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You know the weather is bad when you find yourself sitting on a 160-horsepower motorcycle wishing you could trade places with someone in the backseat of a Toyota Prius.
But hey, we wish for strange things when our hands are wet and clammy. If you’ve been experiencing Prius envy yourself, chances are your adventure motorcycle gloves are in need of an upgrade.
"The RIDE team being goofs while scouting routes on our Pacific Coast Highway route"
Finding the right gloves is tough. For the true 70/30 dirt/off-road riding we do on tours like our Pacific Coast Highway + Adventure RIDE, you want the lightest, most breathable gloves possible, but you also want to be protected out on the pavement.
...And no sooner have you found the perfect warm-weather glove than temps start to drop, and the importance of both insulation and waterproofing becomes painfully obvious.
If you’ve read our ultimate all-weather adventure gear article, you’ll know we recommend packing at least two pairs of gloves for any serious trip for this very reason.
"Eric enjoying some peak summer weather is short summer ADV gloves."
One pair for clear, sunny days, and another for the cold, wet, and miserable ones. Here at RIDE, we've tested just about every adventure motorcycle glove currently on the market, and we've done it in every sort of weather known to man.
Here are our favorite options of the year for good and bad weather alike.
Quick List of Adventure Gloves:
| Gloves: | Summary: | Price |
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Rev'It Sand 5
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Great protection in a flexible, breathable package. | CHECK PRICE |
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Alpinestars SMX-1 Air V2
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A mesh heavy street glove that happens to work great in the dirt. | CHECK PRICE |
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Klim Badlands Aero Pro
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A full leather short cuff glove that lacks nothing in protection or performance. | CHECK PRICE |
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Klim Baja S4
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A laser-focused hot weather glove that's ideal for dual-sport but still works on the street. | CHECK PRICE |
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Klim Badlands GTX
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A flagship winter gauntlet with premium leather, insulation, and protection. | CHECK PRICE |
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Klim Vanguard GTX Long
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A budget-friendly alternative to the Badlands that still packs a ton of tech. | CHECK PRICE |
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Alpinestars Apex Drystar V2
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High-quality warmth, waterproofing, and protection for around $100. | CHECK PRICE |
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Rev'it Taurus GTX 2
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Insanely premium glove with a GoreTex-backed fur lining. | CHECK PRICE |
Our Favorite Warm-Weather Adventure Motorcycle Gloves
Here's our list of the best gloves for warm weather brought to you by the outrageously well-traveled crew here at RIDE Adventures.
1. REV'IT! Sand 5 Gloves
If you ask most riders to describe the ideal warm-weather adventure glove, chances are they'll describe the Rev'it Sand 5 regardless of whether or not they've actually worn them. Light, breathable, good-looking, and still fully protective.
Our single favorite aspect of the Sand 5 is the beefy knuckle protector. Rev'it designed these big chunks of TPR to be as flexible as possible, and as a result, there's no discomfort whatsoever over the course of a long day's ride.
"We probably see the Sand 5 more than any other glove during our summer ADV training sessions.
They also left the knuckles fully ventilated, so although teh TPR takes up a chunk of real estate on the back of the hand, the Sand 5 still feels like an entirely mesh glove.
The light and stretchy fabric around the wrist doesn't hurt either.
Rev'it also knocks the goatskin leather parts of the glove out of the park. There's a ton of leather protection everywhere you want it, and the fingers sport boxed seams to eliminate any potential hotspots.
As for drawbacks, the main one is price, as $130 for a summer glove is a bit steep.
We'll also note that while the mid-cuff design is comfortable, some folks on our team refuse to wear anything but a short cuff glove in the summer months.
PROS |
CONS |
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CHECK PRICE:
Rev'it Sand 5 Gloves
REVZILLA | AMAZON
2. Alpinestars SMX-1 Air V2
Summer gloves don't need to be expensive, and the folks at Alpinestars have always understood that better than most.
This year we've been wearing their latest SMX-1 Air V2 all over the world, and they make an outstanding adventure glove.
"The SMX-1 Air V2 gloves have been a godsend on warmer trips like this Vietnam tour earlier in the year."
