Apex & Armor

Best Motorcycle Gloves

The gauntlet, sport and value gloves worth buying — compared on knuckle protection, abrasion material and cuff length, from a CE-certified leather gauntlet to a budget summer pair.

By Stephen V.Last updated How we research

Your hands hit the ground first in almost every fall, which is why gloves are the one piece of gear no rider should skip — and why the gap between a real glove and a fashion pair matters so much. The things that protect you are simple: an abrasion-resistant palm and back (leather is the benchmark), a hard knuckle protector, and a cuff that stays on your hand in a slide. A gauntlet cuff seals under your jacket sleeve and gives the most coverage; a short cuff is cooler and easier at stops but overlaps less. The best glove is the one whose protection matches how and when you ride.

The picks below run from a CE-certified leather gauntlet you can wear three seasons down to a sub-$20 vented summer glove. We’ve been honest about the tradeoffs: the Alpinestars pairs are CE-certified with hard or carbon knuckles, the value leather glove gives up the gauntlet for price, the mesh glove trades abrasion coverage for airflow, and the budget pair has knuckle armor but limited abrasion material. Match the glove to your riding, and for the full head-to-toe kit see our beginner gear guide. We ranked on protection first, then airflow, comfort and value.

How this is funded:we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which gear we recommend, and we’ll tell you plainly when to skip a pick. Full disclosure.

Quick picks

Ranked on certification, spec and buyer fit. Select a row to jump to the full write-up. We haven’t crash-tested this gear — here is exactly what we do instead.

#GearBest forPrice
1
Alpinestars SP-8 V3

Alpinestars SP-8 V3

The best all-around leather gauntlet here: a full-gauntlet cuff, a hard knuckle, and CE certification, with enough airflow to run three seasons. The default do-everything sport-touring glove.

Best overall gauntlet
$124.95 · View on Amazon

Price as of July 21, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

2
Alpinestars SMX-2 Air Carbon V2

Alpinestars SMX-2 Air Carbon V2

A short-cuff summer sport glove with a carbon knuckle and lots of airflow. CE-certified protection in a glove light and vented enough to wear when it's genuinely hot.

Best summer sport
$109.95 · View on Amazon

Price as of July 21, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

3
Joe Rocket GPX 2.0 Leather

Joe Rocket GPX 2.0 Leather

A goatskin-leather glove with a hard knuckle at a genuinely low price — real abrasion resistance for riders who don't want to spend gauntlet money. The value leather short-cuff.

Best value leather
$42.18 · View on Amazon

Price as of July 21, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

4
Fly Racing CoolPro Mesh

Fly Racing CoolPro Mesh

A mesh summer glove built for airflow first, with knuckle armor and touchscreen fingers, at a value price. The one to reach for when it's too hot for leather.

Best mesh
$53.61 · View on Amazon

Price as of July 21, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

5
Kemimoto Summer Touchscreen Gloves

Kemimoto Summer Touchscreen Gloves

A sub-$20 vented glove with hard knuckle protection and touchscreen fingers. It won't out-protect a leather glove, but it's a real armored summer glove for spare-change money.

Best budget
$14.99 · View on Amazon

$17.4914% off

Price as of July 21, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

The picks in full

#1Best overall gauntlet

Alpinestars SP-8 V3

The best all-around leather gauntlet here: a full-gauntlet cuff, a hard knuckle, and CE certification, with enough airflow to run three seasons. The default do-everything sport-touring glove.

Strengths

  • CE-certified full-grain leather with a hard knuckle protector
  • Full-gauntlet cuff seals under a jacket sleeve
  • Touchscreen fingertip and a secure dual closure

Trade-offs

  • Gauntlet cut is warm at the height of summer
  • Stiff out of the box — needs a break-in period
Safety standardCheck current listing
ConstructionFull-grain leather, hard knuckle
Key featureCE-certified gauntlet, hard knuckle
Fit / sizingTrue to size; snug when new
Best forRiders who want one CE gauntlet glove for most of the year

Specs and certification read from the manufacturer and retailer listing, on July 21, 2026. “Check current listing” means the maker doesn’t publish that figure — we won’t guess it.

#2Best summer sport

Alpinestars SMX-2 Air Carbon V2

A short-cuff summer sport glove with a carbon knuckle and lots of airflow. CE-certified protection in a glove light and vented enough to wear when it's genuinely hot.

Strengths

  • CE-certified with a carbon-fiber knuckle protector
  • Vented construction that flows air in summer heat
  • Short cuff is easy on and off at stops

Trade-offs

  • Short cuff doesn't seal under a jacket like a gauntlet
  • Less coverage than a full-gauntlet glove in a slide
Safety standardCheck current listing
ConstructionLeather/textile, carbon knuckle
Key featureCE-certified, vented, carbon knuckle
Fit / sizingTrue to size; snug sport fit
Best forHot-weather sport riders who want airflow with a hard knuckle

Specs and certification read from the manufacturer and retailer listing, on July 21, 2026. “Check current listing” means the maker doesn’t publish that figure — we won’t guess it.

#3Best value leather

Joe Rocket GPX 2.0 Leather

A goatskin-leather glove with a hard knuckle at a genuinely low price — real abrasion resistance for riders who don't want to spend gauntlet money. The value leather short-cuff.

