Hear the name Sidi and automatically you think of boots. Understandable; the company’s line of motorcycle footwear is revered across the industry and are loved by riders worldwide. Not one to rest on its laurels, Sidi is also branching out into a signature line of gloves called the Sidi Design Series. The Power glove is the top level racing mitt, and though it may not have the fancy plastic trim pieces or loud, flashy design, its understated looks belie its wealth of features.
Constructed from goat hide, the soft leather is supple and unlike other gloves that need to be worn constantly and/or laid out in the sun to stretch, our testers found that the Power took virtually no time to break-in. Kevlar stitching runs throughout the glove, with double stitching reinforcing hi-impact areas. When it comes to protection the Power doesn’t lack there either. Thermoplastic panels line the knuckles, fingers, wrist and the back of the hand. It’s obvious that Sidi put some thought into these gloves as panels on both little fingers are positioned to the side—a common high-impact and high-abrasion zone. What’s more, an extra padded layer of leather rests in the lower palm area for yet another barrier between skin and tarmac. Three vent openings line the panel on the back of the hand, while two more vents rest on the knuckles. Though small, some testers noted that they could actually feel a noticeable amount of air flow to their hands.
Fit and finish ranks high among our testers. One even noted how he forgot he was wearing the gloves just a few turns into his track session. The high-grip panel along the upper palm doesn’t seem like much, but adds an extra amount of control when twisting the grip. Ingress and egress are a snap, literally, as the twin hook-and-loop wrist closures are easy to operate with gloved hands and aren’t bulky like other gloves that are covered in plastic “bling” pieces. It’s hard to fault the Power. Right out of the box it’s a glove that feels like it was made for you. That said we did have a few minor gripes. While wearing jackets or textile oversuits we noticed that the gauntlet was difficult to fit over the sleeves—a sign that the Power was designed with racing leathers in mind. One tester also noted that the fingers were a bit too long for his size small hands, but everyone’s sizing is different and your mileage may vary.
As you can see it’s hard to find anything wrong with the Power. Though new to the glove game, it’s obvious that Sidi did its homework before entering the market. It fits great, is extremely comfortable and even vents well. We haven’t had the chance to give the gloves the ultimate test—and don’t plan to anytime soon—but we’re confident our digits will hold up just fine. The best thing about the Power? The price. For just $185 you get a glove that rivals other top-shelf race gloves that cost twice as much. A pretty good bargain, we’d say.
Motonation
(619) 401-4106
www.motonation.com