Glove Fit and Break-In
How to Choose the Right Glove Length
Gloves length means two things: finger length (part of your size) and cuff length. How to choose short cuff vs gauntlet, plus fashion lengths in buttons.
Glove length means two things. One is the length of the glove's fingers and palm, which is part of your size. The other is how far the cuff reaches up your arm. Riders choose the cuff by how they ride: short cuffs suit warm, slow riding, while gauntlets suit speed, cold and rain. Fashion gloves give their length in "buttons".
Part of our guide to glove fit and break-in.
Length as part of your size
Glove makers size by two measurements: around the knuckles, and the length from the base of the palm to the fingertips. Some charts, including the Leather Collection chart, use circumference only. Even so, the fingers have to fit. The seams between the glove fingers should meet the base of your fingers, with no spare material at the tips. Dents makes a separate collection with shorter fingers for that reason.
To measure, follow how to measure your hand for gloves. When length and circumference point to different sizes, see how hand length affects glove size.
Cuff length for riding gloves
Sources:
How long is long enough? Sources agree that EN 13594 Level 2 gloves need a cuff at least 50 mm (about 2 in) past the wrist line. They disagree on Level 1. SATRA and the store's racing-glove guide say 5 mm (about 0.2 in); D3O says 15 mm (about 0.6 in). A road-safety group advises at least 50 mm past the wrist joint for any riding glove.
Most gauntlets are made to go over the jacket sleeve. Worn over, they stop air running up the sleeve; worn under, they let some in. For more on the style, read what gauntlet gloves are and who wears them.
| Cuff | Coverage | Closure | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short cuff | Hand to the wrist | Usually one wrist strap | Hot weather, city riding |
| Semi-gauntlet | Past the wrist, short of a full gauntlet | Varies | In between |
| Gauntlet | Hand and wrist to mid-forearm | Usually two straps: wrist and cuff | Cold, rain, speed, touring and racing |
Fashion glove lengths in buttons
Formal gloves come in three main lengths: wrist, elbow and opera (over the elbow, usually to the biceps). Gloves that go past the elbow are called opera gloves, or full-length gloves. Length is counted in buttons from the thumb seam to the top of the glove, but sources disagree on the unit. Wikipedia treats a button as an inch; a vintage glove seller says it is slightly longer than an inch.
Source:
Brands use their own names. Dents makes men's gloves in wrist, above-wrist and gauntlet lengths, and women's in six lengths up to opera.
| Buttons | Approx. length | Reaches |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 8–9 in (20–23 cm) | Wrist |
| 4 | 10–11 in (25–28 cm) | Over the wrist, onto the forearm |
| 6 | 12–13 in (30–33 cm) | Well up the forearm |
| 8 | 14–15 in (36–38 cm) | Upper forearm |
| 12 | 18–19 in (46–48 cm) | Elbow |
| 16 | 22–23 in (56–58 cm) | Mid-biceps (opera) |
Pick a riding cuff in three questions
- How and where do you ride? For short, warm city trips, a short cuff is enough. At speed, in the cold, or on tour, choose a gauntlet.
- What closes your jacket sleeve? Under-cuff gauntlets are hard to push under sleeves that close with snaps, so over the sleeve is easier.
- Does the cuff still overlap when you reach for the bars? Check it in riding position, along with the rest of how motorcycle gloves should fit.
Then compare styles in Leather Collection motorcycle gloves. Check each style's photos to see where the cuff ends before you order.
Sources
The Motorcycle Gloves Editorial Team
The Motorcycle Gloves articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.