New to paintball?
Or have you just got off a match without using any gloves and regretted that decision?
Either way…
This article is made to provide you an ultimate and complete guide. In here you’ll find out why gloves are necessary as we dig deeper into the best paintball gloves’ properties and important factors.
Our best overall, the Glove Station Combat gloves, may just be the right one for you!
The Best Paintball Gloves Reviewed
1. Glove Station Combat Outdoor Tactical Rubber Knuckle Gloves – Best Overall
Glove Station’s combat gloves have seamless synthetic PU leather palm and fingertips, breathable mesh padded fabric back hands, and flexible neoprene fabric made joints.
Its reinforced knuckle molding plates were made to provide sufficient maximized protection for extreme operations and harsh tasks.
The flexible neoprene joints are provided for an unhindered range of motion and full-on dexterity.
They feature rubber aero vents and full-length padded mesh that were made to let the moisture out easily and a fast heat dissipation process.
It has double-stitched seams so you can enjoy its service of maximum protection and flexibility without wearing them out.
They are soft and comfortable because of the textured inner palm fabric it features. It is also made of leather index and middle fingertips for touch function sensitivity.
The only issue about these is that they come with a few loose threads in the corners that need cleaning up with a pair of scissors.
Pros
- Made of Seamless synthetic PU leather
- Has breathable mesh fabric on back hands
- Joints are made of flexible neoprene fabric
- Has reinforced knuckle molding plates
- Rubber aero vents
- Double-stitched seams
- Has textured inner palm fabric
- Leather fingertips for touch function
Cons
- Has a few loose threads that need cleaning
Takeaway
Glove Station’s Combat gloves are basically the most ideal high-end gloves for both amateur and professionals. It comes with barely any issues and great functionality.
2. Hikeman Tactical Hard Knuckle Outdoor Gloves – Best Budget Buy
Made of dual-layer synthetic leather and stitched suede anti-skid gridding palms, the Hikeman tactical gloves are form-fitting enough for a natural feel.
Hikeman Tactical Hard Knuckle Outdoor Gloves focus on effective protection against abrasion and dexterity into both your palm and fingers. Its knuckles are not of hard rubber but hard plastic instead, this means that it is only for protection and not for defense.
With its odor-free breathable material and vent, it can reduce sweats and will remain comfortable even in long term use. However, these gloves are not weather-resistant, meaning to say they cannot withstand extreme weather conditions
Its wrists have adjustable velcro straps that are long enough to go almost all the away around the wrist leading to an ideal fit.
Pros
- Composed of dual-layer synthetic leather
- Has suede anti-skid gridding palms
- Friendly touching function
- Odor-free
- Has breathable vents
- Long adjustable velcro wrist straps
Cons
- Non-weather resistant
Takeaway
These gloves focus on enhanced dexterity, grip, and comfort for a low affordable price!
3. Freetoo Knuckle Tactical Gloves – Best Composition
The Freetoo Knuckle Tactical Gloves are made of anti-slip wear-resistant PU coated leather that is double layer stitched for improved durability. Its palm is made of microfiber leather for increased friction and a better grip.
These gloves have finger panels equipped with thermal plastic rubber as well as PVC padded knuckles making sure its fit is not too loose or reinforced. It provides defense against scrapes, cuts, burns, and abrasion.
The fingers also have air holes along with the padded mesh for ventilation. This makes sure that your hands won’t sweat, chaff, or prune after hours of use.
It also comes with an adjustable wrist velcro feature made for protection, support, and ease of use. However, after some time, the velcro gets quite loose and will require adjusting.
The only bad side is that the glove is a little bit tight past the wrist and in between the web of the thumb and index fingers. Nonetheless, this does not affect the versatility or functionality of the product.
Pros
- Arrives in a resealable pouch
- Made of imported PU coated leather
- Is double layer and stitched
- Anti-slip
- Wear-resistant
- Microfiber leather palms
- PVC padded knuckles
- Fingers have ventilation holes and padded mesh
- Comes with adjustable wrist velcro
Cons
- Glove can be slightly tight in certain places
Takeaway
If you’re looking for high-end paintball gloves with the perfect composition for any task, then Freetoo’s knuckle tactical gloves might be the right choice for you.
4. WTACTFUL Full Finger Sports Gloves – Best Affordable Option
These gloves are made of durable double-stitched microfiber material, they are wear-resistant, anti-slip, lightweight, and fast-drying.
With its solid stitching on every seam, they’ll last for longer than expected. The palms are also reinforced and made for protection against abrasions.
WTACTFUL has an adjustable wrist strap design so you can fit it snug and support your wrists through every task you do.
The sizing is slightly messed up. The gloves come in a short and wide appearance which means that it can be possible that they won’t fit comfortably at first. They may feel tight within the first use or so, but over time these gloves will stretch out and fit nicely.
They also feature a friendly touching function to your thumb and fingers which allows you to touch your phone screen. However, this function takes quite a lot of time to get used to, it is not as sensitive as usual.
Pros
- Made of microfiber material
- Double-stitched
- Durable
- Reinforced Palms
- Features an adjustable wrist strap design
- Has a friendly touch function
Cons
- Needs time to stretch
- Friendly touch function lacks sensitivity
Takeaway
The Wtactful full finger sports gloves are highly functional, all they need is a little bit of patience to adjust well.
