5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD WEAR DRIVING GLOVES
Why wear driving gloves?
Sure, they might seem a bit antiquated, but driving gloves are a lot more common than you think. Leather driving gloves offer both protection and comfort for your hands when behind the wheel.
They’re also a bold fashion statement.
Back in the day, everyone wore driving gloves. Ever wonder why the storage compartment in your dashboard is called the glove box? During the time of Model T’s and roofless Studebakers at the start of the 20th century, automobiles were very different from modern cars. Drivers had to wear hats, goggles, and – you guessed it – driving gloves, to protect them from dust, wind, and rain.
In the modern age, just about every car on the road has a roof to protect the driver. It’s why gloves aren’t necessary for all people. However, driving gloves do come in handy in the right circumstances.
Check out the top 5 reasons to wear driving gloves below:
1) BETTER GRIP AND CONTROL
Ever hear of a little race called the Indianapolis 500? Every single driver on the track wears driving gloves.
And no, it’s not just because it makes them look cool (even though it definitely does).
Professional racecar drivers need driving gloves so they can exercise better control over the steering wheel. If you were racing along a track at 200+ miles per hour, you would want every bit of control over the car. Just one little slip of the hand sends you careening off course into disaster territory.
Enter auto racing gloves.
At higher speeds, driving gloves help you exercise control over the steering wheel.
For drivers who actively participate in SCCA clubs or driving school's like BMW's track events or Porsche's Driver's Ed, driving gloves offer more precise steering. And greater control promotes safer events and better results.
Even though most of us will not be driving racecars in our lifetime, we may encounter daily situations that require quick and accurate responses from time to time. If you're driving on the highway, you'll definitely be grateful for a little extra tack to keep your hands glued to the wheel, especially when entering or exiting interstate on-ramps and driving in adverse weather conditions.
Most driving gloves out there do little more than provide a barrier between your hands and the wheel. However, an orthopedic hand specialist developed Bionic’s black leather gloves. These gloves were designed with the hand’s natural anatomy in mind, accounting for the natural peaks and valleys of the hand and evening out the surface with relief pads to promote a more secure grip.
Driving gloves reduce vibration from the steering wheel which in turn reduces hand fatigue.
2) REDUCES HAND FATIGUE
If you’re like most Americans, taking a trip to the mall or driving your kids to soccer practice won’t tire your hands out.
At higher speeds, driving gloves help you exercise control over the steering wheel.
Most of us spend less than an hour a day in the car commuting to work or running errands. But there are times when you might spend more than a couple of hours driving.
And these occasions are what make driving gloves so useful.
Little known fact: most truck drivers wear gloves. Why? Keeping your hands on the wheel for upwards of 5 hours at a time will tire your hands out. Although most of us do not drive for a living, truckers who log hours and hours of driving a week report that blisters may form if gloves are not worn to prevent the abrasion of gripping the wheel.
Whether you’re taking a long distance road trip or you drive a vehicle for a living, driving gloves work to keep your hands happy and comfortable in a few different ways:
- The leather surface reduces vibration, which in turn reduces hand fatigue
- Breathable mesh or holes in the knuckles offers ventilation to keep your hands cool
- The Glove acts as a barrier to prevent abrasion between your bare skin and the steering wheel
3) PRESERVES YOUR STEERING WHEEL
Who wants to drive a beautiful car with a steering wheel that's falling apart?
Depending on the type of car you drive, it may be worthwhile to wear driving gloves to keep your steering wheel in good shape. Maintaining your car's steering wheel will help it maintain both its aesthetic and resale value.
In luxury cars like Audis and Lexus’, the steering wheel is often covered with wood or wrapped with leather. A nice wheel adds value to a luxury sedan or SUV, so it makes sense to want to preserve the steering wheel as much as possible.
Your body’s natural oils – combined with any sweat or grit you might have on your hands – will deteriorate your nice leather-trimmed wheel over time. This is especially true if you’re driving for long periods of time in warmer weather.
Driving gloves are not just a fashion statement among luxury vehicle owners and classic car collectors. Vintage cars already have years and years of cumulated wear, depreciating even faster if you drive with your bare hands. Quality driving gloves act as a barrier between the sweat and oils produced by your hands and the wheel. If you own a nice car, wearing driving gloves ensures you’re protecting your investment.
When driving, you hold your hands above your elbows which restricts the blood flow, causing your hands' temperature to drop.
4) COMFORT IN EXTREME WEATHER
Whether you’re driving in the sweltering heat or biting cold, driving gloves help keep you comfortable behind the wheel.
How?
Driving gloves reduce vibration from the steering wheel which in turn reduces hand fatigue.
In the cold, a pair of driving gloves will help keep your hands warm. The driving gloves basically act as an insulator, sealing in your body’s natural warmth. Many people wear winter gloves to keep their hands warm behind the wheel, but these can be bulky and limit your gripping ability. Men and women's driving gloves offer both warmth and superior grip for drivers. Driving gloves are especially useful when you take driving posture and the natural human anatomy into consideration:
When blood can’t reach the extremities, your hands and feet become cold. Putting your hands on the steering wheel means you’re holding your hands above your elbows. Thus, you’re restricting blood flow to your hands, causing a drop in temperature. Properly designed driving gloves can help compensate for the lack of blood flow.
In extreme heat, driving gloves prevent your hands from transferring moisture to the steering wheel. As mentioned earlier, this moisture will not only affect your grip on the wheel, but can also cause blisters over time. A good pair of driving gloves will help your hands stay at a comfortable temperature.
5) LOOKING AWESOME
Driving gloves carry a certain type of old school charm - it’s undeniable.
In the last few years, driving gloves have become even more popular. Perhaps they fall along the lines of the popular “vintage” trend that has descended over fashion the last few years.
For a lot of people, choosing to wear driving gloves is probably more often about fashion than anything else. So when did this niche-type glove become so popular?
Let's thank Ryan Gosling.
Remember the movie Drive? Ryan Gosling’s driving gloves helped define the aesthetic of his character. His look fused a simple and smart dress style with the dangerous and rugged.
And really, what guy doesn’t want to look like both a classy gentleman and a badboy?
No one, that’s who.
POINTS TO TAKE HOME
Let’s quickly review the main points discussed about driving gloves. 5 reasons to wear driving gloves below:
Greater Control. The tack of a leather glove offers superior grip and control over the wheel. They’re especially useful when driving on the highway.
Reduces Hand Fatigue.
Driving gloves reduce the vibrations from your wheel that tire the hand when driving for long periods of time.
Preserves Your Wheel. Oils and sweat from your hands can break down leather and wood steering wheels. Driving gloves act as a barrier.
Comfort in Extreme Weather. In the cold, driving gloves keep your hands nice and toasty. In the heat, they help keep your hands at a mild temperature.
Style. Plain and simple, driving gloves look cool. ‘Nuff said.