If you want to protect your arms from nasty injuries, calluses, tears, and bruises but you don’t have a clue which gloves to pick you have come to the right place.

If you read this post till the end you are going to learn:

• What are the 2 main different types of workout gloves and which ones do you need?
• What are the top 5 best workout gloves for calisthenics?
• What are the 3 most important things you should look for in a good pair of gloves?
• What are the main reasons why you should own and use a pair during your workouts?
• What are my favorite calisthenics gloves I own and why I like them so much?

Hi there, my name is Bozhidar and it this post I’m going to use all my experience and knowledge to help you choose the best training gloves for you and your needs.

Don’t worry everything is super easy once you know the basics.

As a person who currently owns a couple of different pairs and has tried probably every good model (yes, I’ve wasted a lot of money on gloves) I know a thing or two that can help you make the right decision.

So without wasting any more time let’s jump right in…

In a hurry?

If you are in a hurry and don’t have the time to read the entire post (which you should) I want to highly recommend you to check my personal favorite gloves I use almost every time I train both at home or outdoors – the Fit Active Sports Ventilated Gloves.

Click Here to check my gloves’ latest price on Amazon

I really prefer these gloves instead of all the others I own because they are really well made, quite affordable, very comfortable and have all the necessary features I want.

For example, they come with built-in wrist wraps, have a very open design that helps your hands stay nice and dry and are thick enough to protect your palms from injuries, calluses, and dirty and dangerous surfaces.

I’ve trained with them both indoors and outdoors and they handle well with pull-up bars, parallettes, dip-bars, dumbbells, resistance bands and even ground filled with little rocks, sticks, and grass.

The quality is really good (I’ve used them for a couple of months and there aren’t any tears) and I like using them.

In my opinion, these are the best gloves for bar calisthenics you can get and I highly recommend you check them out.

Click Here to check my gloves’ latest price on Amazon

Having that said let’s see how do they compare to the other 4 sets of gloves I like.

Click on the image, name or button to learn more details.

With that out of the way let’s get more in-depth and learn one of the basic but most important things you should know about training gloves…

How to pick the best gloves for calisthenics

If you are not already familiar there are 2 different types of workout gloves on the market you should know about:

1. The first type is the full finger coverage glove aka “the normal glove“.
2. The second type is gloves without fingers. There are quite unique types and models when it comes to them.

At this point you should probably have a similar question like this:

“Ok, so what are the best calisthenics gloves …? Are they fingerless or not …?

I don’t believe there is a specific answer to this question because both types of gloves have their good and bad sides and it really comes to personal preferences.

That’s why we will now check out each type and see what are the pros and cons you should know about.

Let’s start with the most known gloves…

Type 1 – Full Finger Coverage Gloves

Click Here to check their latest price on Amazon

A really good thing that full finger gloves offer is something that not many people think about – hygiene.

Nobody can be completely sure what has previously happened with those rusty and oily public bars and equipment and how much bacteria is there… 

My advice is not to underestimate this. 

Especially if you already have an open wound or cut on your fingers.

Or even worse…

Imagine that a blister on your palm pops during your workout. (that’s actually happened to me and it wasn’t pretty)

So if you want to save money and time on medicine and doctors simply purchase a good and protective pair of full finger gloves.

However, this kind of gloves doesn’t allow your hands to breathe as good as compared to the ones without fingers which usually have a pretty open design.

This can be really annoying especially when you workout and you’re all heated up and stuff during the summer.

On the other side if you are working out in really cold or unpleasant weather having a full glove can really be a great benefit.

That’s why my personal recommendation is to own 2 pairs of gloves – One full finger set of gloves and another set of fingerless.

Another downside of these gloves is that they limit your flexibility to some extent. (really depends on the design and model)

With poor design, you won’t be able to move your hands as freely as with fingerless gloves which I’m going to talk about next.

Best Full Finger Training Gloves for Calisthenics

If you are looking for solid full finger gloves I highly recommend you check the ones I’m using once it’s cold – the Bionic Full Finger Training Gloves.

