12 best pickleball gloves to improve your grip

Pickleball gloves seem to be more and more common these days. But why wear pickleball gloves anyway? Will wearing pickleball gloves actually improve your game?

Does it really matter which pickleball gloves you wear? Surely a glove is a glove, right? Not so!

Today, we’ll share everything you need to know about pickleball gloves. And, after hours of research, we’ve selected the top 12 pickleball gloves available on the market.

Are pickleball gloves necessary? No. But can they improve your game? Absolutely! No rule says you have to wear them. But they definitely come in handy (get it?!).

Anyone who plays pickleball regularly will soon realize that their paddle hand gets sweaty and slippery.

This can have disastrous effects on your game. You may lose control of your shots and even end up dropping your paddle (not a good look, especially if you have one of the best pickleball paddles).

A good pickleball glove will give you cushioned support, lessening the impact on your paddle hand and reducing vibration and hand fatigue, whatever your chosen paddle grip. So, the right pair of gloves is a must for your pickleball gearbox.

So, without further ado, please put your hands together for our top 12 pickleball gloves!

First up, we looked at pickleball gloves designed with male players in mind. We've broken our choices down into six categories to help you choose the best men's pickleball glove for your needs.

Franklin Sports Pickleball Glove

Coming in at number one overall is the Franklin Sports Pickleball Glove. This is a best-seller, with hundreds of positive reviews on Amazon.

The glove features a premium, one-piece, leather palm that offers durability and strength. This premium leather has the added benefit of wicking moisture away from the palm to keep your hands dry.

The top of the Franklin pickleball glove is made from the same material as the Franklin baseball glove—a ventilated and flexible fabric that allows proper airflow. These fingerless gloves allow for a better feel of the paddle but can make for cold fingers on those frosty mornings.

Price: Around $20

Cuzina HexPro Pickleball Glove

The Cuzine HexPro is a more expensive offering. But that extra cost delivers a seriously high-quality men's pickleball glove for cold weather.

The palm is made from ‘cabretta’ leather that comes from sheep rather than cows. This is a high-quality, soft, and durable material that’s often used for high-end golf gloves.

The grip on this glove is highly praised by reviewers, who say their power and control is enhanced.

The Cuzina pickleball glove also incorporates a highly absorbent wristband to mop up your sweat. It has reinforced thumb and forefinger sections for durability.

A bonus is a free activated-charcoal bag that is designed to sit inside the glove when you’re not using it. This absorbs moisture while maintaining the glove’s shape between sessions on the court.

Finally, another thing we love about the Cuzina offering is their huge range of colors and sizes. So, why wait? Add this pair to your shopping cart now.

Price: $45

Tourna Pickleball and Tennis Glove

Our next category focuses on the most comfortable men's pickleball glove. There were a few contenders here, but we opted for the Tourna Pickleball and Tennis glove.

Made from 99% extra-soft calfskin leather, these gloves for pickleball are designed with wearability in mind. But that soft leather also offers excellent grip on the paddle, so these pickleball gloves are practical as well as comfortable.

The terry cloth upper in the hot glove does a great job of absorbing the moisture from your hand, while offering added comfort.

With full and half-finger options available, these pickleball gloves are very affordable but not made cheaply.

Price: $13

Head Racquetball Glove

If hot hands are your problem, the Head Racquetball Glove is the best pickleball glove for you.

This offering is specially designed to be ultra-breathable by using “cool tech” spandex on the back of the glove to maximize air circulation and breathability.

On the palm is synthetic leather that’s finished with silicon webbing for a highly impressive grip. And for those of you who tend to scuff their knuckles on those dramatic shots, these have extra protection built in across the knuckles.

While not made specifically for pickleball, fellow pickleheads love these gloves, especially those playing in the hotter states, both outdoor and indoor pickleball.

Price: $15-20

Bionic Racquetball Glove

Do you struggle with sweaty hands, causing you to lose grip on the paddle? We’ve been there!

And it can be very frustrating when a slippery hand causes you to miss the shot you're aiming for.

Step up, the Bionic Racquetball Glove. Originally designed for racquet sports, these gloves are suitable for pickleball as well.

This glove features eleven terry cloth “mini-towels” built in to soak up sweat while you play and keep your hands cool and dry. The wristband is also made from ultra-absorbent terry cloth to capture any excess moisture from your arms and wrists.

This pickleball glove features an anatomical pressure pad system to protect your hands from soreness and blisters. Breathable lycra panels between the fingers allow airflow and excellent flexibility.

Price: $18-25

Head Airflow Tour Glove

Last but not least in the men's pickleball glove category, we have the award for style. Everyone wants to look good on the courts, so why not pick up a Head Airflow Tour Glove?

These beauties are designed in the style of a classic golf or driving glove, with a burnt orange, black and white color scheme.

The palms are made from perforated cabretta leather. And the backs incorporate an airprene and mesh lycra material for breathability and flexibility.

You’ll be sure to get compliments when you take this looker out for a day on the courts. It’s also a great choice if you’re looking for a Head Airflow Tour racquetball glove.

