The best golf gloves might be the most underrated and under-appreciated accessories in the game. A pair of gloves are treated like a formality for most players—an understood obligation that they must be worn. Sure, you’ll find the occasional player who doesn’t wear gloves, but this simple garment stands as the only gear element that remains in touch with both the player and the club simultaneously. For that reason, you’re going to want a pair of golf gloves that help you grip it and rip it with confidence, swing after swing.
When shopping for the best golf gloves, you’ll need to consider the garment’s dual purpose. First, a glove makes your unique golf grip easier. As the classic golf lesson states, “You want to grip the golf club like you’re holding a baby bird,” so the gloves allow you to hold the club lightly while the sticky, tactile leather does the job of holding the shaft in place. And second, it’s the glove’s job to prevent blisters as the club grip rotates in your hands during the swing. Without a glove, you’ll quickly wind up treating hotspots after a casual round with friends.
The gloves that are right for you depends on your abilities, the day’s conditions and your budget. I consulted a variety of industry experts to identify gloves that stand out from the rest and improve your game and tested the gloves in this guide on courses around the world. My top pick overall is the Callaway OptiColor Leather Glove, which is thinner than most gloves on the market but just as durable. For a more affordable pair, your best bet is the Mizuno 2020 Tour Golf Glove, which you can order for $25 on Amazon. Ahead, all the best golf gloves in every category.
- Best Golf Gloves Overall: Callaway OptiColor Leather Glove
- Best Golf Gloves For Protection: Bionic StableGrip Golf Glove
- Best Golf Gloves For Wet Weather: TaylorMade Rain Control Golf Gloves
- Best Luxury Golf Gloves: Callaway Golf X-Spann Compression Fit Premium Cabretta Leather Golf Glove
- Best Bargain Golf Gloves: Mizuno 2020 Tour Golf Glove
- Best Golf Gloves For Beginners: Bridgestone EZ Fit Golf Glove
- Best Newcomer Golf Gloves: Payntr Cabretta Golf Glove
- Best Golf Gloves For Winter: FootJoy StaSoft Winter Golf Gloves
How We Chose The Best Golf Gloves
Once we collected sample units for the gloves on this list, the testing process was simply a matter of taking countless swings both on the practice range and on a variety of golf courses around the world. It required four months of testing to guarantee durability in each of the above gloves. A couple sessions or rounds of golf is not enough to test the seams or that all-important section of leather on the outside bottom of the gloves’ palm.
In addition to standard testing protocol, gloves designed for special circumstances (rain, wind or cold weather) required exactly those conditions for testing. Those gloves that gave out fairly quickly (tearing on the palm after experiencing swing friction, or loosening in the fingers) didn’t make the cut.
What To Consider When Buying Golf Gloves
Since most of the best golf gloves sell for between $20 and $40, price doesn’t often come into play for most golfers. With MSRP out of the way, the most important factors for choosing the best golf gloves for your game then become fit, comfort and durability.
Fit & Comfort
For these options, fit and comfort go hand in glove (sorry). Beyond choosing the right size for your hand, it’s important the glove you choose fits like a second skin—this makes it perhaps the tightest glove in all of sports. When you find that snug fit within comfortable material, that’s your golf glove.
Durability
While $20 to $40 isn’t a significant expense for most golfers, nobody wants to give money away. As a result, durability is important. You want your glove to stand up for at least a good portion of your golf season. If you play often, you can’t expect your glove choice to last more than a few months (based on your grip pressure). Still, if the palm or fingers of your golf glove give out in a couple of rounds or practice outings, that’s simply not good enough. Move back to one of the choices in this collection.