Touchscreen Motorcycle Gloves: Riding Without Taking Them Off
Peeling a glove off at every red light to check your phone is a habit worth breaking. Here is how touchscreen gloves fix it.
Phone mounts, intercoms and GPS units have become standard motorcycle accessories, which created a small but constant annoyance: every time you need to tap the screen, a glove comes off. Do that at every junction and it adds up to a lot of stopped time, cold fingers and gloves fumbled back on with traffic moving. Touchscreen motorcycle gloves exist to remove that step entirely.
How the fingertip actually works
Capacitive touchscreens respond to the small electrical charge in human skin. A touchscreen glove either weaves a conductive thread into the fingertip or adds a conductive panel, which carries enough of that charge through the material for the screen to register a tap. It is a small piece of engineering that solves a problem riders deal with every single ride.
The trade-off to know about
Conductive panels are usually placed on the thumb and first two fingers, which is plenty for tapping a map or answering a call but is not meant to replace full grip protection. Some budget gloves add a touchscreen patch by cutting into the palm reinforcement to fit it, which quietly weakens the glove. A well built pair adds the conductive tip without touching the structural leather or the armor placement underneath.
What to check before buying
Test the glove on your actual phone before you buy, since conductive quality varies between brands and some need a firmer press than others. Confirm the touch panel sits on the fingers you actually use for your phone and intercom controls, and make sure it has not come at the cost of palm grip or wrist closure security.
Pair it with the rest of your kit
A touchscreen panel is a convenience feature, not a safety feature, so start with a glove that already has the fundamentals right. The Gravlok Leather Gloves use genuine perforated leather with a secure wrist closure, and work well alongside bar-mounted phone holders and intercom units from your usual accessories shop. For the full setup, see our motorcycle equipment checklist.
Browse Gravlok riding gloves or explore a custom build for your exact fit. Made at 375 A1 Township, Lahore, Pakistan and shipped all over the world.
