The best golf glove is not just a fashion accessory – although they do look pretty fly. The best golf gloves can actually improve your game a lot. With this guide, I'll help you improve your grip on your driver and flex your style, with the best golf gloves from Footjoy, Callaway, TaylorMade and others. Summer is coming, and you don't want your grip to suffer due to sweat, after all.
To cut out the jargon, and the possibility of you getting distracted in American Golf (opens in new tab) and coming away with everything except a glove, I’ve put together what I think are the best options out there. You can then team your new gloves up with some of the best golf balls, or even one of the best GPS golf watches, to really up the ante.
You don't need to know much before shopping for gloves. If you’re right handed, you’ll need a golf glove that goes on your left hand, and if you’re left handed, you’ll need a glove that goes on your right hand.
My favourite golf glove all round is the Under Armour Strikeskin, which offers great grip, comfort and flexibility, all pretty integral to a good game, however it’s left hand only – ie: for right handers only. Left-handed golfers are often an afterthought but fear not as we have you covered: the Bionic StableGrip and Zero Friction golf gloves are just a couple of awesome options that suit lefties.
The best golf gloves
If you tend to find yourself between sizes in golf gloves, the adjustable closure tab on these Under Armour Strikeskin gloves is sure to appeal. It’s just one part of a commitment to comfort and excellence that our best golf glove presents, alongside performance leather that offers grip and control over your swing, but stays soft and flexible enough – thanks, we’re told, to the Under Armour fit technology – that you can get properly into your game without being distracted. It’s our best all round.
Incredibly, Footjoy have been making this model since 1980, which lets face it, makes the StaSof golf glove Royalty.
This is the most popular glove on the PGA Tour and it’s easy to see why. It’s a premium quality, all leather glove that’s incredibly soft and snug fitting. It moulds itself around your hand and fits like a second skin.
Leather gloves are not always the most hard wearing but the StaSof is impressively durable and you will get several rounds out of it before you will need to think about replacing it. There are cheaper alternatives from Footjoy but in terms of the total package the StaSof leads the way.
Check out our handy guide to which Footjoy glove is best for you.
Leather golf gloves might not sound like the most flexible of accessories, but this Mizuno Golf Pro glove puts paid to that idea with its buttery soft cabretta leather and FlexMesh fabric, a synthetic layer across the knuckles that allows you to flex those fingers to your heart’s content while lining up for a swing. Reviewers were all over the enhanced fit and loved the softness of the leather, too, saying the quality of the construction was tangible.
Nike may not make golf clubs anymore but their apparel still stand favourable comparison with anything on the market and their gloves are no exception. Nike have more than one high quality glove in their range (the DriFit worn by Tiger Woods is also worthy of mention) but our pick is the Mens Tour Classic IV.
The Tour Classic IV golf gloves feature premium leather for exceptional feel, fit and grip to help your performance. Lycra stretch zones will flex with your hand to give excellent range of motion and improve durability. The fingers are perforated to allow breathability and flexibility and the glove also features an angled velcro tab fastener.
The WeatherSof is the world’s number one selling golf glove which is no surprise when you look at the quality you are getting for the price. At just £10 this glove represents excellent value as it will give you performance, feel and durability.
It doesn’t feel like a budget priced glove when you put it on, and it certainly doesn’t perform like a cheap one. The reason for the low price is the material used. It isn’t a high end, soft leather, it is made from FiberSof material which is less expensive but more versatile and durable than leather. You do get leather patches on the palm and inside of the thumb though.
As with most non-specialist rain gloves it won’t be ideal in a downpour but you can wear this in light drizzle without any ill effect.
Due to its versatility and price this is an ideal option for golfers who spend a lot of time at the driving range. You don’t really want to wear out an expensive leather glove just practicing, so the WeatherSof is the perfect solution as it’s very hard wearing and you won’t need to replace it for a good while.
When it’s designed by an orthopaedic hand surgeon, you’ve got to admit it’s probably top-drawer, and fans of Bionic’s StableGrip golf glove back up that notion with their high praise. It’s lightweight, it’s comfortable, it’s weatherproof, and it’s constructed to defeat hand fatigue and irritation, with flat seams to keep from rubbing and a well-placed anatomical pad to absorb shock from hitting the ball. Users loved its slim, non-bulky fit too, saying it (please forgive us) fits like a glove.
While some leather gloves will still perform very well even in wet weather, ideally you need a specialist to do the job and the FootJoy Rain-Grip is just the ticket when it’s chucking down.
You don’t get the same level of feel you’d get with a soft leather glove but that’s to be expected. This glove isn’t designed for that, its purpose is to give you a secure grip on the club in wet conditions and it certainly does that.
The Rain-Grip also has an easy access tee holder and a detachable ball marker which means that you don’t have to keep putting wet hands into dry pockets. This glove generally just makes golf that bit easier when you’re playing in wet conditions.
This glove is also available as a pair, which won’t appeal to everybody as wearing two gloves for golf is a fairly alien concept, but if you are a golfer who isn’t put off by a gloomy weather forecast and who will get out there no matter what then it could be worth trying the two handed option.
Because of its low price (RRP is £12) this is something every golfer should have in the bag just in case the heavens open while you’re out there on the course.
Also available in a women's version.
You might already enjoy the benefits of compression sportswear elsewhere on your bod, but did you know you can replicate it for your hands? Zero Friction did, and their compression-fit golf glove is the result of their tinkering, a lightweight synthetic glove that fits close to the hand and doesn’t scratch or rub. Reviewers found it light and flexible, with the synthetic grip patch on the first finger and all-weather palm patch proving especially popular. It also, rather sweetly, comes with a helpful detachable ball and tee marker.
Synthetic golf gloves have their advantages, of course, but if you’re a bit of a traditionalist or just prefer the feel of leather, you may want to consider this, the Preferred Glove of TaylorMade pros. It’s made from AAA Cabretta Soft Tech leather, manufactured for incredible softness and flexibility as well as a surprising amount of breathability, and the wrist lining features antimicrobial moisture wicking fabric to whisk away sweat and prevent any sweaty odours. Reviewers loved the quality feel too, so if you’re looking for a treat, this might be it.
With a selection of bright colours to choose from, these Callaway gloves are already pretty snappy before you get down to the technicalities. Like our previous pick, they’re leather, and a premium-feeling Optical leather at that, with palm, finger and thumb perforations for extra breathability and moisture reduction. Buyers found that they ran a little small, making them great for petite players, but those who found them a tight fit reported that they stretched out after a few uses, and all agreed they held up well to frequent use.
