High Racer Gloves, by Racer $219.99
Summer is almost here. And you need to upgrade those tired, old, sad gloves that offer *hardly* any protection except being a piece of fabric on your hands.
These are my top picks for women's summer motorcycle gloves because they offer what I consider the minimum levels of protection to be (wrist coverage, palm sliders). Let's start with the top. I recommend anything that doesn't have insulation as a summer glove. My High Racer Gloves are my absolutely favorite for summer, even though they're not a "summer glove". They have standard perforations but nothing extra like mesh panels or extra perforations for the hottest temperatures. I personally like wearing a full glove in the summer because my hands are worth it to me. ALL the protection you want and more, for street and certainly track worthy. Watch my video review here and look for another follow up video after Spring.
Airstream 2, by Held $175.00
My next pick is the Airstream 2 by Held. I would say these are the *most* protective summer gloves on the market. Unfortunately they are not offered in a women's version (this is the only men's glove in my list, by the way). The Airstream 2's also have fully perforated kangaroo palms and a SuperFabric® palm slider.
They will vent more but also offer additional protection in the form of DuPont Kevlar® lining on the back of the hand, as well as a CoolMax membrane for more breathability and comfort in hot riding conditions. There's also ample wrist protection but they're also shorter on the inside of the wrist for comfort as well. The only downside is the smallest size is 7(small). But for women's hands, I'd say these fit more like a women's Medium. My hands measure 7.25" so I'd theoretically fit these gloves but the palms are still too baggy; so the width of my hand easily fits in the glove and then some. If you like a loose fitting glove then you'll size fine into the size chart. But I like my gloves tight, neat and no excess material in the palms. If you're a XS or have really small hands, then you'll fit into one of the options below.
SP Air, by Alpinestars $129.95
Another option for a full gauntlet is the SP Air. These actually have a split wrist hiding behind the flap. The wrist and top of the hand are lined with a softer material which I hope will make them feel more comfortable as you're sweating in them. You can also see the mesh panels on top of the hands, and the extra perforations all over the glove including the thumbs and palms. They're also touch friendly for those of you who enjoy navigating with your smart phones.
Palmside, SP Air
At $129 they offer the most protection at this pricepoint of any summer glove I've seen. :D
Chevron 2, by Rev'it $119.99
But if you're looking for a short cuffed summer glove instead of a full gauntlet, then consider the Chevron 2s. You still cover your wrist bone (that's a MUST) and it's fully perforated, along with the fingers and thumbs. But the cuffs are shorter than the Racers, Helds or Alpinestars above. These offer palm protection in the from of Seesoft foam and a SuperFabric® palm slider. Keep in mind that Rev'it tends to run narrower in the palms and slightly longer in the fingers. And for those of you with tiny hands, these are also offered in XS!
SPX Air, by Alpinestars $99.95
Another one of my favorites is the SPX Air which offer a lot of protection at the price point. I haven't seen the women's version in person, only the men's but supposedly they're exactly the same in terms of protection. The color options differ (black and pink is an option, of course) but other than that, they're identical. Short cuff on the inside but an extended cuff on the outside of your wristbone. But there's mesh panels on top of your knuckles and around the thumbs, along with perforations along the fingers.
Yes, these are going to be slightly heavier than an ultra light mesh glove but we're talking about protecting your hands, two things that I'm sure are extremely important to you in your everyday life :D. Think about what you do for a living and then imagine not being able to do that thing for a week or two because you've seriously injured your hands.
Touch Gloves, by Held $165.00
Last summer, before I was able to get my hands on another pair of Racer gloves, I bought these Held Touch Women's Gloves as a summer option. I liked the fact that these had kangaroo leather palms too since they're one of my favorite features on my Racers. And as the name implies, they have phone fingers. Check out my review for more details.
Fly 2, by Rev'it $89.99
And if you still want something more subdued, I get it. Then please consider the Fly 2's. Featuring full leather construction, with low wrist coverage. You get a TPU protector over your knuckles for impact and some temperfoam at the palms. At some point, you'll use your palm sliders and trust me, you need something else there besides a single layer of fabric.
All of these gloves offer more perforation and venting so you'll feel some wind / ventilation as you're riding in them. There are a lot of other short cuff riding gloves out there but not all of them offer enough perforation.
Neutron 2, by Rev'it $79.95
And for those of you needing a strong dual sport glove, the Neutron 2 and Striker 2 ($89.95) gloves are perfect for the dirt. More textile on top, around the wrists and fingers to give you more ventilation. Wrist protection, full leather palms, what more could you ask for in a dirt/ dual sport glove?
Well these are my picks for summer. Ride safe out there, and remember that you should gear up more than the minimum. Protect more than a $40 glove, more than a $50 boot, a $100 helmet or a $100 jacket or pant.
