Hot Weather
The Best Beginner Motorcycle Gloves: What to Buy (and What I Wish I Hadn’t)
Evan Rally
Updated: March 17, 2026
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Your hands are the first thing to hit pavement in a crash. Not your shoulder, not your hip. Your hands. And yet most new riders spend more time picking out their helmet graphic than they do choosing the gloves that’ll protect their palms from being ground down to hamburger meat at 35 mph.
I’ve ridden over 20,000 miles in the most popular budget motorcycle glove on the internet and came out of it with purple-stained hands that looked like I’d been fingerpainting with grape juice. The dye bled through onto my skin so badly that I needed a plastic brush to scrub it off after a 30-minute ride. That experience sent me on a years-long search for gloves that actually deliver what they promise without surprise side effects.
Most “best beginner glove” articles are just top sellers repackaged with different adjectives. The truth? Some of the most reviewed gloves on the internet have serious issues that only show up after months of hard riding. And the best glove for a new rider isn’t always the cheapest one, nor is it the one with the most reviews. It’s the one that fits your riding style, your climate, and your budget without cutting corners where it counts.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly which glove to buy for your specific situation, and which ones to avoid even though every other website recommends them. And if you want even more options in the sub-$100 range, check out our full roundup of the best motorcycle gloves under $100.
Which Glove Is Right for You?
Before we get into the individual picks, let’s match the right glove to the right rider:
Hot Weather
Summer-ready riding gloves that blend leather and mesh for cool airflow, plus CE‑certified knuckle protection - giving serious safety and comfort without breaking the bank. See my full review here.
- Excellent airflow keeps hands cool in hot weather
- Hard polymer knuckles for certified impact defense
- Pre-curved, flexible fit enhances control and comfort
- Durable full‑grain leather palm resists abrasion
- Velcro closure can loosen after extended wear
- Touchscreen fingertip works inconsistently across devices
Style + Comfort
Super comfortable leather, no pinch points, CE Level 1 knuckle armor, reinforced palms, and touchscreen fingertips works on phone screens. I wear these daily in Bangkok and never get sweaty hands. Buy from Pando Moto with code ROAD for 10% off. My personal favorite, reviewed here.
- Touchscreen fingertips for easy navigation
- CE Level 1 knuckle protection under leather
- Abrasion-resistant palm reinforcements
- Perforation is only on the palms, not the tops
- No hard sliders on palm—softer padding only
Tightest Budget
The Scorpion Klaw II Gloves are tough goatskin leather gloves built for sport and street riders, offering solid protection and all-day comfort.
- Durable leather with knuckle protection
- Comfortable pre-curved fit
- Breathable with perforated panels
- Fingers may fit unevenly
- Not touchscreen compatible
- Needs break-in time
Best Value
Lightweight summer riding gloves that combine perforated goatskin leather and mesh for excellent airflow. Hard knuckle and palm protection add real safety without sacrificing comfort.
- Excellent airflow for hot-weather riding
- Comfortable pre-curved fit reduces fatigue
- Hard knuckle and palm protection included
- Touchscreen-compatible fingertips
- Short cuff offers limited wrist protection
- Airflow reduces warmth in cooler weather
Rain + Cold
Stay warm, dry, and protected in cold-weather rides.
- Goatskin leather palm for durability & control
- Hydratex|Z-liner waterproofing with 3M Thinsulate insulation
- TPU hard knuckle & Temperfoam palm slider for impact protection
- Runs small—order one size up for best fit
Sport + Durability
I wore these for two years through high heat and humidity, with minimal wear and no tears or broken seams. Slight discolorations, but still strong and supple leather. Super high quality.
- Excellent abrasion resistance from goat leather chassis
- Hard PU knuckles and reinforced palm for impact protection
- Touchscreen fingertips and rubber grips for control in traffic
- Stretch panels and pre-curved fingers reduce fatigue on long rides
- Limited airflow-perforation makes them warm on very hot days
- Sizing runs snug especially around cuff—consider going up one size
Now let’s dig into why.
