VQuattro “Lazio” Motorcycle Gloves Review
The VQuattro Lazio gloves are made from high-quality, very soft goat leather. Also included is Primaloft insulation and a waterproof breathable liner insert. The overall styling, construction and fit is second to none, making the Lazio gloves among the nicest and warmest non-heated gloves we’ve ever reviewed. Please read the VQuattro gloves review introduction for more information on the technologies and features incorporated into VQuattro gloves and the background on the company.
The Lazio gloves are beautifully made and designed and the stitching and overall construction is among the best we’ve seen. The gloves are also very comfortable — goat leather is used in high-end motorcycle gloves due to its outstanding abrasion resistant properties and also because it is generally lighter in weight and softer than cow hide.
The combination of the goat leather and the soft liner, along with the pre-curved fingers, the “touring” style finger construction, the Primaloft insulation and the special mcFIT liner system make the Lazio gloves about as comfortable as any you’ll find.
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VQuattro Lazio Glove Details
The Lazio gloves are the top-of-the-line leather non-heated gloves in the VQuattro 2012 lineup.
In addition to the Primaloft ONE insulation and mcFIT waterproof/breathable liner attachment system (described in the introduction), the Lazio gloves are made completely from very soft goat leather.
Goat leather is claimed to be lighter weight and more abrasion resistant than cow hide. It is certainly softer and the Lazio gloves need no break-in.
These are winter or cold weather gloves and the Primaloft insulation is comfortable, with an “organic” compression feel and it also keeps the hands pretty warm when riding.
We’ve been experiencing an unusually warm winter this year in the Mid-Atlantic, which is just fine with us, but not so good for evaluating winter motorcycle gloves!
But at least on the cooler days, with temperatures into the low 40’s F (4-5 C), the Lazio gloves work just fine. The water- and wind-proof liner works well to block the cold air and the very soft fabric liner and Primaloft insulation keep the fingers warm.
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Sizing
The VQuattro gloves are made in numbered sizes, and our Lazio gloves are labeled as a size XL/10. The “XL” label is a bit misleading, because the gloves fit exactly as expected for a size 10.
Men’s gloves usually run about 9.5 to 10.25 for a size L and 10.5 to 11.0 for an XL, although different manufacturers may shade this one way or another.
Each of us normally wear a size large glove of around 9.5 to 10.0 and these fit just about perfectly, with a touch of room in the fingertips to allow enough room for the hands on the grips.
The next size up would be too big and the next size down would probably be too small.
Fit and Comfort
The Lazio gloves are not ventilated, because they are designed for winter or cold-weather riding. The waterproof and breathable membrane and the liner material do a good job at eliminating sweat.
And the mcFIT liner attachment system works to keep the liner in place when the hands are removed from the gloves, although the membrane works well enough that our hands never got damp enough to worry about this problem.
The first three fingers have flattened accordion pleats between the main and middle knuckles.
These are very nicely constructed with perfect stitching; actually, quite a sight to behold, even for the jaded motorcycle glove reviewers!
The fingers also have the touring style “box” construction, with two “walls” joined in the front and a “ceiling” and “floor”. This provides plenty of wiggle room for the fingers and, when it’s constructed properly, is the most comfortable fit.
Overall, the Lazio gloves are very comfortable, again due to a combination of the soft goat leather, Primaloft insulation and overall precise fit.
The pre-curved fingers also help make the gloves feel comfortable and also to prevent bunching in the palms when gripping the handlebars. The knuckle protector and sliders are nicely shaped and very unobtrusive when riding.
Gauntlet
The gauntlets on the Lazio gloves have a leather dart sewn into the inside of the wrist, which allows the gauntlet to expand to about 150 mm at its widest point.
This, combined with the soft/stretchy goat hide, provides enough room to fit the gauntlet over a winter motorcycle jacket.
The gauntlet has the standard hook-and-loop fastener and there’s enough length on the strap to secure it tightly.
The gloves also have a secondary wrist security strap underneath, also a hook-and-loop type that runs through a square D-ring on the inside of the wrist.
The D-ring is attached to a heavy section of webbed nylon, so it looks and feels secure.
Once the wrist strap is tightened, the gloves can’t be removed until the strap is loosened, even if the gauntlet isn’t closed, which is just as it should be for security.
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Security
The Lazio gloves feature a very nice carbon fiber main knuckle protector with a semi-matte finish. It’s double-stitched on to the back of the gloves and the stitches are perfectly arranged and there isn’t a single hanging thread anywhere on the gloves.
The knuckle protector looks like it’s painted or coated in black, which gives it a nice appearance against the rest of the glove.
The special VQuattro “V4” slider covers the outside of the heel of the hand.
This is described in the VQuattro gloves review introduction; it’s a special design with some of the slider that fits under the leather, then the remaining external piece is sewn directly on to the glove.
This hides the stitches and makes the slider appear like it’s part of the external glove leather. It also protects the stitches from abrading, so it’s altogether a very clever and different design.
The V4 construction technique is also used to attach the gel pad slider covering the scaphoid on the palm of the hand.
It’s embedded in the separate piece of leather that runs from the palm, around the outside “heel” of the hand and up the pinky finger. The leather covers the outside of the pinky finger and wraps around the top.
There is no separate piece of hard protection at the pinky and no separate knuckle protectors over the backs of the fingers, typical for a winter touring glove.
Another separate section of leather is sewn over the palm at the upper part, covering the fingers and under the main knuckles. This is sewn using a precise double stitch, with perfectly aligned rows.
In addition, a section of “digital” leather covers the palm underneath, which provides excellent feel and grip for a winter glove.
Water and Wind Resistance
The Lazio gloves have an unbranded waterproof and breathable liner, attached using the mcFIT system. The gloves were waterproof in our “bucket test” (wearing the gloves while holding them under water for several minutes).
So apparently the mcFIT system works, at least with regard to maintaining waterproof integrity.
This is more than can be said for some of the other “waterproof” gloves we’ve reviewed, some of which have leaked through the seams where the membrane attaches to the glove — precisely the problem that the mcFIT system is designed to overcome.
Conclusion
The VQuattro Lazio gloves are very comfortable — actually, the most comfortable winter gloves we’ve ever reviewed. They are also waterproof and windproof and breathable.
They meet the CE 13594 standard and they have decent, if not extensive, hard protection. The styling, fit, comfort and overall construction quality of these gloves is outstanding and difficult to beat.
The price, all things considered, isn’t unreasonable when compared to other high-end gloves.
If you’re looking for a pair of very nice, all-leather, non-heated winter touring gloves, we can highly recommend the VQuattro Lazio gloves.
Where to Buy VQuattro Lazio Gloves
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