As is the case with your workout routine, your bike selection, or any number of other choices, the best motorcycle gear is often the gear you want to use. We wear gear to protect our bodies, but if it’s too bulky, complicated, or uncomfortable, we might not be motivated to get suited up and go for a ride (or we leave the gear behind). For this reason, I’m always on the lookout for manufacturers that consider not only protection but also comfort and ease of use while designing their products.
The least obtrusive pair of motorcycle gloves that I own are the Stella Copper Gloves by Alpinestars. These gloves are lightweight, easy to get on and off, and extremely flexible. Alpinestars designed them for urban commuting both in terms of functionality and style. They feature hard knuckle protection covered by stretch spandex and a durable full-synthetic suede palm.
Accordion panels on the back of the fingers, along with the lightweight material, offer free range of movement. While wearing the Stella Copper Gloves, I have no need to shed them when I inevitably forget to dig the ignition key out of my pocket before donning my helmet and gloves – they’re slim enough to slip into pockets without trouble. The short cuff makes it easy to slide my jacket sleeves over them without getting the material bunched up or snagged. They also feature nifty tabs to grab to help pull them on, as well as touchscreen-compatible fingertips for punching in my next destination on my smartphone.
Alpinestars offers the Copper Gloves in a men’s version with more color options and in larger sizes. I haven’t compared the men’s and women’s versions back-to-back to speak to their differences in fit, but I can say that the women’s size medium fit my hands very well. According to the sizing guide on the Alpinestars website, my hands are on the line between small and medium, and I’m happy with my choice to go for the larger of the two sizes.
The Stella Copper Gloves have made a great addition to my gear closet. They easily fit into my jacket pocket when I reach my destination, and I appreciate their lean look that complements most of my other gear. Not only do they provide peace-of-mind while I’m riding, but they also make getting geared up more enjoyable, making it more likely that I’ll hop on the bike for a ride after work rather than drag my feet until the sun has set.
Read all of Rider’s apparel reviews here
The Alpinestars Stella Copper Gloves are available in sizes XS-XL in black or black/fuchsia for $67.95. The men’s version comes in black, black/red fluorescent, black/white, indigo, or teak in sizes S-3XL for the same price.
