The new top-of-the-line Bobhead Reaper gloves from Lancashire, England, are the first in the industry to integrate Rheon Labs protective technology. Rheon is an energy-absorbing superpolymer that is being incorporated into personal protective equipment for powersports and other applications. Born out of NASA and developed by Imperial College London, its high performance, light weight, and flexibility allow many configurations and applications. Our first experience with a Rheon product was our Ruroc Atlas 4.0 Carbon full-face helmet review.
The Bobhead Reaper gloves’ CE EN 13594:2015 Level 1 safety performance certification considers nine criteria. Level 1 is the standard designed with the street riding user in mind; level 2 is the more demanding with competition or professional users in mind. We have covered the CE and ANSI protective glove performance standards in detail.
The Reaper glove includes Rheon Laboratories technology flexible knuckle protection and qualifies for the testing under the optional level 1 testing requirement. Though finger impact protection is not included in Level 1 requirements, the Reaper gloves include impact protectors on the first, second, and third fingers. However, they are not specified as using the Rheon Laboratories material.
The sizing chart on the Bobhead website worked well for me, with the men’s medium gloves providing a precise fit. The gloves go on with a firm tug on the cuff and have a snug, race-like fit once on. The wrist snap-closure offers two positions; the largest setting works for me. The only thing that could be improved is to add a short extension of the leather strap to make getting a hold of it and pulling the snap into position a little easier.
Out on the road, the gloves are comfortable on extended rides. The gloves’ leather is perforated for ventilation on the top side of the first three fingers, part of the palm, and inside the fingers. The Bobhead Reaper gloves also feel great in hot riding conditions.
The palm and thumb include a honeycomb-patterned leather reinforcement panel over the heavy wear area. The tip of the index finger and thumb have touchscreen-compatible fabric. The black leather is beautifully crafted and detailed, with Bobhead’s skull logo subtly embossed over the knuckle protector and on the wrist snap.
Honeycomb-patterned TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) hard armor on the ulnar side of the heel of the glove allows the glove to slide on a hard surface in a fall. That can help prevent the wrist and arm from being jammed, which can increase the shock force your body must absorb. The TPU, meanwhile, also has high abrasion and impact resistance.
The Rheon knuckle impact protection is deployed on the Bobhead Reaper gloves in a unique fashion. It is enclosed in a separate leather pocket that overlies a full leather layer on the top side of the glove. This clever design allows the flexibility of the Rheon layer to be optimized to make it almost imperceptible to the wearer. It overlies another layer of impact protection that covers the area between the knuckles and wrist. The result is a comprehensive impact protection system from the fingertips to the wrist.
The Bobhead Reaper gloves are impressively constructed with state-of-the-art flexible Rheon impact protection over the knuckle area, with reinforced and armored palm construction and CE EN 13594:2015 Level 1 safety performance certification. That makes the Reaper one of the most advanced products in its class that we’ve reviewed to date.
Bobhead Reaper Gloves Fast Facts
- Materials: Leather exterior with polyester interior lining
- Sizes: Small to 2XL
- Protection certification: CE EN 13594:2015 Level 1
- Color: Black
Bobhead Reaper Gloves Price: $94 MSRP
