Sport these picks from summer to winter and beyond.
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While driving gloves may have been more common in the earlier days of automobiles when drivers were directly exposed to the elements with every drive, driving gloves are still useful now (even from the comfort of your enclosed vehicle with automatic steering). Even just as a style accessory, they are a chic reminder of a simpler time. Picture it: Driving gloves, sunglasses and a light scarf wrapped around your hair, floating on the air behind you while you drive along? Might as well just become Audrey Hepburn.
When reviewing car-related accessories, we always check with our friends over at Car and Driver, who teamed with pros at Autoweek and Road & Track to find the best driving gloves on the market. They say, "anything that helps you enjoy driving is worth having," though of course, driving gloves do have a few uses beyond style. They can keep your hands safe from overheated (or frigid) wheels, and even helping to protect against UV damage from the sun blazing through an exposed windshield. Parked cars can reach temps of over 116ºF in just an hour of sun on a hot day, with seats and steering wheels reaching 123ºF and 127ºF respectively. Ouch.
To find the best driving gloves, our editors reviewed Car and Driver's picks, considering style, functionality and performance to select our favorites. Looking for more car content? Check out our articles on best car buffers, best car cleaning kits and best backup cameras. And if it's certified track gloves you're looking for, head to Car and Driver's original review for all their favorite picks.
Talk about custom beauty: Car and Driver says the quality of these luxury leather gloves are well worth the price, coming in six different colors and thread finishes. Since they're handmade to fit, you'll need to measure your hands to ensure you get the right size. Lots of reviewers opt for these gloves specifically to match their cars and they love the feel and style they offer.
One reviewer even commented, "for long drives, these are a must." Another pointed out that the gloves have kept his gearshift from cooking his fingers in the hot Florida sun, making these an ideal pick for hot summer months.
While Car and Driver featured the men's version of the Alepo gloves, the brand claims all of the same great features are in the women's pair too. They're touchscreen compatible so you can pull up directions on your car's infotainment center or your phone without taking off the glove (just remember, no texting and driving!).
They're made from faux leather while maintaining the style of real leather at an affordable price point, and lined with wool, which is ideal for keeping fingers toasty although they may be too warm for warmer climates. They come in eight different colors, so you can match this budget-friendly pick to your outfit, your car or both!
Car and Driver editors like these gloves for keeping fingers warm on those cold work mornings. While they don't have the style of leather gloves, they're a great versatile option with the convertible top. Keep the top up so you can handle the cold steering wheel and pop it down when you want your fingers free to use your infotainment center (otherwise, the gloves are not touchscreen compatible).
One Car and Driver editor noted the leather padding on the palm for better control and the top pops off for a fingerless style to allow you to easily navigate touchscreens without fully taking off the glove. One online reviewer said the gloves were their favorite because "they're warm, durable and allow for quick dexterity."
For a pair of driving gloves that do it all, opt for this versatile set. While they're not marketing toward driving, the silica beads on the palms add grip to the wheel so you can feel like Speed Racer. These gloves claim to be wind- and waterproof, so they're good for mild outdoor use too. These gloves aren't lined, so Car and Driver says that they're better for cool (not cold) weather, but they'll help to keep you toasty for the first few minutes in your cold car while you want for your heater to finally kick on.
A lot of people think of gloves when they think of cold mornings in the car, but if you've ever grabbed a leather steering wheel in 100º heat, you know exactly how important gloves are in the summer too. That's where these lightweight leather gloves come in: There are holes across the knuckles that allow your hands to breathe, so you don't have to worry about sweaty hands soaking through the leather or singing on a hot wheel.
These are some classic, solid, no-nonsense gloves that Car and Driver says will get the job done. They're made from leather (though Car and Driver does say they're lower quality leather) and the thumb and pointer finger are touch-screen friendly. The snap allows them to fit snugly as well, and as an added bonus, they offer some sun protection against blazing sun through the windshield (though always remember SPF!).
✔️ Material and lining: Driving gloves tend to be leather, but driving gloves can come in wool, cotton, or synthetic materials. If you're going for a classic look, it's hard to beat leather gloves. If you're looking for warmth, wool is your best bet. If you need something for the colder weather, opt for an added lining to keep those fingers toasty.
✔️ Touchscreen capabilities: It's hard to operate a modern car's touchscreen system to run GPS programs, climate control and music without touchscreen gloves, or those that have some way to let out your fingertips. Make sure your gloves are touchscreen compatible if that's important to you.
✔️ Style: Besides handling hot or cold steering wheels, driving gloves are all about style. There's a glove for every kind of look, so no matter what you're going for there's a style out there for you.
✔️ Price: Driving gloves really run the gamut in price. If you're wanting hand stitched leather, plan to pay more. If you don't mind faux leather or machine stitching, there are some really great deals out there for a stylish pair.
That depends on what kind of help you need. Driving gloves were originally used for wrestling with the kickback in the steering wheel in older cars (like, old cars). Nowadays, unless you're a professional on a track, they're not going to help you drive any better.
What they can help with is dealing with the results of temperature extremes in you car. Too cold or too hot, it's hard to touch the steering wheel wither because your fingers are freezing or burning. For the most part though, preference comes down to style; really any gloves will all do the same job when it comes to the first 10 to 15 minutes before your heater or AC gets cooking.
Abigail Bailey writes about products for the Good Housekeeping Institute. While she's not exactly a gear-head, she does have a Master of Science in Publishing Digital and Print Media from NYU, and loves driving her 20-year-old Honda CR-V.
Since 1955, Car and Driver researches, tests and reports on car-related tech, helping people make decisions on cars and car accessories with their unique brand of intelligence, independence and irreverence.
Abigail (she/her) is product reviews writer who has covered everything from kitchen gear to mattresses and smart blinds. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.A. in creative writing and earned her M.S. in publishing digital and print media from New York University. She currently works at Wirecutter, but has also spent time on staff at Good Housekeeping and The Southern Review literary magazine. In her free time you can find her quilting, cross-stitching or trying to figure out how to squeeze one more bookshelf in her tiny apartment.
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