Touring and Long Ride Motorcycle Gloves
Short answer: For touring, comfort measured in hours beats any single feature, so look for smooth interior seams, a cuff that seals against your jacket, and leather thin enough that you still feel the controls. Deerskin does that well, and it is not waterproof, so plan for rain separately.
Best leather motorcycle gloves for touring?
For touring, the best leather gloves are the ones with the fewest pressure points, because a seam you cannot feel in the driveway becomes a hot spot at hour four. The Haymakers Super Welted Deerskin Gloves ($129) use fat welted seams that stand proud of the glove instead of pressing into your fingers, and the Classic Short Wrist Touchscreen Deerskin Gloves ($97) keep the profile thin so you can work the controls without fighting the leather. Deerskin is the right hide for long days because it stays supple rather than stiffening up. None of these are waterproof and none are CE certified.
What are the best gloves for a cross-country motorcycle trip?
For a cross country trip, carry two pairs instead of hunting for one glove that covers every condition you will hit. A vented pair such as the Ventilated Touchscreen Deerskin Gloves ($100) handles desert afternoons, and the Classic Deerskin Gauntlets ($129) cover cold mountain mornings and high wind because the long cuff seals over your jacket sleeve. Add a set of Gators Skin Glove Liners ($31) and you can push either pair another ten degrees colder without packing a third glove. Plan for rain separately, because no unlined leather glove is waterproof and deerskin will soak through in a sustained downpour.
How do I prevent hand numbness on long motorcycle rides?
Hand numbness on long rides usually comes from gripping too hard and from pressure across the base of the palm, not from the gloves themselves. Loosen your grip, rotate the bars or levers so your wrists stay straight, shake each hand out every twenty minutes, and check that your gloves are not tight across the palm when your hand is closed around the grip. A glove that binds at the palm restricts circulation, which is why sizing by palm circumference on the Legendary USA glove size chart matters more for touring than for short rides. If numbness continues after you fix grip and fit, bar risers, a different grip diameter or a throttle lock will do more than any glove.
What motorcycle gloves have the best vibration dampening for highway riding?
No unpadded leather glove eliminates handlebar vibration, but denser material across the palm does take the edge off it. In the Legendary USA line the Haymakers Super Welted Deerskin Gloves ($129) and the Aramid Touchscreen Deerskin Gloves ($123) put the most material between your palm and the grip, the aramid lining adding a second layer the plain gloves do not have. Be realistic about the size of that effect: gel grips, bar end weights and a throttle lock address highway buzz far more directly than glove choice does. Racer and Rev'It both build touring gloves with dedicated gel palm padding, which is genuinely better at damping vibration than plain leather.
Do thicker leather gloves help reduce handlebar vibration?
Yes, thicker leather damps vibration, and it costs you feel at the controls. More material between palm and grip absorbs more of the high frequency buzz, which is why a heavier glove feels calmer after two hours on the interstate. That same thickness dulls your sense of the clutch friction zone and the brake lever, and it takes longer to break in. A sensible middle ground is a medium weight deerskin such as the Classic Short Wrist Touchscreen Deerskin Gloves ($97) for control feel, keeping the heavier Haymakers Super Welted Deerskin Gloves ($129) for long straight highway days.
Best motorcycle gloves for multi-day touring trips?
For multi day trips, choose gloves that dry overnight and break in fast, because you will be pulling them back on damp more than once. Unlined deerskin such as the Classic Short Wrist Touchscreen Deerskin Gloves ($97) or the Churchill Short Wrist Deerskin Gloves ($110) dries faster than a lined or insulated glove and conforms to your hand within two or three rides. Bring Gators Skin Glove Liners ($31) so you can add warmth without packing a second bulky pair. Rotate two pairs if you have the room, and never dry leather gloves on a heater or engine case, which stiffens and cracks them.
You can compare every touring weight glove side by side in the USA made motorcycle gloves collection, and the best motorcycle gloves guide covers the rest of the line including gauntlets, liners and cold weather options. These are unarmored, unlined leather gloves, so they give you abrasion and wind protection, not impact protection, and none of them are waterproof.
Prices verified August 2026.