I can’t remember exactly when I started, but it must be about five years ago. Since then, I’ve made a habit of always wearing driving gloves when I’m behind the wheel.

My CACAZAN Driving Gloves

It all started when my husband recommended them. At the time, I was driving a manual Suzuki Swift Sport (Swift Sport, or “SwiSpo” in Japan), and he told me, “If you’re going to drive, you should wear driving gloves.” He even gave me a pair from CACAZAN.

At first, I brushed him off: “Oh, that sounds like a hassle. I’m good.” But once I tried them on, I was amazed by how well they fit my hands. They felt fantastic on the steering wheel, and I remember thinking, “Wow, these are so good!”

They also help protect my hands from the sun, and I’ve been wearing driving gloves ever since.

My Second Pair Was Finally Wearing Out

The CACAZAN gloves I’d been using were my second pair. My husband had given them to me for my birthday, but after about three years of regular use, they’d gotten seriously grimy.

I’d even tried washing them myself once, but the dirt barely came out…

Then, the other day, our family took the Taycan out for a drive. My husband spotted my gloves in the car and said, “These are seriously filthy—and they must stink. Why don’t you get a new pair?”

“Really? They don’t actually smell that bad,” I replied.

“That’s not the point! Haha.”

So, at last, I decided it was time for a replacement.

I’m not much of a shopper. I tend to wear out my shoes, bags, and wallet before replacing them—and sometimes I just buy exactly the same thing again.

I’d been hanging on to my gloves as long as I could, too. But maybe, even by my own standards, I’d gone a little past the point of “getting my money’s worth.” Actually, I think I’d blown right past it. (Laughs.)

I Tried a $5,000 Pair of Driving Gloves from Amazon

CACAZAN gloves cost more than your average pair. I figured, “Maybe I don’t need anything that fancy,” so this time I decided to look for something more affordable on Amazon.

I wanted a pair with open fingertips, as usual. And since I was trying something different anyway, I went for a new color: a pair of red driving gloves arrived at my door.

They cost about ¥5,000.

At first glance, I thought, “Oh, these look pretty good!” I’d ordered a men’s medium, so they seemed a little big, though the fit didn’t feel bad. (A small would probably have been too tight; I have fairly thick hands.)

I was ready to take them for a drive. But the moment I gripped the steering wheel…

“These are completely different!”

The first thing I noticed was the grip. The Amazon gloves didn’t grip the steering wheel at all—they just slid around. The whole point of wearing gloves is to avoid slipping, so I actually wondered, “Could these be less safe? Honestly, I might have a better grip without them.”

Maybe Alcantara wouldn’t slip. Or maybe that’s not the issue. Perhaps CACAZAN’s grip is simply that good.

The other difference was the fit when gripping the wheel. When I curled my fingers slightly, the fabric didn’t sit comfortably around the bends. It felt tight and restrictive—in short, just wrong.

“Yeah, the CACAZAN pair fits so much better. There really is no comparison…”

I took off the new gloves and put my old, battered second pair back on. “That’s more like it.”

Of course, years of wear had helped the old gloves mold to my hands. But even allowing for that, the leather’s suppleness, the fit, and the overall feel were in a completely different league.

I hadn’t realized how much difference there was while wearing the same pair all the time. Trying something else made the contrast impossible to miss.

Back to CACAZAN

I ordered another pair of CACAZAN gloves right away. This time, I chose a different model from the one I’d been wearing. CACAZAN makes its gloves to order, and it’s a busy season, so I hear they may take about a month to arrive.

I’m already looking forward to them.

I’m sure there are plenty of other great driving gloves out there, too. But this experience taught me firsthand that a glove may be “just a glove”—until you feel the difference.

I never imagined the gap would be this big. There’s a lot more to driving gloves than I thought.