Those transition seasons—spring and fall—serve up some of the best riding you'll find as well as introducing "the great glove conundrum." When the weather can go from warmish and dry to cool and wet in an instant, should you wear vented or waterproof mitts?

Held's answer to the conundrum is the Air n Dry gloves. (Note that these Held-made gloves are also sold by BMW dealers as the Two in One gloves; they have slightly different graphics and perforations on the palm.) On the outside, the Air n Drys look like sport-touring gloves with a Cordura shell, plastic knuckle protection, and medium-length gauntlets. The left index finger has an integrated squeegee.

It’s when you go to put them on that you notice something is different. The Air n Drys have two pockets. Slide your hands into the main pockets and they’ll be surrounded by waterproof Gore-Tex and a thin layer of insulation. Here, the AnD is an effective mid-season cool-weather glove, comfortable down to the high-40s. Also, I can attest that, in this configuration, the AnD is totally waterproof.

But slide your hands into the other compartment and the gloves become comfortable for much warmer weather. How? Because now your hands are beneath the Gore-Tex socks and just inside of the perforated palms.

Both the Held and BMW-branded versions have done well over a season of riding, with no tears or loose threads or any other visible sign of distress. Save for one: The light-colored palms began to look a bit dingy within a few weeks. Better opt for the darker variations. Both versions of the gloves are available in a full range of sizes, with Held also offering “slim” and “stocky” cuts as well as woman-specific sizes.

PRICE: $250 for the Held version; $209 for BMW's Two in One
CONTACT: heldusa.com or bmwmotorcycles.com

Verdict: Comfort and convenience for transition-season riding, at a price.