The Held Phantom line has been the go to Held sport glove for several generations now. The new Phantom Pro continues the legacy with some neat updates.
The Held Phantom Pro gloves have many of the features Held has included in the Phantom line since the originals debuted circa 2008ish. The gloves are mostly Kangaroo leather with is highly abrasion resistant, colorfast and sweat-proof, and pretty damn comfortable. Kangaroo leather is soft to the touch and offers good dexterity so you have an excellent feel for the controls. Kangaroo leather also has superior rub through protection, but Held still reinforces the palms with a suede overlay for style and function. The back of the hand is fully lined with shock-absorbing Suprotect® foam. When you're wearing the gloves this foam feels like a perfectly formed pad and after a few rides, it will feel like they were made just for you.
SuperFabric® reinforcements were common in the earlier versions and they make an appearance here as well. The palm of the glove has a very large patch that has even more of the "guard plates" than the standard SuperFabric® material. The back of the fingers and outer gauntlet has the more traditional material. The knuckle armor is a stiff HRD (Held Racing Department) TPU with a titanium overlay for maximum protection. If you have a get off, you're protected in just about every way possible!
A new feature for the Phantom Pro that we have not previously seen in the line is the finger bridge holding the Pinky to the Ring finger. This is a key protection that helps keep your most vulnerable finger attached to your hand in a violent crash. It looks like someone's patent ran out on this technology because it is starting to be a more common sight and that is welcome in the world of racing gloves because every little bit helps when it comes to protection.
The Phantom Pro has an integrated visor wiper on the left index finger. Two ergonomic hook and loop closures ensure a snug fit at the wrist and over the cuff of your jacket.
If you can't tell, I'm a fan of Held gloves in general and these Phantom Pro are arguably the best sport bike gloves we carry. I try not to push particular products, especially not when they have sky high prices like this one, but sometimes you really do get what you pay for. That isn't something I throw out lightly, Held has been making premium gloves for multiple decades at this point and they know what the most demanding riders need to accomplish their goals.
*Protection:*
* Certified under standard EN 13594:2015 "protective gloves for motorcycle riders“
* SUPROTECT shock-absorbing special foam on back of hand & ball of thumb
* Reinforced edge of hand & index finger
* Knuckle protection tested (impact test for knuckle protection)
* Titanium knuckle protectors
* Highly abrasion-resistant stingray leather, underlaid with shock-absorbing foam on ball of thumb
* Glass fibre protectors on edge of hand, covered with SuperFabric brand material
* Held Armaprotec protection on back of hand
* Finger-bridge between ring finger & pinkie
* SuperFabric reinforcement on fingers
* Ring- and pinkie finger additionally protected with Aramid
* Hard shell pinkie finger protection
*Fit:*
* Special step seam avoids pressure points on inner hand enhances feel
* Pre-formed, crease-free palm
* Tunnel strap
* Perforated finger side walls
* Velcro adjustment at cuffs
* Visor wiper
*Lining:*
* Unlined palm
*Outer Shell:*
* Highly abrasion-resistant kangaroo leather
* Colorfast & sweat-proof
*Upper Material:*
* Kangaroo leather
