Karting gloves

[Elaphe]

I like my Sparco Arrow K karting gloves. They are very comfortable and well made. They provide very good grip on my leather rim, but after a year of use (one or two hours a week) all the silicons inserts on the palms of the fingers are gone, so the grip now is bad. Apart from that, they look like new. I consider that spending more than 80€ on gloves every year for simracing is simply too much. Therefore, I'm looking for alternatives, either cheaper karting gloves or expensive but durable (maybe Alpinestars?). Any experiences?

 

[BillyBobSenna]

I also have Sparco karting gloves. I think gloves made for karting are not designed to last as long as nicer sim gloves. I think sim racers actually use their gloves more than actual kart racers. My Sparco Tike K gloves also seem to wear faster than I would like. I'm not in the market yet but maybe later this year. GSI? Moradness? Sparco sim gloces?

 

[stigs2cousin]

Have a look at (thin) MTB gloves. They often have the grip pads but without the for us unnecessary knuckle armor.

The pair I use was 25€ and has held up well for two years of use, on average an hour a day.

 

[Fat-Alfie]

I find that thin leather gardening gloves give great grip on my alcantara wheel, and they're about £10

 

[Elaphe]

I find that thin leather gardening gloves give great grip on my alcantara wheel, and they're about £10

View attachment 749074

Alcantara is very different from leather. I have learnt that you need silicon inserts on the palm for decent grip with a leather steering wheel.

 

[Patrick Dontigny]

I have used Alpinestars Tech1 KX-v2, they were great but they did not last with the seams breaking between the thumb and pointing finger after a few months on both gloves.

I am now running OMP KS-2R and they are so comfortable, they have stretch area at the knuckles which in my view makes them perfect for simracing. Only problem , might be the price. they are 150$ in Canada, but found them below $100 on ebay from Poland at the end of 2022.

Other option is MTB cycling gloves, which do the job perfectly and much cheaper. I ran FOX MTB gloves for a while without any issue.

 

[stigs2cousin]

Also MTB gloves don't cover the wrists which helps with ventilation.

Fire and flying debris weren't a problem on my simrig (at least until now)

 

[Elaphe]

I have just tried the economic karting gloves by GT2i but I have returned them. They do not feel as comfortable as the Sparco, the fit on the wrists is not tight enough, the cloth is not elastic enough and the silicon pads on the palm do not provide enough grip. I think I am going to order again the Sparco Arrow K. I have seen another model by Sparco called Record, which is cheaper, but it seems they do not feature the precurved shape for the fingers so I understand they are not as comfortable. Another model I was considering was the Alpinestars Tech-1 KX V3, but they are even more expensive than the Arrow K and I have no guaratees that they will last longer.

 

[Elaphe]

I have finally ordered the Alpinestars. The price difference was not high, after all. I will let know my thoughts when I have them.

 

[Elaphe]

The Alpinestars look great and are well made. The fit is tighter than the Sparcos and the Alpinestars Tech 1 (same size), so at first they do not feel as comfortable, but a little more stiff. The silicon inserts on the palms are large and very grippy. I can notice the bulge from excess of cloth on the palm when your hand is not straight, but in the normal position when grabbing the steering wheel. However, the main reason I am returning these gloves is that the thumb has internal seams. That doesn't make sense at all because the rest of the fingers have external steems. The internal seam on the thumb is very noticiable when grabbing the steering wheel, and I can feel it all the time. So, I'm going back with my Sparcos Arrow K.

 

[RJMik]

I used to use Simpson gloves when karting. Lasted for years!

 

[Michael Krone]

When I do use gloves (very rarely), I use a super cheap brand (Hyper Tough) of breathable, nitrile dipped, mechanic gloves that I get from walmart. Pack of 3 pair for about 5USD.

Very tight but just as flexible so theyre not uncomfortable at all and my hands never get sweaty in them.

They only come in one size and if you have smaller hands I dont see them working well for simracing.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I'm using Moradness karting gloves now, but they are more marketing lots of colors, styles and customization if you want your name on them etc..

They are as comfortable as my Sparcos were and so far I haven't worn a set out. My Sparco's pilled up on the inside of the gloves. That said, I have no reason to believe they will last any longer than a set of Sparcos.

I will say that the people I know who started to get his gloves sometimes get multiple pair or are getting designs that catch their eye vs. trying to save money.

 

[Elaphe]

I purchased again the Sparcos Arrow K, but size 9 instead of 10. The difference in minimal but they fit my hands a little better. The first races I felt a bit strange because the grip is too much during the first days of use. Again, I could see a lot of debris on my rim, paddles, gear lever, etc. It's like little transparent scales that I guess they come off from the silicon inserts. I know this is normal during the first days or weeks, and the only think one can do is to use an air blower.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I get zero shedding with the Moradness gloves because they don't have any silicone grippy things on them. I do remember my Sparco's leaving white droppings everywhere. I forgot about that part.