Full-gauntlet leather riding gloves are a necessary discomfort in India. Our harsh weather makes you want thin motocross gloves for most months of the year, but the chaos on our roads makes you want as much protection as possible. The Raida AeroPrix gloves attempt to mitigate that discomfort, balancing protection and comfort. On the protection front, the full-grain leather construction is garnished with a TPR knuckle protector, as well as TPR protectors on the fingers. This material combines the characteristics of plastic and rubber, offering hardness against impact as well as flexibility for comfort. The protectors feature nice, large cut-out vents that channel air to the inside, but also feature grilles to stop bugs or other small foreign objects from getting in. While the entire glove isn’t perforated, there are perforated sections on the fingertips for the index, middle and ring fingers, while the outside of the thumb is entirely perforated. Considering the Rs 5,000 price point, this is perfectly acceptable.
On the palm, you’ve got a pair of plastic Knox SPS protectors at the scaphoid region, which help shield against impact and also act as sliders. Construction for the rest of the palm is a mix of leather and synthetic suede, with additional panels stitched on at the base of the fingers, where abrasion against the handlebar grips has the most severe wearing effect. Rounding out the package are a rubber visor wiper, and touchscreen-compatible tips for both index fingers.
There are many important boxes that the AeroPrix gloves manage to tick, and they do it at a very reasonable price tag. However, there is one shortcoming, and that is the fit of the gloves. I wear a size L glove with most brands, and it’s the same with this pair as well. And while the gloves are neither too big nor too small, what is an issue is the length of the fingers. While my middle fingers and thumbs reach the tips of the gloves on both hands, the other fingers do not. There is a noticeable gap left at the fingertips in the index, ring and pinky fingers. This void is more pronounced on the left than on the right hand, even though my left hand is slightly larger than my right. I found this robbing me of confidence when on board the motorcycle. Of course, human bodies are varied and unique, so my recommendation would be to try these gloves on for size before purchasing them. If they fit you well, they can make for a great full-gauntlet glove with high levels of everyday usability. But if not, you might want to look elsewhere, at least until Raida can perfect the fit of these gloves.
Where: raidagears.com
Gavin Rodrigues
Dinshaw Magol
Rishaad Mody
