In football, every inch counts. When you’re fighting to squeeze every yard out of every down, you’ll take any edge you can get, and a solid pair of football gloves can give you a heck of an edge.
When someone says “football gloves,” receiver gloves are usually the first things that come to mind. And it makes sense; a sticky, effective pair of receiving gloves make the difference between getting another clip for your highlight reel or running off the field with your head down so the punt team can kick it away.However, like the players who wear them, lineman and linebacker gloves are often overlooked but are equally important components of the game. While most gloves on this list will be geared towards receivers, running backs, and the guys in the secondary, we also checked out a few protective pairs for the big guys in the trenches.
Whether that’s eating the right food before a game or wearing the right equipment, wide receivers need to take every advantage they can get to gain that extra yard, and having the best gloves for receivers could be the difference between a touchdown or reaching the next down.
The 8 Best Football Gloves of 2023: Our Top Picks
| Best All-Weather Glove | Grip Boost Stealth Dual Color Football Gloves Boys |
| Best Overall | Cutters Football Wide Receiver Gloves |
| Stickiest Palm | Nike Football Glove |
| Best for Turf | Seibertron Pro 3.0 Elite |
| Best Breathability | Cutters Game Day No Slip Football Gloves |
| Best for Style Points | adidas Freak 3.0 Padded Receiver’s Gloves |
| Best Linebacker Glove | WILSON NFL Team Logo Stretch Fit Receiver Gloves |
| youth football gloves | National Flag Football Team Gloves Red |
We’ll also discuss some key things to think about when buying, to help you find the perfect gloves for your role on the pitch.
Top1.Grip Boost Stealth Dual Color Football Gloves Boys
Key Features:
- Refreshable grip
- Adjustable compression fit
- All-weather grip
- Meets all NFHS and NCAA standards
- Available in eleven colors
This problem isn’t an issue with the Stealth Pro Elite, thanks to the proprietary palm grip formula that utilizes modified chitosan, a natural polymer derived from crab shells with excellent adhesion properties. It is used to develop blood-clotting bandages and surgical sprays. It apparently sticks to footballs, too, because the Stealth Pro Elite uses it to maintain a ridiculous amount of tackiness in both wet and dry weather. Just enough, in fact, to stay within the standards of NFHS and NCAA regulations.
Also, the sticky palm is refreshable, so if it starts to lose its stickiness, quick treatment with Grip Boost’s glove grip gel will make them feel good as new.
Top2.Cutters Football Wide Receiver Gloves
The Rev Pro features a perforated C-TACK palm for increased grip and breathability, which can be “recharged” by wiping with a wet cloth or by machine washing the gloves.
This durable tackiness is reinforced by synthetic panels on the backhand for increased support, which are specifically engineered to be as flexible as possible when bent forward to help you grip the ball.
What’s more, the gloves themselves (not just the palm) are very durable, making the Rev Pro incredible value for money considering the price.
The Nike Vapor Knit 2.0 Football Gloves provide customizable comfort and improved grip to deliver confident ball control on the field.
Engineered knit provides lightweight ventilation
Extra-sticky Magnigrip palm offers incredible grip
Overlays at fingertips deliver a locked-down feel
Hook-and-loop wrist closure offers a personalized fit
PROS
- Withstands harsh weather
- Machine washable
- Excellent grip on the palms and fingers
CONS
- As with any pair of football gloves, they are not as reliable when they’re wet
The Seibertron Pro 3.0 ultra-stick football gloves have several features that push them towards the top of our list. They have a rubbery texture along the palm and fingertips for excellent grip.
These gloves offer ultra grip and come in a range of sizes, from teens to adults. Like most receiver style gloves, they have sticky palms for maximum grip in harsh, wet weather. We’d consider these budget football gloves with lesser quality material and stitching, but if you’re in a pinch and need a pair of gloves for the rest of the season, these are a good option.
Also read:Do football gloves actually help?
Top5.Cutters Game Day No Slip Football Gloves
PROS
- Comfortable and perfect fit
- Breathable to keep sweat from building up
- A known name that specializes in football gloves
CONS
- May need to be replaced after a month of use
The Cutters Game Day football glove has a palm made of silicone, which protects the hands and provides added grip. These lineman style football gloves offer ventilation and a skin-tight fit which increases comfort. The gloves are machine washable and low maintenance.
Cutters is a name that brings back memories for old-school football fans as they were often the preferred brand for every position. Great in both wet and dry conditions, cutters are NHFS and NCAA approved.
