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Not only can drumming gloves improve grip and stability, but many musicians also find them more comfortable than playing bare-handed.
For some drummers, gloves provide relief from a condition or discomfort that they experience when playing. For others, they improve their feel, power, and confidence that the stick will remain firmly in their hand throughout a performance.
In this guide, you’ll find a selection of the best quality drumming gloves available, We’ve included gloves that are well suited to all musical styles, with a mixture of affordable and high-end options so that you can find the right option regardless of your budget.
What are the Best Drumming Gloves?
| Image | Recommended ProductsProduct | Features | Price |
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Best for Preventing Blisters
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Best Temperature Control
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Best for Fast Playing
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Best for Gripping Sticks
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Best for Technical Drummers
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How I Tested and Selected the Best Drumming Gloves
While I’m not typically one to wear gloves while drumming, I’ve experimented with drumming gloves in the past, and I enjoyed trying out different options to create this list.
To get a decent idea of options for this list, I tried out every majorly popular pair of gloves available. I could definitely feel how these gloves aided my grip, and I can see how useful they would be to many drummers out there.
When trying them out, I checked how much extra grip they offered, established how comfortable they were, felt how much breathing room they had, and got an idea of the overall value.
Comfort was especially important—finding gloves that fit well and allow for precise drumming was a must. Breathability was key too, for better comfort during longer sessions.
I also paid attention to the material of the gloves. I wanted to make sure they were tough enough to handle regular drumming without causing blisters or aggravating existing blisters.
In-Depth Drumming Glove Reviews
Meinl Half Finger Drumming Gloves
Meinl Half Finger Drumming Gloves Review
The Meinl Half Finger Drumming Gloves have a half finger design that offers a great balance of comfort, playability, and blister protection.
These drums are great to play with and I love 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 drummer’s 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
Ahead Drum Gloves Review
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.
These are undoubtedly some of the lightest gloves out there, providing the most breathing room for my hands and fingers.
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
Vic Firth Drummer Gloves Review
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.
I have a drummer friend who swears by these gloves. He’s been using them for years, and he can’t go back to playing without them at this point.
The best thing I felt with the Vic Firth drum gloves was 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
Pro Mark Drummers Gloves Review
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.
From testing all the options, these feel to me the most durable out of all the options.
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 prevent 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 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
Zildjian Drumming Gloves Review
Lastly, 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.
To wear, these drumming gloves feel very soft and comfortable, and I could even feel how these would help if you already have blisters.
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 as serious an investment as some other drumming gear, such as a new cymbal set.
I have whittled down the competition to find 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.
Here are some of the most important things to consider when choosing drumming gloves.
Grip & Feel
The main aim of wearing drumming gloves is that they will provide you with an improved grip on your drumsticks, but there are different levels to this capability. Firstly, the materials that the manufacturers use to make the gloves will determine how “grippy” they are.
For example, a material such as leather is more likely to provide a better grip than synthetic materials, which can be quite slippery, but there can be other things like ventilation and breathability that come into play.
In addition to this, some drumming gloves also come with special designs to help grip, such as textured or ribbed surfaces, which can help you to keep a good grip even when your hands start to get sweaty.
Protection
Another important factor to consider when deciding on a pair of gloves is the level of protection they provide.
Drum gloves are designed to protect you from the impact of hitting the drum and cymbals with your fingers or hand, as well as prevent too much friction that could cause your hands to become sore.
The level of protection offered by drumming gloves varies depending on the materials and thickness, but it’s also very important that they fit you well to avoid rubbing against your skin while playing.
It’s also important to note that some gloves come with additional padding, which can provide extra protection from the impact of hitting your drums.
The level of padding you need may correlate to the likelihood that you might hit your hands on the drums or hardware. As most drummers can confirm – it can be painful!
Breathable Designs
Drummers need to be able to keep their hands cool and comfortable in order to continue playing for long periods of time, so when looking for drum gloves, it is important to consider those that offer a combination of breathability and temperature control.
Look out for gloves with a special weave or material design that can allow air to move through the gloves and keep your hands cool whilst also keeping the gloves on your hands and not increasing the chance of them coming loose.
The breathability of drumming gloves is one of their most important features, as it helps you continue playing for longer without having to worry about your hands getting too hot or sweaty, which could adversely affect your performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does Dave Grohl Wear Gloves When Drumming?
Foo Fighters frontman and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl is often seen wearing gloves when behind the kit. The reason he wears them is that it helps him to keep a firm grip on his sticks while playing.
Grohl, like many drummers who play fast and with lots of power, gets sweaty hands while drumming, and this can make it difficult to keep hold of his sticks.
Wearing gloves is a great way to ensure that the sticks don’t fly out of his hand while he’s playing live, which is a reason that many drummers are turning to gloves – for their added grip and stability.
Are Drummers Prone to Injury?
Due to the physical nature of drumming, injury, and discomfort sometimes occurs. It’s quite common for drummers to strain their muscles and tendons in their hands and arms, particularly if they’re a beginner or have poor technique.
Wearing drumming gloves can help to protect your hands from impact injuries, but the only way to prevent other types of injuries is by warming up and practicing proper technique. This will minimize the chance of over-straining your body while playing.