Click Here to check their latest price on Amazon

I’ve been using them for a while now and I have to say that they are really well made, comfortable and quite breathable.

In addition to that, they are thick enough to protect your hands from injuries and flexible so they don’t limit your movement.

I highly recommend you check them out using the link above.

Type 2 – Gloves Without Fingers

Click Here to check their latest price on Amazon

On the contrary, fingerless gloves give you a full range of motion as they allow your fingers to move more freely.

In my opinion, those gloves are a better alternative for calisthenics workouts because they keep your hands dry.

It may be really unpleasant sometimes when your gloves are soaked up in sweat. (and the smell…)

Having a more open design can be really helpful to prevent these types of situations.

As I previously said don’t forget to keep in mind what is the main season you are going to use them.

Last but definitely not least, fingerless gloves in some way improve your natural grip overtime as with them you also use to some extent your bare hands to hold the bar for example.

You don’t rely only on the fabric to protect your palms.

Best Fingerless Gloves for Bodyweight Workouts

If you are really into bodyweight training and are a big fan of using fingerless gloves I highly recommend taking a closer look at the ones I’m currently using – the Fit Active Sports Ventilated Gloves.

Click Here to check my gloves’ latest price on Amazon

As I said earlier these workout gloves are amazing, cheap, durable and comfortable. You won’t make the wrong decision if you decide to go with them.

With all of that being explained let’s now see more in-depth information about all 5 of my favorite gloves…

Top 5 Best Gloves for Calisthenics 2020 You Must Try

We are finally here.

Here’s my list of the top 5 best workout gloves you can use for all kinds of training including calisthenics.

Don’t worry all gloves I’m going to show you are made by trusty brands and offer you everything you need.

I’ve included different types of gloves I’ve used or I really like so you can have the freedom to pick the ones that suit your needs the best.

Let’s start with the first model which is my favorite…

1. Fit Active Sports Ventilated Gloves – Best Workout Gloves For Calisthenics

Click Here to check my gloves’ latest price on Amazon

The first pair of gloves I want to share with you is my absolute favorite.

After wearing it for a while I can easily say that these gloves are perfect for calisthenics.

They are stretchy, lightweight and very breathable because they don’t have a backside making them great for all kinds of different exercises no matter if you are doing calisthenics or traditional weighted training.

I really like the way they are designed so they cover the entire palm including the thumb and leaving your outer parts breathing.

I have used them for a while now and I haven’t experienced any calluses, wounds or bruises so they work pretty well.

What I really like about them is the fact that they are made by special silicon printed neoprene which is resistant to heat, aging, water, chemicals, and oils. And from what I’ve seen they surely last a very long time.

When it comes to sizing the Fit Active Sports Gloves are offered in 6 different sizes to choose from which makes it the ideal choice for all types of people – men, women, and even children.

I own the large ones and they are fitting nicely.

What I don’t like about this specific model is that the only color you can get is black and the velcro holding them in place is designed backward which is a little confusing in the beginning.

But the best feature I like the most about these gloves is the added velcro wrist wraps which you can easily adjust for your own personal needs.

As I have previously said in my blog having such addition is really important and any good gloves for calisthenics should provide.

In short, wrist wraps really help isolate your wrists and protect them from unnecessary stress and injuries. [1]

In addition to that, I really like the open design of these gloves because of a few things.

Firstly having only 5 tiny holes to place your fingers instead of the traditional glove makes putting them on and off a lot quicker and easier process. 

The second thing is the open backside. I really find it useful during hot weather because there aren’t really any issues with sweating and overheating your palms. (things I’m very used to from wearing other gloves)

Finally, I want to add that the padding is thick enough so it could provide you with comfort while not being too much so you would have a difficult time using your grip. It’s right in the middle making it perfect for working out.

Quick Summary:

If you are looking for some comfortable, affordable and high-quality workout gloves that won’t make your hands sweat and overheat I highly recommend you check my favorite ones – the Fit Active Sports Gloves.

I’ve been training with them for months and I have to say they are great and really well made.

You won’t regret if you decide to go with them.

