Macna Equator Summer Men’s Glove Review

Macna Equator Summer Men’s Glove Test

The Macna Equator Summer glove is an unusual interpretation of warm-weather hand protection. Its long gauntlet design extends protection well past the wrist and up the lower third of the forearm.

Here in Wisconsin, where cold-weather sports include snowmobiles, ATV/UTVs and motorcycles, depending on how much snow is on the ground, gauntlet style gloves are common, but not so much for warm weather applications. A leather/textile mesh hybrid gauntlet such as the Macna Equator is uncommon.

Unlike many gauntlets that flare out wide to go over the sleeve of your riding jacket, the Macna Equator’s gauntlet has only a mild flare. The reason? The glove is is designed to be worn inside the sleeve. To make this possible, the Macna Summer Equator features a hook-and-loop closure at the opening, facilitating a snug fit around the lower forearm.

Another hook-and-loop closure strap is at a 30° angle around the wrist where elastic is concealed in a pleated leather stretch zone. Once this glove is properly secured, it seems the only way it parts company from the rider is if your hand is still in it!

Construction is finely detailed with single-stitched seams. There is extensive textile mesh over the back of the glove, fingers and inside aspect of the gauntlet itself.

EVA (short for ethylene vinyl acetate) foam impact protection is included at the knuckles.  Gel foam padding and double leather is located at the heel of the hand on the palm side.  The palm and palm side of the fingers is very soft single thickness leather, with pre-curved fingers and an “Ergothumb” design.

The palm-side finger seams are external, making the interior very smooth with no seam ridges to irritate the fingers when gripping the handlebar grips for long periods. Making the fit and texture of the inside of the glove even smoother is the nylon inner lining.  Comfort in use on the grips and flexibility throughout the glove is excellent.

Despite all the mesh and cool-weather design, my pre-conceived notion of gauntlets being the wrong style for warm-weather riding had me questioning whether the Equator gloves could really be comfortable. In use, the mesh panels over the back of the glove and down the fingers didn’t disappoint.

Cooling was effective and comfortable, though the mesh panel on the gauntlet really didn’t provide a cooling effect that could be felt to the same degree as the fingers.

Fit was true-to-size from the Macna sizing chart, and finger length was exactly right for my hand size; of course everyone’s digits can be a little different.

Macna Equator gloves, which run $96, are distributed exclusively by Twisted Throttle. For additional information, visit twistedthrottle.com.