Whether you are a seasoned trad climber or are just getting into the sport, climbing gloves can be very useful and even highly necessary for traditional climbing. No doubt they seem a bit of a hassle at first as another piece of climbing ‘gear’, but they are sure to give you a much more comfortable climbing or belaying experience without cuts or rope burns. All in all, sharing from our years of rock climbing experiences, crack climbing gloves are a worthwhile investment for long term use.
Additionally, they are small enough to slip into your climbing bag or climbing pants pocket whether or not you see the need for the usage, ensuring that you are always prepared for whatever you and your climbing partner decides to check out and climb that day.
What are the Best Crack Climbing Gloves?
To find the list of absolute Best Crack Climbing Gloves, we as fellow rock climbers have researched many gloves for crack climbing and what fellow seasoned rock climbers who bought and used them say about these products. Based on their personal experiences using them for their climbing trips, we compiled for you the top 11 crack climbing gloves.
Also, to make it easier for you to making the right choice, we also wrote a mini gloves for crack climbing Buying Guide and frequently asked questions (FAQs). You will find it at the end of this article.
1. Outdoor Research Splitter Gloves
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These durable and ultra-lightweight crack climbing gloves provide excellent grip and protection for crack climbers. They are minimalist and extra-tactile gloves that offer great friction, helping your hands to stick in cracks.
Pros
- Lightweight.
- Durable,
- Great friction
Cons
- Not the cheapest option,
- Not as much variety in sizing
2. Singing Rock Chocky Jamming Gloves
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These crack climbing gloves are thick and durable, though the leather on the back of the hand may even be too thick for some preferences. Their velcro wrist closure can be a bit difficult to get used to, but they are incredibly lightweight and their elastic finger loops are a great alternative to the leather ones that are most commonly found on crack climbing gloves.
Pros
- Extremely durable,
- Unique elastic finger loops
Cons
- The material on the back of the hand may be too thick,
- Velcro closure hard to get used to
3. Ocun Crack Climbing Gloves
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Though they run on the pricier side, the Ocean Crack Climbing Gloves are one of the best options on the market. Their microfiber suede molds to the shape of your hands, and they are also made with rubber, which offers extra traction and grip in slippery cracks.
Pros
- Material that fits perfectly to the shape of your hands,
- Range of sizes from x-small to x-large,
- Quick closure velcro
Cons
- Expensive,
- Only comes in one color
4. Climb X Super Crack Gloves
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One of the most affordable options on the market, the Climb X Super Crack Gloves are actually made from incredibly grippy shoe rubber. They mold over time to fit your hand and offer durable finger and thumb loops.
Pros
- Affordable,
- Durable material and finger loops,
- Comes in a variety of sizes
Cons
- Hand moisture may make the rubber slippery,
- Velcro wrist strap may come undone when climbing
5. Petzl Cordex Lightweight Gloves
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Moving onto crag gloves, the Petzl Cordex Gloves are one of the best options on the market. They are made from natural, high quality leather and nylon and come in a range of colors and sizes. They are one of the best belay gloves that you can find.
Pros
- Durable and quality materials,
- Carabiner loop allows you to attach the gloves to your harness,
- Variety of colors and sizes
Cons
- Expensive,
- Don’t have the best grip when it comes to holding rope
6. Metolius Full Finger Belay Glove
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These Metolius belay gloves are incredibly durable and will surely keep your hands protected when belaying. They are made from cowhide with reinforcement in areas that are more prone to wear and tear, and offer a convenient carabiner loop for attaching to your harness.
Pros
- Extremely durable and thick
- Made from high quality material
- Will last a long time
Cons
- Quite thick, will take a while to break in,
- Only come in one color,
- Run small, so not as appropriate for people with large hands
7. Black Diamond Crag Gloves
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These Black Diamond Crag Gloves offer a breathable mesh fabric and extra knuckle padding, making them perfect for via ferratas and belaying. They also come in women’s sizes and various colors, so everyone is sure to get their perfect fit.
Pros
- Affordable,
- Various sizes and colors,
- Lightweight and breathable
Cons
- Not made from real leather so may not be as durable as other options
8. Outdoor Research Fossil Rock Gloves
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These fingerless climbing gloves offer great durability and dexterity, making them perfect for rope handling on long multipitch routes. They are incredibly durable, but aren’t as appropriate for cold weather considering that they are fingerless.
Pros
- Come in 4 colors and 5 sizes,
- Made with high quality, durable leather and suede,
- Easy pull loop offers extra convenience when putting the gloves on
Cons
- Not ideal for cold weather,
- Thin compared to other gloves
9. Intra-FIT Climbing Gloves
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Intra-FIT’s climbing gloves are durable and breathable, with goatskin-reinforced palms and fingers and spandex elastic fabric. They offer an excellent grip for rappelling and belaying, and are one of the most affordable options on the market.
Pros
- Quite affordable,
- Come in a wide range of sizes,
- Flexible and durable
Cons
- Not many color options,
- May stain hands if you are susceptible to sweating
10. Seiberten Full Finger Climbing Gloves
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These padded yet lightweight climbing gloves are one of the most affordable options on the market and are sure to fit any hand size, given that they come in 6 size options. They are made from reinforced synthetic leather, meaning that they are durable and will withstand rope friction when belaying or rappelling.
