Why Motorcyclists Need Armored Riding Gloves

What are usually the first things to hit the ground after an accident?

Here's a hint--they're the same things you use to control your bike.

Motorcyclists know the importance of safety more than anyone else on the road. When there's nothing between you and the unforgiving asphalt, you tend to take extra precautions.

Everyone knows the immeasurable value of a helmet. But they're not the only lifesaving pieces of safety gear out there. Jackets, boots, and motorcycle pants are also instrumental in protecting yourself during an accident.

But there's one piece of vital gear that is often overlooked by bikers – gloves.

Motorcycle riding gloves may not seem like an important piece of gear. But consider the events of a regular accident. A good set of gloves can make all the difference between serious injury and being able to walk away.

Like the rest of your gear, you want to make sure you have the best gloves to protect you. This is why you should have a good set of armored motorcycle riding gloves.

What Are Armored Motorcycle Gloves?

Armored motorcycle gloves are specialty gloves that protect your hands while riding a motorcycle and during an accident. They can help with vibration, grip, cuts, and impact while riding, or during an accident.

The anti-vibration properties of motorcycle gloves dampen vibrations while you ride, and provide added comfort, especially in longer rides. Grip control is also key, with the right pair of gloves allowing you to tighten your control of your handlebars. In the event of an accident, armored gloves and hard knuckles can help prevent serious cuts and scrapes, and lessen the impact from hitting the pavement. 

The Importance of Good Gear

If you were going skydiving, you wouldn't want to have the second-best parachute strapped to your back.

While any gear is better than no gear at all, some gear is much, much better than others. Unfortunately, this nicer and safer gear usually comes with a price tag to match.

When it comes to your personal safety, cost should never be the deciding factor. You can't put a price on your health and wellbeing. After all, dropping a few hundred dollars on a good piece of gear now could save you thousands in medical bills down the line.

Some motorcyclists learn this lesson from experience. But that doesn't mean you have to, too.

So, why armored gloves? Here are a few reasons why armored gloves are the superior glove when it comes to protecting your hands.

Guarding Your Wrists

Finding gloves that protect your wrists without hindering movement can be tricky. But it's more than worth the trouble.

Stunt gloves are built like tiny hand tanks for a reason. You put your wrists at risk every time you get on your bike. You'll want to make sure they're protected but, at the same time, you want to be able to move with ease.

Don't pick up a pair of stunt driver gloves just yet. There are dozens of pairs of armored riding gloves with wrist armor available that will help protect your wrists from breaks.

Make a point of trying on any pair of gloves before purchasing them to make sure you have decent mobility and be sure to check out glove sizing guides to find the right fit for your hand.

Protecting Your Palms

Most pairs of motorcycle gloves don't have armor on the palms. The fabric in that area is usually kept as thin as possible to maximize your contact with the throttle.

Yet, while armored palms are not a necessity, having a little extra padding on your palms makes a lot of sense. You can get in a wreck even if you aren't performing spectacular death-defying stunts.

Your palm is usually the first thing to come in contact with the road during a fall. Having extra protection may be worth the slight loss in comfort.

Having armor on your palms could spell the difference between a controlled fall you walk away from and something a lot more serious.

Defending Your Knuckles

When people think of motorcycle riding gloves, they usually picture scraped up hands and broken fingers. While a broken finger can be enough to keep you off your bike for a while, a broken knuckle could bench you indefinitely.

Rehabilitation following a broken knuckle includes months of painful physical therapy. It also includes the guarantee that your knuckles will never be the same again.

Lighter gloves may seem like the more attractive option, especially if you're planning a bike trip in the middle of the summer. But ensuring your gloves can protect your knuckles is well worth having warm hands.

Why Do Motorcycle Gloves Have Hard Knuckles?

Knuckle protection is extremely important when riding a motorcycle. Motorcycle gloves that include hard knuckles can protect your fingers and hands from impact with the pavement. In the event of an accident, you do not want to be wearing basic leather gloves. Even if you're in full gear, unless your gloves have hard knuckles, you run the risk of injuring your hands.

Saving Your Fingers

Fingers are fragile things. It doesn't take a lot to get them to snap. Any wreck, no matter how minor, is more than capable of breaking a few fingers.

Once you break a finger, there's no guarantee it will ever heal up well enough to gain back its full range of motion.

When you're picking out riding gloves, you want to make sure they have armor protecting all your joints and each of your fingers. This could save you from a very painful injury – and get you back on your bike a lot sooner.

Anatomy of Motorcycle Riding Gloves

When it comes to picking out a good pair of motorcycle riding gloves, it's important to familiarize yourself with what makes up a protective pair.

There are dozens of different styles of gloves available, each with its own degree of protectiveness. It may be tempting to pick up a lighter pair of fingerless gloves if for nothing but fashion's sake. But they won't do much to protect your hands from the road.

Experienced motorcyclists know that any worthwhile glove is made up of a series of different but necessary parts. These are the upper, the fourchettes, the palm, lining, the cuff, closure, armor, stitching, and wrists.

While each part can protect your hands from your bike or heat and moisture, only the armor protects your hands from the actual road. Armor provides your hands with protection from impact and scraping. It comes in a verity of materials such as padding, like EVA foam, thermoplastic urethane, carbon fiber, steel, or titanium.

The best type of armor material for you depends on how you ride, what you ride, and where and when you ride. So before making a final decision, do a little bit of research.

Are Motorcycle Gloves Necessary?

Yes. Motorcycle gloves offer added protection, safety, comfort, and style. They help protect your hands from serious injury, offer added grip strength for better control of your handlebars, and dampen vibrations from the road.

Finding the Best Motorcycle Riding Gloves

Now that you know why you should invest in a good pair of armored motorcycle riding gloves, it's time to find yourself the right pair.

Our Deep II Gel is perfect for riders and offers continuous protection from fingertips to wrist. It's Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR) shields the back of the hand while the TefSecure® grip offers an oil-resistant grip, perfect for when you're caught in the rain. The palm also contains Hexagonal Memory Gel® for complete vibration absorption, dampening vibrations while at high speeds.

We also have dozens of impact gloves perfect for everything from motorcycle repair work to taking your bike on a week-long expedition.

Shop our collection or contact us and we'll help you get your hands into the perfect pair of gloves to suit your needs.

Continue Reading: What Makes Gloves Grippy?