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Best fitness gloves and weight lifting gloves to conquer any workout inside or outside the gym.
What distinguishes the average fitness glove from the best fitness gloves? How do you choose the right one for you? Should they be fingerless or not?
We try to answer all your burning questions about weight lifting gloves and also give you a list of the best gloves, which we think are the best on the market right now.
Being the cream of the crop these Harbinger Bioform wristwrap gloves that literally mold to the shape of the bar you're holding, thanks to the heat-activated fabric in the palm area.
BarBend also has a good video review of it:
If you prefer full-finger gloves, you'd better choose the Bionic gloves, which are ergonomically shaped to hug your hands during exercise.
In addition, there are a number of other choices that may be more suitable for different situations. Here's a quick overview of the top picks, then I'll dig deeper into each of them:
Model | Images |
---|---|
Overall best fitness glove: Harbinger Bioform | |
Best grip: Bionic Performance | |
Best wrist support: RDX | |
Best freedom of movement: BearGrip | |
Best lightweight fitness gloves: Adidas Essential |
What we discuss in this comprehensive post:
The best fitness gloves reviewed
Overall best fitness glove: Harbinger Bioform
- Perfect balance between performance and control
- Spider Grip is awesome
- Comfortable filling
- Ergonomically shaped
Heat-activated BioForm clay contours to grip and absorb impact meaning that when you grab and hold the bar, the gloves take on the shape of the bar, making it so easy to keep the weights stable.
This effect is further enhanced by the SpiderGrip leather on the palms for extra grip and control. BioFlex's layered palm design adds a little more cushioning to the already very comfortable palm area.
The double closure system offers a custom fit and also supports your wrist to prevent injury. This is especially useful for beginners whose form is not yet perfect.
Also read: these are the best kettlebells for your home exercises
Best Grip: Bionic Performance
- Perfect ergonomics
- Pre-rotated finger design
- Very comfortable
What sets the Bionic PerformanceGrip gloves apart from the rest? According to Bionic, they are the only glove brand on the market made by a leading orthopedic hand surgeon. What do you think about it?
Indeed, the Anatomical Relief Pads free your hands from natural peaks and troughs and reduce painful blisters. This is exactly why people wear fitness gloves, so it all comes down to us!
Best Wrist Support: RDX
- Super tough and super rad looking gloves
- Extra sturdy material
- Integrated Long Wrist Support Strap
- Design without fingers
The RDX Wrist Support Gloves come with an extra long strap to support your wrist for when you're pushing those weights. They are also made of extra durable cowhide leather.
The RDX lifting gloves are made of cowhide leather, which makes them durable and also a worthwhile investment.
Even the finger zones are padded to prevent blistering. The half-finger design makes putting on and taking off the gloves super easy.
And most importantly, the extra-long wrist support strap keeps the gloves firmly in place while supporting the wrists during those heavy lifts.
Even the stitching is of high quality and does not make the gloves fall apart easily.
Check the most current prices and availability here
Best freedom of movement: Bear Grip
- Minimalist gym gloves for maximum grip
- Ideal for multiple sports disciplines
- Good wrist support
- Breathable design
A CrossFit favourite, the Bear Grip offers excellent ventilation without sacrificing grip. Say goodbye to sweaty palms and damp hands after a strenuous workout.
Adjustable wrist straps integrated into the open air gloves for extra support during those heavy lifts and a secure feeling.
If you prefer little to no obstruction between you and the weights but don't like blisters, choose the Bear Grip gloves.
Lees meer: the top rated shin guards for crossfit
Best Lightweight Fitness Gloves: Adidas Essential
As the name suggests, these gloves are essential for light training.
- Light weight
- Flexibility
- Breathable
- Only for light training
The Adidas Essential Gloves are made from lightweight and breathable fabric with suede on the palm for extreme comfort. The gloves can also be easily removed using the ring.
These are not heavy lifting gloves; the Adidas Essential gloves are more suitable for lighter exercises and aerobic workouts.
Check prices and sizes here at bol.com
Should you wear fitness gloves?