Top6.adidas Freak 3.0 Padded Receiver’s Gloves
Key Features:
- High-density foam padding on the back of the hand
- Abrasion-resistant panels for added durability
- Grip Tack palm material provides grip in wet weather
- Wicking material in the back of the hand
- Compression fit
- Available in three colors
If you’re looking at this list, you’re likely searching out receiver gloves, but defensive players need some good kit as well. Since I spent most of my time playing safety and linebacker, I had to throw a bit of love to the guys on defense with a legit pair of linebacker gloves.
Officially, the Freak 3.0 glove from Adidas is a receiver glove, which is great for snagging passes in the flats for a quick pick-six. But linebackers spend a lot of time in the trenches, so most receiver gloves lack the protection that you’d need at the bottom of a dogpile or when getting sandwiched between linemen.
Also read:Do football gloves have to be tight?
Top7.WILSON NFL Team Logo Stretch Fit Receiver Gloves
PROS
- Stretchy and flexible
- All 32 NFL teams are represented
CONS
- Users report a heavy weight to the gloves
The Wilson NFL football gloves come with a snug fit for most sizes due to the extra stretchy material used in production; the silicon palm provides a strong grip, and the poly lycra backhand allows for both breathability and flexibility.
Wilson is a known sporting goods brand that builds the official football used in the NFL. These gloves are great for both youth football and NFL fanatics who want to sport their favorite team. The stretch-fit allows the gloves to expand as needed to provide a clean fit.
Top8.National Flag Football Team Gloves Red
National Flag Football Youth Football Gloves Review: These football gloves are specifically designed for 3-12 year olds and run smaller for little hands and are made for the young flag football players. The whole surface of the palm has a tacky surface that will stick to balls for added confidence and enhanced catching potential.
The lightweight, breathable material allows air to circulate and prevents “wetness” while wearing them. The Velcro closing strap adjusts for a snug fit to keep them from slipping off. The red, black, white, and gray color accents look good with any uniform. They are perfect for flag pulling and catching the ball because of the extra tacky surface. These are definitely the “runner up” of the best youth flag football gloves.
uyer’s Guide: Elite Football Gloves
Football gloves are an important piece of equipment when practicing and playing the game. Seeing that there is a large variety of gloves available, choosing the right one isn’t necessarily the most simple task. This buying guide lists out a couple of tips to make the whole process much easier for yourself so that you can spend more time on the field and less time online.
Types of Football Gloves
The first part of buying the right kind of gloves is making sure they are relevant to your position on the field. There are two basic types of football gloves to choose from here:
Receiver/skill position gloves
These gloves are specifically made for receivers, running backs, and defensive backs to help them hold and grip the ball better. They are designed to be lightweight and flexible with some extra grip around the fingers and thumb with some padding on the back.
Lineman gloves
These gloves are made for offensive and defensive linemen (we’ll include linebackers here, too) who take on more of a “trench warfare” than any other position. For this reason, their gloves are built to be heavyweight so as to withstand hits and protect their hands from helmets, cleats, and 300-pound men.
The gloves are made of more durable materials with extra padding on the palm and backhand. Also, there are rigid frames, finger stays, and no palm tackiness since the grip isn’t necessarily important for the bigger guys.
Also read:How do I choose football gloves?
How to choose the best football gloves
Now we’ll show you what you need to know when choosing gloves for football.
Difference between lineman/receiver gloves
Wide receivers typically pick slimmer, tackier (stickier) gloves to help catch long passes even in slippery conditions. These gloves are small and sleek to ensure they have minimal impact on the player’s sprint motion. However, they do offer a decent amount of protection against cuts and scratches, which is super important considering the clutch catches that your hands have to make on a regular basis.
On the other hand, linemen normally go for bigger, bulkier gloves to better protect their hands and fingers. They also do this because their gloves need to be more durable to stand up to constant tackling. In saying this, linemen gloves normally have a bit of grip to help with handling the ball and opposition players.
Both types of players wear gloves to ensure their hands remain at an appropriate temperature. Too cold and they become numb, making it hard to catch the ball. Too hot and they become sweaty, which is uncomfortable and may result in the ball slipping out of the player’s hands.
How much should I spend on gloves?
Honestly, it depends on a few different factors.
Firstly, if you’ve tried expensive gloves before, and ripped them apart in less than a season, it’s obviously not worth spending a heap of money on gloves. You’re better off getting something cheaper and then replacing them once or twice a year.
However, if you have a particular need for extra grip (as a receiver) or extra protection (as a lineman) it’s definitely worth investing in the best-possible gloves you can find. While cheaper options aren’t all terrible, better-quality gloves will obviously be more comfortable and give you the confidence you need to play as well as you possibly can.