2. Jerkfit’s WODies – Most Breathable Gloves for Calisthenics

Click Here to check Jerkfit WODies’ latest price on Amazon

What I really like about the second model is that they are made in the USA using really good quality materials.

Fix me if I’m wrong but when I’m shopping online I rarely find products that are made in the USA (everything is made in China or Thailand) and that’s a reason why I really like this model.

In addition to that, it’s good to know that with these gloves you get the option to pick one out of 4 sizes and 8 colors.

That is a pretty big amount of choice when it comes to gloves. (most products offer little to no color options and only 2 or 3 sizes)

If you haven’t noticed yet but this model has a special design that uses only 3 of your fingers because that’s the place where calluses and injuries are really made.

Click here for more details

Another thing about this minimalistic design I like is that it gives you the best freedom of movement of all 5 models out there.

That makes them very lightweight and compact making them really easy to carry around.

Also, it’s good to know that they are made from a thinner layer of neoprene compared to the previous model.

A great thing about this specific material is that it’s designed not to bunch or pinch and sort of slide on your palm when wearing the glove.

The thinner layer will also help you preserve your well-earned calluses while on the other hand protects you from unwanted tears and vesicles.

At the same time, this model provides all your fingers with direct exposure to the workout surface giving you a better feel and grip strength.

Another great thing about having a thinner layer of protection is that it doesn’t restrict your grip strength in any shape or form.

That’s sort of a big plus when it comes to workout gloves. Especially if you are a complete beginner…

One of the main reasons why I own them are the included 3-inch elastic wrist wraps which can easily be adjusted to your specific needs in only a couple of seconds.

That’s a great thing because it makes putting them on and off a very simple and fast process.

From what I’ve experienced the material does absorb water and sweat and works very nicely in a combination with chalk. 

Quick Summary:

If you are looking for some sort of protection but still want to have your calluses and keep improving your grip strength then the Jerkfit WODies might be exactly what you need.

They are affordable, made in the USA and designed to last and the best part is that the also come with solid wrist wraps.

3. Bionic Full Finger Gloves – Best Full Finger Training Gloves For Calisthenics for Winter and Cold

Click Here to check my Bionic Gloves’ latest price on Amazon

Let’s check out the other side when it comes to training gloves.

These Bionic full finger gloves are my favorite choice when I have to do calisthenics workouts out in the cold.

But that’s nothing compared to this…

Are you familiar with how annoying it is to try to do something on your phone while wearing gloves?

You have to constantly remove one of them and put it on again and again… It’s tiring and stupid!

And here comes the good news. I really bought these full finger gloves because all 5 fingertips are made with a special material that provides you with the ability to use your touch screen at any time during your workout.

Yes, no more remove glove, get nice frozen fingers, put on the glove and repeat…

Another good thing is the fact that these gloves use genuine leather.

And when you combine it with good padding you get solid protection from blisters, calluses or other unpleasant injuries.

I’ve done countless workouts and my hands were always well protected so they are doing their job fairly well.

Even if they are full-size gloves you still get great freedom of movement. I’ve never had problems with them during certain exercises.

A cool little feature I really like is the poly towel thumb which acts as a towel and you can use to wipe out unnecessary sweat.

But it doesn’t end there. Within the Bionic Gloves, there are even more absorbing pads to help you with perspiration so you wouldn’t have to worry about sweating.

And to be honest they do really work. I don’t know how they did it but I won’t complain.

When it comes to the backside and the material between the fingers I want to say that the gloves are designed to be breathable using special cool-on material with a combination of lycra.

You can find also find the breathing material on the rear side of the gloves, on the highly flexing parts and between the fingers. (all places you sweat the most)

In my opinion, if a glove is not breathable it’s not worth buying!

Especially where it comes to a full finger model like this one…

Quick Summary:

If you are looking for a full finger glove because of the all great benefits it provides I highly recommend you choose the Bionic Gloves.

They are my absolute favorite gloves I love wearing during hard weather conditions or when I’m using public equipment.

In addition, they are flexible, use genuine leather and quite breathable despite the design. You won’t waste any money if you buy those.

