‘Come into their own in spring and autumn’
High-mile test Knox Covert gloves
The Claim
“Three-season soft-leather waterproof motorcycle glove using patented Outdry Technology. This glove has laminated membrane on the inside of the leather so cannot absorb water past the leather exterior. The result is a glove that does not become heavy with water in the rain. Also, the fingers will not pull out which is a massive frustration for so many riders!
“Because the membrane is bonded to the shell, this makes the glove thinner, giving greater feel and sensitivity. With Outdry bonded-membrane technology, wind is blocked on the outer surface. With conventional construction, air can penetrate the exterior and fill the space between shell and membrane. Full 1.0mm Korean Cowhide construction. Pittards digital goat leather 0.8mm overlay used on palm and fingertips for increased durability. Perfect spring/ summer/autumn glove and without added bulk.”
The reality
I’ve used these gloves over the past five years and 8000 miles and I’ve found them to be a faithful, useful piece of kit. Designed as a three-season glove, they really come into their own in spring and autumn, where I find their natural warmth impressive and their feel for controls far exceeding anything a winter glove can bring. Of course, on the hottest days of summer they are a bit too warm but on bikes with heated grips, I can use them all-year round, too.
Knox is proud of using a bonded liner, and rightly so — it allows the gloves to be pleasingly thin although they are a little bit stiff. They’re certainly stiffer than my Richa Street Touring gloves and, while
they’ve got more supple with miles, that feeling hasn’t 100% gone away. But they’re warmer and feel more protective than the Richas do. Their protective feel is impressive though and the scaphoid protectors/sliders on the palm don’t get in the way or interfere with the bars.
I’ve used the gloves on a variety of bikes, from sports tourers to adventure bikes, to full-on sports bikes and they’ve always delivered what I need, with very good waterproofing. Over longer periods (hours) you’ll get some water ingress on the fingers but I’ve found no glove to be 100% waterproof if you’re in the saddle that long and their performance is up there with the best.
There are a few things that I’d like to improve, though – a longer cuff would make it easier to create a good seal under a jacket, as more than once, the cuff has popped out and water drained in. However, the little lip on the side is good for positioning if you wear your glove cuffs over your jacket.
The wear and tear
These are high quality and nothing has gone wrong — and they perform as well as they did the day that I got them. There are signs of wear, though, namely scuffing on the leather that’s covering the knuckle protectors, but that’s it.