How and Where To Buy Motorcycle Gloves.

First, I will not harp on wearing gloves while riding a motorcycle. I strongly believe in All The Gear, All The Time (ATGATT), and motorcycle gloves are part of your gear. But initially, as a new rider I wasn’t sure how or where to buy motorcycle gloves.

Now that I’ve been riding for a couple of years, I want to go over some motorcycle glove buying tips and lightly on breaking in your new gloves.

All of this is based on my riding experiences as a new motorcycle rider, and if you have any information you would like to share, please comment. I appreciate your insight.

Where To Buy Motorcycle Gloves, Quick & Cheap?

I’ve seen motorcycle gloves sold in specialty stores, like Cycle Gear and the online store: CycleGear.com, as well as general shopping stores like Walmart and also their online store: Walmart.com.

Author’s Notice: This page contains affiliate links, for which I may earn a commission by their use. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases.

So it’s clear access to motorcycle gloves is fine for most of us. Even Amazon.com has motorcycle gloves available(Best Motorcycle Gloves). Still, unlike Cycle Gear and Walmart, I like the ability to try on the gloves before buying them.  

Stop by a Cycle Gear near you(Cycle Gear Store Near Me Rocks!) or a Walmart and check out the selection.

How Much Are Good Motorcycle Gloves?

My first motorcycle gloves were basic leather gloves I bought just for the motorcycle safety course (Beginner Motorcycle Protective Gear ). To me, they looked like solid work gloves with extra stitching.

Being a simple motorcycle glove with no armor, I picked them up for about $20 on a discount.

This sale gave me a false premise: all good motorcycle gloves are cheap. These were, and being simple, these motorcycle gloves were perfect for a motorcycle safety class‘s slow-speed closed riding course.  

However, I wanted to upgrade, and upgrade I did.

I picked up ventilated, leather, and mesh composite motorcycle gloves with knuckle armor.

I learned that when shopping for good quality motorcycle gloves, I need to be ready to pay about $100 based on the glove’s features. Metal armor inserts, heating elements, or even high-tech synthetics like Kevlar will add to the cost.

But again, about $50-$100 is a good ballpark price for good-quality motorcycle gloves.

What To Look For When Buying Motorcycle Gloves?

Going to keep this simple, but when you are looking to buy motorcycle gloves, the first thing I would look at is fit and feel.

Motorcycle gloves should be comfortable. Not too tight or loose, no pinching, and flexible enough to operate the motorcycle’s controls.

Since most of the time, while riding, your hands will be gripping the handlebars, the fingers and palms of the gloves should be curved.  

If the glove is flat, like with regular work gloves, you are fighting against the glove’s desire to be flat to hold the grips. This can lead to hand fatigue and not establishing good bike control.

The second thing I would look at is what you expect from a good pair of motorcycle gloves, protection.

Now the gauntlets of a full suit of armor protect but aren’t suitable for riding motorcycles, so when I say hand protection, I mean for riding our bikes.

The material should be strong since it acts as a protective layer of artifice skin to protect our real skin. So quality leather or quality synthetics are the choices I am looking for.

In cooler months, leather can not only protect your skin from abrasions but also from the weather.  

I picked synthetic materials in warmer months since they can be fabricated into free-flowing mesh material. They were allowing cool air to keep your hands cool while riding.

Quick recap, fit and feel are a top priority since if you aren’t going to wear gloves, they do not protect you at all. Second, I pick protection; now that I feel like I’m going to wear the gloves, I want them to protect my hands while riding.

Should Riding Gloves Be Tight Or Loose?

Motorcycle gloves should fit well ‘like a glove.’ 

Motorcycle gloves that are too tight will prevent the safe operation of your bike and might lead to muscle fatigue while riding.  

Being able to move your fingers without constriction is important for both safety and comfort.

So, Should Motorcycle Gloves Be Loose?

No. Again, the motorcycle gloves should be ‘snug’ without being constrictive. 

Loose gloves will bunch material under the fingers while holding the grips on the motorcycle handlebar. They might interfere with the ‘feel’ of the bike.

The ‘feel’ is a part of riding a motorcycle and is a feedback system for safely operating the bike. If this feedback is interfered with by oversized loose gloves, undesirable results might occur.

So again, fit ‘like a glove,’ not too tight or loose, snug enough to ride the motorcycle safely.

Do Leather Motorcycle Gloves Stretch?

Now stretching leather was a concern with buying the right size leather riding gloves. The concern is that the right size in leather gloves today might feel ‘off’ as you break them in.

Leather haves like a ‘living’ material; it stretches and shrinks based on its use.  

In my experience, around areas where I move a lot, finger joints and wrist, the leather softened and felt looser/flexible.  

In areas where I don’t move as much, the leather felt stiffer/tighter. Tighter without being inflexible.

So with time, gloves wear as you use them, and the gloves should contour to your hands and how you ride.

How Do You Break In Leather Motorcycle Gloves?

I remember working a new baseball mitt; we all had our secrets.

Massaging shaving cream into the mitt’s leather. Placing a baseball in the center and wrapping the leather with rope to shape the pocket. Etc.

There are many tips for breaking in leather motorcycle gloves on the web, but I broke mine in; I wore them.

When I bought my first pair of leather motorcycle gloves, I wore the gloves around the house. It was weird, but it made the gloves more flexible where I needed them, and I got used to how they felt.

So for me, the Keep It Simple, “Silly” (K.I.S.S.) method worked best. Plus, part of the breaking-in period was going out for a ride. And whenever I can find a reason to ride my motorcycle, I do.

How Long Do Motorcycle Gloves Last?

Now after you take the time to pick out the right motorcycle gloves and break them in, you should plan for how long you can enjoy them.

I’m in my third year of riding, and I have motorcycle gloves that have lasted the whole time, but I’m told motorcycle gloves have about a two-year life expectancy.

They are working items on the bike and wear out. The leather becomes too soft; sun exposure might dry out the leather, wind/rain age the leather, etc.

So, Two Years Is The Leather Glove Life Expectancy?

Afterward, I am concerned about how well the leather gloves might hold up for a serious spill. Motorcycle gloves might be cool, and part of your image, but those gloves’ ultimate service is protecting your hands.

Your motorcycle gloves have to survive the worse accident you can have because if they fail, your skin is the next barrier of protection.  

You might lose more than just skin, fingers, hands, etc.

So, anticipate replacing your motorcycle gloves every two years, depending on how often you ride and the quality of the gloves.  It seems easy to find leather riding gloves for men.

Motorcycle Gloves Last About Two Years, But You…?

If motorcycle gloves last about two years, why I’m in my third year?

I rotate my gloves. I have thin leather and mesh motorcycle gloves, and for the winter, I use insulated motorcycle gloves. So each set of gloves has yet to be exposed to the elements for two years.

With time, the leather gloves will wear out, even without wearing them. Leather dries out and soon cracks and tears. So be prepared to replace leather gloves even if you don’t wear them over time.

So, Which Brand Is Best For Riding Gloves?

I can recommend a brand, but truthfully, any quality motorcycle gloves that protect your hands from the worse spill you can have and you are comfortable enough that you wear those every time is a great glove.

Ride Safe, Ride Fun!