There is an almost limitless variety of workout clothes. Shoes, track pants, shorts, tank tops, hoodies, etc.
Yup, the world of fitness has really built up its own wardrobe.
Anyway, if you've ever spent time in the gym, you've probably seen a bunch of guys wearing special gloves while lifting weights.
And this is definitely a divided topic among the various members of the gym community.
Some men look at you with murderous fury if you even dare to suggest that gloves can be "useful".
Others swear by it, and wouldn't even think of lifting weights without their trusty handguards. In particular for novice hitchhikers it can be a useful accessory to get you off to a good start.
Should you wear gloves while exercising?
Well, to help answer these questions, I'm going to take a closer look at the pros and cons of wearing training gloves, so you're armed with all the information to make this decision for yourself.
The benefits of wearing training gloves
Better grip
One of the main benefits of training gloves is the grip benefits they provide.
You know, holding heavy dumbbells or dumbbells can be difficult, and many men will find that they have a tendency to slip (especially when your hands are sweating).
Training gloves are designed with this in mind, with the palm area specifically constructed to help you hold onto the weights you're lifting.
And of course the gloves will also ensure that sweat will never be a cause of the weights slipping out of your hands.
More comfortable
Let's face it, one of the main points in favor of training gloves is that they can be a lot more comfortable than with bare hands.
Yep, those weights can be cold, rough, and uninviting to get your hands on.
This is especially true if you train in colder seasons. Iron can get pretty damn cold and training gloves will largely protect you from these unpleasantnesses.
wrist rest
Now some brands of gloves also offer an added benefit, in the form of extra wrist support.
These gloves usually have a Velcro closure that you can wrap tightly around your wrist, making it feel more stable.
Some people believe that this prevents wrist injuries and can also be used to rehabilitate current wrist issues and still lift weights.
The Disadvantages of Wearing Training Gloves
Less grip
Wait a minute, I thought you said gloves gave you more grip…
Well, that's right, but gloves can also damage your ability to grip the weights.
Let me explain.
As a general rule, the thicker the bar, the harder it is to get a good grip on.
That is why there are products that have been specially developed to make bars thicker, such as Fat Gripz.
When you wear gloves, you are effectively adding an extra layer of thickness to the beam.
And depending on the gloves themselves, this can be significant.
With pull exercises (such as deadlifts or rowing) or pull-ups, wearing training gloves may limit your ability to lift as much weight as possible, as your grip will often be limited before your muscles.
lifting technique
For certain exercises, such as bench press and shoulder press, it is important that you hold the bar in the palm of your hand, close to your wrists.
When wearing training gloves, you will often force the bar to move closer to your fingers due to the larger glove size.
This can put unwanted pressure on your wrists, increasing the chance of injury over time.
In addition, it will often make your lifts more difficult because the positioning of the bar will not be in the optimal place during the movement.
Dependence
Once you start wearing gloves to the gym, you can become dependent on them.
Workouts just don't feel right if you don't wear your special gloves.
And really, this might not be a problem… as long as you always have your gloves with you.
But there's no doubt about it, you will definitely be less flexible about how you train.
What about calluses?
I wanted to save this one for last...
As you can see, the biggest reason most men want to wear gloves is to prevent calluses.
No one wants to have cheese graters, so many men understandably use workout gloves in an effort to avoid this.
Well, wearing gloves doesn't really matter if you get calluses or not.
I've lifted a lot both with and without gloves. In both cases I have developed calluses.
In fact, there's some evidence to suggest that gloves can cause even worse calluses if you hold the bar incorrectly.
How do you choose the best fitness gloves?
Ideally, you want sturdy gym gloves; no one likes when their newly purchased exercise gloves fall apart after one session.
That said, you don't want them to be too stiff so you can't bend your fingers. Weightlifting belts may well support the back, but if you tried to pack some weights in gloves as thick as weightlifting belts are, you wouldn't have fun in the gym.
In the list above, we have tried to include a selection of gloves that meet different needs.
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