The poet George Herbert once wrote that “Every mile is two in the winter.” If you’ve gone riding in cold weather without good gear, we’ll wager you’ve got a pretty firm understanding of what he’s getting at there.
Of course ol’ George was born long before the dawn of our beloved two-wheeled travel, and even longer before the invention of one of motorcycling’s guiltiest pleasures: The heated motorcycle glove.
| Heated Gloves: | Summary: | Price: |
Joe Rocket 7V Rocket Burners
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Best budget heated motorcycle gloves for first-time buyers | CHECK PRICE |
Highway 21 Radiant
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Extra warm thanks to added Thinsulate insulation. | CHECK PRICE |
| Alpinestars HT-5 Heat Tech Drystar
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CE-certified protection along with great feel/dexterity. | CHECK PRICE |
Gerbing 12V Vanguard
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12V connection = unlimited heat. | CHECK PRICE |
Hotwired 12V Glove Liner
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Works with the gloves you already own. | CHECK PRICE |
Still have questions about these gloves after the quick list. We'll break it down for you below.
Pound for pound, the Joe Rocket 7V Rocket Burners are probably the best heated motorcycle gloves for 99% of first-time buyers. Their combination of safety, affordability, and ease of use make them an effortless plug-and-play for your cold weather rides.
Safety-wise we’re big fans of the Rocket Burners because where many options out there are essentially just rebranded ski gloves, the Burners are died-in-the-wool motorcycle gloves.
They’re built entirely from a full-grain leather exterior. Combine that with sport added foam impact protection on the fingers, and even include an added layer of hard polyurethane armor over the knuckles for good measure.
As far as the heating aspect goes, we love the Burners because they use a pair of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. They're quick to charge, stash down into the cuff of the glove, and deliver three selectable levels of heat for up to four hours of heat per charge.
They also feature a HiPora liner along the interior. Which is fully waterproof but also reasonably breathable. The extra layers add a little bulk to the overall package, which means feel at the bars isn’t the best.
But if retaining feeling in your fingers what you’re after, these gloves deliver the goods without breaking the bank.
The only major caveat we’ll throw in here is that because the Burners use rechargeable batteries rather than a direct connection to your bike’s battery, they’re not the sort of thing you’d want to depend on for an all-day ride in cold weather.
However, they pack plenty of juice for your average commuter (the low setting delivers around 4 hours of juice, while the warmest setting drains at about 2 hours in our experience).
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Joe Rocket 7V Rocket Burners
While the Burners above are a great option for your average rider, they’re lacking one crucial element for the coldest days: Insulation.
Insulation is what makes a traditional pair of winter motorcycle gloves worth buying in the first place, and it’s a great perk to have if you want your gloves to keep performing once their batteries lose their charge. That’s where these gloves from Highway 21 come into play.
"Our writer Kurt on one of many twisty sections in Patagonia"
For all intents and purposes, you could consider the Highway 21’s nearly identical to the Burners above, albeit with an added 100 grams of Thinsulate insulation stuffed into each glove.
This further boosts their total warming capacity and heat retention, which makes them a better option both for more intense cold and longer trips that may last extend beyond than the limits of battery life.
You’ll have to shell out a few extra bucks for the upgrade, but all things considered we think they’re well worth the asking price. You’re still getting all the perks of the Rocket’s above including a leather chassis, extra padding and armor, identical battery life, and a waterproof breathable liner, but the added versatility of synthetic insulation is smart buy anyway you look at it.
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Highway 21 Radiant
If you’re down to splurge on a truly premium pair of heated motorcycle gloves, the HT-5 Heat Techs from Alpinestars are by far the mittens to beat. This is a compromise-free glove with a price tag to match, but if you’re serious about your cold-weather riding, nothing else can match their performance.
The biggest standout feature of the HT-5 is their excellent dexterity at the controls. Where most heated riding gloves are too big and bulky to get any good feedback through the bars. Alpinestars blessed the HT-5 with a premium goat leather palm to ensure your comfort doesn’t come at the cost of performance.
If you’re down to splurge on a truly premium pair of heated motorcycle gloves, the HT-5 Heat Techs from Alpinestars are by far the mittens to beat. This is a compromise-free glove with a price tag to match, but if you’re serious about your cold-weather riding, nothing else can match their performance.
The biggest standout feature of the HT-5 is their excellent dexterity at the controls. Where most heated riding gloves are too big and bulky to get any good feedback through the bars. Alpinestars blessed the HT-5 with a premium goat leather palm to ensure your comfort doesn’t come at the cost of performance.
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Alpinestars HT-5 Heat Tech Drystar
If you know you need a glove for all-day rides, you just can’t beat a traditional 12V system. By plugging directly into your bike’s battery/wiring harness, you’re guaranteed as much heat as you can stand for as long as you’ve got gas in the tank.
The Gerbing Vanguard is currently our favorite 12V option, and by far the warmest glove we’ve seen on the market. Part of that is due to their maximum heat output of a toasty 135 degrees, but these gloves are also backed with a burly 150 grams of Thinsulate insulation.
Which is then topped off with a premium cowhide leather chassis for outstanding heat retention and wind resistance. What’s even more impressive here is that although the Vanguards come in well under the $200 mark. They also include an impressive dose of safety tech.
For your money you’re getting name-brand Superfabric reinforcement along the palm and edge of the glove, TPU knuckle protection, and additional gel padding at the palms for comfort and impact resistance.
Truth be told the only major downside to these heated motorcycle gloves is that like most 12V systems, you’ll need a heat controller and battery harness to put them to use.
That’ll typically set you back another $50-$100 depending on which option you choose. But also opens up the possibility of adding other heated gear like vests, pants, and even insoles for your boots.
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Gerbing 12V Vanguard Heated Gloves
Looking for the easiest and most affordable way to get into heated gloves? Look no further than the Hotwired 12V heated glove liners, a slim-fitting heated base layer that slides under the gloves you already own for some added warmth.
We love the Hotwired liners because while they come in well under the $100 mark, they just plain work. All you need to do is run the included wiring directly to your bike’s battery, plug the gloves in, and hit the road.
Hotwired’s approach to heated gear is definitely on the simple side, as these gloves only deliver a constant (non-switchable, non-adjustable) 90 degrees of heat whenever you plug them in, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing either.
With no batteries to charge, no controllers to buy, and no complicated wiring to master, this is a simple yet effective method to keep your hands and fingers toasty all winter long. Note that we said both hands and fingers, which is another highlight of these affordable heated glove liners.
Hotwired runs a super-durable alloy filament around every finger in the glove for consistent heat across your hand, which solves one of the single largest complaints we see with many heated motorcycle gloves.
The main drawback to keep in mind here is that Hotwired’s standard 90 degrees of output isn’t nearly as warm as some of the more expensive options with adjustable heat controllers. That means their effectiveness will largely depend on the gloves you pair them with.
So we highly recommend an insulated and windproof cold-weather gauntlet for best results.
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Hotwired 12V Heated Motorcycle Glove Liner
Well let's be honest with ourselves for a moment. Winter gloves help lengthen the time you can spend in the cold however they do not completely keep you warm for the whole duration of the ride day.
And even if you find a pair that does they will feel like something out of an Astronaut's closet.
We believe this is one of the best advantages to heated gloves. You can get your tactile acuity back on the throttle and brake levers all while keeping the hands warm and ready to react.
So, if you're looking to gain some safety and comfort on rides this season, consider investing in a pair of heated gloves.
→Read More: Parking a Motorcycle: 6 rookie mistakes to avoid and 5 Motorcycle Rain Suits to keep you dry this rainy season.