Why Paintball Gloves Are Necessary
While entering the battlegrounds without gloves are allowed, you will soon come to realize why paintball gloves are more of a must than an option.
From losing the grip of your gun, crawling on the ground, reloading and targeting, to taking a direct hit.
You can already imagine why you need them in your gameplay.
Choosing The Best Paintball Gloves For You
Surprisingly, your hands are subjected to many more risks than any other part of your body when it comes to paintball.
In choosing the best gloves for paintball, it’s important to consider that it’d keep your hands flexible and secure, withstanding both regular and hardcore use.
Padding
Areas like your palm and the back of your hand are the ones that usually sustain impacts more than any other body part.
Which is why reinforced padding is a necessity.
These are in the form of plastic or other rubberized elements that are securely stitched to hold up well.
With its additional back hand armor, you’ll receive higher levels of protection. Padding does not only act as a shield for your skin but also offers a better bounce.
Grip
To perform skillfully in all weather and circumstances, a good grip is always ideal.
Most grip elements are made of rubber or a specific synthetic material with the same feel. This helps in maintaining an effective hold of the marker.
Size
Size is directly proportional to comfort, some might say. It is also one of the most important aspects to consider.
The phrase “fits like a glove” should be taken literally when it comes to paintball. This is because a pair that is a bit loose will require constant readjustments. And a pair that is a bit tighter than necessary will lead to movement restrictions.
Durability
There isn’t really a glove with the perfect durability, especially if you’ll be using it for different tasks.
A glove’s longevity is determined according to the intensity and frequency of usage. Although the quality provides a bit of assurance too. For example, a high-end pair would surely last you for a year.
If you want them to last, it’s important to opt for gloves exclusively made for paintball.
The most important factor to keep in mind is that the best gloves for paintball are made of cut-resistant and weatherproof/waterproof fabric.
These factors will avoid your hands from hurting, numbing, and receiving any accidental damage.
Style
It is not the best idea to buy a pair of paintball gloves without having any idea about its style.
The best pair greatly depends on your style, strategy, and favored features. And since these come in various types, levels of protection, comfort, and flexibility, you won’t have a hard time finding what you need most.
Full Finger Gloves
If you fear that your fingers would suffer from paintball impacts and other factors like scrapes and cuts, then full finger gloves are here to provide you with the highest possible levels of protection.
These offer maximum coverage to your hands, some of them are even made with an entire plastic armor for extra safety.
The only bad side with full finger gloves is the fact that they limit the movement and flexibility to a certain extent. The restriction of freedom towards your hands and fingers can hamper your grip, aim, and even the entire gameplay.
Fingerless Gloves
Fingerless gloves are the equivalent opposite of full finger gloves.
They leave your important digits free and unrestricted. With your fingers free of coverage, you’ll experience more airflow and breathability. This will help avoid sweat.
It provides premium protection to your palm and back hand with its durable plastic plating. This should guarantee all the shock absorption necessary for an amateur paintballer.
These gloves are lightweight and relatively cheap compared to others. However, it is often seen more as a fashion statement than a gear.
Two Finger Gloves
Looking for the middle ground between full finger and fingerless gloves? Then these are for you.
With the combination of full protection and first-rate dexterity, your gameplay will surely improve in terms of efficacy and speed.
This also allows rapid-fire access in the battleground since your fingers are free to handle the trigger without exposing vulnerability to the other three fingers.
Sleeve Gloves
Sleeve gloves are manufactured strictly for paintball, especially for speed ballers.
These provide freedom to all of your fingers while also protecting them with its padded backing. It’s just like combining the benefits of fingerless and full finger gloves, which sounds like a sure win.
And when it comes to palm and back hand protection, these gloves are plenty. They also smoothly slip in and fit snugly onto your hands staying in place because of the wrist strap and thumbhole they feature.
Material
Having knowledge about its material composition is as important as knowing about your glove’s style.
Paintball gloves highly differ from cloth gloves as they are made of sustainable and highly durable materials that withstand the toughest situations.
On the other hand, using cloth gloves will expose you to direct hits, and they’ll surely get worn up and destroyed within a few hours or a day of use.
Kevlar
Kevlar is an unpopular material, however, its features are greatly recognized.
It is a synthetic fiber that is both heat and cut resistant. Usually, this material is used in making bulletproof vests and was first used for the development of racing tires.
This material can slow down or even stop paintballs in motion.
Silicone
Silicone is a famous and commonly used synthetic material because of its versatility and waterproof feature.
This is often found on the glove’s palm, it helps improve grip.
Neoprene
Neoprene is a thick yet flexible material frequently found on the back of a glove.
It is used as an added padding to withstand extreme strategies.
Now let’s see how important is a pair of gloves for Paintballing based on an expert’s opinion:
Conclusion
This product review’s clear winner is the Glove Station Combat gloves, while the Hikeman tactical gloves are also an option for a high-end affordable pair.
Glove Station’s combat gloves feature an incredible composition that provides both versatility and comfort. Each part of the glove is composed of a different material maximizing its functionality for every task.
It also comes with barely any issue except for the loose threads that don’t affect the product’s quality in the gameplay at all.
Last Updated on October 28, 2022