4. Skott Evo 2 Workout Gloves – Best Workout Gloves for Beginners

Click Here to check Skott Evo 2’s latest price on Amazon

The next model of gloves I really like is as good as all the previous designs.

With these gloves, you are given the option to choose a color (black/white or only black) and size (5 different options to choose from).

The design and extra padding all around the front side makes them perfect for both beginners or advanced people.

The exterior uses special anti-slip palms gel that can really be useful when it comes to solid grip and slippery surfaces.

The complete finger-free design protects your whole palms from blisters and calluses using thick and comfortable padding on the places you really need it.

If you are looking for gloves that can provide you with wrist support the Skott Evo 2 could be a great match.

Each glove comes with an extra-wide double wrist wrap for extra control and protection which is long enough to provide with enough support.

I know how annoying it can be to remove a tight glove but you won’t have any problems with this model. (oh man, trust me it’s really bad)

With the help of the upper pull-off tape, you can remove them with one simple pull. (this invention is really a lifesaver)

A little but useful bonus you get is the removable plastic hook that can be really handy for transport and storage. (I really hate losing one glove and wasting 10 minutes of searching for it and find this addition really useful)

Scott has done a very good job with ventilation because each glove has breathable material between the fingers and on the backside of the model.

I’ve trained with them many times and haven’t had any problems with extra sweat and moisture.

I really like the additional double stitching and knuckle protectors.

You surely don’t want gloves that will tear apart in only a few weeks of use and if you like to add some knuckle push-ups (very good exercises) or break a couple of skulls the protectors can be really handy.

Don’t forget to keep in mind that the overall quality of these gloves is solid and they are going to last a very long time. I own mine for many months and even after a lot of washes they are standing in one piece.

Quick Summary:

If you are looking for awesome workout gloves for calisthenics that have everything you need you are going to love the Skott Evo 2.

They are excellent for both beginners and advanced people and offer enough protection for both your palms and wrists. And the price is really good.

If you like them go for it! 

5. Mava Sports Training Gloves with Wrist Support – Best Gloves for Bar Workout

Click Here to check Mava gloves’ latest price on Amazon

The fifth and final model I really like are another great gloves without fingers.

For the price, you are paying I have to say that you are getting some high-quality pair of gloves.

They are made for both men and women because of the variety of colors and sizes you are provided with.

You can choose black, sky blue, pink or red with a combination of one of the 6 sizes that will fit your hands.

Both gloves come with 15’’ long adjustable wrist wraps that provide your wrists with extra support while protecting them from unnecessary stress.

In addition to that the Mava Gloves are lightweight, flexible and well padded so you can do freely all your favorite calisthenic movements. 

The thickness of the padding is good and it’s not too thin nor too thick and bulky so you wouldn’t have any problems with the grip.

I really like how the design is made so you have complete freedom over your thumbs. That will most likely result in a better grip and more power.

The backside is purposely made open so you would have good ventilation and keep the sweat and bad smell away.

The materials used in them make them really stretchy which is always a good thing and will definitely help if you mistakenly bought a smaller size.

Finally one of my favorite things about the Mava gloves is that they fit very well and are comfortable to wear.

We all know the feeling when we are wearing something uncomfortable…

That’s why I really prefer comfort over design.

Quick Summary:

For me, this model has everything you want a glove to have and you wouldn’t be wrong if you decide to check it out and even bought it.

The Maya Gloves are lightweight, durable, have solid wrist wraps and give enough protection from the bars while keeping your hands dry.

3 Things You Should Look for in Good Gloves for Bar Calisthenics

Below you will learn all the important things you should really know before you pick one of the 5 models I will review later on.

I highly recommend you not to skip this section because an informed decision is always better in the long term.

Let’s begin with the first important thing…

1. What about quality and materials?

This is certainly a key factor when choosing the best pair of gloves for you. From personal experience, I can tell you that under no circumstances should you compromise on the quality. Just imagine how disappointing it would be if your gloves ripped during your workout. Yep, that has happened to me and I had to go and get another pair …

Most gloves out there are made of leather, nylon or neoprene. If you are looking for high quality you should definitely be checking for one of those. The good news is that all 5 models listed and reviewed below are made using one or a combination of those great materials.

