The Best Driving Gloves at Any Budget

by Michael Satterfield - Photos by Lucas Kepner - 03/22/2024

Driving gloves have been around since the first cars started rolling down the road. They were initially designed to provide a better grip on the steering wheel and protect the driver’s hands from the heat and cold. However, driving gloves have become more of a fashion statement than a functional accessory. I have amassed a pretty extensive collection, with a pair for every occasion. Below are my favorite driving gloves, regardless of price, and a brief review of each in no particular order.

Early 1900s Driving Gauntlets:

These early gauntlets were part of many early motorists' outfits and kept the driver's hands warm and cold air from rushing up the sleeves. Vintage ones I picked up from an estate sale of a Rolls-Royce collector who would wear them with a full driving jacket and goggles when piloting his 1907 Silver Ghost. They aren't great for grip and are more for keeping you warm in the open cockpit of a brass-era car. You can purchase reproductions for less than $100, but originals are sought after by automotive collectors and can sell for several hundred dollars depending on condition and maker. 

Reproduction Gauntlets         $75

Luxury Driving Gloves by Ghurka

The Ghurka Driver Gloves are the perfect accessory for fall drives on a scenic route. Made of fine leather, these unlined, hand-stitched gloves offer an elegant look and great feel. They are offered in a range of colors and are of great quality.

Ghurka Driving Gloves     $170

Budget-Friendly Option

You might find it surprising that Walmart sometimes sells Driving Gloves, but in their race to compete with Amazon, Walmart.com can have some surprising deals. These classic-style driving gloves could be better, but they have a look, feel pretty decent, and can be bought for less than $25.

Walmart Driving Gloves     $20

Velomacchi Speedway Gloves

Initially designed for motorcycles, these are my go-to gloves for anything offroad, including piloting a Baja Challenge car in Mexico or driving a UTV in Texas. They offer great grip, are of the best quality, and have additional protection with built-in hand guards. They sell out fast so check back for restock. 

Velomacchi Speedway    $149

Great Value Classic Driving Gloves

Another online find, these Italian lambskin driving gloves in deep burgundy, were just under $100. They offer an amazing feel, great quality, and no branding name attached to them at all. They are just great gloves offered by a website that does nothing but sell gloves called Leather Gloves Online. There seem to be some savings in not having a brand name attached to the gloves, and they have held up well over two years of moderate use. 

Leather Gloves Online    $99

Gentleman Driver Gloves

The W.V.T.61 series of gloves in the Gentleman Driver Collection by Prague-based brand Engelmüller was inspired by the remarkable career of German racer Wolfgang von Trips. These deerskin gloves are some of the best quality I have ever seen and what I would expect from a company that has been making gloves since the 1860s. Expect to pay more, but these are heirloom quality. 

Engelmüller     $212

Quality and Style

Cafe Leather offers handmade artisan gloves made of the finest materials and more expressive color options, such as this blue and buckskin set (they call the colors Roasted & Marlin) that I wear only when I really dress up. They fit amazingly, and the packaging and customer service really stand out. 

Cafe Leather    $160

Period Correct In Every Detail

The Suixtil Regularity gloves are the only open-finger gloves I own; they are molded after the original string-back gloves used in the 40s-60s by racers in warmer climates before regulations stepped in and required more protection. They have a classic look and are made to last. The brand Suixtil can be hard to deal with as they are overseas, and the US market seems to be an afterthought; they also have an amazing range of retro automotive apparel. 

Suixtil     $106

The Driver

This well-used pair of driving gloves is one I made by Gaspar Gloves back in 2010 as a possible project for Shelby American back when our design firm was producing licensed apparel. The concept was that the two middle fingers were white, mimicking the stripes of the iconic cobra. I made this only pair in Red and White with black palms that used touch tech leather. These are well worn because they are my favorite; I use them while driving cars, but also riding motorcycles; in fact, this pair made it through my motorcycle ride across the US, through Hurrican Harvey, and then to do a few laps in a radical at Circuit of the Americas for a test. Gaspar Gloves will make custom, but you should just buy The Drive gloves, which they made for the feature film Drive by Ryan Gosling.

Gaspar Gloves     $215

Summer Favorites

These classic full-finger string-back gloves are my go-to when it warms up; they even have touchscreen-compatible leather, so if I am driving a modern Roadster, I can still use CarPlay. But they are most at home at the wheel of my classic MG or Austin Healey. They are offered by a company called Trendhim I also have a Black pair from Autodromo but they tend to be out of stock often.

Trendhim     $105