Buying guide for Best weightlifting gloves
People of all ages can reap health benefits from working out with weights. However, you don’t have to be deadlifting two times your body weight to wear weightlifting gloves, and you don’t have to be an Olympic weightlifter to appreciate callus- and blister-free hands.
Wearing gloves will protect your hands whether you’re using a rowing machine, doing pull-ups, or swinging a kettlebell.
Who needs weightlifting gloves?
No matter what your age or physical ability, you can benefit from strength training. Lifting weights or using weight machines two or three times per week can boost metabolism and improve balance. Stressing bones strengthens them, and you burn calories to boot. What’s not to love? Weightlifting gloves are useful additions to your gym bag no matter what your preferred exercise.
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BodyPump and other vigorous, high-rep barbell workouts
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Pull-ups
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Rowing machine
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Circuit training
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CrossFit and other high-intensity workouts in which you switch from swinging a kettlebell to doing pushups on a concrete floor to climbing a rope
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Olympic lifting
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Powerlifting
Benefits of weightlifting gloves
Prevent calluses, blisters, abrasions
Your hands will toughen up if you lift weights regularly, but that doesn’t mean you have to go around with painful blisters on your fingers or hard calluses adorning your palms.
Keep a firmer grip
The very last thing you want is to lose your grip on a heavy barbell you’re holding over your chest or toes – or head. Hands can get sweaty when you’re working out, and weightlifting gloves help keep your grip secure.
Lift heavier weights
Gloves can enable you to lift more weight or lift for a longer period of time (do more reps) by relieving the pressure on your hands.
Support the wrists
Compared to your thigh or torso, your wrist looks pretty fragile. Many weightlifting gloves have built-in straps that wrap around the wrists for added stability You might not need wrist wraps if you’re lifting five-pound dumbbells, but you’ll be glad you have them when you’re bench-pressing a 150-pound barbell.
Expert Tip
Weight lifting gloves can definitely help prevent calluses and blisters. However, be sure to take off any rings before putting on the gloves since they also cause pressure and swelling.
BestReviews Fitness Expert
Types of weightlifting gloves
Weightlifting gloves run the gamut from minimalist palm pads to lightly padded fabric and mesh to thickly padded leather with wrist wraps. The type of gloves you choose will depend on the exercise you do and the intensity with which you do it.
Minimal grips
Some weightlifting “gloves” are not full gloves. These cover from about mid-palm to the first finger joint (the area of the hand that lifters usually cover with tape).
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Made of neoprene, leather, Lycra, mesh, sometimes with silicone on the palm for added grip strength
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Unisex sizing
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Very lightweight
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Good for CrossFit
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Good for people whose hands sweat a lot
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Good for people who don’t like the bulk of full gloves
Palm pads with wrist wraps
The hand curls over the bar, the pad curls up under the bar, so the hand grips the pad-wrapped bar. The pads and wrist wraps function as lifting straps, leaving the backs of the hands exposed.
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Can replace tape and lifting straps and hooks
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One size fits all (usually)
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Good for people whose hands sweat a lot
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Good for serious lifters lifting heavy weights
Gloves with 1/2 or 1/4 of fingers exposed
These weightlifting gloves include many materials and configurations of coverage, mesh, and padding.
Gloves with built-in wrist wraps
These weightlifting gloves also include many materials and configurations, with the addition of attached wrist wraps.
"If weightlifting gloves with fingers and wrist wraps are too bulky for you, try grips that protect only the palms, held in place by loops that go over the fingers."
STAFF
BestReviews
Weightlifting glove features to consider
Size
You can find weightlifting gloves in unisex styles (grips), and models sized from small to extra-large (and larger). Look for ease of movement – not so loose that they slip and not so tight that you can’t bend your fingers. If you have long fingers, some gloves may not provide the coverage you need. Check customer reviews to make sure the weightlifting gloves you choose run true to size.
Padding
You’ll find a variety of padding, from “open-cell” foam to “silicone-printed” neoprene. Check the thickness and location of the pads to make sure the gloves will protect the areas on your hands where you need it most. Many lifters like to be able to feel the bar, so the thickness (or thinness) of the padding is crucial.
Material
Weightlifting gloves are made of many materials, including leather, neoprene, Lycra, mesh, microfiber, synthetic leather, and silicone.
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The gloves need to be sturdy, tough, and durable because you’re going to be giving them a beating.
