First impressions: Rukka Suki ladies gloves

IT’S EASY to overlook gloves when kitting up – after all they one of the smaller pieces of gear.

But despite their seeming insignificance, gloves are also one of the most important. Rubbish gloves make for cold hands and poor vehicle control, not to mention a grumpy rider!

So when I upgraded to the Rukka Suki ladies suit, I figured I’d go the whole hog and get the gloves, too. Interestingly, size 6 – the smallest size – fitted perfectly despite my hands being by no means small (I’m usually a M/L in other manufacturer gloves). However, generous sizing was the case with the Rukka Suki ladies suit too.

At £159.99, they’re among the more expensive pairs of riding gloves I’ve ever owned, but the quality and attention to detail justifies this price tag.

Made of a leather textile mix, with Gore-Tex thrown in to keep your hands dry, the gloves are slimline and unbulky, despite the integrated knuckle, scaphoid and finger protection. This makes operating controls far easier than heavy winter gloves, and touchscreen fingertips allow satnav adjustment on the go.

However, their compactness comes at the expense of warmth, and during the big freeze earlier this year I had to stick a pair of undergloves on, which immediately cancelled out the Suki gloves’ flexible benefits.

Torrential rain has yet to get past these Goretex gloves, although I’ve noticed that the liner at the end of one of the fingertips has become unattached from the outside glove – something that I was told would only happen if the gloves were worn in too high temperatures.

It’s the details that count, and the visor wiper on the left index finger is easily the most effective I’ve ever used. The short, adjustable cuff is cut to fit perfectly with the Suki jacket sleeve, and means that no rain or wind can get into the sleeve or glove. 

With the weather set to warm up this week, I’m looking forward to testing these gloves in their element.