Many bowlers do not realize the importance of blowing gloves until very late in their careers. Of course, bowling gloves are not as essential as a bowling ball or bowling shoes but they have their own importance.
Wearing the right glove can make a big difference in your performance. The bowling glove provides support to your wrist and protects you from the wrist pain & injuries caused by improper hand positions while gripping & releasing the ball.
This bowling necessity allows you to grip the ball properly and also to have more control over your shots thus bringing in more consistency in your scores.
Once you realize the need for a bowling glove, you should not ignore the importance of a good quality glove. Though finding a good quality glove can be a bit tricky with so much variety available in the market yet it is pretty easy to select the best by referring to the expert reviews on the available gloves. These reviews are often an outcome of a deep study on the features, pros & cons of various gloves available in the stores.
Top 10 Best Bowling Gloves
- Ebonite Pro Form Positioner Glove- Right Hand
- bowlingball.com Monster Grip Bowling Glove
- Snow Fox Sports Boodun Bowling Glove
- Hammer Tough Glove
- Storm Xtra-Grip Plus Right Hand Wrist Support
- Ebonite React/R Bowling Glove
- Storm Power Glove
- Robby’s Thumb Saver Glove
- Columbia 300 Pro Right Wrist Glove
- Master Industries Deluxe Wrist Glove
#1. Ebonite Pro Form Positioner Glove
[amazon fields=”B000V7NOX2″ value=”thumb” image_size=“medium” image_align=”center” image_title =“bowling gloves” image_alt = “Ebonite Pro Form Positioner Glove” image_width=“250” image_height=“250”/]
Specifications:
- Size: S – XL
- Hand Orientation: Both Hands
- Making Material: Supple Leather
- Color: Black
- Warranty: 1-year
The Ebonite Pro Form Positioner Glove comes from one of the most renowned names in the field of bowling gloves. The glove is a combination of quality, comfort, support, and convenience. Add performance & durability in the features, and you have a dream glove that would support your wrist to enhance your bowling scores and that too for a long time.
If a glove can offer you a consistent position throughout the game, you can be assured of the repeatability of your score in the bowling game. The Ebonite Pro Form offers you this consistency through its unique backhand support system.
Additionally, the padded steel on the backhand coupled with the unique sturdy gripping compound offers superior control during holding and releasing of the ball in your favorite style.
In addition to the control, the high-quality supple leather material used in the making of the gloves makes it highly durable. The Wavy Spandex fabric gussets for the fingers provide just the right grip to the gloves. In addition, the breathability offered by the fabric and the back stretch do not allow your hand & wrist to remain sweaty during the long sessions.
The hook-and-loop enclosures offer enhanced support to the tendons in the wrist. The availability of the gloves for both hands in multiple sizes makes it suitable for a wide range of bowlers with different styles and sizes.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very comfortable & easy fit | A shade pricey |
| Special support to fingers | |
| Easy to remove & wear | |
| Excellent Breathability | |
| Highly durable | |
#2. bowlingball.com Monster Grip Bowling Glove
[amazon fields=”B07PJLQKY3″ value=”thumb” image_size=“medium” image_align=”center” image_title =“bowling gloves” image_alt = “bowlingball.com Monster Grip Bowling Glove” image_width=“250” image_height=“250”/]Specifications:
- Size: S – XXL
- Hand Orientation: Both Hands
- Making Material: Synthetic Textile
- Color: Black
- Warranty: 1-year
The bowlingball.com Monster Grip Bowling Glove offers a perfect grip on your bowling ball to provide protection to your wrists and consistency to your score. The unique design ensures that you have the right gripping on the ball while releasing it on the bowling lane.
The synthetic fabric used in making the gloves ensures high durability of the gloves. The excellent workmanship & quality of stitches enhance it even further. The design ensures that the gloves are comfortable and also flexible enough to allow you to maneuver your shots during the game.
The texture on the palm coupled with the tackiness in that area allows your palms to hold the bigger surface area of the ball. This, in turn, facilitates more control on the turns and the revolutions of the bowling ball. The gloves are the perfect choice for the beginners that allows them to have the right grip position from the beginning itself.
