5 Best Drumming Gloves

drumming gloves

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In this guide, we’ll take a look at the best drumming gloves that are comfortable to wear.
I’ve compared comfort, durability, protection, and materials to give you my top recommendations.

What Are The Best Drumming Gloves?

Image Recommended ProductsProduct Features Price
Budget
  • Half finger drumming gloves
  • Available in a range of sizes
  • Breathable mesh and leather design
Best
Ahead Drum Gloves
  • Full finger drumming gloves
  • Sized 'Large'
  • Spandex, lycra and light leather
Premium
Vic Firth Drummers' Gloves - Large
  • Full finger drumming gloves
  • Available in a range of sizes
  • Cabarets leather with synthetic mesh
  • Full finger drumming gloves
  • Available in a range of sizes
  • Cabretta leather construction
  • Full finger drumming gloves
  • Available in a range of sizes
  • Soft lambskin palm and a vented back

Drumming Gloves Reviewed

Meinl Half Finger Drumming Gloves

FEATURES RATING PRICE
FEATURES
  • Half finger drumming gloves
  • Available in a range of sizes
  • Breathable mesh and leather design
OUR RATING
PRICE
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Meinl Half Finger Drumming Gloves Review

4.9

The Meinl Half Finger Drumming Gloves have a half finger design that offers a great balance of comfort, playability, and blister protection.

These drums feel great to play with and I like the design that provides a more natural feel – allowing for greater freedom of movement. I’ve found these drum gloves will allow you to play for longer and offer more control compared to other drummers gloves thanks to the half-finger design.

At the same time, these drum gloves protect you from blisters and pains. They also help prevent sticks from slipping, with padded and grippy material covering the areas of your hand used for holding the drumsticks.

Overall these are a great set of drumming gloves that are used by lots of professional drummers and enthusiasts alike. The fingerless design and breathable mesh fabric offer a comfortable fit and freedom of movement.

Pros

  • Offers a great fit and comfortable performance
  • Fingerless design offers greater control and freedom of movement
  • Lightweight and affordable

Cons

  • Thin material can tear and break around the wrist
  • Sweat can make black colour stain your hands

Ahead Drum Gloves

FEATURES RATING PRICE
FEATURES
  • Full finger drumming gloves
  • Sized 'Large'
  • Spandex, lycra and light leather
OUR RATING
PRICE
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Ahead Drum Gloves Review

4.7

Ahead Drum Gloves are used by some of the world’s top drummers, including Tommy Lee and Arejay Hale; and are designed to offer the optimal balance of protection, comfort, and playability.

These drumming gloves are lightweight – featuring spandex, lycra, and light leather for ‘barely there’ comfort. Vented fingertips also reduce sweat and moisture.

Despite being thin, these gloves are designed with rock and metal drummers in mind, with shock-absorbing wrist supports and reinforced padding at the thumb and index finger.

These Ahead drum gloves are breathable and lightweight and offer a good level of protection. They’re the best drum gloves that are comfortable to wear for long practice sessions and gigs.

Pros

  • Long lasting and lightweight design
  • Used by lots of pro drummers
  • Rock solid fulcrum

Cons

  • Thin material can tear pretty easily with extensive use

Vic Firth Drummer Gloves

FEATURES RATING PRICE
FEATURES
  • Full finger drumming gloves
  • Available in a range of sizes
  • Cabarets leather with synthetic mesh
OUR RATING
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Vic Firth Drummer Gloves Review

4.6

The Vic Firth Drummer Gloves are designed with soft leather and these are really comfortable to wear. The material feels great on your hands and they offer a good fit with long playability.

These drum gloves will improve your grip and minimize blisters, offering a good level of protection with the use of premium leather and additional synthetic rubber along the thumb and forefinger.

The best thing about the Vic Firth drum gloves is that they feel great and they don’t sacrifice any playing feel. This means you can play for longer without discomfort.

These drumming gloves offer good value for money and these are a great choice as some of the best drum gloves on the market.

Pros

  • Very comfortable
  • Quality construction
  • Thin and breathable

Cons

  • Grips on thumb and forefinger can fall off with use

Pro Mark Drummers Gloves

FEATURES RATING PRICE
FEATURES
  • Full finger drumming gloves
  • Available in a range of sizes
  • Cabretta leather construction
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Pro Mark Drummers Gloves Review

4.5

These Pro Mark Drumming Gloves are some of the best drum gloves out there right now. They are a little more expensive but they feature a long-lasting and heavy-duty design.

These will last longer than competitors because they are constructed with high-quality thin-cut Cabretta leather that offers a high level of protection. They will help improve your grip and wrist support as well as preventing blisters.

The padding and level of comfort are great, but I’ve found that they do not provide the same level of sensitivity as some lighter gloves. These are a little more noticeable whilst you play. Overall these are are the best drum gloves that are worth the price and they won’t wear out easily.

Pros

  • 8 specially-placed pads on fingers and palm
  • High quality Cabretta leather
  • Durable and comfortable

Cons

  • Less sensitivity offered than other drum gloves

Zildjian Drumming Gloves

FEATURES RATING PRICE
FEATURES
  • Full finger drumming gloves
  • Available in a range of sizes
  • Soft lambskin palm and a vented back
OUR RATING
PRICE
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Zildjian Drumming Gloves Review

4.3

Up next for review we have the Zildjian Drumming Gloves that are constructed with a soft lambskin palm and a vented back.

These drummers’ gloves are comfortable and lightweight, but the overall design of these gloves means that they can be prone to tearing after lots of use. So don’t expect these to last for years of touring.

Where these drumming gloves excel is the high level of protection they offer and their comfortable fit. You can play without fear of blisters because the padding on these drum gloves is great.

These drum gloves are comfortable to play with, but I must say some of the other pairs of drumming gloves in this review guide are more durable.

Pros

  • Feels great in your hands whilst playing
  • High level of comfort and padding
  • Strong Velcro wrist strap

Cons

  • Disappointed with the durability and quality
  • Leather can start to peel off around fingers and wrist

Drum Gloves Buyer’s Guide

Most drummers don’t choose to wear drumming gloves. But there are many who rely on them to get through practice sessions and live shows.

They serve a few important purposes: most notably preventing blisters and stopping existing blisters from opening up. They also absorb shock from the impact of drumsticks, and can also significantly help improve grip and prevent dropping drumsticks.

The most important factors when buying a pair of drumming gloves are comfort, protection, durability, and fit. You won’t be able to play drums with a pair of drummer gloves that are far too small or large. They have to fit comfortably and you shouldn’t have to think about them whilst you play.

Unfortunately, drum gloves are not invincible and they are designed to be worn whilst you play drums, which as we all know is an intense activity! So the lifespan of a pair of drum gloves might not be more than a few years at best.

But the good news is that they are affordable, and it’s not an as serious investment as some other drumming gear such as a new cymbal set.

I have whittled down the competition to finding you the best drum gloves around, so you can be confident in your purchase. Overall I would say the Ahead drum gloves offer the best level of protection and comfort, but the Pro Mark drummer gloves are the best quality. And if you are looking for a pair that gives you the greatest flexibility and control – the Meinl fingerless drum gloves are the best drummer gloves for you.

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