How are they different?

1 MATERIAL

As sports gloves, both are formed primarily in leather, for its abrasion resistance. The Alpinestars use full-grain kangaroo and cow leather throughout with additional Keprotech (Cordura, Kevlar and polyurethane mix) abrasion panels on the outside of the fingers and base of the hand — the ‘landing zones’. There is also aramid-fibre lining on the inside of the back of the hand, the thumb and the little finger. The LS2 Swifts are also formed from a mixture of leathers, this time 60% plain cow and 35% plain goat, with Superfabric panels on the palm sliders, the base of the thumb and the outside of the little fingers

2 DESIGN

Both gloves feature deep cuffs and pre-formed, pre-curved fingers to improve comfort and reduce strain while riding. Both also feature a printed, rubberised grip section across the top of the palm and the bottom of the fingers, with the LS2 continuing up the thumb. The LS2S also feature a rubber visor wipe on the left thumb with a large, branded padded section on the front of the index finger

3 CE RATING

Gloves are rated to CE standard EN13594:2015 for road use and are awarded either a level 1 or a level 2 pass. Level 2 is a superior pass in a series of tests, including cuff length, glove retention in an accident, seam and cut strength and abrasion resistance. Knuckle protection is optional for level 1 gloves and mandatory for level 2 and is denoted by ‘KP’. Both gloves here are rated 2 KP, the highest level awarded to gloves

4 CONSTRUCTION

The Aplinestars have concertinaed sections on the thumb and finger third-knuckles as well as just behind the main knuckle armour. The LS2S have concertinaed sections on the second knuckle of the forefinger and the third knuckles of the second and third fingers, as well as a large panel on the back of the hand, under the vented knuckle armour. Both gloves feature finger sections formed integral with the palm, the LS2S using flat-bottomed external seams and the Alpinestars, internal seams at the tops of the fingers

5 VENTILATION

The LS2 Swifts feature what appear to be vented openings in the finger protectors which admit air into the area under the knuckles, to exit through exhaust ports in the rear of the knuckle armour. The Alpinestars use a similar method but air is introduced through tiny perforations in the leather at the base of the fingers and exiting through ports in the knuckle armour

6 PROTECTION

Alpinestars’ knuckle protectors feature what the company calls Dynamic Friction Shield (DFS) — a hard outer moulded shell with lower density gel underneath to absorb impact.

They feature three TPU nuggets on the upper fingers and Keprotech panels on the ends of three fingers, as well as the base of the palm and the thumb. The LS2 Swifts feature moulded main knuckle protectors with internal padding, two finger protectors on each of the second and third fingers and Superfabric panels at the base of the palm, the thumb and the outside of the little fingers. Both feature bridging material between the third and little fingers and both feature single-layer leather on the palm. Both have long cuffs, with the Alpinestars featuring a shaped, moulded TPU cuff panel while the LS2S have soft padding on the back of the wrist and a smaller rigid panel on the bottom

BUT WHAT ARE THEY LIKE TO USE?