It’s hard to beat simple and stylish when it comes to gloves for cruising, touring, or light sport riding. The Joe Rocket Diamondback gloves feature cowhide for abrasion protection, padding on the fingers and hard armor over your knuckles for impact protection, a waterproof lining should it rain, and quilted stitching for an authentic retro look.
Slipping on the Joe Rocket Diamondback gloves is a tactile pleasure. The plush interior ensures your hands won’t be chilled on a cool day. The two-position snapped closing strap on the gloves is easy to use, even with one glove donned. Sizing is accurate; I wear size Large, and these gloves fit perfectly in that size.
The leather on the gloves has no perforation, so they are all about harboring self-generated warmth—they are not summertime gloves by any means. However, for winter and nightwear for shoulder seasons in Southern California, these gloves are incredibly comfortable.
The lightweight design of the Joe Rocket Diamondback gloves is perfect for a sportbike rider out in cooler weather. The fingers make it easy to operate controls, as the design is not bulky. The palm padding is medium weight, though not intrusive.
On the downside, the gloves lack CE accreditation, which we are growing accustomed to having. Fortunately, Joe Rocket has a good history for us, and we’re comfortable using these gloves for sport riding, though we did not slide down the road on them to test their crashworthiness.
Should you be out touring, the tip-tops of the index fingertips are conductive, so you can use the touchscreen of your smartphone or motorcycle dash. The index fingers of the Joe Rocket Diamondback gloves are agile enough to allow accurate typing on a screen.
If the weather turns wet, your hands will stay dry. The waterproof lining wards off the water with your fingers and palms submerged in a bucket. If the gloves can do that, they’ll take care of rainfall and splashes without breaking a sweat.
The quilted stitching on the Joe Rocket Diamondback gloves are stylistically ideal for retro bikes and cruisers. They go great with the tuck-and-roll of the Joe Rocket Sprint TT and Dakota leather jackets, though the Joe Rocket logos are 180 degrees out of sync. Even when I’m not wearing a Joe Rocket jacket, I’ll grab the Diamondback gloves to keep my hands warm without making it look like I’m wearing mittens. As they’re available in basic black, the gloves go with almost anything, though they match up best with black leather.
At $63 a pair, the Joe Rocket Diamondback gloves are a versatile, stylish, practical, and affordable way to protect your hands when motorcycle riding.
Joe Rocket Diamondback Gloves Fast Facts
- Sizes: S – 3XL
- Color: Black
- Certifications: None
Joe Rocket Diamondback Gloves Price: $63/pair
