We rarely publish a motorcycle gear review without at least one caveat or gripe. But once in a while, a product comes along that effortlessly ticks every last box on our scrupulous list of must-haves. Or, in the case of Saint’s Inside Out and Road gloves, two products.
It’s no secret that we’re fans of Saint’s motorcycle gear—which is why we now represent the Australian motorcycle apparel brand on our newly-launched gear store. That raises the question: is this more of a recommendation than it is a review? Absolutely… but not for the reasons you think.
Yes, if you buy a new pair of Saint Inside Out or Road [above] gloves from our store, it will help keep the lights on around here. But that doesn’t mean that my views aren’t completely my own, and are based on miles spent riding in both pairs of gloves. If we’re recommending a product here, it means it’s something we’d recommend to you if you met us out on the road.
I can objectively say that these are among the best gloves I’ve owned and ridden in. Here’s why…
Saint Inside Out gloves There’s only one other pair of gloves in my closet that rival my Saint Inside Out gloves on comfort. And that particular pair doesn’t have any knuckle protection, which says a lot about how well-designed Saint’s offering is.
The secret to their supreme comfort is two-fold. Designed with a classic worker glove vibe, the Inside Outs use supple goat leather throughout. So they feel luxe out of the box, with no need to break them in.
Secondly, the Inside Outs wear all of their seams on the outside—hence the name. Saint developed these gloves in collaboration with American motorcyclist Terry Madden, drawing on his extensive experience racing four-wheeled machines in the desert. The inspiration came from the inside-out design of Terry’s remarkably comfortable fireproof auto-racing gloves.
It’s not the first pair of gloves to sport this sort of construction, but it’s a damn effective trick nonetheless. There’s not a single spot on the Inside Out gloves that rubs or scratches the skin, and the goat leather and boxy finger construction offer plenty of movement, despite the lack of gussets. The fingers are spacious too; a boon for riders with long fingers like mine.
An integrated elastic at the top, and a hook-and-loop tab at the bottom, help to cinch the glove down around your wrist. This is where you’ll spot the only Saint branding, in the form of subtle debossed logos.
There’s a thin polyester lining on the inside, with a stretchy bit that lines the gap behind the wrist closure. This is the only spot that’s started to show wear after extensive use, with the skinny fabric behind the wrist tab starting to pull away from the stitching slightly (it hasn’t affected the glove’s functionality at all).
Added protection comes from a hard knuckle protector, lined with foam on the inside. The palm side features a padded slider too—something seldom seen on gloves of this ilk. Added up, it’s enough to classify the Inside Out gloves as CE-rated.
Finally, touchscreen-compatible tips adorn the forefinger and thumb on each glove. They work as well as can be expected, with the thumb being the more effective of the two, given that it tends to sit tighter against the skin.
Available in black, brown, and tan, in sizes ranging from S to XXL, the Inside Out gloves have fast become a staple of my personal gear selection. And if you still need convincing, I’m sure my parents would be happy to give you a recommendation too—once they tried my test pair on, they each bagged themselves a pair too. [Buy: USA | Rest of world]
Saint Road gloves I generally prefer shorter gloves to full-length gauntlets. But when the occasion calls for them (like riding at Estoril and needing to conform to the minimum gear requirements), it’s nice to have something more subdued than the usual glaring superbike fare on hand. The Saint Road gloves fit the bill.
Saint’s Road gloves share many traits with the Inside Out gloves; a goatskin construction, subtle branding, and touchscreen-compatible tips on the forefingers and thumbs. But they offer ample more protection, giving them a CE level one rating.
A generous carbon fiber knuckle protector sits up top, with reinforced pads at the palms, fingers, sides of the thumbs, and wrists. Like most gauntlet-style gloves, the Saint Road’s wrist closure uses an integrated elastic, plus two hook-and-loop adjusters to fine-tune its fit.
The Roads are tangibly heavier and stiffer than the Inside Out gloves—but they still fit true to size and soften up the more you ride in them. The fingers are pre-curved, with slim accordion panels that feature sneaky reflective piping. Perforated sections on the sides of the fingers ensure sufficient airflow; although I wouldn’t pick the Roads for notably hot days, they’re fine for most rides.
Aside from the obvious protective benefits, the Road gloves are also notable for their aesthetic. Available only in black and sized from S to XXL, they boast all the right details in all the right places, riding the line between retro style and modern performance handily. [Buy: USA | Rest of world]
Images by Devin Paisley