Alpinestars SMX-1 Air V2: The Most Popular Beginner Glove on the Internet
There’s a reason these have 700+ reviews on Revzilla. At around $80, you’re getting a full-grain leather and mesh glove from Alpinestars, one of the most respected names in motorcycle protection. The hard polymer knuckle protector, accordion stretch panels, and synthetic suede palm reinforcements make this glove punch above its price on paper.
I bought a pair in 2022 before riding across the USA on a Harley. For the first several months, they were fantastic. Tons of airflow through the mesh backhand. Flexible enough to feel every input on the controls. Comfortable from the first wear with no break-in period needed.
Then the ink started bleeding.
At first it was just faint discoloration after a sweaty ride. Then it got worse. After a few rainstorms, my hands would turn purple-black within minutes of putting the gloves on. I tried hand washing, machine washing, soaking them in stain remover, sun drying. Nothing worked. It only got worse. After 30 seconds of wearing the wet glove, my hand looked like I’d dipped it in an inkwell.
The Catch? Potential dye bleeding issues over time, especially in humid or wet conditions. The velcro wrist closure can also weaken after extended use.
The Silver Lining: This may have been specific to my production batch, since other riders haven’t reported it as widely. And for the money, the ventilation and protection package is still hard to beat as a first motorcycle glove. If you ride primarily in dry conditions, these may serve you well for a long time.
Alternative Option: The REAX Superfly 2 gives you similar construction and protection with its own goatskin perforated leather and hard knuckle protector at the same price point. It’s what I’d buy instead if I were starting over.
Sizing note: Alpinestars gloves run small. Consider ordering one size up from what the size chart suggests.
Our Review
We’ve put over 20,000 miles on these gloves and documented everything from the great airflow to the dye-bleeding disaster. Read our full Alpinestars SMX-1 Air V2 review here.
Alpinestars SMX-1 Air v2 Gloves
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Summer-ready riding gloves that blend leather and mesh for cool airflow, plus CE‑certified knuckle protection—giving serious safety and comfort without breaking the bank.
Pros:
- Excellent airflow keeps hands cool in hot weather
- Hard polymer knuckles for certified impact defense
- Pre-curved, flexible fit enhances control and comfort
- Durable full‑grain leather palm resists abrasion
Cons:
- Velcro closure can loosen after extended wear
- Touchscreen fingertip works inconsistently across devices
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Pando Moto Ivy: My Daily Rider (And Personal Favorite)
After my Alpinestars experience, I went searching for something better. The Pando Moto Ivy is what I found, and I haven’t looked back. I wear these every day in Bangkok, where humidity and heat would destroy lesser gloves within weeks.
The 1mm perforated goatskin is soft right out of the box. No break-in period. No stiffness. No fighting with the material to get your fingers positioned correctly. You pull them on and they fit like they’ve been on your hands for months. The pre-curved fingers follow the natural shape of your grip, which means zero fatigue even after hours of riding.
What you don’t see is what makes them special. There’s a hidden flexible knuckle guard under the leather and reinforced padding on the palm, all certified CE Level 1. From the outside, they look like a clean, minimalist leather glove. Nobody would guess there’s real armor in there.
The Catch? No hard palm slider. In a slide, a hard slider helps your palm glide across asphalt instead of catching and potentially breaking your wrist. Pando’s Onyx gloves have this feature, so I’d love to see it added to the Ivy. The price is also slightly higher than the Alpinestars SMX-1, which matters when you’re on a new rider’s budget.
The Silver Lining: Pando Moto backs these gloves with a Lifetime Crash Warranty. Crash while wearing them? Send Pando your story and photos, and they’ll replace your damaged gear with a new equivalent. On a sub-$100 glove, that kind of commitment to riders is rare. The comfort and style also mean you’ll actually want to wear them, which is the most important safety feature any glove can have.
Alternative Option: If you want the palm slider that the Ivy lacks, the Pando Moto Onyx (also available on Revzilla for ~$115) uses cowhide with a PU palm slider. It’s slightly less supple than the Ivy’s goatskin but offers more slide protection.
Touchscreen fingertips work on phones, and the short cuff design makes them easy to pair with any jacket.
Our Review
I’ve been wearing the Ivy daily for months through Bangkok’s relentless heat. Read my full Pando Moto Ivy review here.
