Raida Drift Gloves Long Term Review: Buy or not buy?

Gallery Introduction Things we like Things we don’t like Should you buy it?

Introduction

These are the Raida Drift motorcycle riding gloves and we have used these extensively. I have used these on my daily office commutes, toured with them, and also went mild off-roading in them. So, the question is, are these comfortable, what is the fit like, and do these offer enough protection to the rider? Read on to find out.

Things we like

Fit and comfort - The Raida Drift gloves offer a snug fit. Initially, I did feel the gloves to be a shade too snug, but after a proper breaking-in, these feel comfortable. Even the ventilation is excellent and you don’t end up with sweaty palms even after extensive usage. The suede material on the palms is abrasion-resistant and offers good grip levels. It worked really well and protected my palm in an accident. But, more on that later.

Although these are everyday use gloves, I’ve used these on a 1,000km-plus ride, and these worked extremely well. After using these for over 3,000km, I tend to go for the Drift gloves more often than some of the other street gloves I own.

Scaphoid Shield - Unlike some gloves offering foam protection for the palm, the Drift gloves get Scaphoid Shield protection. I had a nasty fall on one of the off-road shoots and landed on hard compacted soil. The Scaphoid Shield took all the impact, protecting my palms from injury.

Things we don’t like

Quality - The quality of materials used in certain areas could have been better. For instance, the PU fabric around the thumb and fingertips started to come off within six months, and that doesn’t look good on an otherwise nicely built glove. That said, it hasn’t affected its touchscreen functionality and one can still operate his/her phone on the go.

Protection - The protection, although sufficient, could have been better. Unlike some of the other gloves, it gets a PVC knuckle protector, while the HD foam padding on the fingertips is just about acceptable. Although the knuckle protectors have stayed intact, you do run the risk of it coming off over time. Raida could’ve used sturdier protectors that are stitched into the fabric.

Should you buy it?

The Drift gloves fit well and offer decent levels of protection. These are also quite airy and feel comfortable to use across terrains. Sure, it could do with better materials and sturdier protection. But, the fact that its positives outweigh its negatives, you should definitely consider buying one. That said, Raida could’ve priced them aggressively. At Rs. 2,750, these aren’t a dealbreaker.