The Racer Queens gloves are made from black goat leather with a light pink liner.
The design is feminine with functionality at its heart.
Right from the package, the gloves fit well and have remained comfortable.
While not without some shortfalls, the Queens gloves represent good value, like most of the other Racer brand gloves reviewed on webBikeWorld.
The exterior and palm of the Racer Queens gloves are made from goat leather and the liner is polar fleece with a “Polymax” waterproof insert and Libeltex “Isosoft” insulation.
The exterior of the glove is black and the liner is a light pink.
The gloves are a short gauntlet length with a bias cut angled to the outer portion of the glove. They are obviously a woman’s glove, given the design and colour of the liner.
The available size range is not extensive, with sizes ranging from XS to L, but the range likely meets the needs of most women.
The recommended use is for city riding, road and touring; they are not qualified race or track gloves despite the hard knuckle guard.
One rating assesses the Queens gloves as 5 out of 6 stars for comfort and warmth and 6 out of 6 for protection. I agree with the comfort and warmth rating but, thankfully, have no way to verify the protection rating.
Glove Form and Fit
From the package, the Queens gloves were very easy to put on and remove with no resistance points or any pressure or catch points. The thumbs have a little too much material however, although the finger length is good.
Knuckle guards are well place and comfortable; non-obtrusive and no constriction when the hand is compressed or wrapped around bars.
Overall, the design is good and obviously a woman’s cut without being too feminine or having anything fancy added.
There is a little metal “Racer” logo tab on the back of glove, just about where the wrist bones are located. The tab has no apparent function beyond branding, but is not obtrusive.
An additional branding point is found at the outer edge of the knuckle guard, with a small retro-reflective section and the word “Racer”.
The pink liner is…different, but makes it easy to see the gloves in a batch of others (I always have a selection with me, just in case).
Considering the sizing range of XS (Size 6) to L (Size 9), the gloves seem to fit about a half-size large; depending on specific hand shape and size, this can be a good thing overall. The review pair is a size L (9).
The short cuff is bias cut; longer on the outer edge, but not adjustable except via a wrist adjuster strap on top. The bottom of the wrist section is elasticized for stretch.
The cuff length is three inches at the maximum and doesn’t meet “gauntlet” standard, but they cover the edge of a jacket and work well enough when pulled over light- to medium-weight outer garments.
Function
In wearing the Queens gloves for a couple of months, only a small amount of stretch or loosening is evident.
There is some noticeable restriction of movement reaching the thumb to the standard BMW signal activator switch, which serves to identify a shortness of length during this movement.
Some slight stretching of the stitching running lengthwise between the knuckle and the thumb has been observed as well, but only on the right-hand glove.
The gloves were worn on cool days in late spring and typically now in the early morning as summer progresses, providing temperatures ranging from 45-75 F (7-24 C), which is a comfortable range for the gloves.
Racer Gloves USA indicates that the Queens gloves work well in temperatures between 40-50 F (4-10 C), but only by visiting their website is it indicated that the Queens glove is a “winter” glove — depending on where you live or travel of course.
The gloves are noted as being waterproof through the “Polymax” insert. While riding in the rain the gloves worked well but these riding periods were not long-term nor all-day riding activities. It’s time for the bucket test…
The Bucket Test
The webBikeWorld “Bucket Test” means wearing the gloves whilst immersed in a bucket of cold water. Within two to three minutes, the fingertips were wet and water was collecting inside. But the palms stayed dry, as did the backs of the hand.
Racer Gloves USA indicates that there is a five year guarantee for waterproofness.
Acknowledging that these gloves do not have a Gore-Tex brand liner, the infiltration points are strikingly similar to those experienced in the webBikeWorld reviews of the Racer Elevate gloves (review) and the Racer Race Carbon (review) gloves.
Racer should improve their quality control procedures on their waterproof gloves to ensure that the gloves rated as waterproof really are…
Extra thumb length of the Racer Queens gloves. Rev’it Ladies Tempest H20 gloves (L) vs. Racer Queens gloves. Note fit, substance and gauntlet differences.
Conclusion
Despite the disappointing “Bucket Test” results and the thumb cut and material issue, the Racer Queens gloves are good gloves, all things considered.
As there is not a large selection of gloves that I consider to be functionally-focused and designed for women, the Racer Queens gloves really do “fit like a glove” (pun intended).
The Racer Queens glove is comparable to the REV’IT! Ladies Tempest H2O gloves — one of my favorite “Go To” gloves. The Racer Queens glove is as functional but with a more economical price point.
If you’re looking for a versatile pair of warm leather gloves, these are a definite “must add” to your shopping list.
Owner Comments and Feedback
See details on submitting comments.