26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Best dirt bike gloves
It's easy to assume that the only protection you need when dirt biking is a good helmet, but in reality, a strong set of dirt bike gloves is just as important. Dirt bike gloves not only help to protect your hands and fingers from the rough material of your dirt bike handle, but they can also provide limb-saving protection in the event of crashes and wipeouts.
The best dirt bike gloves are the Fox Racing Men's Dirtpaw Motocross Gloves. These dirt bike gloves provide tons of extra grip and padding along the palm for superior control of your bike during high-intensity racing. However, they sacrifice some protection in the finger area.
Material
Types of dirt bike gloves
Fingerless: These gloves come with no finger protection, focusing on the back and palm of your hand. They give you a wider range of motion and are cooler in warm weather but leave you vulnerable to injury.
Full-fingered: These gloves cover everything from the wrist up. If you race dirt bikes, you'll probably want the extra protection of a full-fingered glove. You can also find some options which extend up the arm, like vambraces.
Components, size and fit
The key components of a dirt bike glove are the padding, air vents, insulation and reinforcements. Each component interacts with the others to provide the maximum amount of protection and comfort, but they fail to work effectively if the dirt bike gloves do not properly fit your hand and fingers.
Dirt bike gloves have a very wide range of pricing that can start as low as $5 or less and reach $150 or more. If you're just starting out or only dirt bike as a hobby, you can get away with spending $5-$50 for whatever level of protection and quality you feel comfortable with as it balances with your checkbook. If you race or intend to race, you'll want to make sure you're buying top-tier quality dirt bike gloves and that's when costs can vary $50-$150.
Do you really need to buy a pair of dirt bike gloves?
A. Absolutely. Dirt biking is a dangerous sport, especially if you race. Wearing proper fitting dirt bike gloves can drastically reduce the risk of injury to your hands, including broken bones, blisters and rashes. They can also improve your control by providing extra grip to prevent your bike from slipping out of your hands and improve your general control.
How do you properly care for and clean your dirt bike gloves?
A great pair of dirt bike gloves can last you for a long time if taken care of, even if used heavily. Make sure you clean them after use and store them only once you're certain they're dry. Most dirt bike gloves are machine washable, making it easy, but if they're leather, you'll have to clean them by hand, following the manufacturer's instructions to avoid damaging them.
Top dirt bike gloves
Fox Racing Men's Dirtpaw Motocross Gloves
What you need to know: This excellent pair of dirt bike gloves are perfect for racing with strong flexibility.
What you'll love: The palm is very well protected against crashes with plenty of padding.
What you should consider: The fingers themselves are poorly protected due to a lack of padding.
Top dirt bike gloves for the money
COFIT Motorcycle Gloves
What you need to know: This set of dirt bike gloves sacrifices no protection to keep its cost as low as it is.
What you'll love: The silicone dots on the palms allow for an antislip grip. The metal fibers in the fingers help you to swipe on your phone easily without taking your gloves off. The knuckles and palms are reinforced with PVC.
What you should consider: These gloves run small.
Worth checking out
Seibertron Dirtpaw Unisex Gloves
What you need to know: This is a perfect set of dirt bike gloves for beginners.
What you'll love: The four main fingers each have individual raised padding for maximum joint protection and grip.
What you should consider: It can be tricky to find a set that fits well as they tend to run a bit large.
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