Jan
14
Product Review: BMW Allround 2 Glove
I’ve been struggling as a daily commuter with my current glove of choice, the Cortech Scarab winter glove, which I purchased from a shop in Salem, Ore. early last spring. As northwest riders know, a winter glove that is not also waterproof is not a winter glove at all: it’s scrap.
After a few resprays of Scotchguard on my Scarbs, I decided to look around for another insulated, waterproof winter glove. To my delight, last week I found a pair of BMW Allround 2 gloves at European Motorcycles here in Eugene for only $60. Operating on a shoestring, I was psyched about the price and snapped them up in time for my holiday run (approx. 380 miles during the week) up to various events.
The Allround 2 glove is a leather glove with goretex attachments and ample padding on the knuckles and a snazzy reflective strip running the length of the glove from outer wrist to pinkie. Insulation on the inner is downy-soft and remains that way since it is free of moisture. Complete with wrist and gauntlet velcro, the glove seems to secure perfectly to my hand without pinching. The leather palm and fingers are waterproof as well, and give for a more natural look. The left index finger also has a squeegee attachment that is perfect for misty days. If I had one complaint about the glove, it would be the seam attaching the thumb to the palm. After a few long rides in the last two weeks I noticed it starting to press on the ball of my hand. However, I will say that it seems to be wearing in nicely and I expect that annoyance to go away (with any hope).
The holiday week provided excellent conditions with which to test the glove, given that the first half of the week was dry and very cold, followed by a mild and soggy weekend. I can say that the glove – with heated grips – performed perfectly in below 37 degree temperatures in the very cold weather. The temps were neutralized with heated grips, leaving me comfortable with ample dexterity larger, full-winter gloves would not afford. In very wet weather, the glove performed wonderfully with enough insulation to ride without heated grips and leaving my hands absolutely bone dry.
Overall, I am incredibly happy with the Allround 2 glove. I believe it will be a perfect three-season glove, and will last for ages. Hopefully I will be able to give you an update in a few months once the season has passed for a comparison.
BMW Allround 2 Glove ($60, EMCWOR.COM)
Pros: Leather, Gore-Tex, waterproof, insulated, price
Cons: Inner seam