Are you beginning a new fitness routine? Wondering if fitness or CrossFit gloves are right for you? And if they are the right choice for you, are you also wondering what kind of fitness or CrossFit gloves would be best for you?
Our guide to the best CrossFit gloves will help you figure out what CrossFit gloves do, who they’re for, and where to get the best CrossFit gloves on the market.
Who Needs CrossFit Gloves?
Unlike boxing, where you need a pair of boxing gloves in order to participate, CrossFit doesn’t require everyone to work out in gloves. And, unlike boxercise or cardio kickboxing, where a pair of weighted cardio gloves will enhance your workout by adding extra resistance to your punches, not everyone’s workout will be improved with a pair of CrossFit gloves.
Whether you need a pair of CrossFit gloves — or whether you will benefit from a pair — depends on your level of fitness and your goals.
If you are specifically looking to work on your grip strength — either for general fitness purposes or because you participate in a martial art that requires a lot of grip work like Judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — then your workouts will be more effective if you do them with bare hands.
If you’re a beginner who has any concerns about holding onto equipment like dumbbells and bars, or possible injuries to your hands and wrists, a pair of CrossFit gloves can help you feel more confident and help to support your wrists and hands as you begin to work them out in ways that they might not be used to. CrossFit gloves are also great for people who don’t want to develop callouses as a result of their fitness training.
What Are CrossFit Gloves?
CrossFit Gloves, sometimes known as fitness or weightlifting gloves are lightweight, formfitting fingerless gloves that have been designed to protect your palms and prevent slipping during exercises. Most also come with a thick wrist strap designed to support that joint during exercises. The type of material, the exact level of palm coverage, and the thickness of the gloves can vary depending on the make and model.
What Are The Benefits Of CrossFit Gloves?
Training in a pair of fitness or CrossFit gloves can help you with:
- Improved grip: If you’re just beginning to lift weights and attempting exercises like chin-ups and you’re concerned about your ability to hold onto dumbbells, kettlebells, and bars, CrossFit gloves will provide you with some traction to keep your hands in place, even as your palms start to get sweaty.
- Blister and callous prevention: Gripping those bars and pieces of equipment is hard on your hands, and not everyone who lifts wants to develop the callouses — or risk the blisters — that can happen as a result. A pair of CrossFit gloves will help to protect your hands from this pressure, keeping them soft and pain-free.
- Wrist support: There’s not a lot about daily modern life that requires or encourages wrist and forearm strength, which means that most of us will have at least somewhat weak wrists when we begin any weight-based fitness program. Fitness and CrossFit gloves are designed to give this relatively delicate joint a little bit of extra support and keep everything in a safe and healthy position during your workout as you begin to develop the strength and body awareness required to executive moves with good form.
- Improved confidence and performance: When all of the above are taken care of, you will be free to work out without any worries about your safety or the state of your hands. Training with a pair of CrossFit gloves will allow you to focus on what really matters: safely pushing yourself to the best of your abilities and getting the best workout possible.
For more on this topic, check out our blog post How Fitness and Weight-Lifting Gloves Can Help Your Workout.
What Are The Best Fitness and CrossFit Gloves?
ProForce® Fitness Workout & Weight Lifting Gloves – Ladies Basic ($22.95)
Made of four way stretch neoprene, with amara liner, and grippe padded palms, these CrossFit gloves are designed to be comfortable, breathable, and durable, keeping your hands dry and cool during your workouts. They also have built-in pull tabs to make them easy to pull off when you’re done.
ProForce® Fitness Workout & Weight Lifting Gloves – Mens- Gel Shock ($19.95)
Also made with four way stretch neoprene and amara liner, these CrossFit gloves feature a special gel shock grip for added control and comfort.
ProForce® Fitness Workout & Weight Lifting Gloves – Mens- Wrist Wrap ($22.95)
These CrossFit gloves are the perfect option for beginner exercisers who are worried about their wrist strength — or for anyone dealing with injuries in and around that joint. Made of four way neoprene, cotton padded palms, and high quality leather, this model offers wrist support designed to protect your hands, improve your grip, and stabilize your wrists.
ProForce® Fitness Workout & Weight Lifting Gloves – Ladies Ultra Grip ($22.95)
Exercisers who want to protect their hands while lifting — and maybe get a little assistance with their grips — will love these CrossFit gloves. Designed to keep your hands dry, cool, comfortable, and blister and callous-free, they’re made of high quality leather, and ultra channeling ventilated mesh. They have 12 individual padded cushion grips across the palms and fingers for maximum protection and support. They also have built-in finger pull tabs so they’re easy to take off at the end of a tough workout.
ProForce® Fitness Workout & Weight Lifting Gloves – Mens- Classic Cotton Mesh ($16.95)
You can’t go wrong with an old school pair of weightlifting gloves. These CrossFit gloves are made of high quality leather and mesh, and are designed for maximum comfort, breathability, and durability to protect your hands and keep them cool and dry.