The Velcro hook-and-loop closure mechanism serves the dual purpose of providing the gloves high adjustability and also allows you to easily remove the gloves during the game.
The gloves also offer a nylon strap to provide firm support to the wrist thus preventing it to move awkwardly to cause strains & injuries while throwing. The affordable price range also makes it an ideal choice for entry-level bowlers who want their hand & wrist positions to be correct from the very beginning of their games.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very convenient to put on & remove | Lacks metal support |
| Excellent ergonomic design | Not highly durable |
| Ideal for beginners | |
| Highly affordable | |
| Highly durable | |
#3. Snow Fox Sports Boodun Bowling Gloves Left Right Hand
[amazon fields=”B07BYXS4C8″ value=”thumb” image_size=“medium” image_align=”center” image_title =“bowling gloves” image_alt = “Snow Fox Sports Boodun Bowling Gloves” image_width=“250” image_height=“250”/]Specifications
- Size: M – L
- Hand Orientation: Right Hand
- Making Material: Lycra
- Color: Green / Orange
- Warranty: 1-year
The Snow Fox Sports Boodun Bowling Gloves offers ultimate support to your hands. The glove use high-grade superior quality Lycra fabric that provides it high breathability. This property makes it an ideal choice for you if your hands sweat too quickly.
The fabric used in the manufacturing of the glove also makes it very lightweight & flexible making it highly comfortable to wear on your hands. The gloves are suitable for both men & women and offer support to the hands & the fingers through its unique design of 3-exposed fingers.
The Velcro strap gives it high adjustability and also makes it very easy to wear & remove during the game. The silicone printing on the palm area imparts its anti-skid properties and also protects from the shocks during the release of the bowling ball.
The glove offers perfect & easy gripping through its unique fabric & design features thereby allowing you to improve your consistency during the long training sessions as well as during the competitions. Additionally, it offers great support to your hands and protects you from potential hand & wrist pains & injuries.
The package includes a pair of gloves, one each for the right & the left hand, and a free sweat wristband.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Shockproof & antiskid palm silicon printing | Limited size options |
| Easy to wear, adjust & remove | |
| Flexible & attractive design | |
| Breathable fabric | |
#4. Hammer Tough Glove
Specifications
- Size: S – XXL
- Hand Orientation: Left Hand
- Making Material: Wavy Spandex
- Color: Gray / Black / Orange
- Warranty: 3-years
The more contact your palm has with the bowling ball, the better would be its release. The Hammer Tough Glove has the textured palm to facilitate this most important feature of a bowling glove. The design is very well supported by the tackiness in the palm area to offer more turn & revolution to the ball on any lane conditions.
Gloves with the diamond plate pattern are available in three attractive colors viz. Grey, Black & Orange. The comfort offered by the bowling gloves is second to none. In addition, the gloves are extremely easy to put on, adjust & remove thus making it a very convenient option for those who want full concentration on their game while playing.
Moreover, the fabric used in making the gloves is so soft & cozy that you feel as if you haven’t put on the gloves on your hands. The lightweight of the glove further adds to its comfort level.
In addition to the comfort, the gloves offer just the right support to your wrists to allow you to play your favorite shots with much ease. The gloves, in addition, provide you protection from the wrist pains and injuries by allowing you to have just the right position of your hand during the lifting, holding, and releasing the bowling ball.
The gloves are pretty affordable and are an excellent choice for beginners as well as the pros. To showcase its confidence on the quality of its product, the company offers a 3-years warranty on the gloves.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Textured and tacky for more contact area | Not enough wrist support |
| Very convenient to adjust & remove | Very tight fit |
| Extended finger grip | |
| Affordable | |
#5. Storm Xtra-Grip Plus Right Hand Wrist Support
[amazon fields=”B00AZHIR1M” value=”thumb” image_size=“medium” image_align=”center” image_title =“bowling gloves” image_alt = “Storm Xtra-Grip Plus Right Hand Wrist Support” image_width=“250” image_height=“250”/]Specifications
- Size: S – XL
- Hand Orientation: Right Hand
- Making Material: Spandex fabric
- Color: Black
The Storm Xtra-Grip Plus Right Hand Wrist Support is one of the most superior Storm accessories. It offers great support for the backhand that helps you to have a fixed wrist position. This, in turn, enhances the repeatability and allows you to earn high scores consistently in every shot.
If you wear these gloves from the very beginning of your bowling career, they would not let you form a habit of having incorrect wrist & finger positions during lifting & releasing the ball. This will go a long way in helping you maintain your correct position for any type of bowling and in varied lane conditions.
Maintaining the right position will also ensure that you do not put a lot of strain on your hands. This, in turn, will help you prevent the potential wrist & hand ailments & injuries so common in the bowlers playing without wearing the good quality bowling gloves.
The Storm is a great example of how even a simple design can offer the highest quality gloves simply by incorporating the most basic & essential design features. And one of these features is the breathability. It keeps the bowler free from the worries of sweating hands and their related problems. The Storm does not ignore this very important feature ignored by many sellers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent gripping material providing good ball control | Grip loosens up overtime |
| High comfort & convenience | |
| Very simple design | |
#6. Ebonite React/R Bowling Glove
[amazon fields=”B000MEEDRU” value=”thumb” image_size=“medium” image_align=”center” image_title =“bowling gloves” image_alt = “Ebonite React Bowling Glove” image_width=“250” image_height=“250”/]Specifications
- Size: S-XL
- Hand Orientation: Right Hand
- Material: Soft Leather
- Color: Black
The Ebonite React/R Bowling Glove is synonym to excellent control. The glove offers full control during your entire bowling sequence from lifting the bowling till releasing it on the lane. You can turn the ball and give it a controlled revolution shot after shot. If the basic design features were not sufficient, the glove has a unique gripping compound that further enhances control to your hands, wrists & fingers.
With such a high level of control, you can play the game by giving it full attention without at all worrying about the strains, sprains, and the common pains faced by many bowlers using no gloves or using inferior quality gloves.
You can get the extra grip when needed, thanks to the soft leather used in building the palm area. In addition, the ergonomic design of the gloves also helps in enhancing the grip, control, and the release of the ball with minimum efforts, thus preventing undue fatigue of your wrist & fingers.
The material not only offers comfort but also imparts a high level of durability to the gloves making it your longer-lasting companion for different bowling lanes. The small vents provided in the finger area prevent the heat to build during long sessions adding further to the comfort level of the glove.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Prevent strains, sprains & pain in the hand | Support is not pretty firm |
| Lightweight & comfortable | |
| Very effective gripping | |
| High ventilation | |
#7. Storm Power Glove
[amazon fields=”B00AZHIR1M” value=”thumb” image_size=“medium” image_align=”center” image_title =“bowling gloves” image_alt = “Storm Power Glove” image_width=“250” image_height=“250”/]Specifications
- Size: S – XL
- Hand Orientation: Both Hands
- Making Material: Synthetic Fabric
- Color: Black/Red
The Storm Power Glove offers an innovative design to its bowling hand gloves. The never-seen-before design with three removable pads of different sizes offers high flexibility in selecting the suitable pad combination as per your comfort.
The gloves allow you to add the extra rotation in quick time to have maximum control over the shot on any bowling lane. In addition, the padding enables you to reduce the gap between your palm and the bowling ball.
The tackiness in the palm area further improves the holding and gripping, offering more control in getting the turn & the revolution. You can, in fact, get more revolutions and also can generate more power while throwing the ball.
These features make it one of the most sought after models available in the market. It gives good wrist support while still keeping it flexible enough for you to maneuver the shots easily. Additionally, it allows you to have more control over the direction of the ball. You can also exercise more control over the motion with a strong grip.
The highly durable gloves also keep you from the normal strains of the bowling game and help a great deal in preventing the usual hand pains & injuries
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Stronger grip offering more control & power | Limited wrist support |
| Very easy to wear, adjust & remove | |
| Lightweight & comfortable | |
| Highly durable construct | |
#8. Robby’s Thumb Saver Glove
[amazon fields=”B076JJ5G3Y” value=”thumb” image_size=“medium” image_align=”center” image_title =“bowling gloves” image_alt = “Robby’s Thumb Saver Glove” image_width=“250” image_height=“250”/]Specifications
- Size: S-XL
- Hand Orientation: Both Hands
- Making Material: Cool-Max Fabric
- Color: Black / Blue
A wonderful combination of the Thumb Saver and the Power Glove, the Robby’s Thumb Saver glove is the innovation at its best. The unique design offers you to have an easy lift, powerful grip, and articulate turns & revolutions. Moreover, the thumb saver feature prevents painful blisters and hardening of your thumb skin. So, the combination offers a blend of comfort, performance, and protection.
The textured palm offers more contact surface between the ball & the palm thus imparting more lift to the ball than the normal design. It allows the bowler to apply less pressure in getting the same power and, in turn, reduces the possibility of developing sprains and other hand & wrist injuries.
The thumb saver design also helps you focus fully on the game without worrying about the thumb ailments. This, in turn, helps you in improving your performance in the bowling game.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Protection from thumb related ailments | Uncomfortable & bulging tip on the thumb |
| Highly innovation combination | |
| Affordable price range | |
| Effective grip position | |
#9. Columbia 300 Pro Right Wrist Glove
[amazon fields=”B001NFMQSU” value=”thumb” image_size=“medium” image_align=”center” image_title =“bowling gloves” image_alt = “Columbia 300 Pro Right Wrist Glove” image_width=“250” image_height=“250”/]Specifications
- Size: L
- Hand Orientation: Right Hand
- Making Material: Spandex
- Color: Black/Blue
Made of genuine leather, the Columbia 300 Pro Right Wrist Glove has very simple & basic designing features. However, it does not make it any inferior to the gloves that offer many fancy features at exorbitant prices.
The glove has a metal wrist support providing the firmness to the wrists required during the release and at the same time offering enough flexibility to maneuver tricky shots while bowling. Elastic wrist cuffs add to the flexibility of the bowling ball while the rubber fingers and spandex finger gussets provide enough protection as well as control on the ball while lifting, gripping and turning the ball on the lane.
The use of leather in making the gloves makes them a longer-lasting option while the reinforced wrist closure enhances its durability even further. The affordable glove helps in improving the consistency of your performance and also provides protection from the usual bruises, cuts, and pains.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Rubber fingers improving grip & providing safety | Lacks breathability |
| Elastic wrist cuff offering high flexibility | |
| Highly durable material & stitch quality | |
| Firm metal support for the wrist | |
#10. Master Industries Deluxe Wrist Glove, Large, Right Hand
[amazon fields=”B00FDNCVQ0″ value=”thumb” image_size=“medium” image_align=”center” image_title =“bowling gloves” image_alt = “Master Industries Deluxe Wrist Glove” image_width=“250” image_height=“250”/]Specifications
- Size: L
- Hand Orientation: Right Hand
- Making Material: Leather/Spandex
- Color: Black/Blue
The Master Industries Deluxe Wrist Glove is an impressive bowling glove with some distinct combination of designing features. The tacky rubber fingers help in improving the grip of the bowling ball and the stretch spandex back imparts high breathability & flexibility to the glove.
So, it combines the features of a glove offering strong wrist support with the one providing super grip through its tacky fingers. However, strong wrist support is the most powerful feature of this glove.
The wrist band has an additional wrap enveloping it to provide the ultimate support. So, it is a wonderful gear for those who already have an injury or are suffering from wrist pain. The glove provides enough padding to reduce the contact surface of the palm with the ball. This allows for better control over the bowling ball while gripping & releasing on the lane during the competition.
The old is gold and the Master proves it right by presenting this high quality, feature-filled, and durable hand glove. The leather and latex fabric used in manufacturing the glove makes it highly durable that enhances even more with the sturdy stitching & efficient workmanship in making these highly comfortable gloves.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very easy to wear & remove | Pretty bulky |
| Firm & strong wrist support | |
| Perfect fitting | |
| Powerful grip | |
Top pick- Ebonite Pro Form Positioner Glove
Now, after checking each of our top 10 best bowling gloves against the aforementioned factors, we selected the Ebonite Pro Form Positioner as our top pick.
And while going through its features and qualities, you too would not wonder “why?” First of all, the selected glove is the product from one of the most reliable and renowned companies in the bowling glove market.
From the features point of view, with its supple leather construct the glove offers ultimate durability and comfort and in addition, provides great scope for showing off your high performance in style. Moreover, the ideal design of the glove gives higher support to the wrist and nullifies the risks of strains, pains, and injuries.
The Ebonite Pro glove features a padded steel plate that is designed with immense accuracy so that it remains light on your hand while still offering super sturdy grip, protection, and stability during the bowling game.
In addition, the Wavy Spandex fabric provides you with perfect gussets for your fingers while offering adequate backstretch. Also, the superior quality fabric gives high breathability and comfort that add on to the convenience.
The product also features the unique and highly functional hook-and-loop enclosure for exceptional support to the wrist and for easy adjustability & removal of the glove during the game.
Moreover, this magnificent glove is available in a wide variety of styles and sizes making it an overall punch of high quality and offering complete value for money.
Buyer’s Guide for Choosing the Best Bowling Gloves
After reading the reviews of the top 10 best bowling gloves, you would have identified a few of the gloves that meet your specific requirements. However, before finally deciding on the most suitable glove, it would be a good idea to look at some crucial factors that may influence your decision.
We will share with you those important factors that you should consider before picking up the best glove for your purpose.
Types of Bowling Gloves
You will come across a wide variety of bowling gloves available for specific needs and purposes in the market. They can vary on the basis of their supporting strength, style, and hand type. To find out a perfect match for yourself, try to analyze your bowling duration (tournaments, matches, or practice), and experience level (beginner, intermediate or professional).
The following are the various types of bowling gloves that you will find on the block depending on their features and structure.
- Single-finger glove: The one finger gloves are made especially to strengthen and protect the index and pinky finger and add on to the grip and support. However, the ring and the middle finger remain open and can be smoothly inserted and removed from the ball.
- Fingerless glove: Fingerless bowling gloves offer superior grip on the palm and remain open and ventilated for the fingers for better comfort. However, as the fingers are left unprotected it does not make the ideal choice for the beginners.
- Two Finger glove: This is the most commonly used bowling glove due to its open middle and ring fingers, covered index and pinky, and a grippy palm for ultimate control.
- Finger Socks: These gloves cover up your thumb and palm for more control and stability, but leave the other fingers a bit vulnerable.
Materials
Leather and Nylon are the two most common material types you will see in wrist gloves. And with completely different properties and constituent, both of them have their respective merits and demerits.
While Nylon is a light and flexible material derived from synthetic polymers, leather is a heavy and durable material. Leather gloves blended with spandex are considered as the most suitable options due to their flexibility, durability, and comfort at the same time.
Design
In terms of design, bowling gloves are classified for their thumb protection. On one hand, if you go with a full-hand glove you will certainly have much better protection but would suffer due to improper ventilation. On the other hand, going with an open-thumb glove, you will have proper ventilation and superior comfort, but you will leave your thumb unprotected.
Full-hand gloves have slightly higher price range than their counterparts due to the extra material and also for their higher demand, especially among the beginners and learners.
However, for long-duration games, going with an open-thumb glove is a much better option to prevent excess sweats and lesser pressure on the thumb tissue.
Brand Name
The reliability of the brand matters a lot. While going with a well-known name, you will indeed enjoy better quality and longer warranty period. Several brands including Brunswick, Columbia, and Ebonite, etc have a renowned name in the market.
Left- or Right-Handed
One of the most obvious and straightforward yet important criteria is the hand orientation of the glove. While a large number of companies still provide single-hand type glove, there are many brands that have introduced dual-hand gloves for both left and right-handed bowlers.
Stability
Stability is one of the most crucial factors associated with bowling, especially for beginners. Newbies would often be told to keep their palm rigid and flat in order to attain greater stability. However, with time, you will find that gloves can play a major role in the stability through their thin metal plating that aids in keeping the palm straight. Also, due to their thin structure, they do not even increase the weight of the plate making them even more preferable.
Price
The price range of bowling gloves generally lies between $5 and $30. Unlike the other bowling gears, bowling gloves won’t require you to loosen your pockets as such. High cost of a bowling glove not only includes quality but also define its durability, comfort, and several other factors.
Style
Bowling is literally a game of style. And thus, every single part or activity of the game should reflect style- no matter how small it is. Thus, professionals give it a lot of importance in selecting all their gears.
The style of the gloves mainly depends on the material of the glove. For instance, going with shiny materials like leather would surely add on to the style of the glove. Moreover, there are a large number of gloves that are the best of both the world and thus, offer elegant style coupled with higher functionality of the glove.
Customer Reviews
Before placing your final order, quickly running your eyes over the customer reviews and ratings would help you a lot. While buying online, you cannot be completely sure about the quality of the product, and thus, going through the customer reviews and comments is an easy way of analyzing the bowling gear.
You will not only find specific descriptions and features but will also get to see the actual images of the products for your satisfaction.
Grip
The grip is certainly the central aspect of a bowling glove. Since, bowling is all about your gripping and throwing skills, heading on with glove having ideal gripping power would help you a lot. Features and qualities like tackiness and friction add on to the grip of the glove quite considerably. With a better grip, you can now focus more on the throwing angle and force while bowling.
Support
Offering greater support to your wrist would add on to the stability and accuracy of your throws. On the other hand, with weaker supports, you might have to suffer bowling injuries and excessive strains, especially while bowling in longer tournaments.
Bowing gloves with various support levels are available in the market. You can choose as per your playing duration, experience level, wrist strength, previous injuries on the wrist, or according to the recommendation of your trainer.
Conclusion
Though bowling gloves are definitely not as important as a bowling ball or a pair of shoes yet it definitely holds significant importance in the game of bowling.
The right bowling gloves can improve your hand position, grip & release and enhance your performance to score more consistently in the competitionm offering protection from the potential hand injuries and pains.
Having learned about the top 10 best bowling gloves and about the important factors to consider while buying them, we hope that now you will be able to finalize the best bowling glove for your purpose.
If you still have some doubts about the best bowling glove, you can safely select our top pick. With so many features and the benefits it offers, you would never be dissatisfied with your choice of the best glove.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Will bowling gloves boost my throwing power?
Well, bowling gloves are of course no power generators. You cannot expect them to enhance the strength of your biceps and let you have MORE POWER! However, what you CAN expect is that bowling gloves offer a much better grip and stability.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eThis way, throwing the ball with the glove on won’t divert your attention to many other things. Moreover, with a better grip, you would surely have a lot better control over the ball. And with better control, you would require considerably less power while shooting the bowl out.
Q: Can bowling gloves protect my nails?
Though bowling gloves are one of the methods of reducing the chances of breaking of nails while bowling, they are not the complete solution for the purpose. In order to prevent your nails from breaking, you need to first look into the technique you are using while gripping the bowl. Putting excess pressure on the tip of your fingers is one of the most common reasons for nail breaking. Thus, wearing a glove would indeed minimize the impact over your nails by acting as an absorber. However, you cannot be completely sure about it until you idealize your method.
Q: Will bowling gloves help in arthritis?
Technically, ordinary bowling gloves are not made to help with issues like arthritis and won’t be a way of tackling problems like strains and pains. However, there are many bowling gloves made especially for such patients. These gloves with their different design features offer better support to the wrist compared to the normal bowling gloves.
Q: How can I clean my bowling glove?
Since a bowling glove has to absorb a lot of your palm and wrist sweat, the fabric gets prone to a lot of bacterial and fungal attacks. Thus, cleaning becomes an important thing. For cleaning it yourself, fill your sink or large bowl with lukewarm to warm water. Add some soap solution to the water and simply soak the glove in. Wait for around half an hour. Take out the glove and rinse it properly using a scrub gently to remove the stubborn dirt.