Keis G701S ‘Shorty’ Heated Gloves review

Date reviewed: October 2024 | Tested by: Simon Roberts | Price: £190.00 | www.keisapparel.com

It’s October 2024 and the impending arrival of winter has reminded me to complete my review of the Keis G701S ‘shorty’ heated gloves.

Between December 2023 and April 2024 I covered around 1,500 miles in them – in all weathers – on a BMW R1200GS Adventure. I dug them out again recently for a ridiculously early motorway slog, where the temperature dropped to 4 degrees Celsius, which some experts say will feel more like five degrees below zero when factoring in the windchill of riding at 70mph.

Pros & Cons

Construction, fit and feel

The quality of manufacture is evident from the attention to construction detail and in the materials used.

The ballistic nylon outer shell incorporates spandex for elasticity and comfort while the inner features a windproof, waterproof and breathable Hipora membrane, and 3M Thinsulate for warmth. This inner lining has stayed put for me, and has never tried to turn itself inside-out as many other insulated or lined gloves do.

The palm is lined with a synthetic suede-like material with an effective anti-slip material sewn over the handlebar grip area and some small overlays on the fingertips.

The index finger and thumb each have a touchscreen-compatible pad. These worked perfectly with my Garmin Navigator and Garmin Zumo XT (as virtually everything does) but they proved incompatible with my iPhone 11 screen.  

The index finger of the left glove also features a visor wipe, which works perfectly but with limited use as it is only 3cm long. By way of comparison, I have a pair of Richa Cold Protect gloves and the visor wipe on these is 7cm long.

The Keis G701S gloves come in sizes ranging from 3XS to 3XL. In my case the large (L/10) fits perfectly. With the hook and loop wrist strap cinched down, the gloves are very comfortable and secure on my hands.

There is also an absence of the bulk so common in non-heated winter gloves. This allows good feel for the controls and throttle. The Thinsulate inner lining is fantastically soft and provides some degree of insulation even when the glove is not switched on.      

Finally, the cuff is shorter than on most winter gloves, including its big brother the G701 (reviewed here). While this means there is no room on the cuff for a secondary fastening flap, the G701S fits perfectly inside my jacket sleeve and makes sure rain doesn’t run down my arm and into the glove. Secondly, the short length keeps the male power connectors easy to reach, yet they remain inside my jacket and protected from the elements. 

Protection and certification

The Keis G701S gloves are approved to the latest CE glove certification at the basic Level 1 KP, with hard knuckle armour that’s approved as impact protection under CE. The scaphoid bone is protected by a hard rubber slider, and the uppers of the three largest fingers carry additional but very small soft padded sections. Some previous Keis gloves met the tougher Level 2 KP standard; short-cuff gloves won’t meet Level 2 as they need the wrist protection, but we can’t know whether the rest of the construction would have met this tougher standard,

From April 21 2018, all new motorcycle clothing is deemed to be Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). To meet this legislation, it must be tested to a recognised standard. For more information on the new laws, click here.

Warm and cold weather use

While you can turn them off in warmer weather, and the Hipora membrane is breathable, the Keis G701S gloves are insulated and have zero ventilation, so there are of course far better options for warm weather riding.

Don’t let traditionalist fans of big winter gloves put you off – in proper cold weather heated kit is fantastic and I’ve been a convert for about five years. For sure it’s not cheap, and using them can be a bit of a fiddle, but if you haven’t tried it then the ability to concentrate and genuinely enjoy a ride (without wearing bulky clothing) on a freezing cold day is revolutionary.

In the case of the Keis G701S gloves, said revolution is effective but gentle. I have some Gerbing heated kit that, if used on the maximum setting in UK winter, makes me feel like my skin is burning. Not so with these Keis gloves. The heating panels run along the top and side of the hand and down the front of the fingers, and deliver a gentle but all-enveloping warmth throughout the glove with neither cold patches nor ultra-hot ones.

The control button sits on the top of the hand and is accessible even with the cuff inside the jacket – not always the case with heated gloves. The button is easy to use with a gloved hand, but each glove is controlled separately – not a big deal when stationary but definitely a thing when on the move.

A two-second press of the control button turns the glove on to the highest setting, and the control button turns red via a small LED. A subsequent brief press reduces heat to the mid-point with the control button turning amber. A third press reduces the heat to the lowest ‘green’ temperature setting. Another two-second press turns the glove off (no LED illuminated). I like the simple LED colour coding along with the good visibility and ease of use in low light conditions.

Everyone feels the cold differently, but I found the maximum ‘red’ setting kept my hands from getting cold at 0°C, which enabled me to have a full day out on the bike. At around 5°C my hands felt very warm if I wore the gloves on the maximum setting.

In terms of powering the gloves, they come with a fused 12V motorcycle connection lead and a ‘Y’ lead that delivers power via cables running down each arm.

Alternatively, the gloves can be powered (but not controlled) via a central power hub incorporated into Keis jackets, vests and body warmers.

Wet weather use

The Hipora waterproof membrane incorporated in the Keis G701S gloves carries a laboratory specification of 20,000mm, which makes the gloves highly waterproof if hydrostatic head testing methodology is to be our guide. I used the gloves on multiple wet-weather rides and experienced no leaks.

Fastening

Fastening is via a single hook and loop strap at the wrist, which you can cinch down tightly to give a secure fit. There is also a small zip on the cuff and a rain-resistant overlay. When undone the zip provides an additional 3cm of expansion, which some may find useful.

Lining

The 3M Thinsulate lining is incredibly soft and comfortable, and crucially (because it’s semi-bonded) it has stayed put. I’ve not had a single instance of the lining becoming dislodged and attempting to turn itself inside out.

Touchscreen compatibility

It’s possible the Keis G701S gloves are compatible with the screens on some mobile devices, however I found them incompatible with my iPhone 11 screen. In contrast, they worked perfectly with my Garmin Zumo XT sat-nav.

Three alternatives to the Keis G701S ‘Shorty’ Heated Gloves

Heated gloves could revolutionise your winter riding. Here are some others to consider…

• The Keis G601 touring glove is a rarity as it’s approved to the highest Level 2 standard under CE certification. You can read Steve Rose’s 2020 review here.

• Furygan’s X-Heat Kevlar gloves have proven very popular, and come in versions for men and women. Our review of the ladies version by Patricia Stiemke can be read here.

• The RST Pro Series Paragon 6 Heated Waterproof Gloves are powered by lithium batteries, so there’s no hard wiring and they can be recharged. You can read our positive review here. 

These are just three of many alternatives – you can find all the motorcycle gloves we’ve tested here and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership.

Keis G701S Heated Gloves - Verdict

Heated kit makes a lot of sense If you ride in colder temperatures. Warm hands are more dexterous than cold hands and being cold increases risk as reaction times are slower and concentration becomes harder. And, of course, who doesn’t want to be warm and comfortable?

The Keis G701S gloves are the best heated gloves I’ve tested so far – high-quality construction, great performance and functionality, a supersoft lining that stays put and, critically, cuffs that easily fit inside my jacket sleeves.

They’re not quite perfect - they would be even better with a longer rain wipe, and better screen compatibility would be good too.

Nevertheless, I give the Keis G701S gloves a warm, and surprisingly dexterous, thumbs-up.

Do you own these gloves? Tell us what they’re like, or ask us questions about them at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.