Joe Rocket Phoenix Gloves - Review
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Highly ventilated summer glove in a mesh construction and at a good price, however the construction leaves a niggling doubt as to the crashability and long term use of this item
Light and breezy summer gloves
Initial Thoughts
Lightweight summer gloves can be somewhat of a lifesaver when it gets too hot to handle outside and with the majority of us looking to keep cool and comfortable during those months I was interested to see what the JoeRocket Phoenix Gloves had to offer. Made primarily from lightweight materials they felt like they would be great for ventilation but I had my doubts about durability.
Construction
The main construction is that of Airprene and Nylon Mesh, with cow hide and synthetic cow hide panels, across the knuckle is an impressive silver carbon weave protector which is mirrored with carbon detailing on thewrist side and thumb base. Right off the bat the fingers started wearing and bobbling, I am guessing this is the synthetic leather as it feels suede-esque but nowhere near as durable, comfort wise these are truly lovely feeling gloves but as I feared earlier they feel way too comfortable to be of any use while sliding down a road - not that I have had chance to test them though.
In the summer weather they really do offer great ventilation, at no point did I want for a lighter glove but at the back of my mind was the ever nagging fear of 'what if?'. This in my opinion is the biggest decider of the rating given to these gloves as with any motorcycle product I am reviewing it has to give confidence that it will do its job if and when the time comes.
Features
- Carbon Knuckle protector detailing
- Extensive mesh and lightweight fabric construction
- Reflective panels to the knuckle joints for increased visibility
- Secure Velcro wrist strap closing
Editor reviews
Reviewed by Leigh Godson July 04, 2008
Last updated: May 29, 2010
Top 10 Reviewer - View all my reviews
Conclusion
Ventilation wise these gloves are king, I have found no other glove that is as consistantly as airy and comfortable in hotter weather, this though is in my opinion where the gloves fall down.
My set started fraying and bobbling within a week of use and not really particularly hard wear either, on the palm sections it became clear that with just a little bit of speed and a stretch of tarmac underneath them they would not hold up to an abrasion test that well.
That said I have since noticed that Joe Rocket have redesigned these gloves entirely and they look to be of a more durable construction, if they offer a similar amount of comfort in the heat but increased levels of safety (and that includes peace of mind remember) I would be more than happy to give them a try.
As for these gloves it appears they are discontinued and no longer available to buy anywhere which might just be a good thing.
