A good and comfortable pair of gloves is a steal for motorcyclists, especially when they are made up of leather.
But, motorcycle gloves take some time to break-in, and fit properly on the hands of the rider, especially when they are made up of leather. There are, however, certain tweaks that you can do to your pair of leather gloves, for them to break in.
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Let’s get started with understanding the need of breaking in a pair of leather gloves. Typically, when you purchase a pair of motorcycle gloves based on your needs and requirements, you look for the perfect fit and the quality of the gloves.
But, on the initial days of usage, your hands fit jammed inside them, with little range of movement on offer.
This might ruin your experience, and make you question your choice. But, using a leather conditioner, rubbing alcohol on the surface, steaming, applying wax, and doing silicon treatment to the gloves helps leather gloves to break in faster, without damaging the materials. It also helps the leather gloves to last longer and fit in perfectly on your hands.
Read on to know more about the different tips and tricks to break in leather motorcycle gloves.
How to soften stiff Leather gloves
Leather gloves in general are rigid and not so comfortable initially, due to the factory-processed material, which takes time to adapt to your hands. A pair of new motorcycle leather gloves might bite you for a few days, and even cause rashes on your hands.
In no way do you want this to happen to your hands, and for the same purpose, there comes a need to soften your leather gloves. While this method works well, it is not suitable for any other leather products except the ones made from cowhide.
Other leather gloves made from deerskin leather might go brittle and rough with this type of treatment, so make sure you don’t damage them.
1) Put the gloves inside hot water for no more than 10 minutes.
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2) Try to stretch by wearing it for at least 30 minutes.
3) Let them dry completely. Make sure that there’s no water dripping from them. 4) Put them back on while damp, and continue stretching.
5) Apply Isopropyl alcohol and Leather conditioner on the gloves.
How to loosen up leather gloves
Every rider needs his pair of gloves to fit in perfectly and provide the best comfort for long rides. Leather gloves are made to provide both these requirements of the rider, but it takes time for them to loosen up, and fulfill the needs of the rider.
However, you can loosen up your pair of leather gloves by following these steps.
1) Take a little amount of glove oil or cream in a sponge.
2) Apply the oil to every area of the glove- palm, fingers, laces, and backside. 3) When you are done, use a towel to remove excess oil from the surface. 4) Give a shape as per your requirement using stretchable bands.
5) Let the glove dry overnight. It will allow the oil to condition the leather. 6) Put on the gloves and use a mallet to give shape to it.
7) Hitting the surface with a mallet will help soften the stiff areas.
You can then try to use the gloves for some time, and repeat the steps if it still feels stiff on your hands. It will help to loosen up the leather and provide you great comfort on your motorcycle rides.
Breaking-in tips for leather gloves
There are certain ways in which you can break in your pair of leather gloves. Read on to know more about some of the ways that helped me to break in my pair of leather gloves.
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1) Rubbing alcohol: One of the most common techniques of breaking-in leather gloves is to rub alcohol on the outer surface. It will help soften the glove, and this process can be repeated to break in the leather gloves.
2) Using wax: Applying a layer of wax to the surface of the leather gloves helps to moisten and add water-repellent properties. Wax should be applied just like soap and washing them.
3) Steaming: To loosen the leather gloves, wear the gloves and put it above a pot of boiling water. It helps to loosen up the glove’s leather. It might not be very effective, but you can give it a try in a controlled environment.
4) Using them: Leather gloves typically open up over a period of time, and if you are ok wearing them while riding, then take your motorcycle for a spin. It will surely help to loosen up the leather.
Tips to take care of your leather gloves
Well, till now you must have got familiar with the different ways of breaking in a pair of leather motorcycle gloves. However, there are certain things that should be avoided to take proper care of leather gloves.
By using inappropriate methods to break in your leather gloves, you might eventually damage the leather.
This is something that you don’t want to do to your precious leather gloves, right? Here are some of the tips that will help you to take care of your leather gloves, and also help them break in faster.
1) Never use a dryer- Whenever you are trying to dry your gloves, keep them overnight and let them dry on their own. In order to dry them faster, never use a hairdryer. It will probably make the leather brittle and will reduce the life of the gloves.
2) Store it properly- Whenever you store your gloves, make sure you put it in a standing position and try to keep them in a padded hanger. This will ensure that the shape of your gloves remains intact and will also save them from creases.
3) Keep in a temperature-controlled environment- Leather is sensitive to heat, so whenever you are keeping the gloves inside a pouch, try to use breathable fabric or cotton sheets, and never keep it in plastic. It can dry the leather and reduce its lifespan.
4) Save from direct sunlight- As leather is very sensitive to heat, try to keep the gloves away from direct sunlight. As soon as you come from a hot sunny ride, store them at room temperature, and apply leather oil periodically.
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