In a few short weeks I’ve been able to test new summer and winter gloves from European motorcycle clothing company Macna.
Australian distributors Link International sent us several pair of gloves for Mrs MBW and me to test while on our recent trip through Italy.
Mrs MBW and I were able to test waterproof summer gloves in 30+C heat and a couple of showers as we rode around Tuscany in central Italy.
We only gave their waterproof winter gloves a short test in the Italian Alps where the mercury plummeted to single digits. However, we’ve given them a more rigorous test since returning to winter in Australia.
Testing the Exile gloves on the Stelvio PassMacna gloves
- Men’s Exile ($149.95) waterproof winter gloves;
- Men’s Talon ($139.95) light summer gloves;
- Women’s Zircon ($149.95) waterproof winter gloves; and
- Women’s Moon ($119.95) soft summer gloves.
All gloves passed our tests with flying colours for comfort, flexibility, sensitivity, waterproofing and warmth.
Warm hands in cold riding conditions are a must for riding comfort, safety and bike control.
Even the thick Exile gloves are supple enough to permit good feel of the throttle and levers. Some other thick winter gloves I’ve used are almost dangerous they are so stiff and insensitive.
All gloves (except Moon) have velcro fasteners at the wrist as well as the end of the cuff for a perfect fit. The Moon gloves have a two-setting press-stud fitting at the cuff.
The gauntlets on all are long enough to go over your jacket cuff or under the cuff, depending on your preference.
Everyone has different length fingers and maybe I’m a bit deformed, but I found both the men’s gloves a little long in the index and pinky finger. (All my gloves are the same!)
The very normal-handed Mrs MBW had no such problems with finger length.
We both found the “summer” gloves were too hot in the humid heat of central Italy. We suggest they are a more intermediate glove than a well-ventilated glove for high summer.
I also had no discomfort with the gloves bunching in the palms, even on long touring sections.
All gloves are CE approved with thick rubber on the knuckles, minor padding on the fingers and leather palms.
Touch tip
They all come with “Touch Tip” finger tips so you can use a touch screen on a phone or GPS, which we found handy as we tried to navigate around Italy.
However, they were a little problematic and erratic in operation.
We found the sensitivity of the tip varied from glove to glove. In fact, we couldn’t get the tip of the Moon gloves to work at all.
Simple touching of “buttons” and apps works just fine, although the “home” button on the Apple iPhone can sometimes be harder to activate.
Fine manoeuvres such as swiping, pinching or typing in a destination address are more difficult, especially with the thicker winter gloves.
In these cases, we would stop, remove a glove and perform the more complex task. That’s probably safer, anyway.
Click here for the full range of Macna gear and where to buy it.
Here are details on these Macna motorcycle gloves as supplied by Link International:
Men’s Exile winter gloves
Waterproof and Winter ready; Thermolite and Isofur lining give warmth and the long cuff enables a good tuck into the jacket.
- A Grade leather and Cordura construction.
- Double layer palm and little finger.
- TPR knuckle and finger impact protection.
- Genuine RAINTEX waterproof and breathable liner.
- Thermolite/ Bemberg Isofur thermal comfort liner.
- Double closure including 30-degree wrist closure.
- Screen cleaner on index fingers.
- “Touch Tip” in finger tips enabling smart screen operation.
- Colour option – Black.
- Men’s sizes S – 3XL
- Price $149.95
Men’s Talon summer gloves
Flexible and light summer glove with a RAINTEX breathable waterproof membrane. Collected water won’t be trapped, as it can find its way out through the exhaust in the cuff. The Talon has a soft TPR knuckle protector and reinforced leather on the palm. These are an intermediate season adventure/touring glove.
- Super Tough Leather and Nylon construction.
- Nylon back and upper cuff for easier fit/ closure on wrist.
- TPR knuckle protection.
- RAINTEX 100% waterproof and breathable liner.
- 30-degree closure strap and buckle system.
- Visor wipe on left index finger.
- “Touch Tip” in finger tips enabling smart screen operation.
- Colour options – Black or Black Camo.
- Men’s Sizes S – 4XL
- Price $139.95.
Women’s Zircon winter gloves
The women’s Zircon gloves offer a great deal of comfort, protection and functionality for the serious rider. Fitted with a genuine RAINTEX waterproof and breathable liner ensuring dry and comfortable hands along with a Thermolite/ Bemberg Isofur comfort liner to keep your hands warm when the going gets cold.
- A Grade leather and Cordura construction.
- Double layer palm and little finger.
- TPR knuckle and finger impact protection.
- Genuine RAINTEX waterproof and breathable liner.
- Thermolite/ Bemberg Isofur thermal comfort liner.
- Double closure including 30-degree wrist closure.
- Screen cleaner on index fingers.
- “Touch Tip” in finger tips enabling smart screen operation.
- Colour option – Black.
- Ladies sizes XS – 2XL
- Price $149.95.
Women’s Moon summer gloves
These soft leather summer gloves ($119.95) have a silky lining made of Bemberg which is a regenerated cellulose fibre derived from cotton. It prevents your hands from sweating.
The long cuff avoids draft into your jacket’s sleeve and feature a two-setting press stud fitting.