Rev'it Metric Leather Gloves: Three Years On

Press loans have an obvious limitation: a glove that arrives on Tuesday and ships back on Friday has not been rained on, has not had its velcro closure work through a thousand open-and-shut cycles, and has not had its armour tested for positional drift over a Scottish winter sitting in a drawer. Three years and six thousand miles of mixed British riding gives a different kind of picture, and it is not entirely flattering.

The Rev'it Metric Leather is a short-cuff hybrid glove, leather palm with mesh dorsal, aimed at warm-weather riding. Purchased from Saltire Motorcycles at £71.99 on a deal against the £94.99 RRP, it sits in a competitive part of the market. At that price it competes directly with the Oxford Ranger and the Alpinestars SP-8 v3, both of which offer broadly similar constructions. Whether it justifies the comparison depends heavily on what you prioritise, and this review covers where it wins and where it does not.

Fit and construction

The extra large is a genuine extra large, snug through the palm without restricting finger movement from day one. There was no break-in period of note, which matters for a commuter glove that goes on cold in a car park at 7am. The leather palm and mesh dorsal split is executed cleanly, with stitching sitting flush rather than proud of the surface at stress points.

Durability has been the standout quality. After three years and six thousand miles across spring, summer, and autumn conditions with no conditioning treatment, not one stitching point has failed. The velcro wrist closure still holds firmly. There is minimal cosmetic deterioration. For a glove at this price that has received no maintenance at all, that is genuinely impressive. It is worth stating plainly because it is the strongest argument for the Metric Leather over cheaper alternatives at a similar price point.

The sizing is consistent with Rev'it's usual pattern for this reviewer across their range. If you are between sizes the usual guidance applies: go up rather than down for a glove you will wear for hours, particularly on a tourer where grip fatigue compounds over distance.

Protection

The protection package is more complete than the category typically offers. TPU hard shell covers the knuckles, individual fingers, and the scaphoid area of the palm. The scaphoid is the small wrist bone most commonly fractured in forward falls where the rider puts a hand out instinctively, and its inclusion here at this price is worth acknowledging given how many gloves in this bracket omit it or substitute padding rather than hard armour.

None of the armour is removable or adjustable. In three years the TPU inserts have not shifted or softened noticeably, which is the minimum you need from protection that cannot be checked or repositioned. What has not been tested is the protection in an actual impact. A glove worn for three years without an incident cannot tell you how the armour performs when it matters. The CE certification level is not confirmed in the reviewer's notes, and buyers should verify current certification before purchase if protection standard is a primary concern.

On the bike

Ventilation is excellent and is the main reason to choose this glove. In warm weather the mesh dorsal keeps hands noticeably cooler than a full-leather alternative and this holds true across the usable riding season in Scotland, roughly April through October in most years. The leather palm does not cause any hotspots or friction on bar grips over extended use.

The short velcro cuff closure is fast and practical for daily commuting, on and off in seconds. The trade-off is cuff-length coverage. A short cuff sits below the jacket sleeve on most riding jackets, leaving a gap that is irrelevant in dry weather but genuinely uncomfortable when it rains. Water channels directly onto the wrist within minutes of moderate rain, and once wet the mesh construction offers no recovery. The gloves soak through quickly and dry reasonably fast, but for any ride where rain is a realistic possibility they are a significant liability.

Touchscreen compatibility is inconsistent. The fingertips work with a touchscreen in dry conditions, but results vary by device sensitivity settings and deteriorate in the cold or with any moisture on the glove surface. On a Samsung device, enabling maximum touchscreen sensitivity in the display settings improves reliability noticeably. On other devices the experience is more variable. This is a limitation shared by most leather gloves in this category, but it is worth knowing before you rely on it for navigation.

Scores

The verdict

If your riding is contained to spring through early autumn on reasonable days, the Rev'it Metric Leather is a strong choice at the price. The durability over three years is genuinely above what this price bracket usually delivers, and the ventilation is the best reason to buy it. The limitations around cold and wet are real and worth taking seriously rather than assuming they will not matter. They will matter, and they will matter quickly once the temperature drops or the rain starts. A second pair of winter gloves is not optional if these are your primary gloves. That is not a failure of the product. It is a precise description of what it is.