Strengths

  • Goatskin leather palm and back for abrasion resistance
  • Hard knuckle protector
  • Low price for a real leather glove

Trade-offs

  • Short cuff and basic wrist closure
  • Warmer than a mesh glove in peak summer
Safety standardCheck current listing
ConstructionGoatskin leather, hard knuckle
Key featureLeather short-cuff, hard knuckle
Fit / sizingTrue to size
Best forValue buyers who want leather over mesh without spending much

Specs and certification read from the manufacturer and retailer listing, on July 21, 2026. “Check current listing” means the maker doesn’t publish that figure — we won’t guess it.

#4Best mesh

Fly Racing CoolPro Mesh

A mesh summer glove built for airflow first, with knuckle armor and touchscreen fingers, at a value price. The one to reach for when it's too hot for leather.

Strengths

  • Mesh back flows a lot of air in extreme heat
  • Knuckle protection and a touchscreen fingertip
  • Comfortable value price

Trade-offs

  • Mesh trades abrasion coverage for airflow
  • Short cuff, minimal wind protection
Safety standardCheck current listing
ConstructionMesh with knuckle armor
Key featureMesh summer glove, knuckle armor
Fit / sizingTrue to size
Best forRiders who want maximum airflow on the hottest days

Specs and certification read from the manufacturer and retailer listing, on July 21, 2026. “Check current listing” means the maker doesn’t publish that figure — we won’t guess it.

#5Best budget

Kemimoto Summer Touchscreen Gloves

A sub-$20 vented glove with hard knuckle protection and touchscreen fingers. It won't out-protect a leather glove, but it's a real armored summer glove for spare-change money.

Strengths

  • Hard knuckle protection and palm padding
  • Breathable, touchscreen-compatible
  • Extremely cheap

Trade-offs

  • Budget materials — abrasion coverage is limited
  • Fit and durability are entry-level
Safety standardCheck current listing
ConstructionTextile/synthetic, hard knuckle
Key featureVented, knuckle armor, touchscreen
Fit / sizingRuns small; size up
Best forThe tightest budget or a backup pair

Specs and certification read from the manufacturer and retailer listing, on July 21, 2026. “Check current listing” means the maker doesn’t publish that figure — we won’t guess it.

How to choose motorcycle gloves

Prioritize protection, then cuff, then climate.For protection, look for an abrasion-resistant palm and back — full-grain or goatskin leather is the benchmark, mesh flows more air but covers less — plus a hard knuckle protector and reinforcement on the palm heel, the part that scrapes first. Where a maker publishes a CE rating (the EN 13594 glove standard), that’s a real signal the glove was tested; where they don’t, judge by the materials and construction rather than the marketing.

Gauntlet or short cuff?

The cuff decides coverage. A gauntletextends over your jacket sleeve and seals out wind and debris, giving the most protection and the best cold-weather sealing — the choice for touring and cooler rides. A short cuffsits at the wrist: cooler, quicker on and off, and less bulky, but it overlaps your sleeve less and exposes the wrist in a long slide. Neither is wrong; match it to your riding. Then let climate break the tie — leather gauntlets for three-season use, vented or mesh short-cuff gloves for peak summer heat, and a dedicated winter glovewhen it turns cold. Whatever you pick, fit it snug with no loose fingertips, because a glove that spins on your hand can’t protect it.

How to read our safety notes. We have not crash-tested any of this gear — nobody honestly can on a review budget. Every helmet and armor pick names the certification the maker publishes (DOT, ECE 22.06, SNELL, or a CE level), which we read from the listing on a dated visit. Certification is the floor, not a guarantee; fit and condition matter as much as the sticker. What the standards actually mean.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need motorcycle-specific gloves?

Yes. Your hands instinctively go out first in a fall, and ordinary gloves tear through on contact with the road. Motorcycle gloves add an abrasion-resistant palm and back, a hard knuckle protector, and reinforcement at the palm heel, plus a secure closure so they stay on. Even an inexpensive armored glove is a large step up from bare hands or work gloves.

Are gauntlet gloves better than short-cuff gloves?

They offer more coverage. A gauntlet extends over your jacket sleeve and seals out wind and debris, which is why it's preferred for touring and cold weather. A short cuff is cooler, less bulky and quicker to pull on and off, but overlaps your sleeve less and leaves more wrist exposed in a slide. Pick the cuff for your climate and riding style rather than assuming one is universally best.

What does CE certification mean on gloves?

Motorcycle gloves are tested to the European EN 13594 standard, which measures abrasion resistance, seam strength and impact protection and rates gloves Level 1 or the tougher Level 2. Where a maker publishes a CE rating, as Alpinestars does for the SP-8 and SMX-2 Air here, it's a real signal the glove was independently tested. Where no rating is published, judge by materials and construction.

Can one pair of gloves cover the whole year?

Not comfortably. A leather gauntlet like the SP-8 handles three seasons well, but it's too warm for peak summer and not waterproof or insulated enough for winter. Most riders end up with at least a vented summer pair and a waterproof winter pair. If you buy one, a three-season leather gauntlet is the most versatile starting point — see our summer and winter guides for the extremes.

Sources

Keep reading