As we age, we naturally lose lean muscle mass, also medically known as sarcopenia. This can lead to many medical conditions in the long run. Weightlifting is a good exercise to help combat this.
Weightlifting also has other health benefits like improving the health of your heart and strengthening your bones and muscles. It also helps with weight loss and improving balance.
But, despite all these benefits, weightlifting is a strenuous and potentially dangerous exercise. It can give you calluses on your hands when you start lifting heavy. It can be dangerous because, if the weights slip through your hands, it can lead to serious injuries.
That’s why having weightlifting gloves is essential when you do this exercise. Here’s everything you need to know about weightlifting gloves along with recommendations for the best ones in the market.
Also read: Best Exercises for an Effective Single Dumbbell Workout Routine
4 Factors to Consider When Finding the Right Workout Gloves
Finding the best weightlifting gloves can become easier if you know what you need. Once you’ve identified those, you’ll need to consider a few factors when you start searching for the gloves that will fit your needs. Here are a few of those factors.
- Size
Weightlifting gloves have multiple sizes to accommodate different hand sizes. Measurements of gloves may vary from one brand to another. To make sure you’re getting the right size for you, check out the details of the glove and look for a size chart.
Usually, the circumference of your palm and wrist is measured for your glove size. This makes sure that the glove fits your hand snugly, so it won’t slip while you’re lifting weights.
- Stretchability
Some gloves are more stretchable than others. Some gloves are made with spandex, others with polyester fabric, and some with specialized breathable fabric.
Stretchability is a factor to consider because you may want a glove that adjusts to your hand size and movements. This ensures a tight and secure grip for when you’re lifting weights. On the flipside, you may also want to get a glove that doesn’t stretch to make you feel more secure. It really boils down to personal preference.
- Padding
The amount of padding your gloves have is important if you’re particular about not getting calluses.
When you’re lifting weights, you tend to get calluses on the tip of your metacarpals. This is the area on your hand where your fingers meet your palms. Your skin tends to fold there when you lift weights so, over time, this becomes calluses.
If your palms have good padding in that area, this should help to prevent calluses.
- Durability
Gloves can be quite expensive, especially if you buy from popular brands, or get a set of gloves that have the best features. That’s why durability is important because you don’t want to waste your investment.
How do you tell if a glove is durable? First, check the stitching. You’ll be able to identify a low-quality glove if the stitching is unequal, or looks like it’s rushed. After that, check out the seams. They have to be sewn well. If your glove has paddings, check out how the padding is attached. It shouldn’t come off easily.
Types of Weightlifting Gloves
There are 2 types of weightlifting gloves in the market. There are lifting hand grips and wrist wraps that you can use for weightlifting, but we will be focusing on gloves for this article.
Half-Fingered Gloves
Most of the weightlifting gloves you’ll see in the market are half-fingered gloves. These are the ones that are cut off at the knuckles. The benefit of half-fingered gloves is that they help you improve dexterity with the weights you lift. Additionally, they are also more breathable and are less prone to being stinky because your hands sweat less.
Full-Fingered Gloves
For weight lifting, these gloves are less common. These are the gloves you see that are more recognizable as actual gloves.
A lot of beginners use this for weight training because it offers a really good grip. A lot of full-fingered gloves have rubbers or pads that can help you improve your grip. This is why it’s also a very good option if you’re training outside because you might be working with unconventional weights that require a good grip.
7 Best Weightlifting Gloves
1. Under Armour Weightlifting Gloves
These half-fingered weightlifting gloves are made of 84% polyester and 16% elastane. This makes the gloves stretchy and durable. It also has elastic wristbands with adjustable wrist straps to make sure that the glove fits you nicely.
You have textured, durable fabric on top of the hand to help with the breathability of the gloves. As for the palms, you have textured leather that offers both protection and grip. There are also perforations all over the gloves to increase breathability. Finally, you have a Terry cloth thumb panel that makes it easy to wipe away your sweat, especially in the eye area.
2. Adidas Performance Gloves
This weightlifting glove from Adidas is perfect for individuals who sweat quickly on their palms. It has ClimaCool tech, which helps pull the sweat away from your palms and increases micro-ventilation. This is done through well-placed mesh panels all around the gloves.
It also has the right padding for better grip and added comfort as you lift weights. You can adjust the velcro wrist closure to make sure that it fits you well. Finally, it comes with an integrated towel-like material in the thumbs for wiping away sweat.
