Do Motorcycle Gloves Actually Prevent Injury? CE Ratings and What Actually Matters

Hands are the most commonly injured body part in low-speed motorcycle crashes, because riders instinctively put them out to break a fall. That single fact makes gloves the highest-value protective gear per dollar you can buy. But "protective" means different things depending on the glove, so here is a straight look at what gloves do, what CE ratings mean, and what actually matters for the way you ride.

Two jobs a glove does

Abrasion resistance is the leather sliding across pavement instead of your skin. Impact protection is hard armor over the knuckles and palm. Most street and cruiser riders prioritize abrasion; track and aggressive sport riders want both. A basic full-grain leather glove with no armor is still a dramatic step up from bare hands and prevents the road rash, friction burns, and degloving that unprotected hands suffer even in a tip-over.

What CE ratings actually mean

CE-rated gloves are tested to the EN 13594 standard. Level 1 passes a lower abrasion and impact threshold and is lighter and more flexible. Level 2 passes a higher threshold and is usually bulkier with hard knuckle armor. A "KP" mark means the glove includes tested knuckle protection. If a certified rating is a firm requirement for you, buy a glove that carries the specific EN 13594 mark you want, and know that many classic American leather riding gloves are not sold as CE-marked armored gloves.

Which leather protects best

For pure abrasion resistance, cowhide and horsehide beat deerskin because they are thicker and denser. Deerskin trades a little abrasion resistance for better feel and a much faster break-in. If you want the comfort of deerskin with more protection, an aramid-lined deerskin glove adds a Kevlar-class fiber layer for cut and abrasion resistance without much bulk. Legendary USA makes one, and its glove safety section lays out the abrasion-versus-impact tradeoff honestly.

The features that matter

• Full-grain leather, not split or corrected.

• A secure wrist closure so the glove stays on during a slide. A glove that flies off protects nothing.

• Reinforced or double-layer leather on the palm where you land.

• Optional knuckle armor or an aramid lining for added protection.

Bottom line

Any real leather glove beats bare hands by a wide margin. For maximum impact protection, buy a CE Level 2 gauntlet with hard armor, from a brand like Held. For American-made leather with genuine abrasion resistance and everyday feel, full-grain deerskin or cowhide is the traditional answer, and the aramid-lined options split the difference. The worst glove is the one you leave at home.

MotoGearRater is reader-supported and may earn commissions from partners including Legendary USA. This is gear information, not a safety guarantee.