Alpinestars GP Pro R4 Gloves

Like most Alpinestars gloves, these gloves run a bit smaller than most glove brands we carry. If you are sometimes between sizes, then choose the larger of the two. Hopefully you’ve had some experience with buying gloves and can choose based upon the fit of a previous pair. If you have no previous experience with glove sizing, go here for help.

With is particular glove, It seems to fit just a tad larger than past Alpinestars glove, which makes it more closely comparable in size to other brands sold in the US. Also, it seems the finger length is more generous, so if you’ve had trouble with the fit of AS gloves in the past… particularly with regard to finger length, you might want to give this new version a try.

The GP Pro R4 gloves from Alpinestars are a pure racing sport performance gauntlet glove that comes in its fourth generation for 2024. The GP Pros have typically been in the top tier of Alpinestars track based gloves along with their Supertech and GP Tech gloves, this iteration is no different. One of the first things that we noticed with trying on these gloves was just how light weight and comfortable they are, they really did take a large step forward over the R3 model, especially in the weight and fit categories. In wearing a R3 on one hand and a R4 on the other it is almost unbelievable how much better the dexterity is with the R4, Alpinestars did a great job in improving these gloves for the next generation and I would argue have set a new bar for what a full racing/sport gauntlet glove should be.

Some of the major changes in construction between the R3 and R4 are the following: starting at the wrists the R4 glove has a much lower profile wrist enclosure and hard slider and the cuff features DFS for high levels of abrasion resistance. The wrist section alone provides a clear difference in comfort and bulk between the two generations. Moving down to the knuckles the R4 glove again shows improvement with the Dual Density DFS Race knuckle protector that is more comfortable than the previous generation, is again lower in profile and overall just looks better. Moving on to the fingers, lower profile and more mobile continues to be the theme with the R4 glove but even with the lower profile the R4 glove has much better padding and protection on the pinky and that side of the hand as it features padding under the leather, in fact, overall the R4 gloves feature more padded and TPU areas overall vs the R3 glove. Another advantage to the R4 is that the glove has now move on to internal stitching. External stitching is fine for road and urban riding and usually aids in additional comfort, but when it comes to track based gloves an internal stitch is preferred as there is less possibility that the stitching will snag on something while dragging. In the overall comparison of R4 vs R3 the GP Pro R4 is the clear winner and it isn’t even close, sometimes generational changes are minimal or almost non-existent, that is definitely not the case here, there are great improvements all around, hats off to Alpinestars for this one. My one gripe in the R3 vs R4 conversation is the fact that the R3s were CE Level 2KP certified while the R4s are Level 1 KP certified, I am not sure if this is because of lack of consumer demand for a Level 2 glove, because of Alpinestars not wanting to pay for a Level 2 certification, or simply because the gloves are not as protective as the R3s were. Im wondering if the added comfort and dexterity came at a protection cost. With that said, the R4s still feature a ton of protection and fall in to the realm of about 95% of gloves out there being CE Level 1 or CE Level 1KP certified (of the gloves that have a certification).

Overall the GP Pro R4 gloves from Alpinestars feature everything you would want in a sport performance glove, great protection, weight, dexterity and comfort. Additional features that are worth mentioning is the inclusion of the pinky bridge that keeps your pinky protected from separation or finger roll. Aramidic lining being included on the back of the hand as well as the landing zones, and the inclusion of a dual closure system at the wrist for additional comfort and fit adjustments. The inclusion of premium materials such as a blend of leathers (bovine, goat and kangaroo leather) and thoughtful features like the perforated knuckle panel for ventilation, and the inner seam palm construction for added comfort really make the GP Pro R4 gloves top tier. Overall I would recommend these gloves for anyone looking for a serious pair of racing or street sport gloves. :: Damir 3/23/24