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Paintball gloves are often an overlooked accessory in the sport of paintball. Having the right pair will give you the flexibility to keep your trigger fingers loose and agile while protecting them from direct paintball strikes. Not only that paintball gloves will protect you from the elements when you are running sliding or slamming into cover. Gloves are also great at gripping your paintball gun, giving you ultimate control in the heat of battle.
There are several different types of paintball gloves to protect your digits. You can go for a traditional glove that will cover the whole hand including all five fingers. There are also two-finger gloves, two-finger gloves leave the trigger fingers exposed for improved mobility and speed. There are also fingerless designs that leave all five fingers exposed and mobile it has the benefits of two-finger gloves except all five fingers are free to move. The only issue is all of your fingers exposed to direct strikes from paintballs.
It may seem like an easy choice, but with so many types to choose from and many knock-off brands trying to pass off as quality merchandise, it is easy to make the wrong choice. Luckily paintball globe has assembled a definitive list of the five best paintball gloves your money can buy.
Best Paintball Gloves
1. Exalt Paintball Death Grip Glove – Agile and Spooky Design
This pair of Exalt paintball gloves offer superior comfort and protection along with a reliable design. Add in the two-finger build and skeleton design and you have yourself a one of a kind pair of gloves.
For protection, there is a rubber padding on the back of the glove to help defect direct paintball hits. There is a silicon-coated palm that makes gripping your paintball gun almost effortless. Both materials are flexible, so no need to worry about the extra protection sacrificing flexibility. The body of the Exalt gloves is made from neoprene and synthetic leather. These materials are great for their durability but are great at evaporating any moisture or sweat.
There are three color schemes to choose from, a black glove with a white skeleton design, a black glove with black skeleton design and lastly a black glove with a grey skeleton design. Whichever design you choose you are assured to look intimidating on the paintball field. There are also four sizes to choose from. There is small, medium, large and extra-large. So no matter the size of your hand Exalt has the right size for you.
If you want to stand out on the battlefield, look intimidating and have superior hand protection, the Exalt skeletal glove is perfect for you. Couple that with the two-finger design and you will have a rugged design with agility to boot. Click here to see the best price.
- Rugged and durable build
- Unique look and design
- Index and middle finger are free to move
- Middle and index finger are exposed to direct paintball strikes
2. Planet Eclipse Gen 4 Full Finger Paintball Gloves – Padded Protection
The Eclipse paintball glove is for paintball connoisseurs who are seeking complete protection of the hands without compromising comfort and mobility. If you are seeking a more traditional, this pair of gloves covers all 10 fingers, hand and wrist areas.
Soft padding is built into all of the most sensitive areas of the glove to ensure minimal damage is inflicted if a direct impact does occur. Not only is this glove padded, but it’s also constructed with Kevlar in the most vulnerable areas. One might think with the extra padding it might get a little hot and sweaty after long periods of use. Luckily the Eclipse has a breathable mesh finger venting allowing for greater airflow limiting sweat build up. The body of the Eclipse gloves is made from vented neoprene making these gloves as comfortable as possible.
Each index finger has a coat of tactile resin for optimal grip no matter what the weather conditions have in store. Padded Velcro sits at the base of the glove giving a secure and tight fit. The Velcro also helps to keep any paint from getting inside the glove during heated battles.
There are two designs you can choose from with the Planet Eclipse. The first is a grey tactical camo design. The second is a more traditional sporty design with black and grey coloring. No matter what design you choose you will be getting one of the best paintball gloves on the market. Click here to see the best price.
- Padded Kevlar backing for ultimate protection
- Breathable neoprene build
- Velcro straps ensure a snug fit
- People with larger hands may struggle to find a good fit
3. HK Army Full-Finger Hardline Paintball Gloves – Optimal Protection and Mobility
This pair of HK Army full finger paintball gloves brings you reliable protection with a light-weight design.
Like other high-quality paintball gloves, the HK Army uses the most state of the art materials to construct these gloves.
Made from premium neoprene this pair of full finger paintball gloves are durable and breathable. A mesh padding is built into the finger portions to allow excess moisture to escape, keeping your hands as dry as possible. The silicone palm grip will keep your grip at optimal levels, keeping your paintball gun securely in your hands.
Unlike two-finger gloves, the HK Army paintball gloves cover all five fingers for optimal protection. While cheaper full finger gloves may impede your flexibility, HK’s design is not stiff on the hands. Each finger bends and moves freely allowing for quick and effortless motion. Velcro straps sit at the base to keep the gloves nice and snug on your hands.
There are two colors to choose from green and tan. They each have an identical design a militaristic look, each with a unique color scheme. With four sizes to choose from, it does not matter how large or small your hands are, HK has the size for you.
If you are looking for optimum protection crossed with ultimate comfort the HK Army full finger paintball glove is perfect for the job. Click here to see the best price.
- Lightweight and durable
- Silicone palm provides ultimate grip
- Multiple sizes and colors to choose from
- Easy to clean
- Paint can get stuck in the mesh
4. JT Paintball Tactical Field Gloves – Hard Shell Protection and Comfort
JT is one of the original paintball mask manufacturers still on the market. With that, the name JT guarantees quality and reliability. With JT’s full-fingered tactical gloves you get some of the best hand protection at a valued price.