Pando Moto Ivy Gloves
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Super comfortable leather, no pinch points, CE Level 1 knuckle armor, reinforced palms, and touchscreen fingertips works on phone screens. I wear these daily in Bangkok and never get sweaty hands. Buy from Pando Moto with code ROAD for 10% off. My personal favorite, reviewed here.
Pros:
- Touchscreen fingertips for easy navigation
- CE Level 1 knuckle protection under leather
- Abrasion-resistant palm reinforcements
Cons:
- Perforation is only on the palms, not the tops
- No hard sliders on palm—softer padding only
We may earn commissions if you make a purchase.
Scorpion EXO Klaw II: The Sub-$70 All-Rounder
If you just dropped every dollar you had on your first bike and need gloves that’ll keep your hands safe without raiding your savings account, the Scorpion Klaw II is your glove. At around $66, it’s the cheapest glove on this list that I’d actually trust to protect my hands.
Full goatskin leather construction wraps the entire glove. That’s not a given at this price point, where many competitors mix in textile or synthetic panels to cut costs. The TPU molded knuckle protectors are solid and don’t feel cheap. TPR molded finger protectors add slide protection to each digit. And the neoprene wrist relief panel keeps the cuff comfortable during long rides, which is a small detail that makes a big difference over several hours.
The pre-curved palm and fingers give you a natural grip shape right out of the box. You won’t be fighting stiff leather for the first few rides. The rib-stretch knuckle expansion panels let you flex your hands freely without the armor digging in.
The Catch? No touchscreen-compatible fingertips. In 2026, that feels like a missing feature even at this price. You’ll need to take a glove off to check your phone or GPS at a stop.
The Silver Lining: What you give up in tech features, you gain in pure hand protection per dollar spent. The full goatskin construction and robust knuckle armor put this glove closer to $100+ gloves in terms of crash protection. And the money you save can go toward a pair of earplugs or a better visor.
Alternative Option: If touchscreen compatibility and a more modern look matter to you, the Alpinestars Chrome gloves at ~$75 offer a textile-leather hybrid with touchscreen fingers and a more urban style, though with less overall leather coverage.
With nearly 300 reviews on Revzilla, these have proven themselves across thousands of riders.
Scorpion EXO Klaw II Gloves
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The Scorpion Klaw II Gloves are tough goatskin leather gloves built for sport and street riders, offering solid protection and all-day comfort.
Pros:
- Durable leather with knuckle protection
- Comfortable pre-curved fit
- Breathable with perforated panels
Cons:
- Fingers may fit unevenly
- Not touchscreen compatible
- Needs break-in time
We may earn commissions if you make a purchase.
REAX Superfly 2: Best Value for Feature-Hungry Beginners
REAX is Revzilla’s in-house brand, and the Superfly 2 is their flagship short-cuff glove. At $80, it competes directly with the Alpinestars SMX-1 Air V2 but with a few key upgrades that tip the scales.
The drum-dyed goatskin perforated leather paired with high-flow mesh gives you serious airflow for hot riding. The hard knuckle protector uses REAX’s AXIAL AVP impact-absorbing technology, which is a fancy way of saying the knuckle guard does more than just sit there. It actually dissipates impact energy. An ergonomic palm protector sits within a double layer of leather, adding meaningful crash protection where you need it most.
Touchscreen-compatible fingertips on both the index finger and thumb keep you connected without stripping gloves at every red light. It’s one of those features that feels unnecessary until you use it daily, and then you can’t go back.
The Catch? As a house brand, REAX doesn’t carry the same cachet or proven track record as Alpinestars or REV’IT!. Some riders want the reassurance of decades of racing heritage behind their gear.
The Silver Lining: Being a house brand also means REAX can offer more features at a lower price because there’s no middleman markup. The Superfly 2 punches above its weight in almost every measurable category. And Revzilla’s customer service and return policy take the risk out of trying them.
Alternative Option: If you’d rather go with a legacy brand at the same price, the Alpinestars SMX-1 Air V2 is the obvious comparison, with more brand recognition but fewer features.
