MCN's complete guide to heated motorcycle gloves | A deep dive into the holy grail of winter kit

If you’ve been riding in winter for any significant time, you’ll know there’s one part of your body that gets numb before anywhere else — and it’s horrible. Even thermal motorcycle gloves won’t protect your fingers from the windchill effect forever, and you’ll eventually succumb to the elements, wishing there was a better way.

Well you don’t have to store your bike away until spring just because of that — heated gloves are genuine bliss in cold weather rides, and they go a long way to help you ride through the whole of winter in glorious comfort. They’re the best solution bikers have to the cold hand problem; whether you’re working day-in day-out on the bike, or just appreciate your ride more when the roads are less busy.

Read on to find everything you need to know about heated motorcycle gloves, and our favourites on the market right now.

What are heated motorcycle gloves?

Heated motorcycle gloves are just like regular winter gloves, but they incorporate tiny electronic heating elements that run all over your hand and fingers. They’re either powered by rechargeable batteries, or by connecting to your bike’s battery, and heat up to keep your hands nice and toasty.

They’re typically more effective at battling the bitter cold than heated grips, since the heating elements run all across the back of your hands and knuckles, where heated grips can’t reach. The heat is also much closer to your hands, so they don’t require as much energy to keep you warm.

Of course, handlebar muffs are a great alternative if the higher price-tag of heated gloves makes you wince — nothing will keep your hands warmer for cheaper, even if they aren’t exactly the pinnacle of fashion.

What to consider before buying heated gloves

Make sure to check beforehand if the gloves you’re considering are powered from the bike or by rechargeable batteries — not every pair can do both, and if they can then one of them’s usually an optional extra. If you need all-day toastiness, hard-wiring them to the bike is the way to go, but batteries offer some extra convenience for shorter rides like commuting, so weigh up your choices based on your needs.

Heated gloves typically run for a couple of hours on battery power at full blast, or a handful of hours on lower settings, but make sure to check this for each pair you’re considering — the battery size usually makes the biggest difference to running time. With this in mind, make sure to budget in some spare batteries if you need, and be sure to get the specific batteries recommended by the manufacturer. You might be able to find some cheaper knock-off batteries that claim they’ll work, but it’s not worth risking a nasty burn for.

Consider that you’ll need to store the batteries appropriately when not in regular use, to help them last as long as possible. That means out of direct sunlight, at room temperature, charged between 40-50% before storing. Otherwise you could set out for your first cold ride after summer ends, only to find out they barely hold a charge anymore. Some batteries offer USB-C charging, which is a big win for convenience over the older barrel plug style.

Of course, a heated glove isn’t much good if it isn’t also waterproof, so steer clear of anything that doesn’t feature some kind of waterproof membrane. A visor wipe can also prove useful in wet conditions, so look for one of those if you’ll find it useful.

The best heated motorcycle gloves

How MCN tests gloves

Here at MCN, we make it our mission to help you find the right kit for you, at the right price for your budget. We don’t crash test (on purpose), nor lab test; there’s no substitute for just putting in the miles, clutching and braking thousands of times over, to put a pair of heated gloves through their paces.

In short, we test our gloves the same way you’ll use yours; by riding. And, we make sure to put at least 1000 miles in them before sharing our findings. Our word is backed by hundreds of thousands of miles in the saddle collectively, as well as comparing notes in the office, but our recommendations come from each tester individually.

While testing, we mainly focus on comfort, looks, build quality, protection, and value. When we write up our full reviews, we’ll give each pair of heated gloves a rating out of five stars in each of these categories, and offer a final verdict too. This page is only for the best heated riding gloves, so every pair you’ll see has been awarded at least four stars overall – that’s the passing grade – but here’s what each score really means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A glove with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A glove with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level, and there is much room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A glove with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A glove has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A glove with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A glove has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A glove with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

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