Pros
- Offer durability and impressive grip,
- Excellent flexibility and range of motion
Cons
- Not as appropriate for cold weather,
- Only come in one color
11. Black Diamond Crag Climbing Gloves
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The Black Diamond Crag Climbing Gloves are a breathable, flexible, and durable glove ideal for belaying and rappelling. They offer a snug fit, meaning that they won’t slip off, but you should keep that in mind when choosing a size.
Pros
- Affordable,
- Hold up against sharp rock and rope friction,
- Won’t get too hot
Cons
- Not much insulation, so not ideal for cold weather,
- Some of the stitching may come undone
Verdict
Based on all of our experience with gloves for crack climbing, we found that Outdoor Research Splitter Gloves is the best crack climbing glove available today.
Our Premium Option is Singing Rock Chocky Jamming Gloves with all the best features and high-quality materials, but that’s only if you have more money to spend.
However, if you are on a slightly tighter budget, you can also consider the Ocun Crack Climbing Gloves as an affordable alternative.
Our other reviews you may find useful in your research:
What You Should Know Before Buying crack climbing gloves
Overview
Whether you are a seasoned trad climber or are just getting into the sport, climbing gloves can be very useful and even highly necessary for traditional climbing. No doubt they seem a bit of a hassle at first, they are sure to give you a much more comfortable climbing or belaying experience. All in all, making them a worthwhile investment for long term use.
Additionally, they are small enough to slip into your climbing bag or climbing pants pocket whether or not you see the need for the usage, ensuring that you are always prepared for whatever you and your climbing partner decides to check out and climb that day.
What Are Climbing Gloves For
The most fundamental use of climbing gloves is for protection. Protection against rope burns, cuts and scratches against sharp rock surfaces.
If you have never crack climbed, you probably won’t be familiar with the need for specifically crack climbing gloves, which are a key element in trad climbing. They help to protect your delicate hands from rough rock and provide extra traction and grip.
When crack climbing, you are often found jamming your hands into small, abrasive spaces, something that can take a beating on your skin. Other than the need for a good pair of crack climbing shoes that can tackle the trickiest moves, crack climbing gloves are the best way to keep your hands and fingers in tact when fighting hand cracks and off widths.
However, crack climbing gloves aren’t the only type of climbing gloves you need to consider out there. Crag gloves are another good alternative great for long belays, multi-pitch, rappelling, scrambling, or even Via Ferrata routes. They’re an excellent investment if you often climb in cold weather as well.
Why Should You Get Crack Climbing Gloves
While it is possible to make your own tape gloves out of climbing tape, it is such a hassle to do it all the time. If you are getting into trad climbing or know a lot of great crack climbing routes at your local crag or nearby states, perhaps a good idea to invest in some decent crack climbing gloves on top of your trad climbing shoes and bagful of trad rack.
They are a convenient way to protect your hands, and you won’t have to go through the hassle (and waste) of repeatedly making your own crack climbing gloves out of tape.
So here’s introducing some of the best crack climbing gloves in the market.
How To Pick The Best Climbing Gloves
In order to pick the best climbing gloves, you will want to keep in mind what exactly you will be using them for. If you know that you will be doing a lot of crack climbing, you’ll need crack climbing gloves. However, if you often climb in cold weather, especially on multi-pitch routes, you’ll want to get a warm, durable crag glove that is appropriate for long belays and rappelling.
Things To Look Out For That Differentiate
You’ll want to pay close attention to the materials from which your gloves are made, as this will determine their warmth and durability. Additionally, take note of whether they are fingerless or finger gloves, as each distinct type has their own unique purpose.
Fingerless gloves will typically be crack climbing gloves. These particular gloves are typically made of a combination of suede and rubber, which allows the gloves to tightly fit snugly to your skin while simultaneously gripping the rock. These gloves should feel like a second pair of skin, and their main purpose is to protect your skin as you jam your hands in rough cracks.
On the other hand, crag gloves serve a number purposes when climbing. Perhaps their most important use is for belaying, as they keep your hands warm and clean, along with preventing any rope burn that could potentially occur in the case of an unexpected fall. Aside from this, crag gloves can also come in handy when rappelling.
Crag gloves can come in two styles, finger and fingerless, though the former is much more common. They are made of durable materials, typically suede or leather, to ensure that they don’t break down from the friction of the rope. While you will want finger gloves in the majority situations, as they will keep your hands warmer and more protected, fingerless crag gloves can come in handy when climbing in frigid conditions, though they will limit the range of motion in your hands and fingers.
Proper Usage of Climbing Gloves
Perhaps the most important consideration when choosing a climbing glove is the fit. You want to make sure that your gloves fit nice and snug based on your average hand and finger length proportion, as if you have any extra room they could slide around. This will make it significantly harder to climb in the case of crack climbing gloves and could make belaying or rappelling dangerous in the case of crag gloves.
Also, be sure to use each specific type of glove for its intended use. If you try to use crag gloves when crack climbing, they will likely slide around and could cause your hands to slip out of the crack. On the other hand, crack climbing gloves will be of very little help when it comes to belaying and rappelling, as they don’t provide any palm or fingertip protection.
Summary
At the end of the day, you want climbing gloves that you won’t even notice that you are wearing while enjoying all of their benefits, which is why we have chosen the Ocun Crack Climbing Gloves as our favorite option for crack climbing gloves. If you’re looking for belaying or rappelling models, check ou the other great options, depending on what exactly you plan on using them for.
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