The Best Short Motorcycle Gloves for the 2021 Season
We’d Know: We’ve Hands-On Tested 2500+ Pieces of Riding Gear Since 2000
What’s the Deal With Short Gloves?
Some riders will only wear short gloves in the summer in an effort to stay cool and reduce sweating, switching back to gauntlets in the cooler weather, whereas others ride with short gloves year-round.
Neither is wrong, it’s just a matter of deciding what works the best for you. We always advocate for riding ATGATT, and short gloves are a comfortable way to protect your digits (albeit, with a bit less wrist protection).
If you choose not to wear gloves, you’re putting your hands at risk. Better to start with a short glove than no glove, and pick the best one suited for your riding needs and hand type.
For this list, I’ve prioritized gloves that offer enhanced safety via integrated armor and smart retention systems. All the gloves here also feature conductive fingertips, meaning you can (try to) text away to your hearts content.
As a reminder, we receive a small commission if you purchase an item via one of our links. Thank you for supporting us!
– Chase
A Note About Our Recommendations
Founded in 2000, the team at wBW has extensively tested more than 2,500 pieces of gear. Helmets, jackets, boots, gloves, accessories, and more. We extensively and exhaustively test gear. We do not fluff reviews. Read our review policies.
Icon Hypersport Short Gloves
Price: $65
Where to Buy
Why?
The Icon Hypersport Short glove packs an affordable punch in overall construction and safety. At only $65, the Icon Hypersport Short is a reasonable price for the amount of included features.
Specs
- Durable, multi-panel main shell construction incorporating a supple full-grain goat leather
- Leather palm construction incorporates PU padding reinforcements on landing zone
- Patented 3rd/4th finger bridge prevents finger roll and separation during impacts
- Perforated leather on the back of the hand
- Short cuff design with hook-and-loop grip closure
- Open knuckle gusset
- Ergonomic stretch insert between thumb and palm
- Stretch accordions on fingers and thumb
- Touchscreen compatibility on index and thumb tips for use with smartphones and GPS systems
- This garment is CE certified Level 1
Protection & Safety
- Floating knuckle with a D30 underlay provides armor protection for the knuckles
- TPU and polycarbonate knuckle plates
- TPU finger plates and the wrap-around TPU wrist plate protection for the rest of the hand and wrist
REAX Castor Leather Gloves
Price: $89.00
Where to Buy
Why?
The REAX Castor is quite similar to REAX’s Superfly Mesh glove, but this time around they get the leather treatment. These hard-knuckled gloves are subtle and ready for anything you can throw at them. If you enjoy the fit of these gloves and are looking for something a little bit lighter, the Superfly is cheaper and provides better airflow.
See our REAX coverage.
Specs
- Ergonomic pre-curved fit
- Touchscreen capable finger and thumb
- Cowhide backhand 0.8mm – 0.9mm thick
- Durable goat leather palm
- Digital leather palm and outseam reinforcement
- Leather-wrapped protective knuckle
- High-density flexible palm pad insert
- TPR protective finger inserts
- Perforated finger fourchettes
- Moisture-wicking poly tricot lining
- Subtle reflective highlights
- Adjustable hook and loop closure
- Two (2) year warranty on materials and workmanship
Protection & Safety
- These gloves do a great job providing riders with needed protection through the use of reinforced palms and protective inserts found all around the glove (finger and palm inserts) in addition to the hardened knuckles.
- Although gloves are a small piece of equipment, the REAX Castor has reflective panels for added visibility in low-light situations.
REV’IT! Sand 4 Gloves
Price: $109.99
Where to Buy
Why?
The REV’IT Sand 4 is a great short glove for warmer conditions but still offers the safety that you want every time you are on your bike. At just around $100, they are perfect for riders who are in a hot environment but also prefer to ride with gloves. The comfort and protection are well balanced with functionality in these short gloves.
While we have not reviewed the Sand 4 gloves, we have reviewed the previous iteration Sand 3 jacket.
