‘Better than average’ would be an insult to these thoroughbred motorcycle gloves. The Druid 4 is a piece of ART. Maximum performance, maximum protection, maximum comfort. A lot of ‘maximums’, which isn’t all that coincidental.
Dainese’s Druid 4 motorbike gloves are racing gear. It’s true that they personalise their gear in the MotoGP but other than that, these are not that different from what the pros wear. The DCP system on the little finger is a direct derivative, just like the light carbon protectors and the preformed construction. This awarded them a category II – EN13594/2015 level 1-certification. And a need for speed.
Sheepskin leather is the main component of the Druid 4. Makes sense, because leather is to the track what wool is to the sheep. Polyurethane and carbon, those are the most outstanding hard components that take care of the extra impact protection. The knuckle protector and the back of the hand in carbon cover a wide surface while the fingers and the palm of the hand can count on a little smaller but just as effective protection in polyurethane. The little finger gets some extra attention in the shape of thermoplastic parts. The palm is made of – what else – goatskin leather and that just about sums it all up. Well, the four-line paragraph above requires years of knowhow and expertise. Whatever; pure, this Druid 4. No excess, no ballast, all the focus on maximum steering feel, proper grip and excellent protection.
You can see and feel that everything has been designed with an eye for detail. The subtle speed demon on the palm of the hand, where some extra relief provides even better grip… These are things that we as fans of superb motorcycle and motorcycle racing gloves get excited about.
Less visible than the materials and even the detail but just as important are the elastic parts on the fingers and the general construction that literally steers your hand in the right direction. The perforations on the fingers take care of an excellent climate control, even during extreme efforts.
The cuff will be familiar to motorcycle racers. It is long, preformed and sturdy. You can determine the diameter with Velcro, while a lateral Velcro strip on the wrist makes sure that everything stays neatly in place.
Motorcycle racing gloves are rarely waterproof. Neither are these.
