We rarely publish motorcycle gear review without a single complaint or gripe. But every once in a while, a product comes along that effortlessly ticks all the last boxes on our meticulous must-have list. Or, in the case of Saint's Inside Out and Road gloves, two products.
It's no secret that we're fans of Saint motorcycle gear, so we're now featuring the Australian motorcycle apparel brand on our site. newly opened gear store. The question arises: is this more of a recommendation than a review? Absolutely… but not for the reasons you think.
Yes, if you buy a new pair of Saint Inside Out or Road [above] gloves from our shop, it will help keep the lights on here. But that doesn't mean my views aren't entirely my own, based on miles spent behind the wheel in both pairs of gloves. If we recommend a product here, it means we would recommend it to you if you met us on the road.
I can honestly say that these are some of the best gloves I have ever owned and ridden in. Here's why…
Saint Inside Out Gloves There's only one pair of gloves in my closet that can match my Saint Inside Out gloves for comfort. And that particular pair doesn't have knuckle protection, which says a lot about how well-thought-out Saint's offering is.
The secret to their supreme comfort is twofold. Designed in the classic work glove style, Inside Outs are made entirely from soft goatskin leather. So they feel luxurious right out of the box and don’t need to be broken in.
Secondly, the Inside Outs wear all their seams on the outside – hence the name. Saint developed these gloves in collaboration with American motorcyclist Terry Madden, drawing on his extensive experience racing four-wheelers in the desert. The inspiration came from the design of Terry’s amazingly comfortable inside-out fire-resistant racing gloves.
This isn’t the first pair of gloves to feature this design, but it’s a damn effective trick. There’s not a single spot on the Inside Out gloves that rubs or scrapes the skin, and the goatskin leather and square finger design allow for plenty of movement despite the lack of padding. The fingers are roomy, too; a boon for riders with long fingers like myself.
The built-in elastic at the top and hook-and-loop at the bottom help tighten the glove around your wrist. This is where you'll see the only Saint branding in the form of subtle embossed logos.
The inside is a thin polyester lining with an elastic section that covers the gap behind the wrist clasp. This is the only area that has started to show wear after heavy use, with the thin fabric behind the wrist clasp starting to pull away from the stitching slightly (this did not affect the functionality of the glove in any way).
Additional protection is provided by the hard knuckle guards, lined with foam on the inside. There is also a soft slider on the palm side – something that is rare on gloves of this kind. All together, this is enough to classify the Inside Out gloves as CE-certified.
Finally, there are touchscreen-compatible tips on the index finger and thumb of each glove. They work as well as expected, with the thumb being the more effective of the two, given that it tends to sit more snugly against the skin.
Available in black, brown and beige, in sizes S to XXL, the Inside Out gloves have quickly become a staple in my personal gear selection. And if you still need convincing, I’m sure my parents would be happy to give you a recommendation – once they tried on my test pair, they each bought a pair of their own, too. [Buy: USA | Rest of world]
Saint Road Gloves I generally prefer short gloves to long mittens. But when the occasion calls for them (for example, Riding in Estoril and the need to meet minimum gear requirements), it's nice to have something a little more discreet than the usual flashy superbike gear on hand. The Saint Road gloves tick all the boxes.
The Saint's Road gloves share many of the same features as the Inside Out gloves: goatskin construction, discreet branding, and touchscreen-compatible tips on the index fingers and thumbs. But they offer far more protection, earning them a CE Level One rating.
On top is generous carbon fiber knuckle protection with reinforced padding on the palms, fingers, thumb sides, and wrists. Like most glove-style gloves, the Saint Road's wrist closure uses built-in elastic, as well as two Velcro adjusters for a precise fit.
The Roads gloves are noticeably heavier and stiffer than the Inside Out gloves, but they still fit true to size and soften the more you ride in them. The fingers are pre-curved, with subtle accordion panels that have hidden reflective piping. Perforated sections on the sides of the fingers allow for ample airflow; while I wouldn’t choose the Roads for particularly hot days, they’re great for most rides.
Beyond the obvious protective benefits, the Road gloves are also notable for their aesthetics. Available only in black and in sizes S to XXL, they boast all the right details in all the right places, effortlessly walking the line between retro style and modern execution. [Buy: USA | Rest of world]
Images from Devin Paisley