We dig the Air V2 because they hit the sweet spot between protection and comfort. There's enough mesh and perforated leather up top to keep you sweat-free, but underneath AStars stuck with a tried-and-true full leather palm.
The carbon fiber knuckles are designed for street use, but we've found they also work great at protecting you from branches when you're riding in the woods.
We're also happy to report that the touchscreen fingertips work great with our phones/GPS.
The only real downside we've found over the last several months is that the leather dye will stain your hands if you get caught in the rain. That's a small price to pay for an otherwise excellent glove that retails for all of $80.
PROS |
CONS |
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CHECK PRICE:
Alpinestars SMX-1 Air V2 Gloves
AMAZON | REVZILLA
3. Klim Badlands Aero Pro
Klim's Badlands Aero Pro might be the most versatile and balanced summer adventure motorcycle glove money can buy. It ain't cheap, but after a few rides with the Badlands, you'll know where your money went.
"Garrett has nothing but good things to say about the Aero Pro after a recent summer tour of Nepal."
Durability is paramount at this price, and the Aero Pro has it in spades thanks to its full goatskin chassis.
Klim summer-proofed the Aero Pro by adding a ton of perforation to all that leather, which proved more than sufficient this summer in Vietnam.
"Garrett also tested these out in Vietnam's blistering heat"
These gloves continue to earn their keep with some of the most advanced safety features on the market. Superfabric sliders, carbon knuckle guards, XRD foam backing: you name it, Klim built it into the Aero Pro.
Again, this is an expensive glove, but we have zero buyer's remorse to report. The Aero Pro is built to last for years and years of riding, and works well from early spring well into the fall riding season.
PROS |
CONS |
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CHECK PRICE:
Klim Badlands Aero Pro
AMAZON | REVZILLA
4. Klim Baja S4
True to its namesake, Klim's Baja S4 is the most popular glove we see on our tours down into Baja California. It's light and breathable like a pure dirt glove, but packs enough protection for highway travel as well.
That protection comes courtesy of ventilated knuckle and finger protectors up top, and then a full goat leather palm underneath. The result is about as minimalist an adventure glove as you could ask for without taking any unneccesary chances on the street.
If there's a lot of desert in the itinerary, this is the one we reach for. The Baja S4's fabric top wicks sweat with the best of them, while perforations in the palm and fingers keep moisture to a minimum at the controls.
Our only real gripe with the S4 has been that the seams along the inside of the thumb are a bit uncomfortable during the break-in period, but once the leather molds to your hand, the hot spots disappear.
PROS |
CONS |
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CHECK PRICE:
Klim Baja S4
AMAZON | REVZILLA
Our Favorite Fall/Winter Adventure Motorcycle Gloves
Now for the cold-weather gloves that have been tested everywhere from our headquarters in the Pacific Northwest to our tours in Patagonia.
5. Klim Badlands GTX
If you want the best adventure motorcycle glove on the market, there’s really no contest. The Klim Badlands GTX is the safest, most weatherproof, comfortable, four-season glove currently available.
Weather-wise the Klim Badlands GTX only uses the best of the best for protection. Not only do the Badlands have a Gore-Tex liner, but they also feature Gore Grip technology.
"Enjoying a cold-weather ride through Oregon in late November with the Badlands GTX."
If you’re not familiar with Gore Grip, it’s an outer laminated coating that improves grip in wet conditions by preventing materials from becoming saturated in heavy rain. So your hands stay dry and stay put. Win-win.
The Klim Badlands GTX adventure motorcycle gloves also feature 60 grams of Thinsulate insulation on the backhand to help trap heat. The palm is left uninsulated though, which we've found to be ideal when using heated grips.
On the safety side, it’s the same story. Premium leather everywhere, including a second layer on key areas of the palm. Ceramic reinforced fabric covers thick Poron XRD impact protection on the knuckles, fingers, and palm slide zone.
If you’re shopping for adventure motorcycle gloves, we really can’t say enough about the Klim Badlands GTX. We’ve logged thousands of miles on these bad boys in every climate and terrain imaginable without a single issue or failure.
PROS |
CONS |
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CHECK PRICE:
Klim Badlands GTX
AMAZON | REVZILLA
6. Klim Vanguard GTX Long
If the Klim Badlands GTX are a little rich for your blood, think of the Klim Vanguard GTX Long as the “Badlands Light.”
