Date reviewed: June 2022 | Tested by: John Milbank | RRP: £169.99 | www.alpinestars.com
Excellent… despite the high retail price, you’ve still clicked on this review of the Alpinestars Range 2 in One gloves. With some high-spec features, despite their quirks I’ve been using them regularly for the past eight months, and they’ve ended up very useful when riding the Yamaha Tracer 9GT, BMW S1000XR and Honda VFR800…
Pros & Cons
- Great for wet rides in all but deep winter
- No sign of the lining pulling out
- Tuck easily under most jacket sleeves
- No visor wipe
- Fit can be a little hit and miss
- The price
Fit and feel
Fit is entirely subjective of course, but my gloves are pretty consistently large size. For some reason though, of the three sets of Alpinestars gloves I’m reviewing, they all had to go up to XL to fit me; just keep that in mind if ordering online, where you can’t try products on…
The Alpinestars Range 2 in One gloves are a leather / fabric construction with a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane fixed securely inside (GORE-Grip), along with a thin, soft fabric lining.
Additionally, a pair of thin, soft inner gloves are supplied, which you can wear in colder weather.
Of course, having a removable lining means fit is going to be compromised. While they’re fine with the linings, I find the Range gloves to be a fraction big without them out. They’re still secure, but there’s a little bagginess in the fingers, and in the palm, which can sometimes be felt rucking up a little on the grip.
Feel of the controls is good, but it is compromised a little by the slightly loose fit on my hands with the liners removed. With them in, of course there’s more bulk, though they are better than the thickest winter gloves.
Touchscreen compatibility
Both forefinger and thumbs have very good touchscreen compatibility. Precision isn’t great due to the size of your fingers when encased in gloves (Halvarssons and Lindstrands seem to have cracked that with the Nudud nubbin), but overall they work fine.
Warm and cold weather use
Alpinestars describes the Range 2 in One gloves as being ‘multi-season, all-weather’. That’s probably fair, as they’re really Spring/Autumn gloves, rather than ‘all-season’.
At around 5°C while riding the Yamaha Tracer 9GT with handguards and heated grips on full, only where my paws had direct contact with the grips did they stay warm – elsewhere they seemed to lose heat fairly rapidly. So not ideal for deep winter riding.
On the other hand (no pun intended), in hot conditions these do get a bit too warm thanks to the Gore-Tex membrane and comfort liner. So not really suitable for peak summer either.
But finding a decent pair of waterproof summer gloves is always hard, and honestly, the Alpinestars Range 2 in One have proven to be my favourites, spending more time on my hands than I’d expected when I first started using them, and always in my luggage in case the weather turns.
Protection and certification
The Alpinestars Range 2 in One gloves are certified to EN13594 Level 1 with knuckle protection. Level 2 is the higher standard, though there are very few gloves on the market that meet this.
The palms have extra layering; this seems to be more for grip, but it adds to the protection offered by the mainly leather construction.
The little finger is linked to the ring finger, the idea being that this reduces the chances of it being snapped if it gets caught in a crash. Interestingly though, some race-gloves makers are dropping this feature, feeling that it can lead to both fingers being injured in some circumstances.
For everything you need to know about the safety labels in your motorcycle kit, click here.
Fastening
Despite the slightly loose feel without the liners, the gloves are secure on the hand thanks to a Velcro wrist strap, which has a flared end to prevent it pulling out.
The cuff is also easily cinched down, with plenty of adjustment on the Velcro.
Wet weather use
In a 90 minute ride at 9 to 11°C and very heavy rain, the Alpinestars Range 2 in One gloves kept my hands completely dry. And they weren’t too cold either.
The best way to keep dry on a bike is to tuck your gloves UNDER the sleeves of your jacket, as this prevents rain from running down your arms and filling the gloves. Fortunately the long but slim cuffs of these gloves, as well as their effective and compact fastening makes that easy. It’s why I like these so much!
Assuming your jacket has sleeves that aren’t too bulky, you should also be able to get the cuffs of the Alpinestars over them, if you insist on doing it that way!
It’s a shame there’s no visor wipe fitted to the left fore-finger; I just don’t understand why any brand would leave this off a waterproof glove.
Lining
The lining of the gloves is soft and comfortable, but it does make them a little warmer. For that reason, I really wouldn’t suggest these as summer gloves. Unless it’s raining of course.
Three alternatives to the Alpinestars Range 2 in One gloves
It really is hard to find good waterproof summer gloves, but here are some you might want to consider…
- For proper winter wear, the Held Twin II Gore-Tex 2in1 gloves are, quite simply, the best I’ve ever used. Two pockets are built in, one being fully lined, the other having a thinner palm. It’s a genius design that works incredibly well, but they’re too hot for summer by a long stretch, and they’re very expensive. But they’re worth it.
- If you just want something to tackle showers, consider the Halvarssons Ljusdal gloves. These can still get a bit warm in peak summer, but their short-cuff design makes them a little better. It also means they don’t seal with your jacket, so they soon get wet inside in proper rain. They’re great when the weather’s a bit cool though.
- The Oxford Mondial gloves cost £99.99 and are a laminate construction that cover a similar range of seasons as the Alpinestars on review here. They’re not perfect, but they are good value.
These are just three of many alternatives – you can find all the gloves we’ve tested here and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership.
Alpinestars Range 2 in One gloves review: Verdict
My initial impressions of the Alpinestars Range 2 in One gloves weren’t great – a little too loose with the linings out, plus of course there’s the risk of losing those linings!
But I’ve ended up wearing these a lot over the past few months, delighted with how well they seal under pretty much any motorcycle jacket. They are expensive, but the fact that they keep me properly dry by working so well with so many different jackets makes them definitely well worth a look.
Do you have a pair of these gloves? Email us at enquiries@bikesocial.co.uk to tell everyone what you think of them…
