It’s been a hot minute since I did a review post! I have a few things on the docket to review over the next couple months, but I figured we’d start with the most budget friendly item: the Kunkle Everyday Riding Gloves.

The Kunkle brand isn’t new, but they’ve recently started branching out into more designs than just their standard black show glove. It’s been a popular brand in the h/j world in particular, winning over a lot of diehard Roeckl fans. Admittedly these are the first ones I’ve actually had, mostly because I tend to buy “fun” gloves and the plain black ones just never called to me.

But, ya know…. slap some purple accents on them, put them at an irresistible price point ($29 is basically free these days for gloves – don’t argue with horse girl math), and what do you know, I’m in. It’s also worth mentioning that I have a bit of a glove problem obsession and may or may not have *mumbles a number that definitely ends with teen* different pairs of gloves, only like 3 of which I use on a regular basis, because I am a harsh critic and a bit of a weird fit. So, with all of that said, lets get into it.

Fit/Sizing

I have big hands for a woman my size, and quite long fingers. It’s very common for the fingers of gloves to be too short for me and I end up either not being able to hold the reins well or I bust through the end of the fingers (for example, me and Heritage brand gloves just cannot coexist ever). I would say the fit on the Kunkle are very average – the fingers aren’t too short for me, but I could use another half inch to make them perfect. Which means that pretty much everyone else in the world will fit in them just fine. I like that they don’t come up too far on the wrist… I hate it when they’re so long they interfere awkwardly with a long sleeve shirt. I ordered my regular glove size, 8.5, and they fit true to size.

Durability

I’m almost 4 months into pretty much daily use and they’re holding up remarkably well so far. I mean… I have a pair of Roeckls that cost twice as much that I popped a seam on within the first 3 weeks. These bad boys aren’t showing any wear yet (I use rubber reins, before anyone asks) and the stitching and seams are all pristine so far. Ask me again in another 6-8 months, but so far I have high hopes for the long term durability of these.

Grip

I ride a ginormous elephant and live in Florida’s left armpit, so grip is important. They’ve been through rain, super super super sweaty rides, and everything from dressage rides to jump schools to gallops. So far so good with the grip. I also like that they’re touchscreen friendly, which is a must-have feature for me at this point.

Style

There is nothing particularly groundbreaking about the general design – it’s a synthetic leather palm and fingers with a mesh back. But for the above reasons (re: armpit) I really appreciate the breathability and airflow that a mesh back provides. As far as looks go, I love the little purple accents with the purple piping, purple stitching, and purple logo. I like purple but not enough to want a full purple glove, so for me these are a happy medium.

Value

As I’ve already said, I think these are pretty darn cheap as far as gloves go, especially for comparable styles. I feel like pretty much everything is $40+ these days, so for a lighter-weight, durable glove with the grippy synthetic leather, the price point is really nice.

My only complaints are that 1: I wish they dried a little faster. To be fair, this is a problem I have with literally all my gloves except the thin fabric ones, because Florida. It’s just moist AF all the time, there’s no getting around it. 2: selfishly I wish the fingers were just a tad longer, although I know that would probably make them too long for most people.

The TLDR version of the rest of this post: if you’re a fan of the classic Roeckl gloves, you’re going to like the Kunkle. They have a similar design and feel but seem to be more durable, and the price point on these are a major selling point. Even though I’m picky about gloves, these have wormed their way into my rotation of Top Tier gloves that I always reach for, which I think says a lot.