Leather Fingerless Driving Gloves

Why Use Fingerless Leather Driving Gloves?

Well, to answer this question comprehensively, I would suggest we break this down into two smaller items, namely “Why use driving gloves at all?” and “Why leather in particular?”

Why Use Driving Gloves at All?

If you ever watch Formula 1 drivers, like Lewis Hamilton, or IndyCar drivers, such as Scott Dixon, you will see that they all wear gloves. This is simply because it gives you more control over the car and helps you to be the best driver you can possibly be. Let’s say you were given a ticket as a birthday present to drive a Porsche or a McLaren on a racing track; one of the first things the instructor would say is, “Here, put these gloves on.”

Similarly, if you look at the history of automobiles, when Henry T Ford invented the first motorcar, all of the steering wheels were made of uncoated metal. The first cars were very bumpy, so everyone wore gloves. If you didn’t have them on, the chances are you would lose control of the vehicle and possibly end up in a ditch somewhere. Things have moved on a lot since the 1890s, but the principles remain the same. A decent pair of gloves allows you to have a firmer grip on the wheel and, therefore, more autonomy over telling the motor vehicle exactly what you want it to do. There is far more to it than this, though, and we’ll try to analyze it in more depth.

The original automobiles Ford produced had no roof, so of course, when you were steering your car at even relatively low speeds, you would experience the wind chill factor. When most people think of gloves, they feel about the cold weather, and that is perhaps one of the biggest benefits of wearing them. What they often don’t consider, however, is the fact that when gripping a steering wheel in the boiling hot weather, your hands will slip and slide more than a child’s first visit to an ice-rink.

The extremes of weather are certainly a big consideration when buying your gloves. Yes, a lot of cars are centrally heated nowadays, but if the vehicle is turned off all night and you go to get into your car in the morning, it’s going to be freezing cold. You may need to scrape the ice off the windshield, you will need to put the keys in the ignition, and then wait for it to warm up. Not only that, you then grab hold of the wheel, and it is ice cold. You may as well scrape the ice off it with the same scraper you used for the windshield. Why try to start the car with numb hands, and even worse, attempt to steer it with hands that you can’t even feel?

Now, the next point to consider is a win-win situation for the driver and the car. Wearing gloves protects both the driver and the vehicle. In the sense that, if you drive a modern car with one of those plastic steering wheels that has the raised bumps for better grip, it can give you blisters or calluses over a period of time; and likewise, if you use the car frequently, it will erode the material of the wheel through repetitive use. It might also surprise you to hear that the majority of truck drivers wear them because being on the road for extended periods of time causes fatigue of the muscles in the hand, and wearing them is a way to reduce that effect. If you grip anything for a prolonged period, it will start to hurt more and more; the less effort your muscles have to make, the less pain you will have. They can also be useful for those who experience any other medical problems with their hands or joints, such as arthritis or RSI (repetitive strain injury). While on the subject of health, wearing gloves reduces the transmission of bacteria and viruses to other vehicle users. They keep the car clean and especially the wheel, not only that but also every other part of the vehicle.

Why Leather in Particular?

Let’s answer this question with a question. Would you rather buy a pair of plastic shoes or a pair of designer leather shoes? Ask yourself, why? The same question applies to gloves.

Leather is timeless; it is something we and our ancestors have used for millennia, so why use plastic, synthetics, or poor imitations? It is one of the most natural materials in the world, and its properties prove that. It has hydrothermal stability and resistance to temperature shrinkage; in other words, it maintains its form over hot and cold temperatures regardless of moisture, it doesn’t deform like plastics or synthetics. It also allows the skin to breathe and has that comfortable ‘fit like a glove’ feel when you put it on. A decent pair of leather gloves should last you a lifetime. If you treat them well, they’ll treat you well, too.

When it comes to cruising down the highway, it is the perfect material. It has a natural grain to it and has pores, like we have in our skin. These natural properties allow for the glove to get traction when grabbing hold of the steering wheel, the gear stick, the hand brake, or even the door handle. Additionally, it is very durable, flexible, and allows you that true sense of touch that you just can’t get from synthetic materials. What’s more, it can act as a cushion or natural padding to absorb any vibrations while gripping that steering wheel. Not only that, leather driving gloves look great!

The Fashion of Driving Gloves

Let’s face it; driving gloves look cool. If you are a fan of car movies, you must have seen “The Drive” in 2011. In that movie Ryan Gosling, aka “The Kid,” demonstrated that a decent pair of leather gloves not only help you to drive better but also makes you look, dare I say it … “badass,” especially with the burgundy color and the holes in the knuckles. You might say something similar for Daniel Craig’s black spy gloves when he played James Bond in “Spectre” 2015. Then, from a totally different perspective, you can have the chic look of the young, confident, sophisticated lady driving a classic sports car, like Grace Kelly in “To Catch a Thief” 1955. When you watch that movie with Grace and Cary Grant winding through the mountains in the South of France in that classic Sunbeam Alpine, it just makes you want to jump in your car and go for a drive.

From a fashion perspective, leather gloves complete the look if you are a classic car enthusiast. And, if you are into your high-performance sports cars, then a proper pair of leather ones will not only help you get more out of your vehicle but also set you apart from the rest. If you are wearing an Armani suit, then why not have a pair of driving gloves that go with it? It can be good to appreciate the finer things in life. Similarly, if you drive a luxury car, such as a Rolls Royce or a Jaguar, then wearing a $10 pair of woolen mittens from Walmart won’t really complete the look. Having said that, not all of us can afford a top of the range car, it really doesn’t matter, you will still look far cooler if you are well dressed, you have a good set of gloves and you keep your car in good condition. You can tell a lot about a person from how much pride they take in their appearance, their car, their home, their work, … their life.

Why Use Fingerless Driving Gloves?

The reasons are endless, but we’ll try to summarize the key points here:

• Dexterity
• Sense of touch
• Grip
• Aeration

Dexterity

Finding a pair of leather gloves to fit you perfectly can be more difficult than you might think. If you buy quality leather gloves with professional seaming, they will be a snug fit. However, unless you have them tailor-made, you are always going to have that dangly bit at the end of one or two fingers as all of our fingers and thumbs are different sizes; you don’t have to worry about this issue with fingerless leather gloves. This additional movement that is allowed by your fingerless gloves will give you more dexterity and, therefore, easier to control the vehicle and to react to different situations.

Sense of Touch

When you drive your car, you are using a variety of different levers, knobs, and buttons in the car without even realizing it. For instance, when you turn left, you use the indicator, when it’s raining, you use the wipers, when it’s dark, you’ll switch your headlights on; when it’s hot, you’ll maybe roll down the windows. If you can actually feel the lever or button at the same time as driving, it allows you more concentration on the task at hand.

Grip

We have already discussed the dexterity and touch and even the grip of the leather itself; however, we do instinctively grab things with our fingers, and I would suggest that overall, in general, there isn’t any better grip than from your own hand and skin. I’ll give you an example: Somebody crashes into the back of your car, your smartphone has run out of battery or was damaged in the crash, you need to exchange insurance details, they hand you their pen. Would you write better with a full-fingered leather glove or a fingerless one?

Aeration

Another aspect could be more for someone who has owned gloves before; the airflow through the glove itself will allow for less bacteria and germs to form inside. This will also give you the added bonus of having them smell nicer for longer.

In summary, fingerless leather driving gloves will give you the best driving experience.