Best Baseball Batting Gloves to Shield Your Hands
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Cutters Power Control Baseball Batting Gloves -
Franklin Pro Baseball Batting Gloves -
Evoshield Pro Baseball Batting Gloves -
Nike MVP Elite Pro Baseball Batting Gloves -
Under Armour Yard Batting Gloves -
Buyer's Guide
Swinging a baseball bat is surprisingly taxing on the hands: Especially among new hitters and wood bat swingers that have not yet developed the upper-palm callouses that naturally occur through repetitious batting practice. As a result, swinging could cause painful blisters to emerge that could force the hitter to miss some time to heal. The idea of the batting glove is to prevent these hand injuries that occur from excessive batting practice.
Over the years, the standard batting glove has evolved to meet the demands of the competitive hitter. Increased grip, innovative straps and varying thickness are all varying styles of batting gloves that cater to a specific market niche.
As an self dubbed expert rater, I will be assessing and ranking the best batting gloves with the following characteristics in mind. Comfort, durability, protection, and grip will serve as the primary assessment criteria. Exclusive advantageous traits will also factor in the decision. Ultimately, price point will break any quality rating ties. Checkout our top picks for best baseball batting gloves in 2022.
Detailing the Best Baseball Batting Gloves of 2022
Cutters Power Control Baseball Batting Gloves - Best Baseball Batting Glove Overall
Cutters patented C-TACK grip material makes cutters the ideal choice for those looking for the best grip on the market. To accompany their defining trait, Cutters has improved their batting glove models to feature light, breathable leather to create arguably the best batting glove on the market today. Also priced competitively along with comparable elite models, the B350s are an excellent choice for any and all hitters.
Franklin Pro Baseball Batting Gloves - Runner Up
Franklin is renowned throughout baseball circles as a premier seller of baseball equipment, most notably baseball gloves. Used by professional baseball players the likes of Dustin Pedroia and Evan Longoria, the gloves obviously have professional appeal. The main reason these gloves are preferred is because they are comfortable. The gloves are made with high quality leather that allows for a thinner batting glove, improving breathability without compromising durability, and improving overall grip feel and comfort. The quality of the leather allows for full protection while minimizing risk of tearing, which is all you can ask for in a batting glove.
Evoshield Pro Baseball Batting Gloves - Honorable Mention
The Evoshield has introduced an innovative new concept that I personally believe will become a trend in baseball circles in the future. Evoshield is popular for the protective 'Evogel' that is inserted into equipment as a gel, and dried to create custom fitting, protective gear. The evoshield protective glove introduces the same concept of protection to the batters hands, which has become increasingly important in the game today, especially for more aggressive hitters who tend to dive out over the plate. In terms of comfortability, the quality of the evoshield is comparable to other pro models, if not slightly lower in breathability. However, the protective layer over the glove gives the evoshield a distinct competitive advantage, and has carved a niche for itself in the batting glove market.
Nike MVP Elite Pro Baseball Batting Gloves - Consider
I like a lot of things about the Nike MVP Elite Pro batting gloves. First, these gloves are insanely comfortable, as the leather used is as thin as any on the market, resulting in a glove that is light, breathable, and doesn't limit your ability to feel the bat in your hands while also reducing negative vibration impact of badly hit balls. The grip itself, while not as ideal as some other models, is more than sufficient in its own right. Ultimately these gloves are a pricier model relative to other gloves on the market, but more than worth it to the hitter with comfort foremost in mind.
Under Armour Yard Batting Gloves - Best Baseball Batting Gloves
What I like about the Men's UA Yard batting gloves are their flexibility. Under Armour, known for their heat and cold gear technology, have implemented the same technology into their gloves, which they advertise contributes to the flexibility of the gloves. Ultimately, increased '4-way stretch' capability along with premium cabretta leather has resulted in an extremely comfortable and form-fitting baseball glove, which is more or less what we have come to expect from Under Armour. Comparable to the Nike MVP Elite Pro batting gloves, these gloves take the edge in terms of price.
Buyer's Guide
Baseball batting gloves are some of the most essential pieces of equipment for baseball players, at any level. They cover the hand/hands of the batter providing comfort, protection, and improved grip to the batter. Although they are not mandatory for play, there is no denying that having one on can greatly improve the quality of your play, in addition to the protective functions they subserve.
What Are Baseball Batting Gloves?
