After years of cheapie (like $15-20) gloves, I splurged on a pair of Roeckl Chesters.
I love the feel and the grip of them.
However, they are already wearing out after maybe 6 months of riding 1 horse 4-6 days a week.
It’s not like I do farm chores in them – I put them on last thing and take them off first thing when riding.
For a $60 pair of gloves, I would expect better.
Any alternatives with the same feel, but better durability?
Yikes! I always get the SSG cheapies and they usually get holes within a year, I’ve wondered if more expensive gloves would last longer and thus be cheaper in the long run, so thanks for answering that question for me! I ride about the same, one horse approx 5x/week. I just ordered some Heritage UltraLite gloves to get my free shipping for a black friday sale, but haven’t received them yet.
I don’t feel the Roeckls are any better than cheapies. I have a grey/white pair of Roeckls for shows to match my grey jacket. Otherwise I have Noble Horse Perfect fit, SSG crochet back gloves for summer and SSG all seasons for daily use. Can get 1-2 pairs on clearance now and then. They usually last a year+ and I don’t feel bad pitching them in the trash when they die. No sense spending more than $20…
You’re lucky to get 6 months out of Roeckls, a pair I bought didn’t last 6 weeks before they wore through, but that is probably because they don’t mix with bio-grip reins.
My absolute preference is the Ariat Tek gloves, my current pair have lasted for a couple of years now on a similar schedule to the OPs. Unfortunately they don’t do them in white so I have a different make for competing in.
The SSG Digital is very similar to the Chester; not quite as supportive but otherwise very close.
They aren’t super inexpensive but they last a lot longer than the Chester IME.
Try the Neumans, they are not super expensive, are washable, come in white also. And they last! Their insulated gloves won’t carry you very well in the Jan/Feb in the NE, but then I switch to SSG winter trainers.
I LOVE the Roeckl gloves - mine last longer then 6 months, and I ride 2 horses. The color starts to wear off, but I usually get a year out of them. I’ve tried just about every brand - and others may last longer, but I feel like I lose “feel” with the other brands. Probably for fit, the SSG are the next best. I hate the Neumans, they don’t fit MY hand right - fingers too long, everything else too tight. I haven’t tried the Ariats - the only pair I found was too thick - for me, I want them very close contact. I’ve tried a few other brands, and they just didn’t fit well.
I wait and buy the Chesters on sale… Or one of the other Roeckl models on sale.
The Uvex sportstyle gloves are much more similar to the Chester than SSG digital gloves (plus they last longer). I have an issue with the synthetic gloves wearing out fast between the fingers where the reins go-- but no where else.
Rockels are overpriced IMO. Another product that is more about being seen as wearing that brand vs the actual durability and practicality of the brand. I have a pair that I only wear for riding in the colder months and the thumbs of them wore through. Wore them all of last year and some of this year. 
I also have two pair of SSG gloves that are very similar in style and feel to Rockels and they are holding up much better. This winter I splurged on BoT gloves and so far I love them, but have only had them a week so far.
I’m of a big fan of the Heritage Show Gloves. I haven’t tried the Rockel Chesters, so I don’t know how they compare but the my Heritages seem to wear well and I tend to loose them long before they wear out.
I personally love Roeckls, but I buy the traditional ones (not sure what the model name is. I got a chocolate brown pair over 1.5 ago, and although they have some wear on the inside there aren’t any holes yet! I only ride one horse though. I just bought a new pair for 25% off through Riding Warehouse over Black Friday weekend. With the discount they were $37 ish which IMO is a good price for super comfy gloves that last well over a year.
I had the same problem with Roeckls, Heritage, and SSG.
I’ve got some Noble Outfitters $19.00 gloves that are doing pretty good so far and I think I’m almost a year into wearing them.
I really like Heritage - they fit my hands really well, but that is such a personal thing. I also like that they are washable.
I wonder if some of the difference in wear is due to using different style reins? I typically use leather reins with stops, but over the last few months have been riding a friend’s horse, who has the rubber pebble reins on her bridle, and I have noticed some extra wear on my gloves.
I definitely notice a difference in reins and had to start looking for gloves with an extra layer both on the pointer and on the 3rd fingers when I was riding a horse that had the big rubber reins.
I had the same issue with Roeckl’s. It is all about HOW they fit you. If they aren’t a perfect fit, I have found that they break down quicker.
I am a big fan of my SSG’s. I ride in the the technicals. They may be ugly, but I have had the same pair for about 4 years!
Noble outfitters make a nice glove at a cheaper price point.
I ride in flat leather reins without stops and I don’t lunge, tack up, or untack with my gloves on. Somehow I still manage to destroy multiple brands.
I wonder if it also depends on where exactly on your hands you hold the reins. I have short fingers and prefer slightly narrower reins, but I think they still rub against my knuckles, which might cause extra wear and stress on the seams of the gloves.
Because I can’t stand leather when it’s cold or when it’s really hot, I’ve resigned myself to cheap Noble Outfitter gloves - which are doing pretty good durability wise (better than Heritage and SSG digital).
For everyday riding ( dressage) I used Neumanns baseball gloves. They were more durable than conventional riding gloves and still had the tackified leather I like. More economical as well.
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