5 Best Drum Gloves To Protect Your Hands

Updated: August 23rd, 2022

Whether you like rocking out bare-fisted or prefer the style and protection of a pair of drumming gloves is a personal preference.

Carter Beauford of the Dave Matthews Band, Tomas Haake from Meshuggah, Stewart Copeland of The Police, and Vinnie Pual from Pantera are all pretty well-known for donning gloves.

The benefits of drumming gloves are that they can help you avoid blisters, they can absorb shocks while you’re hitting the drums, and they can improve your grip on the sticks. They can also keep your hands warm if you’re playing outdoor gigs in cold temperatures.

Many new drummers starting out get blisters and calluses as they practice a lot and haven’t yet built up thicker, stronger skin. Gloves can help protect your hands while you are practicing, but don’t use them all the time. You need to give your hands a chance to toughen up as well!

Whether you need drumming gloves or not depends on you, but if you are looking for a pair, below is a list of the best.

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5 Best Drum Gloves

1. Promark DGL Drummer’s Gloves

If you are happy to pay for a pair of quality gloves, then you will be impressed by these full-fingered gloves available from Promark.

They are made with high-quality, thin-cut Cabretta leather that offers great protection, which means these gloves will probably last a lot longer than any others you may buy.

They offer great grip and also provide some nice wrist support that might help protect against repetitive strain injury. They also have eight specially placed pads in the fingers and palms to offer maximum protection and comfort.

Some drummers think they have a bit too much padding, which can mess with their sensitivity, but this comes down to personal preference.

If you do a lot of drumming and need quality that will last and last, then these gloves from Promark are a great choice.

2. Vic Firth Drumming Gloves

These full-fingered drum gloves from Vic Firth are a little more affordable but still great quality. They combine soft leather with synthetic mesh to make a glove that is incredibly comfortable and feels like a second skin.

These gloves improve grip and minimize blisters but will probably wear out a bit quicker than a thicker pair of gloves.

But many drummers prefer to replace their gloves more often in order to have the thinness and breathability that come with these Vic Firth gloves.

You also won’t feel like your hands are getting sweaty in hotter environments.

If you prefer to play in bare hands but need the protection of gloves for any reason, you will appreciate how these gloves from Vic Firth feel like a second skin.

3. Ahead Drummer’s Gloves With Wrist Support

These surprisingly affordable gloves are used by some of the world’s most well-known drummers including Tommy Lee and Arehay Hale.

Full-fingered, these gloves are nevertheless lightweight and feel like a second skin thanks to a mix of leather with Lycra and Spandex that allows you to get the perfect fit. However, it does mean that the material is more prone to tearing than options that have more leather.

There are also vented fingertips that help reduce sweat and moisture and keep your hands fresh. But there is also reinforced padding at the thumb and index finger to ensure these gloves don’t wear out too soon.

But what really makes these gloves stand out is shock-absorbing wrist supports that can protect hard-working wrists against repetitive strain injuries.

If protecting your wrists in the long term is one of your top priorities, you will love how these gloves feel, and how good your wrists feel after hours of playing.

4. Meinl Half Finger Drummer Gloves

If you want to protect yourself from calluses and blisters, but you really do prefer the bare hand feel, then these half finger gloves from Meinl offer a good half-and-half solution.

These gloves protect your palms and finger joints, so you can avoid the worst injuries and blisters but leave your fingers free to give you more control over your sticks.

These feel lightweight on your hands, and they are also light on the budget. So, you won’t feel too bad if you need to replace them more regularly than a sturdier pair.

If you are a traditionalist, but you are forced to wear gloves to protect yourself for some reason, these half gloves from Meinl are the best option for you.

5. Meinl Full Finger Drummer Gloves

Meinl also offers a very affordable full-finger glove if you need the extra support all the way down your digits.

They use the same breathable mesh and leather design but with full padded fingers to protect against calluses and blisters.

Their all-black design means they go with anything, and they are a good all-arounder for anyone without specific needs.

They may wear out more quickly than some other options but will be more than good enough for all but the most active drummers.

Not sure what to get and don’t want to pay through the nose? You won’t go wrong with these all-arounders from Meinl.

Want to practice the drums without drumming? Learn how here.

Drum Glove Buying Guide

Most people will tell you that gloves are an optional piece of kit for a drummer, but any drummer who has suffered serious calluses, cuts, or blisters may beg to differ. Whether you choose to wear gloves or not comes down to your own preference and comfort.

If you do go for the gloves, though, there are a few choices to make.

Full vs Half Finger

There are two main types of drum gloves: full gloves that cover your entire hand and half gloves that leave your fingers free. Half gloves will give you more dexterity but less protection against blisters. Your choice may come down to how sensitive your hands are and how comfortable you feel drumming in gloves generally.

Padding vs Sensitivity

Gloves come with varying levels of padding. The more padding, the fewer blisters and shocks, but the less sensitivity. Again, those with sensitive hands might want a bit more padding, while those who are just protecting their skin against the rubbing of the sticks might choose less padding.

Leather vs Spandex

Most gloves are made from a combination of leather, Spandex, Lycra, mesh, and similar materials. Although it depends on the individual glove, as a general rule leather gloves will last longer but probably not fit quite as well. Lots of spandex means your gloves might feel like a second skin, but they are likely to tear and wear out more quickly.

Affordable vs Premium

As with most things, you need to set yourself a budget, bearing in mind that you tend to get what you pay for. If you drum a lot, or professionally, you might want to pay extra for gloves that are likely to last a full season. You don’t want to break in new gloves mid-season. If you are a beginner and just want gloves to extend your practice time while you build up your skin resistance, a cheaper pair of gloves will probably more than do the job.

Whatever you do, try to look for something that is comfortable and fits you properly (most gloves come in a variety of sizes). Poorly fitting gloves can cause more problems than they solve.

Looking to improve your drumming? Read our practical tips for becoming a better drummer.

FAQs

Do drumming gloves work?

Yes, drumming gloves can help you avoid blisters and other friction injuries, absorb impact, and even protect your wrists from repetitive strain. The key is finding a pair of gloves with the right combination of protection and sensitivity for you. And finding the right fit! A poorly fitting pair of gloves are just as likely to give you blisters as prevent them.

Is drumming bad for your hands?

While drumming can be challenging on the skin of your hands, the real concern for drummers is the wrists. Drumming usually requires the wrists to be out of neutral position, which compresses the outside of the wrist. This can stress the joint and create repetitive strain injuries. Exercises to strengthen the wrists should be done regularly.

The Verdict

Whether you choose to wear gloves while drumming is a personal preference, and finding the right pair of gloves also depends on what you like: half vs full finger, padding vs sensitivity, leather vs spandex. It may take some experimentation to find the perfect gloves, but once you do find them, you will probably become a die-hard fan like many of rock’s top drummers.

If you are looking for a place to start, all of the options on our list are great gloves that won’t let you down as you seek out your perfect fit.

Do you like to wear gloves while drumming? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments section below.