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Nothing compares to a proper pair of dirt bike gloves for technical off-road work. Stretchy, breathable, and oh-so-affordable, here's how to pick a pair of dirt bike gloves to add to your kit.
Funny how the simplest things can often be the most effective.
Although they're typically little more than a single layer of suede attached to a single layer of fabric, a dedicated dirt bike glove can dramatically improve the quality of your off-road riding experience.
"If you aren't riding on the street, CE-certified gloves are probably overkill."Dirt bike gloves are tailor-made to deliver comfort, breathability, and maximum control at the bars. By stripping away all the added leather, padding, and armor needed for on-road rides, you're left with everything you need and nothing you don't.
With that being said, dirt bike gloves come in a few distinct flavors that you'll want to be aware of. Here's what to look for to ensure your next pair of dirt mittens matches your riding style.
Quick List of Dirt Bike Gloves
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Klim Mojave Gloves
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A lightweight off-road glove with excellent protection and breathability. | CHECK PRICE |
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Fox Dirtpaw |
A great trail glove on a budget that will stand up to branches and roost for multiple seasons. | CHECK PRICE |
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Alpinestars Full Bore |
Another great woods/trail glove that prioritizes protection and feel at the bars. | CHECK PRICE |
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100% Brisker |
A motocross-inspired glove that adds a touch of insulation for extra warmth on cold days. | CHECK PRICE |
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Leatt 7.5 X-Flow Short Gloves |
Ultra-breathable and flexible off-road glove with just enough protection for street use. | CHECK PRICE |
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Troy Lee Air Mono |
The lightest, stretchiest, and most breathable motocross-specific glove we've ever worn. | CHECK PRICE |
What to Look For in Dirt Bike Gloves
While dirt bike gloves are comparatively simpler that street gloves, there are a few key features that separate different models and their applications. Here are the cliff notes on the most important things we look for when shopping for a new pair.
Feel At the Controls
Dirt bike gloves are a significant departure from your typical street or adventure gloves in several ways. Things like abrasion resistance, impact protection, and weatherproofing all take a back seat to comfort and feel at the controls.
That's because the main purpose of the best dirt bike gloves is to provide as much feedback, dexterity, and grip as possible. Even the most technical, well-fitting street gloves on the planet should pale in comparison to a pair of dirt bike gloves in this regard.
"Dirt bike gloves aren't just for the track. They're great for long days on the trail as well, especially in the heat of our Vietnam tour."The main thing to look for to ensure good feel is synthetic suede palm (also called by the brand name "clarino"), which will ideally made from a single layer of material. Thin leather is common in more dual sport oriented models, but suede is best.
Some dirt bike gloves use a double layer of suede for added durability and blister protection, but keep in mind that any time you add a seam between your hand and your controls, you're going to feel it.
Another important feature to look out for here is added silicone grip material, which is typically found at the fingertips for better purchase on the levers, but can also be added to the palm as well.
We've found printed silicone grip to be a feature worth buying, while the palm or glove pull application is typically just for looks.
Durability
While the shelf life of dirt bike gloves is almost always shorter than their beefier street or adventure counterparts, durability remains a hallmark of quality. It's not uncommon to only see two or three seasons from a dirt bike glove, but two or three rides is a no-go.
"If you're taking your motocross gloves out on a dirt tour, durability is an important consideration."
Unfortunately there's really no cut-and-dry way to predict the durability of a dirt bike glove. The overwhelming majority of the gloves in this segment use seemingly identical materials and construction.
Single-stiched seams, thin mesh, and lycra are all hallmarks of the genre, so when in doubt, go with a brand you trust that's already had a few decent reviews.
The best advice we can give is that in our experience, gloves made to appeal to "professional race" applications tend to be the shortest-lived, as they favor outright comfort and stretch over multi-season longevity.
With that being said, all dirt bike gloves are inexpensive compared to their street-going siblings, and even the best in the business typically retail for $50 or less.
Breathability & Comfort
Motocross is a particularly active (and therefor sweaty) off-road discipline, which is why MX gloves are typically made almost entirely from either light mesh or spandex. Because they're used solely on an open dirt track, added protection isn't required.
