Alpinestars Tech 1-ZX Gloves Review

The Alpinestars Tech 1-ZX Gloves are a popular pair of go-kart racing gloves for drivers of all experience levels. They offer excellent protection and grip for all racers who love to indulge in the adrenaline-pumping motorsport of go-karting. With a newly designed grip and an ergonomic and snug fit around the wrist, these gloves will ensure that you feel much more confident with your handling at all times – whether you’re racing on a casual Sunday afternoon or tearing it up at a championship race.

Features

Silicone and latex grip zones
Lightweight materials
Fire-retardant properties

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This is the updated version of the Alpinestars Tech 1-ZX racing gloves. This redesigned version also has external seams and a larger silicon surface area for a better grip and a highly-improved level of comfort. They are also FIA 8856-2000 and SFI 3.3 Level 5 rated, making them ideal to be used in officially sanctioned races and championships.

Build Quality

What makes the Alpinestars Tech 1-ZX gloves great for any type of motorsport is its excellent build quality. The gloves are made of two layers, which is a good indicator of their durability over long periods of time. This is crucial for the handling ability, as well as comfort. These layers are made of an aramid fabric that is known to be fire-resistant. This ensures that you are well protected against any fire hazards. As it’s quite rare for go-karts to catch fire during races, it’s still an important safety feature. For automotive racing, gloves with fire-retardant properties are definitely a requirement.

Using aramid fiber for the construction also means that the gloves are long-lasting even under high-stress races and on surfaces that cause heavier vibration. Another great feature as far as the construction of these gloves goes, is the use of external stitching rather than internal.

This means that you will not be able to feel the stitching against your hands which will lead to the elimination of pressure points that other racing gloves can give. External stitching will also be longer-lasting because your hands won’t rub against it and cause friction which might have resulted in damage over time.

Comfort

Comfort is one of the most important things that a kart driver requires. This is certainly also true for any other type of motorsport. The last thing you want is to make it to a competitive race, get into the kart, hold the steering wheel and realize that your gloves don’t provide enough grip or feel rough against your skin. Discomfort in a race can definitely hinder performance, which can lead to increased lap times.

The external seams of these racing gloves go a long way in making them feel much more comfortable when in use. Additionally, they also provide a good amount of shock absorption without hurting your hand. This is an important feature for karting, as it absorbs a lot of the vibration when you hold on tightly to the steering wheel. Moreover, the aramid material for the internal layer is great to keep your hands cool and secure.

Another feature of the Tech 1-ZX gloves that makes them comfortable is their light weight. This is achieved by an innovative design, effective construction method and lightweight materials. The design of the cuff will allow you to easily put your hand into the glove and pull it out whenever you want thanks to the elastic wrist. This also means that you can easily adjust the elastic strap anytime.

No one likes the feeling of their gloves clumping up around the fingers because they don’t have a great fit. That’s why the Tech 1-ZX comes with a pre-curved design, in order to ensure that your fingers stay in their natural position without having to apply too much pressure when gripping the steering wheel. This ergonomic design feature not only adds to comfort, but also saves you a lot of energy during a race.

Grip

Having the right amount of grip on the steering wheel is extremely important, especially when cornering and overtaking. Alpinestars have put a lot of focus on several design features that aid in steering wheel grip. The gloves have an interior grip zone that is coated with latex, which provides excellent grip and an even better handling feel.

Additionally, there is a new technology used through which the grip for the palm and fingers is designed to provide much better control, as well as flexibility. The gloves utilize silicon areas to achieve this.

All in all, the Alpinestars Tech 1-ZX racing gloves are a dream for every go-kart or automotive racer. Too much grip and you’ll need to release too much tension on the steering wheel; too little grip and you may lose control of your vehicle. This is where the Tech 1-ZX gloves really shine. These gloves provide just the right amounts of grip for perfect handling.

Design

The Alpinestars Tech 1-ZX are available in three different color combinations, which are navy/white/red, black/blue, and black/white. This refreshing look is compatible with any type of go-kart or motor racing vehicle.

The design consists of some very nice angular lines at the back that are a perfect balance of vibrance and style. The base color for each glove is dark – either black or navy blue – which gives them that contemporary vibe. If you’re into cool and edgy designs, these racing gloves will fall right in your wheelhouse. The Tech 1-ZX gloves come in various sizes, in order to cater to all types of racers. Please note that picking the right size of karting gloves is extremely important, so make sure that you always refer to a size chart

Certification

For professional racers, having gear certified by the FIA standards is important to ensure that they can take part in different competitions without running into any compatibility issues. The good news with the Tech 1-ZX gloves is that they are certified according to the FIA 8856-2000 standard as well as the SFI 3.3 Level 5 standard for homologation.

Conclusion

I hope that you have enjoyed the Alpinestars Tech 1-ZX glove review. All things considered, they are a great pair of racing gloves that are appropriate for any type of motorsport, especially go-kart racing. From its high-quality materials to it’s sturdy build quality, the Tech 1-ZX feels comfortable to wear and provides just the right amounts of grip for the race track. If you’re looking for other types of racing gloves, please take a look at my review of the best karting gloves on the market.