Joe Rocket Cleo Gloves Review

Joe Rocket “Cleo” Women’s Gloves

The Joe Rocket Ladies’ Cleo short gloves are made from mesh and leather for warm-weather riding.

Leather reinforcements and high density padding provide added protection. Available in four colors, the Joe Rocket Ladies’ Cleo Gloves will fit any budget.

The weather in Northwestern Montana is finally hot — for us that is — at 90 degrees (32 Celsius) and rising.

In these temperatures, full leather gloves are a bit too warm at slower speeds or in stop-and-go traffic (Yes, we actually have traffic in town…but not on the freeways. Whew!).

Hot weather calls for a cooler glove and there are several types of warm-weather gloves for women that might work.

Some are short; some have a longer cuff; some have hard armor or padding for protection while others have none; some are made from textile or mesh; others have perforated leather and some have a combination of the above.

I wanted a mesh and leather glove (mesh for ventilation; leather for protection) and chose the Joe Rocket Ladies’ Cleo Gloves for the short Montana summer.

Where to Buy Joe Rocket Cleo Gloves

Also: Motorcycle Jackets, Motorcycle Gloves, Motorcycle Boots, Motorcycle Pants

Sizing and Fit

For tips on fitting gloves, see my review of the Alpinestars Stella SP-3 gloves. Following my own advice, and according to Joe Rocket’s sizing chart, I needed a size medium.

However, I have long fingers, and I was worried that the fingers in the size medium might be too short, so I ordered a size large. I figured that it might be OK to have a little extra width in the palms of the gloves but it wouldn’t be good if the fingers were too short.

As it turned out, the palms of the size large are indeed too wide for my hand shape and my fingertips still touch the ends. It’s best to have a little bit of slack in the fingertips of motorcycle gloves, because the extra room is necessary when the hands are wrapped around the grips.

If I had long fingernails or acrylics the size large would definitely not work for me. I think the width of the medium gloves would have been perfect, but then the fingers would have been way too short.

So even though the fingers are shorter than I would like in the size large Cleo gloves, I don’t notice issues when I ride, which is surprising. I think this is because of the extra width in the palm

Obviously there is no universal size of glove, jacket, pants or helmet that will fit every single rider’s shape, and I think the Joe Rocket Cleo gloves would probably be better suited for riders with wider, shorter hands.

For comparison and reference, my palm is 3-3/8 inches (8.5 cm) wide from the knuckle of my index finger to the edge of my hand. The length from my wrist to the tip of my middle finger is 7-1/4 inches (18.4 cm) long.

Construction

Joe Rocket Women's Cleo Gloves - X-Large/Black *

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on https://www.amazon.com/ at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

The Joe Rocket Ladies’ Cleo Gloves are made from cowhide and goatskin leather and nylon mesh. The mesh is on the wrist, part of the back of the hand, and the top of the thumb and fingers.

All of the impact areas are leather, and I personally would not ride with anything less. The leather between the fingers is perforated for more ventilation.

The mesh panels and the back of the hand feature a polyester lining. The bottom of the hand, which is all leather, is unlined.

Leather reinforcements secured with double-stitching cover the lower palm, upper palm below the first three fingers, and inside of the thumb. The lower palm also has a light padding.

Joe Rocket Ladies’ Cleo Gloves have high density padding on the knuckles, fingers, and thumb for added protection. Leather reinforcements would have been a nice addition on the outside of the pinkies.

The cuffs are 1-1/4 inches (3.2 cm) long and are slim enough to fit under most jackets’ cuffs. A hook-and-loop closure keeps the gloves secure, but be sure to tighten them enough that they will not slip off your hands in a slide.

There are seams inside the glove, so depending on fit, this could lead to irritation. So far, the only place I really notice the seams is at the tips of the fingers.

Joe Rocket’s signature flower adorns the wrist. Another Joe Rocket flower is on a rubber strip on the back of the hand — according to customer service at Joe Rocket this rubber strip is purely cosmetic and does not add any element of protection.

Where to Buy Joe Rocket Cleo Gloves

Also: Motorcycle Jackets, Motorcycle Gloves, Motorcycle Boots, Motorcycle Pants

Comfort and Function

The Joe Rocket Ladies’ Cleo Gloves breathe more than my full-leather gloves. I could feel the air flow through the mesh panels, mostly on the back of the hands. Adding more mesh to these gloves however might compromise safety and would probably not be worth the addition of more ventilation.

In 90 degree (32 Celsius) weather, my hands stay cool. On the other hand (pardon the pun!), I wore them on a cooler day when it was only 65-70 degrees (18-21 Celsius) and was surprised my hands didn’t get cold.

As I mentioned above, my hands are long and thin, which means they aren’t the best fit for the shape of the Joe Rocket Ladies’ Cleo Gloves. But the surprise is that this hasn’t caused any issues when riding, and I think it’s due to the extra width in the palm.

Let me explain why I think this is the case. Because the palms don’t fit me snugly, the gloves slide down my fingers a little ways and give me some slack in the finger tips. If I pull the gloves on all the way, the seams press into my fingertips, but because of the roominess in the palms, the gloves work their way off my fingers a little bit.

However, the leather has a tendency to bunch up under my palms when I’m holding the handlebars. This becomes annoying, and I have to release the grips and ‘slide’ my hands back onto them to smooth the leather beneath my hands. If the gloves fit my hand shape snugly, I don’t think this would happen.

One little observation, after riding, the leather leaves teeny pieces of leather fibers on my palms. It is a very small amount and brushes off easily.

Conclusion

Joe Rocket Women's Cleo Gloves - X-Large/Black *

Not available

View on Amazon *

×

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on https://www.amazon.com/ at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

The Joe Rocket Ladies’ Cleo Gloves are an affordable choice for warm-weather riding. They have a good balance between ventilation and protection; safety has apparently not been sacrificed to make the gloves more breathable.

These gloves won’t break the bank and with a variety of colors to choose from, there’s no excuse for not having a pair — but make sure they fit correctly first!

Where to Buy Joe Rocket Cleo Gloves

Also: Motorcycle Jackets, Motorcycle Gloves, Motorcycle Boots, Motorcycle Pants

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