Enduro/trail-focused gloves, on the other hand, typically add some sort of knuck protection into the mix like rubberized TPU to protect them from stinging branches. It's not uncommon to see more durable fabrics in these gloves for the same reason.
Both designs are extremely breathable and comfortable when properly fit, although in our experience knuckle protection can slightly impact the overall flexibility and "natural" feel of a dirt bike glove.
If you plan on riding anywhere other than an open racetrack, we recommend choosing a glove with some degree of knuckle protection.
The difference between the two is minor both in terms of comfort and flexibility, but your knuckles will thank you the first time you take a tree branch to the hand at speed.
Our Top Picks For Best Dirt Bike Gloves of 2025
Our goal with the list below was to choose the ideal dirt bike glove for every rider, whether you're riding track, trail, or a little bit of everything.
If you plan on connecting your off-road shenanigans with pavement, we highly recommend checking out our rundown of adventure and dual sport gloves, as a dirt bike glove simply isn't going to protect you from the speeds or hazards of paved roads.
1. Klim Mojave MX Gloves
We've been running the Klim Mojave on all manner of terrain from the slickrock trails of Moab to muddy climbs in the Colorado backcountry. If you're looking to take your dirt bike gloves anywhere other than a race track, the Mojave is a great option.
So what's to love about the Klim Mojave? Well, for starters they're about as light, flexible, and breathable as you could ask for, and deliver outstanding feel at the controls with a single-layer suede palm and silicone fingers for all-weather grip on the levers.
We're also big fans of the Mojave for their elevated durability: Our current pair has been issue-free after several thousand miles of off-road use, with no discernable wear in the seams, mesh, or palms. Some of the printed silicone has peeled, but that's it.
Klim even managed to sneak a second layer of suede reinforcement in between the thumb and forefinger, which keeps any extra material off the palm while doubling down the blister protection along the inside of the grip.
As far as drawbacks go, our only real complaint with the Mojave has been the added knuckle protection. While it doesn't impede ventilation, it does create some light pressure across the knuckles, which you'll start to feel after a few hours out on the trail.
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CHECK PRICE:
Klim Mojave MX Glove
2. Fox Dirtpaw Gloves
We've come to think of the Fox Dirtpaw as the everyman's dirt bike glove. No, it's not the most high tech or race-oriented glove on the market, but it's damn tough, affordable, and checks all the boxes for your average dirt rider.
Durability wise, the top of the Dirtpaw is made from a breathable mesh, but its also a much thicker/burlier material than your typical lycra racing gloves.
They're still plenty flexible, mind you, but they're also not the kind of thing you have to worry about bouncing off branches if you split your time between the track and the trails.
On the underside, we love that the Dirtpaw benefits from a single layer of Clarino synthetic suede for that seam-free feel, but Fox also incorporates a thin layer of padding across the hand for more comfort and less friction on all-day rides.
You're also getting plenty of silicone over the first two fingers for added grip in wet conditions, and thanks to a recent update by Fox, the glove is now touch screen compatible as well.
As far as drawbacks go, the Dirtpaw is tough to fault for your average rider. The mesh between the fingers isn't the toughest stuff we've seen, and the thicker material and padded knuckles won't stretch or breathe quite as well as a pair of ultralight racers.
Still, if a damn fine all-rounder at an agreeable price sounds like a smart buy to you, we're right here with ya.
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CHECK PRICE:
Fox Dirtpaw MX Glove
3. Alpinestars Full Bore
The Full Bore is Alpinestars' woods-specific glove, and in our experience makes for a great alternative to the Dirtpaw above. Construction is nearly identical, as is the price.
In the case of the Full Bore, that means a slightly tougher (yet still breathable and stretchy) upper fabric, which is backed by neoprene and TPR protection on the knuckles and fingers for protection from branches and roost.
Underneath you're getting single layer suede for optimal feel, as well as equal amounts of silicone on the first two fingers for grip. Where the Full Bore distinguishes itself is that the padding on the hand is much less noticeable, so the feel and fit are a bit better.
In that regard, we'd say the Full Bore trades a slight degree of comfort for a slight improvement in feel. Other than that, the two gloves might as well be interchangeable, so style is the only remaining differentiator.
