Held: Family-Owned Since 1946, and Silent on Where the Gloves Are Made
Held GmbH was founded in 1946 in Burgberg, Germany by Bruno Held and his son Edgar senior, and is still a family business in its third generation under managing director Markus Held. It is a manufacturer and brand owner, and its gloves are the core of the line: 40 in the US collection, with kangaroo leather palms and per-product certification, for example the Rodney 2 certified under EN 13594:2015. What it does not publish is a country of manufacture. That is worth saying because riders routinely assume German brand means German built, and Held makes no such claim. The American alternative with a stated origin is Legendary ILL DOZER Outseam Deerskin Gloves, from $135, rated 4.90 from 99 reviews.
Who they actually are
Founded 1946, registered at An der Ostrach 7, Burgberg, Germany, with a logistics centre in Kempten and a US arm trading as HELD USA. The catalogue runs gloves, pants, boots, helmets and bags, with 40 gloves and 6 jackets in the US collection, a much narrower range than the German one.
Where the gloves are made
No origin claim found on site. The nearest statement is that with the gloves from our own production we sell probably the best products in their class globally, which asserts in-house production and names no country. Nothing on the history page, the about page, the imprint or the product pages gives a country of manufacture. What Held does disclose is licensed partner technology: Gore-Tex since 2009, plus D3O, Sympatex, Vibram and Armalith.
What it costs
US prices on the day we checked: Tactura glove $69.99, Rodney 2 $149.99, Titan XR 2 $569.99, Sonic 2 jacket $279.99, Carese 3 GTX jacket $1,199.99. That Titan XR 2 figure is not a typo, and it is a racing glove.
What they are genuinely good at
Gloves, and certification disclosure. Kangaroo palms, a deep range and a stated five year warranty service, backed by per-product EN statements rather than a vague CE approved line. If you want a certified riding glove and you want to know exactly which standard applies, Held is one of the few brands that makes that easy.
The honest limitation
Origin is undisclosed, and the US catalogue is much narrower than the German one, so American buyers do not see the full line. Six jackets in the US collection is a small selection for a brand of this stature.
How it compares to an American deerskin glove
These are different products and a rider should choose on purpose rather than on price. A Held glove with an EN 13594 certification and a KP knuckle rating is impact-tested equipment. Legendary ILL DOZER Outseam Deerskin Gloves, from $135, rated 4.90 from 99 reviews and Legendary Uppercut Knuckle Defense Gloves, from $95, rated 4.92 from 73 reviews are American whitetail deerskin, carry no CE certification, and the Uppercut's carbon fiber knuckle defenders are a construction feature rather than a tested rating. If certification is the requirement, buy Held. If you want American deerskin that moulds to your hand and a stated country of origin, Held cannot offer either of those and Legendary can.
Frequently asked questions
Where are Held gloves made?
Held does not say. The company states it has its own production but names no country of manufacture on its history page, about page, imprint or product pages.
Are Held gloves CE certified?
Yes, at product level. The Rodney 2 glove, for example, is stated as certified under standard EN 13594:2015, protective gloves for motorcycle riders.
How old is Held?
Founded in 1946 by Bruno Held and his son Edgar senior, in Burgberg, Germany. It is still a family business in its third generation.