The monochromatic styling is clean and pairs well with any gear setup, from sport to street to cruiser.
REAX Superfly 2 Gloves
Check Price on Revzilla
Lightweight summer riding gloves that combine perforated goatskin leather and mesh for excellent airflow. Hard knuckle and palm protection add real safety without sacrificing comfort.
Pros:
- Excellent airflow for hot-weather riding
- Comfortable pre-curved fit reduces fatigue
- Hard knuckle and palm protection included
- Touchscreen-compatible fingertips
Cons:
- Short cuff offers limited wrist protection
- Airflow reduces warmth in cooler weather
REV’IT! Cassini H2O: For Riders Who Won’t Melt at the First Raindrop
Here’s something most beginner glove guides skip entirely: what happens when it rains? Or when you’re riding in 50°F weather on a fall morning? Summer mesh gloves become miserable, fast. If you ride year-round, you need at least two pairs of gloves, and the Cassini H2O is the one I’d pick as your cool-weather, wet-weather partner.
The Hydratex Z-liner with McFit technology keeps rain out without making the glove feel like you’re wearing a ziplock bag. 3M Thinsulate insulation adds warmth without the bulk you’d expect from a winter glove. The goatskin leather palm still gives you solid feel on the controls, which is something a lot of waterproof gloves sacrifice for weather protection.
The hard-shell TPU knuckle protector is the same type of protection you’d find on more expensive touring gloves. A Temperfoam palm slider absorbs impact where your hand is most likely to contact the ground. Touchscreen fingertips round out the feature set.
The Catch? At $110, this is the most expensive glove on our list. For a new rider already spending on a helmet, jacket, and boots, that’s a meaningful jump. The waterproof membrane also reduces airflow, so these will cook your hands in summer heat.
The Silver Lining: Having one pair of warm, waterproof gloves means you ride more months out of the year. The Cassini H2O is light enough to stash in a saddlebag or backpack as a backup pair when weather turns. That versatility makes the higher price worthwhile over the course of a full riding season.
Alternative Option: The Alpinestars SMX-Z Drystar at a similar price offers Alpinestars’ own waterproof Drystar membrane in a similar short-cuff package with hard knuckle protection.
REV’IT! gloves run small, similar to Alpinestars. If you’re between sizes, go up.
REV’IT! Cassini H2O Gloves
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Stay warm, dry, and protected in cold-weather rides.
Pros:
- Goatskin leather palm for durability & control
- Hydratex|Z-liner waterproofing with 3M Thinsulate insulation
- TPU hard knuckle & Temperfoam palm slider for impact protection
Cons:
- Runs small—order one size up for best fit
We may earn commissions if you make a purchase.
Alpinestars Celer V3: The Beginner Glove You’ll Still Love as an Intermediate
If you’re the type of new rider who plans to push your skills quickly, starting with track days or aggressive canyon rides, the Celer line is worth the extra spend. I rode the Celer V2 across the back half of the USA in 2022 (after losing my SMX-1 Air V2 in a storm in Indiana) and can attest: these are tough, flexible, and confidence-inspiring gloves. The V3 is now the current version on Revzilla and carries forward the same DNA with refinements to the armor and fit.
The leather feels about twice as thick as the SMX-1 Air V2, yet the pre-curved design and stretch panels keep it surprisingly nimble. The padded knuckle guards don’t dig in the way some sport gloves do. And the white-knuckle colorway that Alpinestars kept (kinda) with the V3 makes your hands more visible to drivers at night, a practical safety feature that most riders don’t think about.
Where the Celer line separates itself from the other gloves on this list is longevity. The heavier leather and beefed-up construction mean these gloves will survive years of regular riding. My Celer V2 pair showed minimal wear after two years of constant use through heat and humidity, with no tears, no broken seams, and no dye bleeding.
The Catch? The thicker leather is stiffer out of the box and requires a brief break-in period. And the heavier construction means less airflow than a mesh-heavy glove like the SMX-1 Air V2.
The Silver Lining: That stiffer, thicker leather is exactly what protects you better in a crash. And the reduced airflow is barely noticeable once you’re moving at speed. This is a glove that grows with you as a rider rather than something you’ll replace after six months.