Batting gloves are a part of the sports gear in bat and ball games. Baseball batting gloves are typically made of leather, synthetic materials, and in some cases, a combination of both. Both of these materials have features that offer unique benefits. Leather gloves are typically more expensive, highly durable, and give better grip. Synthetic materials usually give better flexibility to the fingers, they aren't as expensive or as durable as the leather ones. Some gloves combine the features of both of these. They have synthetic materials in the areas of the glove where flexion is required, for greater flexibility, and the areas that undergo the most stress and wear are made from leather.
Batting gloves can be worn over one or both hands of a batter. They function to improve a player’s grip, give greater comfort, prevent blisters, generate warmth and provide shock absorption when striking the ball.
Why Should I Use A Baseball Batting Glove?
- The improved grip on the bat that the batting gloves give serves to maximize the batter's control over the bat resulting in an improvement in the quality of a player's hits.
- When batting in warm conditions especially, your hands tend to sweat. Using batting gloves helps you control the effect of perspiration on your grip.
- In cold weather conditions, batting gloves help warm your hands. This serves to prevent stiffness in your joints, improving your grip and protecting against injury.
- The padding and shock absorption a batting glove offers serve to dampen the shock and vibrations generated during a bit, protecting the batter's hands against bruises and other injuries.
- Batting gloves also function to protect your hands from friction burns as you slide into a base.
What Factors Should I Consider Before Choosing Baseball Batting Gloves?
There are so many different brands of baseball batting gloves available on the market, with each designed to different specifications and meeting different needs. Choosing the right ones for you from that multitude of options can be a tough ask, even with the list of the best batting gloves on the market that we have provided earlier for you. To make choosing easier, we will now provide you with a detailed list of the factors to consider before purchasing a batting glove, and how these factors contribute to functionality.
Size
Glove size is a very important factor to consider before choosing batting gloves. You want a glove that fits as perfectly as possible. You don't want one that's too tight and uncomfortable and can restrict movement. You also don't want one that fits loosely and moves over your hand as you try to swing the bat, this defeats the purpose of having a glove on in the first place. To ensure proper fitting, you measure your hand from your wrist to the tip of your middle finger on your dominant hand, you then compare that length to the figures on a batting glove sizing chart.
Wrist Closure
Asides from the size, a good, strong cuff is also important to the fit of the glove. A solid strap around the wrist helps reduce the risk of glove slippage and improves your grip on the bat. Most batting gloves have a Velcro-style wrist strap, allowing the player to tighten the glove to the desired level. Less commonly, the strap may have a strap with a snap or a button.
Comfort
Your comfort is another very important factor to consider. The most comfortable gloves are the ones made from sheepskin, other soft leathers or other light materials like dry wicking and mesh fabrics. These keep the gloves lightweight and keep your hands moisture-free, ensuring maximum comfort.
You should also consider the features put in place to ensure ventilation, this is especially important for play in warmer conditions. A lot of gloves have small holes for ventilation, flexible panels and adjustable wrist straps are also important for increasing breathability and reducing perspiration.
Flexibility
For proper grip, you need flexibility at the joints so you can flex as needed. Gloves with a flexible material like spandex over the joints offer the greatest flexibility.
Padding
Some batting gloves have extra padding built onto them to protect your hand from hits by pitched baseballs. The padding usually is to protect your pinky finger, wrist, and the back of your hand. The extra padding can make the glove bulky and uncomfortable so you should factor this in when making a choice.
Durability
Batting gloves do not come cheap, so it is important that whichever one you buy lasts for a reasonable period. You should consider the material the glove is made from and the quality of the stitching. Buying gloves with seamless palms or reinforced, double padding, or gloves with inverse stitching are recommended.
Style
When choosing batting gloves, aesthetics are an important consideration. Batting gloves come in a variety of colors and styles. You should choose gloves that fit your style preferences and work with other pieces of your baseball gear.
How Much do Baseball Batting Gloves Cost?
The price of batting gloves varies widely and is dependent on the material it is made from and the features it offers. Baseball gloves can cost as little as $15 or as much as $200. The cheaper gloves are typically made of synthetic material and are for recreational use. The more expensive ones are made from leather or a combination of leather and synthetic material.
FAQs
Q: What are the benefits of using baseball batting gloves?
A: Baseball batting gloves function primarily to improve grip on the baseball bat. They also protect the hands from blisters and other injuries.
Q: Can I use baseball batting gloves during summer?
A: Yes, the best batting gloves are designed with breathability in mind for use during the warmer months. They also contain moisture-absorbent material to remove sweat from your hands.
Q: What material is best for baseball batting gloves?
A: The best batting gloves are made of leather, with flexible synthetic material over your joints for greater flexibility.