Price: $19

So, with men out of the way, let’s move on to our choices for the best pickleball gloves for women.

The categories here are basically the same. But there are some subtle differences that make these gloves more suitable for a female picklehead.

Python Deluxe

Our winner for the best all-round women’s pickleball glove is the Python Deluxe. As the advertising says, “nothing grips like a Python”, and this glove certainly delivers what it promises.

Incorporated into the perforated cabretta leather palm is an extra grip strip that makes sure you stay in firm control of your paddle at all times.

This glove for pickleball also features a stretchy elastic back and a velcro wrist closure for a snug and comfortable fit.

Price: $22

Head Web Glove

In the ‘comfortable pickleball gloves for women’ category, our pick is the Head Web Glove. High performance ventilated spandex provides excellent airflow, meaning your hands won’t overheat.

These gloves also have built-in knuckle protection, in case you take a tumble and silicone webbing across the palm for grip.

As these are flexible gloves with synthetic materials, they’ll stretch nicely to fit your hand for extra comfort.

Price: $15

Wilson Clutch Racquetball Glove

In this category, our favorite is the Wilson Clutch Racquetball glove. The palm is made from synthetic microfiber suede leather, which uses Wilson's “sticky skin technology” for a lock tight grip on the paddle.

This means that the palm is constructed with several grooves for added grip and control. So, get these gloves for your right hand and left hand for a comfortable grip.

This is a stretchy glove, with a nylon backing that fits well against the skin of pickleball players.

Price: $14

Bionic StableGrip Glove

For all you dedicated pickleheads that spend hours on the courts each week, a durable pickleball glove is crucial.

The Bionic StableGrip glove is primarily designed for golf. But if you’re looking for a sturdy pickleball glove, this one is ideal.

Made from premium leather with strong double stitching throughout, this glove includes an extra pad on the palm for an extended lifespan.

Lycra between the fingers allows heat and moisture to escape. And the terry cloth interior soaks up any excess sweat. All of these features make Bionic StableGrip gloves fit as batting gloves, pickleball gloves, and golf gloves.

Price: $25

Head Ballistic Copper Tech Glove

Now we may have found some nifty gloves for men above, but they’re nothing in comparison to our pick for the most stylish pickleball glove for women!

The Head Ballistic Copper Tech glove comes in two color schemes:

And both are guaranteed to stand out on the pickleball courts.

These are not just an attractive offering, they’re also highly practical. The copper-infused fabric improves circulation in the hands. The soft, durable leather palm provides a great grip.

Look your best on the courts while maintaining a firm grip on your paddle with these high-tech gloves for pickleball.

Price: $25

When it comes to palm material, what you’re really looking for is grip. Both leather and synthetic leather can give a great grip. So it’s a matter of personal choice.

Some manufacturers offer extra grippy palms, with features like ribbed or webbed designs for extra grippiness.

It’s important to get the size of your pickleball glove just right. We always recommend checking the manufacturer’s sizing chart as each brand will fit slightly differently.

But as a starting point, you can use this generic sizing chart which will work for most models:

No need to break the bank! There are some great budget options out there. But if you go too cheap, you may find quality suffers.

Once you invest in a nice pair of gloves for pickleball, the last thing you want is to see them fall apart after a few sessions.

These gloves get a good hammering. So make sure you prioritize durability. Look for quality stitching and reinforcement in the high-use areas

Most pickleball gloves are only adjustable around the wrist strap. If the glove fits your hand, the wrist strap will fit your wrist.

This is a very important factor, as hot hands are seriously uncomfortable when you’re on the court.

Look for a breathable, mesh-style back on your pickleball gloves. And if you’re playing in hot conditions, then opt for a more lightweight offering. Fingerless gloves may also help to keep your hands cool.

Slippery hands are a disaster on the pickleball court. So if you tend to get sweaty palms, prioritize a moisture-wicking glove.

Many gloves have absorbent wristbands, and some incorporate terry-cloth towels into the lining.

This is totally a personal choice. So pick the pickleball glove that catches your eye! Choose your favorite color, or match your glove with your pickleball bag or paddle.

So, be sure to consider these factors before shopping and leaving the checkout point at the pickleball store

As we saw above, there are a few different types of leather used for making pickleball gloves.

Cabretta leather is the most common, which comes from sheep and is ultra-soft. Calf-skin leather is similar, but maybe not quite as soft. Other manufacturers don't specify and just say ‘leather’.

Synthetic leather is made using polyurethane or PVC. It’s definitely got a great grip. And it’s easier to clean than real leather.

Luckily, racquetball gloves do the job just as well so can be used for tennis or pickleball, and many well-known brands are producing them.

So that’s it folks, all you could possibly need to know about pickleball gloves. We hope we’ve helped you to choose gloves that fit with how you play pickleball.

The right glove can do wonders for your grip and thereby, massively improve your game. However, there's lots of other high-quality pickleball gear that's worth adding to your collection.

Are there any pickleball gloves that you’d like to recommend to us and your fellow pickleheads? If so, please drop a comment in the box below. We always love to hear from you. Until next time, happy pickling!