Hugger has been around for 16 years, and are just now becoming a real force in the industry, and deservedly so. (Photo: Hugger)
By Ken “Hawkeye” Glassman
If you are like me, gloves are an every day part of your riding gear. I won’t back my bike out of the garage without gloves on. I’ve already had a couple of unintended get-offs, and I’ve seen how even a little fall on pavement can ruin a set of leather gloves, and I’ve seen the hands of people who have had accidents without gloves on, and it’s not a pretty sight. Plus, I just like to know that I have a solid sure grip on the handlebars when I’m riding, and you don’t always have that when riding bare handed. Also, when the temperature dips into the 50’s, or even the low 60’s, cold hands make for an uncomfortable ride.
I’m also very picky about my gloves. The leather has to feel soft and supple, and they glove has to mold tightly to my hands, so that they feel like a second skin. I require that the stitching on the inside of the fingers is fine enough so that they don’t rub or irritate my skin and create blisters. The leather must also breathe, so that my hands don’t sweat, and I prefer that they repel water.
Well, I’ve found such a pair of gloves, and they’re made by a company called Hugger. They’ve been around for 16 years, and are just now becoming a real force in the industry, and deservedly so. I tested one model, called the Basic Seamless Riding Glove, which is an unlined glove good for riding in temperatures from the upper-40’s to low 70’s. It’s a short glove with a small gauntlet that will still cover the sleeve opening of your jacket to keep the wind out, and has an elastic wrist.
The leather itself is butter soft, and requires no break-in period. It was comfortable on my first ride, with excellent hidden stitching that didn’t cause any rubbing or irritation on the skin. They fit like a second skin, and allowed enough feel to easily be able to work the chinstrap on my helmet, or pick up a dime on a tabletop. The leather is breathable so my hands never feel clammy.
