Racer Gloves High Speed Review

Racer Gloves High Speed Test

Although Racer Gloves makes a wide variety of gloves that don’t involve racing, the Austrian company’s High Speed glove fits the bill as competition-ready. However, fulfilling Racer’s reputation for comfort, the High Speed gloves are fully usable on the street when you expect to be riding at, well, high speeds.

Racer claims that the High Speed gloves require “virtually no break-in.” We found that to be slightly inaccurate — these gloves are flexible, usable, and completely comfortable on the very first ride, right off the rack. The soft perforated cowhide chassis feels great on the back of your hands, while the kangaroo palm is a tactile treat from the heel of your palm to the tips of your fingers. Along with a floating knuckle design, the High Speed glove allows full movement and comfort immediately.

Securing the High Speed gloves is simple, with a large hook-and-loop flap on the gauntlet, along with a narrower strap to cinch down to taste on your wrist. Sometimes, racing gloves are difficult to get on and off, but these Racer gloves take just seconds, yet feel completely secure on the hand and I never had any fear of them coming off.

As you would expect, safety and protective features are plentiful. You’re tipped off that these are serious racing gloves thanks to the ring and little fingers being joined together with a flexible bridge. All fingers get slightly flexible plastic urethane protection; often, this protection can cause some discomfort when riding and operating levers, but they are nicely isolated from your hand.

Serious impact protection in there, should you find yourself sliding palms-down along the road or track. A common injury from a crash is a broken scaphoid—Managing Editor Kelly Callan has suffered this one, as has two-time MotoGP champion Casey Stoner.

The High Speed gloves have a Scaphoid Protection System from Knox, a leader in protective equipment design, that guards your scaphoid and triquetral bones from impact damage, as well as abrasion.

There’s a Pittards leather grip patch offering abrasion protection for your palm’s transverse metacarpal arch, while a large vented plastic guard protects your outer wrist. The hard plastic knuckle armor looks almost aerodynamic. With the floating design, the plastic never rubs on your knuckles, so comfort and ease of use is not compromised in any way. None of this protection inhibits movement or comfort.

It’s easy to say the Racer High Speed gloves are no-compromise protection for your hand. However, you don’t have to be an “all the gear, all the time” kind of guy to wear Racer High Speed gloves. This high performance protection is also incredibly comfortable and they can be used as everyday gloves for riders who would never venture near a racetrack.

For additional information, visit Racer Gloves.