Plus, compared to other gear (like cleats or helmets), premium gloves aren’t actually that expensive. So if you can afford it, it can definitely be worth going for a top-of-the-range option.
How We Picked
I tried to find good football gloves that would be useful in all kinds of situations and for a range of priorities, as well as a few different positions.
I looked at the grip, fit, durability, and breathability, among a few other factors, and categorized them according to what priorities readers may be looking for in a good pair of gloves for football.
Why Do You Need Football Gloves?
Enhanced performance
Football gloves give you an added advantage on the field by promoting your grip on the ball as you try to catch or run.
Protection
Football is a violent sport. Every position on the field uses their hands in some capacity (okay, not the kicker, but you know what we mean) and protection from other players and the elements is an important, necessary aspect of preparation. Protecting your hands from the dangers associated with your position is something that can’t be stressed enough!
Confidence
Wearing gloves gives you a certain amount of confidence as you step on the field. Whether you believe they give you an edge in the game or you like to look the part, it doesn’t matter to us.
Best Receiver Gloves 2022
What Should You Look Out for When Getting Gloves?
Size
A perfect fit is very important when getting football gloves. If the gloves are too big, you can lose control of them and your objective. If they are too small the gloves can affect your blood circulation and slow your response time. Hence, the need to know what size of hand you have.
Most football gloves come in sizes that are a tad smaller than normal, so it is advisable to purchase a size slightly larger than yours. Trying gloves on before purchase is never a bad idea!
Ventilation
Because of the heavy texture and tight fit of gloves your palms may have the tendency to sweat and become clammy when worn for an extended period of time. To avoid this, you need a glove with pores or mesh between the fingers and around the back to promote airflow and keep your hands cool and dry.
Padding
There are many football injuries that can occur in the fingers, and it is important to protect them from hits by getting a glove that offers some sort of flexible padding in the backhand and finger areas. These paddings can cushion the impact of hits and keep your fingers safe.
Material
Football gloves should be made of high-quality materials that ensure their durability over several weeks of practice and games. In harsh weather conditions such as extreme cold, the materials should provide enough warmth; in warm weather, they should provide enough ventilation.
Comfort
Whatever glove you choose, if it doesn’t offer a manageable level of comfort, it should be replaced. The glove should be soft on your skin and should not be so thick that you cannot feel the ball. It should feel like a second skin and allow you the ability to maneuver your fingers around inside them. For linemen and linebackers, the gloves shouldn’t be so heavy that they weigh down your hands since blocking is the most important part of being a lineman.
Washable
Gloves should not require a lot of maintenance or upkeep. A good pair of football gloves should be machine washable and quick to dry.
Best Football Gloves FAQ
Q: Do football gloves really help?
A: They absolutely do. The palms of these gloves are stickier than your bare palms, so they are a huge aid in catching the football or bringing down a running back, plus the padded gloves provide added protection.
Q: Do football gloves keep your hands warm?
A: They provide a bit of insulation (until they get wet), but that’s not their primary use. The main concern with football gloves is that they vent excess heat and sweat.
There are cold-weather football gloves on the market, but unless you’re playing in the snow, they can overheat your hands.
Q: Do football gloves lose grip?
A: Over time, most football gloves will eventually lose their stickiness. You can help a glove’s longevity by keeping it out of the sun when not in use and cleaning it frequently.
Some companies like Grip Boost also offer grip refreshing gels that will renew your gloves’ stickiness.
Q: How do I make my football gloves sticky again?
A: Usually, a glove loses its stickiness when it gets dirty, so cleaning your gloves frequently is a great way to maintain stickiness. If they get filthy, roll up a wet wipe and rub it between your gloved palms to get the dirt out.
Also, storing them out of direct sunlight is a great way to prevent the sticky material from drying out.
There are also grip refreshing gels that can make your worn-out gloves sticky again.
Q: What are football gloves made of?
A: The most common materials are leather (for durability), some stretchy mesh (for breathability) and a rubber or silicone grip pad (for stickiness).
Padded gloves will also have foam or thick rubber padding for added protection.
Q: How do I wash my gloves?
A: You can either hand wash your gloves, and air dry them or put them in a washing machine on the delicate cycle with cold water and hang dry them.
Better yet, put the gloves in a pillowcase or lingerie bag (you know you have one) before putting it into the machine.
Q: How long will football gloves last?
A: Depending on your position and how well you take care of them, you should plan on going through 1-2 pairs of gloves from spring practice through the end of the season.
Keywords in this article:Best Football Gloves