34 replies to this topic

[Ernie Jr.]

Which are the best gloves? Alpinestars, if so which ones?, G-Force, Sparco?

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Not sure which are best... I have sparco that I like so far and a pair of alpines that I just bought! One thing o know for sure the oakley gloves suck donkey balls, they didn't even last one entire day on the track before brand new gloves had about 5 holes in the palms on each hand.

[Ernie Jr.]

Yup same problems with Oakleys. Which Sparcos do you have and which Alpines did you get?

[Rob Gibson]

I like my OMP Wins Top gloves. Shoulda gotten one size smaller though.

[Dan Cooper]

I second the OMP vote. I got a pair for Christmas, used them for the first time today. The are fantastic. I'm not sure the model but they are very thin leaving your hand very free. I'll see how long they last but probably won't wear anything else for a long time. Very happy.

[Charlie Hayes]

Alpinestars work for me. Kinda like the look of the Sparco Arrows!!

[Jim Boemler]

I keep coming back to the Simpson Talons.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Yup same problems with Oakleys. Which Sparcos do you have and which Alpines did you get?

Alpine Stars Tech 1-ZX is what I just bought, I am not sure what model my Sparco's are but they look almost identicle to the Arrow model.

[Randy Thieme]

Nothing to do with brands but one thing worth mentioning is color. As a part-time corner worker it sometimes hard to see inside a car to know if a driver is acknowledging a flag (although a simple head-nod usually suffices). Dark colors like black or blue or the most difficult to see. Red or yellow gloves are the most visible. Also a good choice for gesturing to other drivers (hopefully with all five fingers).

One other thing: I decided to always wear double-layer gloves after watching an IndyCar driver place their hand on the bodywork while exiting their burning vehicle and suffering burns on their hand as a result.

[Jim Drago]

The new Alpines i got from Saferacer are awesome, very thin. I hate the gloves that are thick, they feel like ski gloves.

Jim

[Jim Boemler]

Tastes vary on thickness. I recently tried some G-Gorce gloves that felt like not wearing gloves -- I went back to the Simpsons because of it.

[Keith Novak]

I found G-force gloves wear out pretty quickly. The palms are so thin I wore through the thumb in a hurry once they got sweaty. Alpinestars seem to run a bit small compared to their size chart. I normally take a large but they fit so tightly that the palm seams split after a couple uses. I stitched them back together and once they stretched out I found them a very comfy glove.

Thick vs. thin is really a user preference thing. I've worn ski gloves for 35 years and thicker gloves don't bother me. I bought some Crow gloves at the track one day when while giving the 5 min signal my thumb poked through the leather in my G-force pair and at first they seemed thick and clumsy but once they broke in they're very comfortable and bomb-proof. I found a guy on ebay selling HDM gloves (same as the Crow with a different label) for around $35. If nothing else, they're great for fueling.

[Adax]

I have some 5 year-old Sparcos that are my favorite, because they have external stitching. They are entirely goat-skin suede and are very comfortable, at least they were. After sweating a lot over 5 years they have shrunk enough that they are no longer as comfortable but I still wear them in cool weather.

My Nomex Alpinestars are cooler but somewhat less comfortable due to some internal stitching.

So my recommendation is external stitching, in a soft hide unless you sweat a lot, then look for cloth with external stitching which I have not found. They seem to always have a small part that is internal.

[Jim Drago]

I bought some Crow gloves at the track one day when while giving the 5 min signal my thumb poked through the leather in my G-force pair and at first they seemed thick and clumsy but once they broke in they're very comfortable and bomb-proof. I found a guy on ebay selling HDM gloves (same as the Crow with a different label) for around $35. If nothing else, they're great for fueling.

I have had a few sets of Crowe as well, great while they last, but my thumb goes through after 3-4 weekends as well

[Danny Steyn]

Sparcos all the way - external stitching - had several different types over the years. ALl ahve lasted well and I have been more than happy with the performance and durability.

[cpdenis]

Momo has a fire retardant form fitting glove called the Top GT which is really nice. If your looking for external stitching the Momo Pro Racer Long is the option there.

[Phil Mather]

One thing I've found is that some gloves don't like suede wheels. i have a pair of Simpsons that did not agree with the worn suede Momo wheel and I had to have a death grip on it. I had to buy a pair of different gloves at VIR for the 13hr so I could just grip the wheel.

[davew]

As a Sablet dealer I am biased, but I do like their gloves. I tell everyone red or white, so handsignals can be easily seen. External stiching makes them more comfy on any brand.

Gloes, shoes, helmets are all in the same group. You must try them on the get the ones that fit YOUR head, foot hand properly.

Dave

[john mueller]

OMP's have been great for me... Same pair going strong for two seasons now.

[Jim Boemler]

One thing I've found is that some gloves don't like suede wheels. i have a pair of Simpsons that did not agree with the worn suede Momo wheel and I had to have a death grip on it. I had to buy a pair of different gloves at VIR for the 13hr so I could just grip the wheel.

Usually suede-palm gloves grip suede wheels, and smooth-leather gloves grip smooth wheels best.