While JT specializes in making masks, the JT Tactical Field Gloves bring the same protection to your hands. These gloves are purpose-built for woodsball but can be used in any other game. Constructed with breathable materials like 3-D mesh. Mesh allows for airflow without compromising strength and durability. Embroidered neoprene lines the palm section the glove allowing for flexibility while keeping the grip strong. And unlike the two-finger gloves on the market, JT’s tactical gloves cover all five fingers. This makes these gloves great for woodsball and scenario play.
The main protective feature of these gloves is covering the knuckles. A hard rubber is lined just above the knuckles to protect them from direct hits. While cheaper gloves have similar features, they often times affect the flexibility, often times this impacts the player’s ability to dominate. Luckily the JT tactical gloves retain their maneuverability even with the added protection. There are Velcro straps near the wrist to ensure your gloves stay in place.
With a black and tan coloring and tactical build and design not only will you look like a professional; you may end up playing like one too. Click here to see the best price.
- Covers all five fingers offering full protection
- Knuckles are covered with a hard plastic
- The 3D mesh allows for great airflow
- Quality build at a low price
- Not a great glove for speedball
5. HK Army Paintball Pro Two Finger Gloves – Two Finger Freedom
These two-finger gloves by HK Army are one of a kind addition that you can add to your paintball gear without regret.
Like their full finger gloves, these two finger variants have the same quality and durability is present in these speedball versions in HK’s collection of gloves.
With silicon covered palms, keeping your hands in place will be effortless. This is important when in a heated firefight where every movement and transition is the difference between a loss and a win. The neoprene backing is nice and thick in order to keep your hands protected from direct impacts. While neoprene is a great piece of armor it is also very light and flexible, making it a great material for paintball gloves. The thumb and fingers are covered by a very breathable mesh material to keep your hands dry and fresh throughout your day of paintball. All in all the HK Army’s two-finger gloves are made with the best materials that money can buy.
There are four sizes to choose from, your basic small, medium, large and extra-large. There are also four different designs and colors to choose from. HK has a black, grey and white color scheme. Along with blue and purple, red and black, and lastly green and white. So whether you are in the market for a set of high quality two finger glove, or a stylish new pair of paintball glove, HK Army has got you covered. Click here to see the best price.
- Two-finger glove design makes these gloves great for speedball
- Made from light and durable materials
- Finger slits at joint areas give the gloves even more flexibility
- Two finger design leaves index and middle finger exposed
Paintball Gloves Buyer’s Guide
Now that you have an idea of the gloves you can choose from the next step is deciding what type of glove is best for you. As you can see there are different styles from full finger gloves, two finger gloves, and even fingerless gloves.
To truly pick the best glove for you it will help to have a better understanding of the advantages of each type. Luckily we have assembled this buyer’s guide to get an idea of what materials to look for and what each style of glove is designed for.
Different styles of gloves
While paintball gloves are not required for players to wear, one strike to a finger or the back of the hand will convince most people to buy a pair. Paintball gloves are great for a myriad of different reasons, the most obvious being protection. Gloves are also great at retaining grip of your paintball gun as well. Although cheaper gloves will not have the proper material for gripping. Lastly, the best paintball gloves will have armored backing. The reason for this is mainly because the back of the hand is the most vulnerable and likely to get shot with a paintball. And if the gloves are padded in the back they increase the chance of a paintball bouncing rather than breaking, keeping you in the game.
Gloves are also great at protecting you from the elements as well. Most paintball fields are outdoors so covering up from head to toe will help protect against sunburn, bug bites and scratches and bruises you may otherwise pick up in a day of paintball.
With all of this to consider it is important to get a quality pair of gloves that can protect you from paintballs, the elements and yourself. All while keeping you in optimal control of your paintball gun and the game. But what is the best type of glove for you? We will now go over the different types of gloves available. Some types we have on our list of top five others are not. Either way, this is for you to get a handle on what options you have.
Full Finger Gloves
The name says it all, full finger gloves cover all five fingers, the back of the hand and the palm of the hand. While having all five fingers covered will keep your hands 100 percent protected from paintball strikes, this type of glove does come with drawbacks. First, cheaper gloves will limit the flexibility of your hand and the ability to grip your paintball gun. Ideally, you will want to be able to make a fist with your hand without any real significant tightening. This is important mainly because you want the freedom of motion when gripping your gun while retaining your ability to adjust your hands freely without limitation.
Luckily the number three glove on our list the HK Army full finger glove there are slits at all of the jointed areas of the fingers improving freedom of motion and improving flexibility and control.
Full finger gloves are great for wearing in a game of woods ball or scenario play. This is due to the environment you will be playing in. Mostly wooded or outdoors. There are a lot of things to slam or scrap your hands against, so keeping your hand fully covered is optimal. Luckily full finger gloves are the most common on the market. So there is no shortage to choose from.
