The world of calisthenics, as well as the world of fitness as a whole, is split over the issue of gloves. Are they a necessity? A luxury? It depends on the person you ask. Personally, I believe the decision to wear gloves or not should come down to two simple questions:
How heavy are you lifting?
Do you want your had covered in calluses?
And perhaps I should give an honorable mention to a third question:
Is it really cold outside?
Between these three questions, it should be easy to decide whether or not gloves are the right choice for your calisthenics routine. As I’ve progressed towards weighted calisthenics movements and more acrobatic exercises, I’ve started to use gloves more and more. However, I find that certain gloves are better for certain scenarios. So in this article, we’ll take a look at what I think are the two best gloves for calisthenics out there, though they’re both quite different from one another.
First, we’ll start with a heavy powerlifting glove:
Skott 2019 Evo 2 Weightlifting Gloves Review
The Good:
These are Amazon’s choice for weightlifting gloves for a reason. With over 1,500 reviews and a 4 ½ star rating, they’re hard to beat in terms of durability and comfort. Bar none, these are the best lifting gloves I’ve ever used, and they work great with a calisthenics workout. The padding is positioned perfectly, the double stitching holds together even after months of abuse, and the wrist strap tightens comfortably.
Using these gloves, I get the feeling a lot of development went into the little things. They just work, not only in terms of comfort and protection for your hands but also in aesthetics and long-term durability. These have survived over a year of daily use with heavy weight!
Another nice touch; there is a hook to keep the gloves together in your gym bag.
The Bad:
Like any heavy glove, these will start to smell pretty quickly if you don’t air them out after use. Also, a few of the moldings did come off, but this didn’t affect the actual performance of the gloves. The main point of concern is that if you’re looking for a light, thin pair of gloves, this would not be the right choice.
Recommended?
These are a well made, durable, comfortable glove. Suitable for heavy lifting or beginner level calisthenics, I can’t recommend them highly enough for someone looking for a thick, super robust weightlifting glove.
Next, we’ll look at my choice in light, minimalistic calisthenics gloves:
Profitness Cross Training Gloves Review
The Good:
I prefer a light glove that lets my hand breath and grants full dexterity in the fingers and wrist, especially for calisthenics. These gloves are snug around the fingers and don’t bunch up in the palm, which is sometimes a problem for this type of glove. The wrist straps secure the glove tightly and comfortably so you don’t have to worry about sliding or constant readjustment of the gloves.
The palm padding is robust and recently Profit actually improved this aspect of the design, and it shows. You really feel the difference on a high-rep burnout or a set done with additional weight. My hands no longer feel so gassed after a big workout, and will probably slowly lose their similarity to catcher’s mitts after continued use of these gloves.
Also, I’ve got to hand it to the Profit gloves—they just plain look cool.
The Bad:
These are so tight around the fingers out of the box that they require some breaking in. The gloves started out good but became excellent after about a week of use. Though I didn’t have this problem, I’ve read that others found the finger straps too tight or ill-fitting. This will depend on sizing and the unique shape of your hands.
Recommended?
If you’re looking for a light, airy glove for calisthenics workouts, this is the way to go. The Profitness Cross-Training gloves are versatile, durable, and at 14.95, really affordable.