Multiple reviews report that this glove is very comfortable and has a nice fit. It’s important to note, though, there are also reviews that report that with repeated use, the stitching of the pads can become loose.
3. Fit Active Sports Ventilated Weightlifting Gloves
If you’re looking for the best weightlifting gloves in terms of ventilation, this is one of the best-ventilated weight lifting gloves on the market. The back part of the gloves is entirely open so you just slide your fingers into a few holes and that’s it! This is what they call an open-hand design, and it offers the best ventilation system for your hand.
You still get the same protection you need for weightlifting. It has full palm, finger, and thumb protection because it has specialized pads all over. These are great for protecting your hands from callouses while you lift weights.
On those pads, you’ll see silicone beads and neoprene. This help improves your grip, since it latches onto metal well.
4. BEAR GRIP – Open Workout Gloves
These are also notable, half-finger weightlifting gloves that have an open-back design. BEAR GRIP claims that the gloves are made with high-quality products, and with durability in mind. This is because they make sure all of their equipment is tested by fitness experts and clients before they are put on the market.
True to its name, BEAR GRIP has produced gloves that are perfect for Crossfit, weight lifting, bodybuilding, and strength training. The whole palm area has a layer that helps protect your hand from calluses. It also has a silicon gel grip feature that helps you maintain a good grip on the weights you’re lifting.
The open-back design helps with ventilation, making the gloves way more breathable than other ones. This also reduces the chances of your gloves producing foul odors and makes them easier to wash.
Also read: How Cross-Training Workouts Can Help You Mix Up Your Routine
5. FREETOO Full-Finger Workout Gloves
These full-fingered weightlifting gloves are perfect for any beginner. It’s made of 96% polyester, 4% spandex, and microfiber synthetic leather in the palm area. These materials create a glove that is breathable and stretchy.
It has foam pads with silicone rubbers in the palm area to help reduce pressure on your hands and give you a better grip when you lift. Like most gloves in this list, it has a wrist strap to help make sure the gloves stay put while you exercise.
6. Ihuan Workout Gloves
This is a full-fingered weightlifting glove that is made of spandex, cotton, and microfiber. It has full padding in the palm area, so if you’re looking for extra protection and grip during lifting, these are the perfect gloves for you.
Despite it being full-fingered gloves, these are breathable so it’s very good for working out. Finally, it also has the standard wrist straps to keep the gloves in place.
7. BIONIC Gloves Premium Full Finger Fitness Gloves
These full-finger gloves are perfect for people who are deep into their weightlifting journey and are starting to lift really heavy weights. Bionic’s full-finger gloves offer so many features that are perfect for heavy lifters.
These gloves were built with the human anatomy in mind. The patented anatomical pad relief system takes into consideration the anatomy of your hand when lifting heavy weights. It has strategically placed pads between your fingers, so it’s more comfortable to wrap your fingers around the weights.
Since these are full-fingered gloves, breathability is an issue that needs to be addressed. It uses premium material for the back of the glove and lycra between the fingers and flexion zones for maximum breathability. It also offers more flexibility when lifting, since this thin fabric allows more movement.
The Benefits of Using Weightlifting Gloves
Weight training can be extremely rigorous and demanding to your body. This is even more evident if you’re aiming to build muscle and progressively lift heavier weights.
The first benefit of wearing weightlifting gloves is being able to avoid calluses. A lot of people who go to the gym dislike having calluses from lifting. This can be a minor inconvenience for some, but for others, it can significantly affect other aspects of their lives. Wearing gloves can prevent this.
The more important benefit of wearing weightlifting gloves is that it keeps you safer from injuries. Since gloves provide a better grip during lifting, it reduces the chances of the weights slipping from your grip and falling on you. This is useful for exercises like bench presses, shoulder presses, deadlifts, and pull-ups.
Finding the Perfect Weightlifting Gloves for You
Weightlifting gloves are essential workout gear that you need if you want to pursue weightlifting. Aside from preventing calluses, it keeps you safe from injuries by enhancing your grip. The lower the chances that the weights slip through your hands, the safer you are.
There are lots of styles that you can choose from when it comes to weightlifting gloves. There are half-fingered gloves, full-fingered gloves, and open-back gloves. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. You should identify what you need first, so you can get the right weightlifting gloves for you.
