Bag a bargain and keep bad weather at bay with the RST Paragon 6 Ladies gloves

RST’s Pro Series Paragon range is the British firm’s top-spec touring line, which on paper make the Paragon 6 RST’s best motorcycle gloves for bad weather.

• Related: RST Paragon 6 heated gloves review

Launched for the 2021 riding season, the Paragon 6 gloves are a comprehensive overhaul of the – yes, you guessed it – Paragon 5 gloves from 2019.

Gone are the zip cuff closure and carbon-fibre knuckle armour, replaced by a drawstring cuff and matt knuckle armour for an altogether more touring (less overtly sporty) look.

Comfort

For winter gloves the Paragon 6 are impressively lacking in bulk and as a result offer excellent feel through the palms and fingers. The fit is generous meaning that they slide on and off the hands easily, whilst still fitting perfectly in the fingers (I tested the womens’ specific fit in my usual size 7 and found them to be spot on.)

Inside, the brushed polyester lining feels soft and instantly warm, although doesn’t have the palm-pleasing wow factor of those winter gloves which feature posh fleecy linings. That said, the Paragon certainly aren’t lacking in warmth as they’re backed up with a 3M Thinsulate insulation layer.

In fact, for their weight and not being heated gloves, the Paragon 6 are impressively warm; at single-figure temperatures they’ll keep hands happy without needing heated grips. For more balmy days in spring they may even prove a little too toasty, which is why I think these gloves are best suited as winter wear rather than touring gloves.

The knuckle armour has been backed with memory foam so there’s no harsh feeling across the backs of your hands when gripping the throttle, plus the wrist strap and cuff remain extremely comfortable too, allowing a good range of adjustability without feeling restrictive or bulky.

Looks

The Paragon 6 are a more traditional sports-touring style of glove than the Paragon 5 they replace, which were more racy in their design with carbon-fibre knuckle protection and eye-catching zip-close cuff. With the matt fabric covering over the knuckle armour and drawstring cuff, the Paragon 6 look technical, which is something that appeals to me, whilst at the same time still being subtle. They’re only available in black, and have very few logos.

Quality

They’re warm and waterproof – what more can you ask from a winter glove, especially one at this price? The Sinaqua membrane is still working after 3000 miles, and this waterproofing is massively assisted by the cuff.

Thanks to the drawstring system you can opt to wear the Paragon 6 over your jacket sleeves and then pull the drawstring tight to form a seal preventing rain from trickling down into the gloves. The elasticated drawstring combined with the plastic locking mechanism makes it really easy to get a good, tight seal, even with one hand.

Alternatively, because of the cuffs’ lack of bulk you can also opt to pull your jacket sleeves over the top for the ultimate in rain resistance. As someone who can be pretty lazy about wearing my gloves inside my jacket sleeves, I love the drawstring system as it still protects me from rain ingress.

Then there’s also little details like the visor wipe on both index fingers, as well as the thick tab on the end of the Velcro wrist strap which prevents the strap from falling out of the metal retaining loop, meaning you never have to faff around trying to thread it back through.

Being picky, there are one or two frayed threads on the palm but nothing that appears to be structurally weakening the gloves. Also, some of the edges of the leather panels on the backs of the fingers have started to lift, but again this is simply unsightly and currently does not affect the integrity of the gloves.

Protection

These gloves are rated to the CE standard for motorcycling gloves (EN13594:2015) at Level 1KP meaning they meet the lower (most common) level for gloves and also have knuckle protection. As they’re made from a combination of tough HTC fabric and leather, they do give a sense that they’d protect you in a crash, especially as the palms are full leather and there’s also additional strengthening panels across the heel of the hand and spreading up the outer side of the hand to just below the little finger.

The generous fit of these gloves makes them feel a little floppier than other, more structured pairs (which I personally feel a little more protected when wearing). However, for being that little less rigid in their chassis, the Paragon 6’s comfort is boosted and so too is the ease of getting them on and off.

Value

Even at their £79.99 RRP, the Paragon 6 gloves are excellent value, but now they’re widely available online for just £54.99, I think they’re well worth investing in. Similar gloves around this price point include the Merlin Titan Outlast, which at £79.99 also feature hard knuckle protection, a double cuff system, waterproof membrane, and also thermal assistance courtesy of Outlast technology.

If you are hellbent on having Gore-Tex, the cheapest 1KP leather-mixed-fabric winter glove currently available is the Bering Hercule Gore-Tex at £109.99.

Verdict

Whereas many winter gloves can be a total compromise – warm but lacking feel, comfy but lacking protection – the RST Pro Series Paragon 6 prove that you can have a bad weather glove that does it all. It’s clear that they’ve been very thoughtfully designed, with features such as zoned leather in key areas, silicone grips on the palms, pre-curved fingers, and visor wipes, too.

Combined with the reliable Sinaqua membrane, the drawstring cuff system offers flexibility, allowing hands to remain dry regardless of whether you wear your gloves on the inside or outside of your sleeves. Meanwhile the Thinsulate thermal lining does a perfect job of giving the right amount of warmth for typical British winter conditions without being overly bulky. Plus, the feeling of protection that the Paragon 6 offer is very reassuring too.

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