MK3 gloves. Made from perforated textile and leather with short-cuffs, a Honeycomb Gel knuckle guard and the Knox Scaphoid Protection System to reduce wear and tear and minimise the chance of hyper-extension, they bring together all of the key features to keep your hands protected at all times.
Orsa textile gloves are touch-screen enabled and the finger ends have a seamless finger wrap for extra comfort. They also feature a Boa closure system, which is so effective that it eliminates the need for a Velcro strap on the wrist offering a dialled-in, precision fit.
Buy now £99.00, Demon Tweeks
Oxford Brisbane Air Men's Short Summer Glove
These budget-friendly motorcycle gloves won’t set you back a fortune but still promise to keep you safe on the road. The Oxford Brisbane Air Men’s Short Summer Glove is a fully protective summer riding glove with a floating knuckle construction so your hand can articulate freely when riding.
Designed with Amara overlay and full leather palm for protection, they’re ventilated to keep you cool in warm weather and come with a few reflective elements for extra safety measurements.
Buy now £29.49, Amazon
Belstaff Clinch gloves
Some motorcycle gloves may tick all the boxes when it comes to safety but fall a little short when it comes to comfort. These Belstaff Clinch gloves ensure both sides of the coin are equally satisfied, with a softer design that places an emphasis on skin-feel even on the very longest of rides.
They feature leather-covered flexible knuckle protectors, a padded heel and side of hand for protection, touch sensitive leather at the index fingers to keep them touch phone friendly and a waterproof coating for rainy days.
Buy now £110.00, Belstaff
Armure Kerr vented black / grey gloves
The blend of leather and polyester mesh in these motorcycle gloves ensures they’re comfortable without being restrictive. The Armure Kerr gloves are another budget-friendly pair of motorcycle gloves that you’ll love most during the spring and summer months.
Their strategically placed reinforcements and padding offer greater durability, even if you’re a little rough with your hands, and the TPU protections on the knuckles offer excellent protection against impact.
Buy now £30.50, Motocard
Klim Dakar Textile Gloves - Redrock
These Klim Dakar Textile Gloves are renowned for their excellent grip and durability, as well as for trail rides and those going off-road. But even if most of your motorcycle journeys are spent on the M1, you’ll still appreciate the winning features from these vibrant gloves.
The Dakar offers excellent mobility and durability making them ideal for a range of conditions. Ready and rearing to go for the summer months, they feature a breathable stretch corded nylon backhand construction and come paired with synthetic AX suede palm and finger panels for durability and a neoprene comfort cuff.
Buy now £40.99, TradeInn
Alpinestars Stella SMX-1 Air V2 Motorcycle Gloves
The Alpinestars Stella SMX-1 Air V2 Motorcycle Gloves were designed with women in mind, which means if you struggle to buy motorcycle gloves that fit your hands and wrists correctly, these might just be the pair to go for.
With their leather construction and lighter design, they’re perfect for summer rides when thicker gloves would quickly begin to feel uncomfortable. Keep in mind they do come up a little smaller than usual, so size up if you’re between sizes.
Buy now £66.19, Amazon
Rukka Forsair 2.0 gloves
The Rukka Forsair 2 are mesh touring gloves, made from elastic and breathable fabrics, making them perfect for summer riding. Made from elastic Cordura fabric, these mesh motorcycle gloves are breathable, encouraging hot air to leave and cool air to circulate to keep your hands comfortable all ride long.
The palm and fingertips are lined with faux leather for increased durability and a digital print for grip. They’re also armed with a hard knuckle shield and TPU finger inserts for impact absorption, as well as a scaphoid slider to prevent drag in an accident.
Buy now £70.46, InfinityMotorcycles
Verdict
With an impressive range of safety features - as well as colours and sizes - the Goldtop Mens Silk & Unlined Predator CE APPROVED Leather Motorcycle Gloves take the top slot for our favourite motorcycle gloves for summer rides.
