Tested: Wolf Titanium Outlast Waterproof gloves review

Date reviewed: October 2021 | Tested by: Steve Lamb | Price: £99.99 | www.wolf-moto.com

When it comes to glove design, you'd think that everything had been tried before and that there was little else to develop, but Wolf have taken the concept one step further with their Titanium Outlast waterproof gloves – but are they really a step forward, or just change for change's sake?

I've been wearing them in a variety of conditions for over 500 miles on a variety of bikes including Suzuki's Burman 400, Harley-Davidson's Fat Boy 114 and my own Ducati Scrambler Classic.

Fit and feel

Like all kit, glove sizing can be quite tricky and feel is very subjective.

I have the Wolf Titanium gloves in a Size 9 – Medium which is smaller than my usual Large (I even have a pair of Richa gloves in XL), but the fit is about right.

As you would expect with waterproof winter gloves, they do feel a little bulky and restrictive when first in use, but soon soften up as the materials relax and mould to the shape of your hand. Even after a good 500 miles of use, I find the fingers a bit tight which reduces the insulative properties and can lead to cold fingers, but the finger length is just right for me, meaning they remain all-day comfortable.

Overall, these feel a quality glove, with double stitching at all the important seams and joints, and overlaid panels on the fingers and palm for extra protection and durability. The simple black leather outers with red stitching looks classy and is in keeping with the rest of the Wolf Titanium range.

Warm and cold weather use

I've used the Wolf Titanium Outlast gloves in a variety of weather conditions from near freezing spring mornings to high 20's summer days and I was impressed with how they cope with such a wide variety of conditions.

Of course, with this amount of insulation they are too warm for regular daily use in the summer, but if you have early morning or late evening commutes when the temperatures drop, these are ideal to carry as a second choice alongside your regular summer gloves.

On the really cold days, I found that the gloves alone weren't enough to keep my hands warm and I did resort to heated grips as well, especially for longer jaunts on the motorway where wind-chill plays such a large factor, but for shorter journeys, they proved ideal.

Protection and certification

The Wolf Titanium Outlast gloves are CE approved to EN13994-2015 with a hybrid carbon and thermo-plastic armoured section across on the knuckles, carbon protection across each finger joint, and a slider on the heel of the hand to avoid scaphoid injuries in the event of an off.

While the index fingers of both gloves are claimed to be touch-screen compatible, I found using them a bit hit and miss and resorted to taking off the glove on the odd occasion I needed to access my phone.

From April 21 2018, all new motorcycle clothing is deemed to be Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). To meet this legislation, it must be tested to a recognised standard. For more information on the new laws, click here.

Fastening

The fastening of the glove is the key difference between the Wolf Titanium Outlasts and any other glove, and is designed to solve that age old conundrum once and for all – jacket over gloves, or gloves over jacket.

The Wolf Titanium effectively has two cuffs – one which you can tuck inside your jacket sleeve and the other which them fastens over the top of your sleeve.

In principle, the system sounds great, providing a truly waterproof and windproof closure around your wrists, and with some careful tucking and fastening, it does work well, but therein lies the rub – it’s a massive faff trying to get it right. The first glove on is the easiest as you can do your tucking and velcroing with your other ungloved hand, but once that one is on, getting the second glove on is akin to threading a needle with oven gloves on (well, maybe not quite that bad)

For a start the inner cuff is a little too large, meaning that it has to be folded onto itself to get it under your jacket. All the time that you're trying to tuck in the inner cuff, the outer cuff is getting in the way while the hook and look fastens to anything it lands on. By the time you have the inner cuff tucked in and your jacket sleeve fastened (which in the case of the Wolf Titanium jacket, is not a tight closure), the outer cuff needs to close around all of this. It will close, but it's far from a secure closure and adds significant bulk to your wrists. Do the same with the other hand, and you will soon be wondering why you didn't just buy regular gloves. It’s a real shame that execution doesn't quite match the expectation because I love the idea and when I do get it right, the final wind protection is excellent.

Aside from the cuff, there is single strap for wrist restraint which has a flared end to prevent it being pulled completely through.

Wet weather use

If you can battle through the cuff adjustment palaver (and, to be fair, with practice, it does get easier), it's certainly worth it for the wet weather and wind protection provided. After riding for a solid 40 minutes at motorway speeds in torrential rain, and despite the glove outers wetting quickly, the internal waterproof layers did a fantastic job and my hands were warm and dry.

There is a visor wiper bonded to the left index finger, which is useful, but it could do with being a little larger and more flexible to cope with today's highly-compound curved visors (and I'm always afraid of scratching the visor with these).

Due to the leather outers wetting out, it took a good day at ambient temperatures for the gloves to dry and, being leather, it's important to let them dry naturally (please don't put them on the radiator), so if you are using them for daily commuting, they may well be a little damp on the outside for your morning ride.

Lining

The soft, fleece lining makes the Wolf Titanium gloves a pleasure to use of colder days, while the construction means that even with sweaty hands, the lining stays in place when removed. The addition of Outlast to the gloves means that can feel a little cold at first, but they soon warm up and do a good job of regulating your hand temperature.

Even after a use in torrential rain, there was no dye transfer from the gloves.

Wolf Titanium Waterproof Gloves - Verdict

For me, the cuff design of the Wolf Titanium gloves falls just short of making them a must-have glove. While I appreciate the work that Wolf have put into the idea, the execution just doesn’t quite work, but despite that, these gloves have quickly become my go-to when the weather is looking changeable, or I have a long journey and want to sure I will stay dry and comfortable.

Combined with the Wolf Titanium Jacket or Wolf Fortitude Jacket they provide a dependable, waterproof and warm package which will keep safe and stylish while not breaking the bank.