Viaterra Kruger Motorcycle Riding Gloves – To Buy or Not To Buy

What We Like

The primary function of any riding gear is to protect you from a potential crash or at least reduce the impact of it. Thankfully, we haven’t had to test the safety aspect of the Kruger gloves yet. However, the second thing, although subjective, would be the aesthetics. We all, secretly, or openly, like wearing a piece of riding gear that also ticks the visual appeal box. And we think, the Kruger in this colour scheme of red with white, black, and dash of yellow look very cool, reminiscent of custom-made race gloves.

This is an M-size pair of gloves and we love how well they fit. Right from the break-in to now, the fit has been flawless and makes using the Kruger daily quite convenient. The wrist Velcro straps make it quite easy to tuck the jacket sleeve under the gloves most of the time. However, in cases where the jacket wrist has a Velcro strap over the zip, is when the gloves are unable to accommodate a clean fit. But that isn’t a deal-breaker. Not to mention, these feel quite tactile as well and are easier to adapt too for your daily riding. You can easily pull them in and out any given time without putting too much effort.

As we mentioned earlier, the Krugers have been subjected to use in all sorts of weather conditions. From scorching heat and pour down rain in Mumbai, to near zero degree temperatures in Ladakh, the Viaterra Krugers have been my go-to pair. So far, they have shown no signs of shrinking or expanding due to temperature changes or even after being soaked in the rain and then being used again the next day without being dried.

While the overall quality has left us in two minds, it is fair to say that Viaterra has got the Krugers’ fundamentals right. The stitching on these is still intact and has shown no signs of wear and tear. Moreover, we also like that the finger tips, too, get an outside seam and it eliminates the irritation of the stitch rubbing against the finger nails. Another neat and nifty detail that comes handy, quite literally, on the Viaterra Kruger is the wiper on the left index finger. It makes wiping water droplets of the helmet visor quite hassle-free.

What We Don't Like

There are only a couple of areas where we feel Viaterra could improve the Krugers. First one is the build quality and it isn’t a major flaw. However, after just a month or so of using these gloves, the red paneling started wearing off. And it appears to be on its way out completely in the next few months. While this won’t affect the usage of safety aspect of the Krugers, we think the said issue can be eliminated by using better material overall.

Second bit on the list of do-better is the smartphone-friendly patch on the thumb and index finger. Although usable, it isn’t as tactile as you would expect it to be. We need to double tap at times on the phone screen with the glove for it to take the necessary command.

Conclusion

At Rs. 5,699, the Viaterra Kruger aren’t cheap by any means. They cost just Rs. 300 less than the brand’s flagship full gauntlet gloves that we have used earlier. What makes them worthy of the said price is overall ease of using them daily, the ability to look good while being protective, the tactile feel, being versatile enough to use in all weather conditions, sustaining the abuse of summer, monsoon, and winter, and the feel good factor as well.

The only areas where it needs to improve are the finishing in terms of the accent colour and the conductive patch on the index finger and the thumb for smartphone usage. However, neither of the two are a deal breaker nor do they hamper the overall user experience.

So, the Viaterra Kruger are an absolute winner in our books. These could, more or less, be your go-to pair for commuting or even long rides, regardless of the weather conditions. So, should you spend Rs. 5,699 on the Krugers? Definitely!

Model: Kruger

Type: Mesh Touring Gloves

Colours Available: Black, Grey, Red, and Blue

Sizes: S to 2XL

Price: Rs. 5,699

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi