Top 4 Best Batting Gloves

Pro baseball player Doug Bernier discusses how to choose good batting gloves and recommends a few of his favorites.

Batting gloves are important equipment.  They can create a great relationship between your grip and the handle of the bat.  Sorry to say it but this is another place where you get what you pay for.  In my educated opinion, these are 4 of the best batting gloves out there.  Please feel free to comment or message me if you think there’s another best batting glove I haven’t included in this list.

The NOT-top-4 Batting Gloves. Common problems with bad gloves can include:

• Some cheaper batting gloves (even by the highest rated companies) can have weak stitching making for an easy rip or tear.
• I have seen areas of the batting glove that makes contact with the handle of the bat come off when the pine tar is too sticky.
• Also, less expensive batting gloves also tend to be a little thicker.  This creates two problems: (1) Your hands will sweat more inside the glove making them slide around on your hand compromising your grip.  and (2) Because of the extra sweat the batting gloves will not dry out effectively making your gloves very hard and brittle. This makes for a very uncomfortable batting glove and the only way to get it soft again is to sweat in it again or give it a little moisture, thus putting the glove back in the compromising position of being too wet.

These are the batting glove brands that I personally have used, liked, and would recommend.

Franklin batting glove

Franklin cold weather batting gloves

Franklin Batting Gloves

Franklin is the most popular batting glove in baseball.  I recommend the CFX Pro Series ($29.99), and here are the reasons I like them:

• The softness and thin leather.
• The overall breathability of the gloves (which help it to dry out faster),
• They are very comfortable by having seems in the proper areas so my hands can move and bend freely.
• They also fit tightly on my hands to ensure a quality grip on the bat.

I talk more about cold weather gear on our page about baseball performance clothing.

Lousiville batting glove

Lousiville Batting Gloves

Louisville makes a high quality batting glove for people that like a little extra leather between you and the bat but breathes very well keeping the leather soft and durable.  I like the Louisville Adult Bionic Glove  ($34.99) because:

• They are a little thicker than other top quality batting gloves which some people prefer.
• They breathe and dry well after sweating in them thus keeping the leather soft and useable.
• They tend to be more durable because of the thicker leather.

Under Armour batting glove

Under Armour Batting Gloves

Under Armour batting gloves are very popular right now.  They are a durable glove that has many styles and colors which can add a little flare to your game.  I like Under Armour’s Cage III and Cage IV  batting gloves (both are $34.99) because:

• They tend to be a little thicker than other top quality batting gloves which some people prefer.
• I really like the way they fit around the wrist, ensuring for a nice fit.
• They have a lot more styles and colors to choose from so you can decide on how much flare you like.
• They tend to be more durable and last a little longer than some other batting gloves.

Nike Jordan batting glove

Nike batting glove

Nike Batting Gloves

Nike is another very popular batting glove. They are a trend setter and a quality piece of sports equipment. They definitely hit the mark on their batting gloves.  The ones I recommend are the Nike Diamond Elite Pro ($39.99) batting gloves, because:

• They have thin leather so I have better feel of the baseball bat.
• They breathe and dry well so the leather stays soft and durable.
• They fit your hand really well and the creases are in the right spot allowing your hand to move and bend well.
• They velcro around the lower part of the wrist (this helps for a better fit to your hand)
• The colors and styles are plentiful.

Evoshield batting glove

Evoshield Batting Gloves

I have not tried Evoshield’s batting gloves ($59.99), but they have been getting great reviews. I have used their other protective products and couldn’t have been happier. The unique features on these batting gloves are:

• There is a pocket on the back of batting glove where you can place a custom molding hand shield for protection.
• A durable mesh back that keeps the glove breathing well and fitting tight.

For buying, we like to recommend Baseball Rampage, because they have free shipping and free return shipping – always a good safety net when ordering things online to be able to send it back for free.  For batting gloves, it depends on which brand you decide on because Baseball Rampage only carries the Nike and Under Armour models we recommend.  Click on the links above to find out where you can buy the other types.  Also, you can check for current discount codes on our Online Store coupons and Comparison Chart.

More from Pro Baseball Insiders:

• Guide to Wood Bats
• Training Aids and Protective Gear
• Best Baseball Sunglasses
• How to Hit Better
• Should your child’s first wood bat be Maple or Ash
• How to know good from bad baseball instruction

About the Author: Doug Bernier

Doug Bernier, founder of Pro Baseball Insider.com, debuted in the Major Leagues in 2008 with the Colorado Rockies, and has played professional baseball for 11 years. After hitting .361 with the New York Yankees this 2012 spring training where he relieved Derek Jeter at shortstop, Doug spent the 2012 season with the Yankees’ triple A team. Click here to get personal, one-on-one instruction with Doug Bernier

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