Summer and Ventilated Motorcycle Gloves
Short answer: For summer riding, perforated or ventilated leather is the sweet spot, because it moves air across the hand while keeping one continuous layer of leather over it. In the Legendary USA line that means the ILL DOZER Outseam Gloves ($129) for perforation and the Holy Blanco Ventilated Gloves ($114) for vent panels in white leather.
What are the best motorcycle gloves for summer riding?
The best motorcycle gloves for summer riding are perforated or ventilated leather gloves, because they let air pass through the hand while still covering it in a single continuous layer of leather. The ILL DOZER Outseam Gloves ($129) are perforated across the back of the hand and built with outseam construction, so the seam allowances sit outside the glove instead of pressing into your fingers on a long hot day. If you would rather have vent panels than perforation, the Ventilated Short Wrist Deerskin Gloves ($94) do the same job in a plainer glove. All of these are unlined, unarmored deerskin, so treat them as abrasion and wind protection, not as armor.
Best ventilated motorcycle gloves for hot weather touring?
For hot weather touring, pick a ventilated glove in a light color with a short wrist so air can move at the cuff, such as the Holy Blanco Ventilated Gloves ($114) or the ILLEST DOZER White Outseam Gloves ($143). White leather runs cooler than black in direct sun, and the vents keep air moving at highway speed instead of trapping sweat against the palm. The trade is real: a ventilated glove gives up wind protection, so the pair that feels right at 90 degrees F will feel cold at 60 degrees F and at dawn. Pack a second unvented pair if your riding day starts before sunrise.
Mesh vs leather motorcycle gloves for summer?
Mesh breathes better than leather, and leather abrades better than mesh, so the honest choice depends on which one your ride actually needs. Textile mesh flows more air at low speed and dries faster after a rain stop, while full grain deerskin holds together much longer when it is dragged along pavement. Perforated leather sits between the two, which is why the ILL DOZER Outseam Gloves ($129) works for most summer riding. If you want mesh with certified impact protection, Held builds CE rated summer gloves with hard knuckle armor, and that is something no unarmored deerskin glove offers.
Best perforated motorcycle gloves for airflow?
The ILL DOZER Outseam Gloves ($129) are the most airflow focused perforated gloves Legendary USA makes, with perforation across the back of the hand and outseam construction that keeps interior seams off your skin. Perforated leather moves less air than an open mesh panel but far more than solid leather, and it keeps the leather panel intact instead of replacing it. For the most airflow available in the line, the Fingerless Deerskin Gloves ($91.00) cool better than anything else, at the obvious cost of covering nothing below the knuckle.
Lightweight motorcycle gloves for summer that still offer protection?
A lightweight summer glove can give you abrasion coverage and wind protection, but no unarmored deerskin glove gives you impact protection. The Uppercut Knuckle Defense Gloves ($94) are ventilated and add a knuckle panel, which helps with road debris and bug strikes, and they are still not CE certified and still not armor. The Aramid Touchscreen Deerskin Gloves ($123) are the most cut resistant option in the line thanks to an aramid lined palm, though that lining makes them warmer than a fully ventilated glove. If certified impact protection is your priority, buy a CE rated summer glove from Held and accept the extra bulk.
Ready to pick a pair? The full range of perforated and ventilated deerskin sits in the USA made motorcycle gloves collection, and the wider best motorcycle gloves guide compares every weight of glove in the line, from summer perforation through to fleece lined winter gloves. All Legendary USA deerskin gloves are unarmored leather, which means abrasion and wind protection, not impact protection.
Prices verified August 2026.