Alternative Option: If you want the sport aesthetic but with maximum airflow for strictly hot-weather riding, the Alpinestars SMX-2 Air Carbon V2 at ~$110 adds a carbon knuckle and palm slider with more mesh.
I lost one of my Celer V2 gloves in that Indiana storm. I was so attached to them that I rode one-gloved for weeks rather than switch to something else. That’s how much I liked this glove.
Alpinestars Celer V3 Gloves
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I wore these for two years through high heat and humidity, with minimal wear and no tears or broken seams. Slight discolorations, but still strong and supple leather. Super high quality.
Pros:
- Excellent abrasion resistance from goat leather chassis
- Hard PU knuckles and reinforced palm for impact protection
- Touchscreen fingertips and rubber grips for control in traffic
- Stretch panels and pre-curved fingers reduce fatigue on long rides
Cons:
- Limited airflow-perforation makes them warm on very hot days
- Sizing runs snug especially around cuff—consider going up one size
We may earn commissions if you make a purchase.
Comparison Table
| Glove | Price | Material | Knuckle Protection | Touchscreen | Waterproof | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpinestars SMX-1 Air V2 | ~$80 | Leather + Mesh | Hard Polymer | No | No | Hot weather, budget |
| Pando Moto Ivy | ~$109 | Goatskin Leather | Hidden Flexible TPU | Yes | No | Style + comfort |
| Scorpion EXO Klaw II | ~$66 | Full Goatskin | TPU Molded | No | No | Tightest budget |
| REAX Superfly 2 | ~$80 | Goatskin + Mesh | Hard w/ AXIAL AVP | Yes | No | Best features per dollar |
| REV’IT! Cassini H2O | ~$110 | Goatskin + Textile | Hard TPU Shell | Yes | Yes | Rain + cool weather |
| Alpinestars Celer V3 | ~$110 | Full Leather | Padded | No | No | Sport + durability |
Buying Guide: What to Look for in Your First Motorcycle Gloves
CE Certification matters. A CE Level 1 rating means the glove has been tested and certified to provide real crash protection under the European EN 13594 standard. If you want a deeper understanding of what CE ratings actually mean and why they matter, read our motorcycle body armor guide. Not every budget glove carries this certification. Every glove on this list does, except the Scorpion Klaw II (which still has robust protection, just not the formal CE stamp on every production run, so double-check the listing).
Leather beats textile for slide protection. Your palms hit the ground first. Leather gives you slide time on asphalt. Textile gives you less. At beginner-glove prices, goatskin leather is the sweet spot because it’s naturally tough, flexible, and affordable.
Fit determines whether you’ll actually wear them. A glove that’s too tight will cramp your hand on the controls. Too loose, and it can bunch up and slip off in a crash. The single best thing you can do is measure your hand with a tape measure and order according to the manufacturer’s size chart, not your regular glove size. Alpinestars and REV’IT! both run small. Scorpion tends to run slightly large.
You may need two pairs. One for warm weather, one for cool or wet weather. A mesh summer glove in 40°F rain is torture. A waterproof insulated glove in July is an oven. Budget for two pairs from the start, even if one pair is cheaper than the other. When the temps really drop, check out our picks for the best winter motorcycle gloves.
Touchscreen compatibility is more useful than you think. Pulling off a glove at a stoplight to check your GPS or change a song seems trivial until you’ve done it forty times in one ride. In heavy traffic, that fumbling moment with bare hands is also a moment you’re not fully in control.
Buy the newest version. Gear companies update their products regularly. The “v2” or “v3” in a glove name means the manufacturer has fixed problems from the previous generation. Always buy the latest version available, even if the older one is discounted. The improvements usually address real rider complaints.
The Bottom Line
Don’t overthink this. Pick the glove that matches your riding style and climate from this list, order it in the right size, and go ride. You can always upgrade later once you know what features matter most to you after a few thousand miles in the saddle. If you’re already leaning toward short cuff gloves and want to explore beyond beginner picks, our best short cuff motorcycle gloves guide goes deeper. The best glove is the one you wear every single time you throw a leg over the bike.