No, they’re not as feature-rich or bulletproof as the Badlands, but the Klim Vanguard is still a ton of glove at an attractive price point, and one of the least expensive cold-weather gloves money can buy with a real Gore-Tex liner.
If you’ve seen our video on the ultimate adventure gear setup, you know we’re a fan of the under-the-cuff approach to keeping rain locked out. So naturally, the Klim Vanguard GTX gloves get high marks from us for their low-profile gauntlet design.
Klim also manages to fit in a surprising amount of high-quality goatskin leather all across the palm, over the knuckles, and on the more slide-prone parts of the fingers.
Safety-wise, the Klim Vanguard gets trickle-down safety tech in the form of Poron XRD impact protection in both the knuckles and palm, which is some of the best in the business. The knuckles are also reinforced with a structured rubber-over-foam design.
And because no winter glove is complete without insulation, Klim included the same 60G Thinsulate liner from the Badlands Pro in this affordable package, so it’s truly prepared for epic trips like our Patagonia Experience tour.
PROS |
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CHECK PRICE:
Klim Vanguard GTX LongAMAZON | REVZILLA
7. Alpinestars Apex Drystar
The Alpinestars Apex Drystar v2 glove is an inexpensive option from a brand we trust that gets the job done.
Obviously, at this price a name-brand Gore-Tex liner is out of the question, but Alpinestars’ proprietary Drystar liner is one of the best alternatives in the business.
Alpinestars also does a good job of adding as many valuable safety features as possible on a shoestring budget. For instance, they use premium goatskin leather across the palm that wraps up and over each of the four fingers.
Impact protection comes courtesy of EPA foam and a hard slider in the hand, while a hard knuckle protector keeps you covered up top. AStars even carried over their finger bridge tech from GP racing to protect the outer fingers from hyperextension.
I remember in my early twenties, my only mode of transportation for nine months was a KLR650. Unfortunately, those nine months included most of fall and all of winter.
I spent a lot of time scraping frost off the seat before tackling my 30-mile highway commute.
Armed with two pairs of pants, as many layers as I could cram under my ski jacket, and my Alpinestars Drystar winter gloves, I managed to make it through the entire winter with all my fingers. For $100 glove, these things are faultless.
PROS |
CONS |
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CHECK PRICE:
Alpinestars Apex V2 DrystarAMAZON | REVZILLA
8. REV’IT! Taurus GTX 2
We'll go ahead and get the bad part out of the way first: this is a $370 pair of gloves, and no, they aren't heated. Seems unforgivably expensive considering the price of the Badlands GTX, but the Rev'it Taurus GTX 2 deserves a mention all the same.
That's because these are hands down the most premium winter adventure motorcycle gloves money can buy. They've got a faux fur liner for crying out loud.
Outside, the Taurus 2 GTX is made from a combination of water-resistant goatskin leather and ripstop fabric with a 3L hydratex waterproof laminate. All that is backed by a GoreTex membrane, and then insulated with 200G of Primaloft Gold.
Safety-wise, you're getting flexible SeeSoft impact protection in all the right places, plus TPR across the fingers and additional hard shell sliders on the knuckles and palm. The Taurus 2 is insanely expensive, but it's got you covered in the coldest conditions.
PROS |
CONS |
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CHECK PRICE:
REV'IT Taurus GTX
REVZILLA | AMAZON
Final Thoughts On Adventure Motorcycle Gloves
Adventuring riders wear several hats. Or helmets. Whatever.
We’re explorers, tourists, trailblazers, campers, sight-see-ers, you name it. And we do it all in the open air, exposed to the elements.
"Eric taking the gloves off for a break in Torres Del Paine National Park in Patagonia"
We’re people who can do it all, riding machines that can do it all, and we need gear that can do it all as well.
Ultimately, choosing adventure motorcycle gloves is all about finding the ones that will take you the farthest down that long road to nowhere, and see you come out safely on the other end.
Gloves like these are an investment that you’ll recoup time and time again out on the road. I don’t know about you, but sweaty hands never came between me and a good time on two wheels.
I can’t say the same for frozen fingers so... If you can only afford one premium adventure glove, I’d splurge on the winter option.
