AGV Sport GPR
Price $119.95
Utilizing premium Japanese leather on the top half of its construction along with deerskin on the palm, AGV Sport's GPR glove features laminated metal-mesh hard armor with foam backing over the knuckles and finger joints. An extended gauntlet, rubber vents in the several finger joints, carbon-textured leather covering foam padding in high-impact areas, and the usual hook-and-loop-fastened wrist strap and gauntlet flap head the list of additional features.
Although fairly comfortable with precurved fingers, all of our testers noted fitment problems with the GPR, with most of the smaller sizes feeling overly loose in the fingers and palm area. Conversely, large-size hands tended to feel too tight in the fingers. Quality ratings suffered due to small-detail problems; for instance, one pair of gloves' rubber finger vents had no screen in them, with the liner popping up out of the vent. Overall protection seems adequate in most areas of the glove.
Alpinestars GP Tech
Price $239.95
The top-of-the-line model from Alpinestars, the GP Tech boasts numerous features that would be too long to list here. Highlights include polyurethane plastic hard armor for the knuckles, fingers and wrist; kangaroo-leather palms reinforced with Pittards leather in the fingers plus Pittards abrasion-resistant Armor-Tan leather and Kevlar knit panels in critical areas on top of the glove; a perforated top panel and cuff and ventilated finger sidewalls; plus the company's patented third/fourth-finger bridge to prevent the "finger roll" that results in injury and potential seam bursting.
Overall fit was deemed very good by most testers, although some of the small-size hands thought the fingers were too long. As you'd expect from a $200-plus glove, quality and attention to detail are present in all areas of the GP Tech's construction. Precurved fingers help with comfort, although many testers opined that the abundance of armor atop the glove restricted movement a bit and felt a little cumbersome. There is no doubting the protective capabilities of the GP Tech, and while the third/fourth-finger bridge is a safety concept used in several companies' top-shelf gloves, a couple of testers disliked having the fingers tied together on the clutch hand.
Alpinestars GP PRO
Price $199.95
The next step down from the GP Tech, the newer GP Pro glove from Alpinestars has many of the same features as its more expensive brother, such as the polyurethane plastic hard armor for the knuckles and wrist and the third/fourth-finger bridge. However, the overall amount of armor in the GP Pro is toned down just a bit; for instance, the knuckle armor is a tad smaller, and the finger armor is smaller and slightly different from the prominent pieces on the GP Tech. The plastic wrist cuff is also a bit smaller and shorter, and the heel padding is designed differently.
Ironically, many testers felt that the GP Pro's toned-down armor helped it feel more comfortable than the comparatively tanklike GP Tech. Overall flexibility and finger dexterity are better with less sense of bulk, yet you still feel well protected in the GP Pros. Fit for all sizes surprisingly was also improved, with fewer complaints about fingers being too long. As you'd expect, quality and attention to detail are very evident with the GP Pro as well.
Cortech Scarab R.R.
Price $79.99
The Scarab R.R. uses cowhide leather for the majority of its construction, with the exception of goatskin in the palm area. Molded titanium/carbon armor panels are employed for the knuckles, fingers and wrist, and Schoeller Keprotec fabric gives flexibility to the finger sidepanels. A "Dry Skin" version of the Keprotec fabric backed by a titanium/carbon insert is used in the heel of the palm for impact protection, and a soft, brushed-polyester liner aids comfort by wicking moisture away from the skin. The same style of 360-degree, full-circumference wrist-closure strap with hook-and-loop fastener as the Adrenaline keeps the Scarab in place.
A step down the food chain on the Cortech glove lineup, the Scarab R.R.'s ratings from all our testers tended to reflect that position. Fit was a bit loose in the fingers with all sizes, and the smaller-size hands had a hard time finding a fit that wasn't either too tight or too loose overall. Some testers said they could feel the finger seams when grasping the bars, while others complained of bunching in the palm, which hurt the comfort ratings.
AXO KKR-4
Price $129.99
Although the brand is not widely known in the pavement sector, AXO has been in business for 30 years as one of the major market leaders in the off-road world, designing and manufacturing protective apparel. The KKR-4 glove is constructed of premium cowhide leather, with carbon-fiber knuckle and finger inserts and Kevlar reinforcement layers in the palm for impact protection. Precurved fingers provide comfort, while a Kevlar inner liner and additional reinforcement layers on the side of the palm assist in abrasion resistance. A double overlapping gauntlet-closure system works with the wrist strap to ensure the glove stays on.
The KKR-4 has an abundance of padding and armor in seemingly every conceivable spot, giving an impression of excellent protection, yet the glove is surprisingly supple and offers good control feel. Overall quality and attention to detail are very good, with clean stitching and stout construction. Comfort and fit were rated highly by all sizes of testers, with the exception that the little-finger armor creates noticeable discomfort when grasping the bar.