Best Summer Motorcycle Gloves: Stay Cool While Protecting Your Hands

Alpinestars Morph Sport are my new go-to gloves, and after logging around 1,400 miles in them, I couldn’t sing their praises more highly. I've always stayed away from short-cuff gloves because I preferred the protection on offer from gauntlet gloves, but the Morph Sport changed my mind. This model is one of the very few short-cuff gloves to get a CE Level 2 rating. Protection is aplenty in the form of an over-injected knuckle, palm padding, side-hand reinforcement, and a finger bridge. But the real star in the construction is the MorphTech Weave which runs along the back and top of the fingers. It’s strong, low-profile, and extremely breathable.

Although these gloves are wonderful in an urban environment, they’re even better when things get twisty. The goatskin leather palm provides plenty of tactile feedback and protection without being bulky. They’re also one of the comfiest pairs of gloves I have ever thrown on due to the mix of the stretchy and breathable MorphTech Weave, RideKnit material around the cuffs, and stretch materials along the index and middle fingers along with the thumb. At this point, I can’t fault them in any way, but they’re very generously sized. So if you’re between sizes, I strongly advise you to pick the smaller.

You can get a cheaper motorcycle summer glove, but you won’t find one that’s better value than Alpinestars' SMX-1 Air V2. It’s constructed mainly from perforated leather and heavy-duty mesh, which provide ample airflow on hot summer rides. The palm is made from synthetic suede, which keeps it light and gives some abrasion protection. However, synthetic suede doesn’t generally last as long as a more heavy-duty material, like leather. The synthetic suede continues onto the side impact areas for added abrasion resistance.

On the backside, there’s a hard polymer knuckle protection system. And, should you fall with your hands out, there are poly-blend reinforcements with foam padding on the thumb and palm. Keeping everything comfortable is an ergonomic stretch insert between the palm and thumb, along with stretch material on the fingers and back of the hand. The index finger is touchscreen compatible. Lightness and breathability somewhat take precedence over protection on the SMX-1 Air V2, as they’re only CE-certified Level 1, which is my biggest concern with this model but understandable at this price point.

If you’re looking for a low-profile breathable glove to tackle your commute all summer long, buy the Dainese Air Maze. It has a mesh and synthetic suede construction, making it well-suited for urban riding. This construction provides plenty of airflow, and there are vents and stretch materials between the fingers. All the stretch materials ensure it’s extremely comfortable, and since it’s not made from leather, there's no break-in period, and it won't become much bigger.

Protection comes in the form of microfiber and foam padding surrounding the knuckles, foam padding on the palm, and PU leather reinforcements on the back. The combined result of this protection is a CE Level 1 rating. The fact that foam padding is the main form of protection, along with the mesh construction is what gives this glove such a low profile. This is not a glove to wear in the canyons, as its protection is too minimal. But, if you need something comfortable and light to hustle around the city, you won’t find anything to beat the Air Maze, especially at its incredibly low price point.

If you want style, just get the Dainese Blackjack gloves. These gloves are made from perforated goatskin leather and have a retro style with a modern twist. The perforation and lightweight construction help to keep your hands relatively well-ventilated, so you won’t be phased when temperatures rise. The soft goatskin construction provides plenty of tactile feedback to the rider, and the pre-curved design and elastication on the two control fingers mean you can wear these comfortably all day. It’s worth noting that some riders might need to go up a size.

Protection comes in the form of double leather reinforcement on the palms, padding across the knuckles, and double-reinforced leather at the knuckles and edges of the fingers. Unfortunately, this protection is very limited, and the gloves aren’t CE rated. If safety is your priority, this isn't the model for you. But, if you want to complete your retro riding gear outfit with a modern glove at an affordable price, you can’t go wrong with the Blackjack.

This next generation of the Induction glove made some nice improvements from the previous version. External stitching resolves the stitching comfort issue, making these gloves gentler on your hands. A high-profile zipper makes the gloves easier to get on and off. There are also mapped perforations that are larger to create more airflow. The carbon fiber knuckle guard, Aramid-reinforced Schoeller fabric palm, and impact-protection foam make the gloves CE Level 1 certified. Klim also does an excellent job at making the touchscreen finger actually functional.

One potential issue with the glove is that the fit is tight on purpose. This can be uncomfortable for some people and make it harder to take the gloves on and off. This version of the glove also lost the clean design that the previous generation of the glove had. The larger perforations also mean a slight decrease in protective durability.

Gloves made for the track aren’t famous for breathability, but if you want to stay as cool as possible without sacrificing safety, I’d pick the Alpinestars GP Tech v2 S. In fact, I did. I own these gloves, and think they’re great for track riding or anyone who takes canyon carving seriously. Where most track gloves have gussets and exhausts to promote airflow, the GP Tech v2 S uses a DuPont Kevlar stretch and leather backhand, which also covers the fingertips. This stretch material is breathable yet incredibly strong. Adding to the protection are over-injected dual-density knuckle cups, palm and finger sliders, side-hand reinforcement, ARshield layers on the fingers and palm, and a light dual-density component on the cuff. In short, these gloves are stacked with protection and easily earn a CE Level 2 rating.

The goat leather palm offers plenty of tactile feedback, as you’d expect from a premium glove. Even with the monumental levels of protection, there’s no shortage of flexibility thanks to the materials used in the construction and the accordion stretch on the index and middle fingers along with the thumb. All the flexibility and dexterity on offer don’t come at the cost of security, as these gloves are held tightly in place by a dual-closure system GP DFS cuff. But, in my experience, the third finger and thumb run long. And this seems to be the general consensus among most buyers.