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CHECK PRICE:
Alpinestars Full Bore Glove
4. 100% Brisker MX Gloves
While we love 100%'s minimalist motocross gloves like the iTrack and Ridecamp, it's the 100% Brisker that's always stood out for us.
We love the Brisker because it takes your quintessential dirt bike gloves and adds a touch of insulation to the mix, making these the ideal gloves for those cool mornings or track days in late fall.
We like to rock the 100% Brisker on our fall/winter tours of Baja, where we spend entire days riding in the dirt and temperatures tend to be a bit brisk in the mornings.
The lightweight insulation on the top of the glove cuts just enough air and holds just enough heat to keep us comfortable when we're working hard on the bike. They're still nice and stretchy though, a far cry from your typical cold weather riding glove.
Our only real complaint with the Briskers is that because 100% uses a slightly thicker microfiber material rather than the usual suede on the palm of the glove, feel at the bars isn't quite as direct as traditional options.
It's still degrees of magnitude better than your typical street glove though, so if your off-road exploits stretch into the shoulder seasons, this is the best dirt bike glove to have.
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CHECK PRICE:
100% Brisker Dirt Bike Glove
5. Leatt 7.5 X-Flow Short Gloves
A dual-sport glove for off-road people: that's what the Leatt 7.5 X-Flow is all about. This is the closest thing we've found to motocross-feel in a CE-certified glove, which makes them ideal for anything with knobby tires and a license plate.
Much like any good dirt bike glove, the Leatt 7.5 X-Flow employs a single layer of thier "NanoGrip" synthetic suede across the entire palm/fingers of the glove. There's no extra silicone for grip, but Leatt's proprietary material works well in the wet just the same.
"Full-grain leather surrounds an uninterrupted single-layer suede palm for street-rated protection with maximum feel."The back of the hand is covered with the same sort of stretchy/breathable mesh you'll find on most motocross gloves. Leatt reinforces this material with flexible (and ventilated) TPR protectors over the knuckles and wrist bone.
Last but not least, Leatt then wraps the outer perimeter of the glove, from the heel of the hand to the fingertips, with full-grain leather. This provides the slide protection you need without interfering with your feel at the controls.
The main downside we've found with the 7.5 X-Flow gloves is that Leatt is asking $90 for a pair of minimalist dual sport gloves. That's a bummer because Leatt's new adventure gear line was a great value, but unfortunately these gloves command Klim prices.
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CHECK PRICE:
Leatt 7.5 X-Flow Short Gloves
6. Troy Lee Designs Air Dirt Bike Gloves
If you're looking for a no-compromise motocross glove for the track, the Troy Lee Designs Air is our top pick. Pound for pound this is probably the most flexible, breathable, and comfortable dirt bike glove on the market at any price.
The Air's secret sauce is all in the materials. On the palm, the TLD Air uses a single piece of suede stretched across the palm, fingers, and thumb for a seam-free design that feels nearly naked on the bars.
Everywhere else the glove is made from laser-perforated lycra mesh, which delivers seemingly unlimited stretch and airflow as well as a next-to-skin fit.
You're also getting a healthy dose of silicone grip at the fingers and palm, as well as a highly breathable double-sided Creola compression cuff for a snug fit that never feels restrictive.
The TLD Air gloves include some sonically-welded TPR graphics on the top of the hand as well, but it's more for looks than protection, so we wouldn't recommend these for trail/woods use.
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CHECK PRICE:
Troy Lee Air Dirt Bike Gloves
Closing Thoughts on the Best Dirt Bike Gloves…
Truth be told, you've got a ton of options out there for dirt bike gloves, and so long as you know what you're getting into, the majority of gloves out there from reputable brands will suit you just fine.
These gloves come with varying degrees of protection, but no matter which brand/model you select, it's important to understand that they're simply not built to perform out on the street.
With that being said, nothing else is quite as comfortable, breathable, or forgiving for long days of dirt.
We highly recommend finding a pair that fits well and stashing them in your gear bag for your next off-road tour, just remember to swap them back out when you get back to civilization.
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