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The gloves need to provide support as well as flexibility in order to protect your hands while enabling you to bend your fingers.
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Leather lasts longer. It also breaks in and molds to your grip.
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Some glove materials give off a strong chemical smell at first that usually dissipates over time.
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The material in some gloves is treated with an antimicrobial agent to help reduce odor.
Ventilation
There’s no getting around it: your hands sweat with extreme physical exertion. Many weightlifting gloves have vented mesh panels on the backs to improve breathability. Some lighter gloves have even more mesh. The improved air circulation can help reduce odor in the gloves.
Construction
Depending on how strenuously you work out, your gloves can last a short or long time. The quality of the workmanship is an important determinant of the lifespan of your gloves. You should look for double- and even triple-stitched seams, but even that won’t necessarily guarantee glove longevity. Lifters complain about inferior gloves – and even expensive gloves – ripping apart after just a few uses, so inspect the stitching on the gloves you’re considering, and read customer reviews.
Finger length
Various styles of weightlifting gloves cover 1/4 or 1/2 of the length of your fingers. Either might be too long if you’re a woman buying men’s gloves. Try on different styles. It can be uncomfortable and even painful to lift weights if the material bunches up at the base of your fingers.
Wrist wraps
Some gloves come with wrist wraps attached. These provide more stability and support for Olympic lifts, so not everyone will need or want them.
Ease of removal
It might sound unimportant, but it isn’t easy to pull a tight-fitting leather glove off a sweaty hand. Some gloves have strategically placed loops or tabs (such as on the second and fourth fingers) to help you pull off the gloves, and a surprising number of consumers go out of their way to praise this feature.
Expert tip
Gloves can be habit forming too, so I always recommend performing some exercises that require grip strength without them. This will maintain and improve natural grip strength over time.
BestReviews Fitness Expert
Tips
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Keep your gloves clean. Hand-wash and air-dry your gloves. And even if your weightlifting gloves are machine washable (and even some leather gloves are), you can help them last longer if you wash the gloves in a separate lingerie bag or on the delicate cycle.
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Try gloves on before you buy. You can find great deals on weightlifting gloves online, but it’s wise to try on a pair in a store before you buy. The fit and comfort can vary widely from one brand or style to another.
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Match your weightlifting gloves to your exercise. Lighter-weight gloves that offer palm protection and improved grip are probably all you need if you lift light dumbbells as part of your strength-training workout.
- Prevent odors. Air-dry your weightlifting gloves after each use to help prevent odors.
Weightlifting glove prices
You can pay anywhere from $2 to $90 (or more) for weightlifting gloves, depending on your needs and the gloves’ features. And you can find almost every type – from grips to full leather gloves with wrist wraps – at every price point.
Inexpensive
Gloves costing less than $10 may seem like a great deal, but the dye can run, the fabric can rip, or the stitching can unravel after just a workout or two. Those bargain gloves won’t seem like such a bargain if you have to buy a new pair every month – or week.
Expert tip
Weight lifting gloves can stink and also store bacteria. To best clean your gloves, wash them inside out and hang them to dry.
BestReviews Fitness Expert
Mid-range
Unless your needs are very specific, you don’t have to spend a fortune on weightlifting gloves. For between $10 and $45 you can buy a sturdy pair of gloves or grips that will last for many productive hours at the gym.
Expensive
For more than $45, you'll find high-quality weightlifting gloves that fit a specific niche. These are best suited to serious weightlifters.
FAQ
Q. Can I wear my cycling gloves for weightlifting?
A. The two types of gloves are similar but not identical. Both types are intended to protect your hands and provide grip, but each type has characteristics that suit it for one sport or the other. If you’re an experienced cyclist or weightlifter, you will want gloves tailored to your sport. If you’re new to a sport and just want to try it out, using the “wrong” gloves for a short time shouldn’t be a problem.
Q. How do I find the right size weightlifting gloves?
A. To find the right size gloves for your hands, measure the circumference of your dominant hand at the base of your fingers, just below the knuckles (ignore the thumb). Some experts recommend pressing your hand against a flat surface as you measure to get the most accurate reading. Note that the sizes differ between men’s and women’s gloves. For example, 6.5 to 7.0 inches is extra-small in men’s gloves and small in women’s gloves. If the number falls between sizes, go with the larger size.