Specs
Fit:
- Runs slightly small, order the larger size if you are between sizes
Features:
Protection Features:
- Outer Shell: 3D air mesh | stretch | connect fingertip leather | goatskin | PWR|shell 500D stretch
- Lining: tricot lining
- Composition: 68% Leather, 20% Polyester, 11% polyamide, 1% polyurethane
- Protection: injected ventilated flex knuckle | Temperfoam ® knuckle | PWR|shield at Palm | TPR injected finger knuckle protectors | TPR palm slider
- Visibility: reflective stretch inserts
Ergonomic Features:
- Adjustability: adjustment tab at cuff
- Ventilation: ventilation panels, ventilated TPR injected knuckles
- Features: short cuff, elastic at wrist and back hand, outside stitching, grip patch at palm, connect finger tip
Protection & Safety
- TPR flexible ventilated knuckle, TPR palm slider, PWR yarn, and TPR finger knuckles
- Temperfoam is added for additional impact protection at the fingers, thumb, knuckles, back of the hand, at the palm slider and at the cuff
- Additional ventilation panels help to reduce sweating with can cause a loss of gripping ability and fatigue
- New triangular open TPR allows much more airflow to the hand, without losing armor integrity
Spidi Ranger Gloves
Price: $89.90
Where to Buy
Why?
The Spidi Ranger is a fairly basic short glove that offers the balance of comfort, protection, and cost that most riders are looking for in a summer-weight glove. At under $100, these mesh short gloves offer riders an option for comfort on summer rides without eliminating the impact and abrasion protection that riders need.
Specs
- Mesh fabric
- Clarino palm
- Palm, back of hand and side of hand padding
- Warrior Tech palm slider
- Touchscreen compatible
- Wristband adjustment and wrist closure
- Accordion inserts on fingers
Protection & Safety
Safety Features:
- Knuckle armor and added padding around the back and sides of the hand provide impact protection without eliminating the airflow through the mesh outer
- Warrior Tech palm slider provides added abrasion protection for the hand in the event of a slide
Alpinestars Celer v2 Gloves
Price: $99.95
Where to Buy
Why?
The Alpinestars Celer V2 is made of a great combination of comfort and protective features packed into a short glove. Alpinestars is known for their leading hand protection, and these short gloves take their successful gauntlet recipe and package it into an easily removable short glove.
Specs
- Durable, multi-panel main shell construction incorporating a supple full-grain goat leather
- Leather palm construction incorporates PU padding reinforcements on landing zone
- Patented 3rd/4th finger bridge prevents finger roll and separation during impacts
- Perforated leather on the back of the hand
- Short cuff design with hook-and-loop grip closure
- Open knuckle gusset
- Ergonomic stretch insert between thumb and palm
- Stretch accordions on fingers and thumb
- Touchscreen compatibility on index and thumb tips for use with smartphones and GPS systems
- This garment is CE certified Level 1
Protection & Safety
The protection offered by the Bryce Gore-Tex is exactly what riders have come to expect from Alpinestars in safe yet comfortable armor.
- Palm has a PU pad to aid on impact while the multilayer leather provides protection from abrasion burns.
- Alpinestars patented finger bridge prevents finger roll and separation injuries to the third and fourth fingers in the event of an impact.
- Celer V2 has been CE certified Level 1.
REV’IT! Cayenne Pro Gloves
Price: $199.99
Where to Buy
Why?
The REV’IT Cayenne Pro gloves are a great-looking short-cut gauntlet designed for summer. They are highly ventilated with vent panels featured in the thingers, thumb, palm, and cuff. Although these gloves are designed to breathe, they also take a keen focus on safety with their abrasion-resistant goatskin construction and TPU hardshell plating found in the palms and thumbs.
Specs
- Outer shell: Drum dyed goatskin with WR finish, perforated goatskin
- Lining: Tricot lining
- Composition:
- Outer shell: 100% Leather
- Lining: 100% Polyester
- Protection:
- Ventilated dual comp protector at the knuckle and back of hand
- TPU hard-shell palm slider
- TPU hard-shell thumb protector
- PU injected finger knuckles
- EVA foam at wrist
- PWR yarn
- Visibility: Reflection at little finger
Ergonomic Features:
- Fit: Tour fit
- Adjustability: Wrist and cuff adjustment system
- Ventilation:
- Ventilated dual comp protector
- Ventilation panels at fingers, thumb palm and cuff
- Features:
- Outside stitching
- Elastic at wrist and back of hand
- Short cuff
Protection & Safety
- The main construction of this glove utilizes highly abrasion-resistant perforated goatskin with a tricot liner within the glove.
- The knuckles of these gloves feature PU-injected plating, while the thumbs and fingers have TPU hard-shell sections with EVA foam wrapping the wrist.
