Alpinestars Reef Gloves Review

“The Alpinestars Reef gloves are well-priced, super light, very comfortable and have a decent number of features and protection for such a lightweight and simple glove.”

By Andy Davidson

Mad or Nomad - RTW motorcycle travellers

Snapshot

Price: £37.99
Time tested: 4 months
Miles tested: 8,000 miles
Testing conditions: USA and Canada
Functionality: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Value for money: 5/5
Total score: 5/5
Where to buy UK: sportsbikeshop.co.uk
Where to buy US: revzilla.com
Where to buy EU: fc-moto.de

Alpinestars Reef Gloves

I’m an Alpinestars fan. No doubt about it. I owned the same £30 pair of Alpinestars Spartan summer gloves for about seven years and covered 200,000 miles in them. They were shredded by the end and I couldn’t let them go. The same for Alpinestars Toucan boots – at least 150,000 miles.

I love the gear because it’s well-made and importantly, because it fits – perfectly.

So, when I did have to eventually leave my old Spartan gloves behind, I was pretty sad to hear they had been discontinued. I instead opted for these Reef gloves and they’re stuck with me for the next 200K now.

There’s a lot to be said for lightweight, breathable summer gloves. I wear mine throughout the year until my fingers are about to drop off from the cold. But I do run heated grips and Barkbusters handguards, so I can stay in them for longer. I also don’t mind if they get wet, especially as we’re constantly travelling on our bikes because they dry quickly.

They make controlling the bike easier and I just don’t like big, clunky and thick gloves. So, these are perfect.

Features

They’re made using synthetic suede on the palm, have stretch panelling in the fingers and rubber inserts as well as stretch material by the thumb so it’s not strained when gripping the throttle. The knuckles are also covered in PVC impact protection and the back of the hand has mesh panelling.

They also feature touch screen fingertips on both the left and right glove.

What’s good?

The Reefs are incredibly breathable and light. They fit perfectly and are all day comfy when riding. The stretch mesh on the back of the hand allows for a decent amount of airflow so you’ll never be riding along with hot hands in these.

The synthetic suede on the palm makes for excellent grip, which is extra important when standing and riding off-road aggressively. But these gloves are equally at home on the roads too.

The gloves are done up with a simple Velcro strap so they can be easily and quickly be put on and taken off.

Round-up

The Alpinestars Reef gloves are well-priced, super light, very comfortable and have a decent number of features and protection for such a lightweight and simple glove.

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