Two Finger Gloves
Two finger gloves have been growing in popularity over the past decade or so. Their origins are pretty basic instead of players needing to cut the fingers off manufacturers caught on to the fad and began to make some high-quality versions. The benefit comes from the freedom of movement of the index and middle fingers. In game variants like speedball, quick trigger fingers are paramount to being competitive. Each pull of the trigger equals a paintball flying downfield. The index and middle finger are often used to pull the trigger alternately. Well, suffice it to say if both fingers are covered up you lose a couple of things. First, you lose flexibility and speed. This greatly impacts player’s abilities to send paintballs downrange and in a game like speedball that puts players at a great disadvantage. Second, players lose the ability to grip and touch buttons and knobs when all of their fingers are covered. The ability to feel and grip is an added bonus when wearing paintball gloves.
The obvious downside to two finger gloves is that the index and middle fingers are both exposed to direct hits. There is an obvious tradeoff between having freedom of motion and increased vulnerability.
Fingerless Gloves
Fingerless gloves are a bit of an unwanted stepchild in the world of paintball gloves. Sure you get the added benefit of having the two trigger fingers free to move and pull the trigger in rapid succession, but you will also have three other fingers unnecessarily exposed to direct hits. One benefit of fingerless gloves is the breathability they provide. With all of that missing fabric, more airflow is guaranteed, allowing for sweat and moister to evaporate more efficiently.
Fingerless gloves are more of a fashion statement than improvement maneuverability. That being said, if fingerless gloves or your thing, there are plenty to choose from. Some even offer added protection with a hard-shell armor on the backing of the glove.
Sleeve Gloves
When you think of a specialized glove sleeve type gloves are definitely that. Most of the other gloves on our list could be used for other activities if you wanted, but with sleeve gloves, they are strictly for paintball. They are designed to keep all five fingers free to move while also protecting them from paintball strikes. They attempt to give all of the benefits of fingerless gloves and full finger cloves combined. The gloves slip onto the hand like an arm through a sleeve. There is a padded backing that covers all five fingers but each ginger can move independently the only finger that goes through a hole is the thumb. While these gloves may look weird they meet at a happy medium for protection and maneuverability, something that is lacking in almost any other glove.
Materials
The materials that your gloves are constructed from are just as important as the style of glove you choose. If you go to your local hardware store and buy cloth gloves, not only will they protect you from direct hits, they will get torn up and destroyed within a day of use. Gloves that are made specifically for paintball are usually constructed from highly durable materials that can withstand the rigors of the sport.
Here are the materials to look for when buying your paintball gloves.
Kevlar
When most people hear the name Kevlar they think bulletproof vests. While they would not be wrong, Kevlar can be used for a multitude of different reasons, including paintball gloves. Why is Kevlar a good material for paintball? Well, it is designed to stop or slow down bullets, so it can most certainly handle a paintball impact. This synthetic fiber was first developed for racing tires and is cut-resistant and heat resistant.
Silicone
Silicone is typically used on the palm of paintball gloves to improve grip when holding a paintball gun. It is a synthetic material that is used in many different products that you see every day. Overall it is an extremely versatile and waterproof material.
Neoprene
This synthetic material can be used as thick yet flexible padding. Neoprene is typically used on the back part of the glove protecting the backside of the hand.
FAQs
Are gloves necessary when playing paintball?
While paintball gloves are not required when playing if you choose to play without them you will soon understand why you need them. Whether you are taking a direct hit to the back of the hand, or you simply lose the grip of your gun, paintball gloves are highly recommended.
Are two finger gloves better than full finger gloves?
No, not necessarily. It will depend on a few things. For one, it depends on what you want to achieve while wearing your gloves. If you want optimal protection, full-finger gloves are for you. If you do not mind sacrificing some armor for added speed and agility, two finger gloves are your best option.
How long does a pair of paintball gloves last?
Paintball gloves can last at least a year. Of course, this will depend on how frequently you use them and how intensely you play session to session.
Best Selling Paintball Gloves
- Method for choosing the size,According to palm circumference not including thumb refer to left size chart. XS(6.7"-7.1",17cm-18cm) S(7.1"-7.7",18cm-19.5cm) M(7.7"-8.3",19.5cm-21cm)L(8.3"-8.9",21cm-22.5cm) XL(8.9"-9.5",22.5cm-24cm)XXL(9.5"-10",24cm-25.5cm)
- Fingerless on Thumb，index and middle fingers, convenient for using smart devices which requiring fingerprint unlocking
- Engineered for high performance and superior durability.
- Made of durable microfiber leather material Wear-resistant, anti-slip, lightweight, fast drying.
- Double stitching for heavy duty, The palm reinforcement. Protection hands from abrasion.
- Thermoplastic Rubber guard protect against impact.
- Padded palm padding absorbs and dissipates impact energy.
- Because you deserve the best we have QMP orginal tactical Gloves for you FULL PROTECTION: You are offered protection against cuts, burns, scrapes, and even injuries due to vibrations with the QMP tactical gloves which are equipped with the composite adjustable wrist strap allows for flexibility, grip, and warmth
- KEEP YOUR HANDS DRY AND CLEAN: The breathable vents design on the finger and the padded mesh material can nicely reduce hand sweat, so you can keep your hands dry and clean on hot summer outdoor activities with the airsoft gloves on