You want gloves that are somehow thick and have extra padding on the most important parts on the front side. That would really help you when you are using them for gripping and don’t want bad consequences.

If for example, your gloves are very thin they will most likely tear down easily or will not provide you with enough protection and you will still get the same blisters and calluses as if you are training with bare hands. 

So answer me this: What’s the point of wearing any gloves if you will get the same injuries?

I know there isn’t any. That’s why you should look for ones with good protection.

If they are thicker you want them to be somehow breathable because it will surely won’t be really comfortable if you sweat too much. Trust me wearing soaked and wet gloves in the cold isn’t something you want to experience ever again.

Finally, there are some models out there that have specially designed non-slip material on the front side of the glove.

I really recommend you pick something like this if you have the option because they gloves which have that material could sometimes literally glue your hand to anything you hold. Trust me that can be very helpful not only in calisthenics.

2. Do you need freedom of movement?

As there are some very stiff and limiting gloves there are also very flexible ones. When you are wearing workout gloves for calisthenics you surely want to have as much movement as possible with ease.

Size goes hand in hand with flexibility. When picking the right size for you it’s highly recommended to check the provided instructions from the manufacturer if you don’t want to have a bad experience. 

If the gloves are too small for your hands it will be really hard for you to move your hands freely inside them and that will very much limit your movement.

On the opposite, if they are too large for your palms you will not have a good overall experience wearing them. In many cases, if your hand has some extra space to shift around inside the glove that will most likely result in unwanted blisters.

Aim for the ones that are the best size for your hands! 

Go for some lightweight breathable material such as nylon or mesh if flexibility is really important for you. We all know that some types of leather aren’t very flexible.

You don’t want your gloves to be too thick either because that way they won’t be very flexible. And not only that, gripping something using thick padding will worsen your grip power and overall endurance. This is especially bad for people who don’t have very strong grip power.

Quick Tip:

A good way to test the flexibility of a glove is to put it on and try to flex your palm. Then rotate your wrist in a 360-degree circle.

When you are doing this you shouldn’t really feel any unnecessary stiffness or lack of movement. If you do it’s better to simply return them back and use the money to order different ones.

3. Do they have built-in wrist straps?

Some of the best calisthenic gloves out there come with pre-built velcro straps that you can easily wrap around your wrist. Doing this not only holds them tightly in one place but it also really helps your wrists. 

It’s very important not to ignore wrist straps when it comes to calisthenics training.

Using wrist straps really helps you keep your wrists sturdy and secure in one line with your palms. Having straight wrist when doing any exercise provides you with better form and control over the whole movement which results in better outcomes.

Straps also protect your wrists from unwanted stress that could cause pain and discomfort and even lead to serious injuries on rare occasions.

If you have a choice to pick out of 2 models – the first model has wrist straps and the second one doesn’t I would highly recommend you to pick the one with the wrist straps.

Trust me, your wrists will really enjoy this decision in the long term.

Why do you need gloves for calisthenics?

If for some reason you still are not sure if you really need to get a pair of great gloves here are 7 good reasons why you should:

1. Wearing gloves protects your hands from getting calluses, tears, bruises and other nasty injuries you surely don’t want to have.

2. They can actually help you get better results because your focus goes entirely into the movement, not your grip. You can easily focus on the muscle or movement you are trying to do. I believe we all know that moment when we feel some pain or discomfort and we can’t ignore it and pay attention to other, more important things.

3. When training for a longer time your hands tend to get sweaty, so gloves may come in handy preventing you from slipping off the bar or whatever else you are holding.

4. During heavy and long workouts your grip becomes weaker and it becomes quite uncomfortable to keep holding and that’s where gloves come in play. They add additional comfort and convenience making your long workouts more enjoyable.

5. A while ago I had to do some push-ups in a place where somebody has broken a beer bottle. Guess what would have happened if I wasn’t wearing protective gloves. Now you understand how a pair of gloves can protect your hands from rough surfaces and sharp objects.

6. Most designs out there offer you additional wrist support that can be really beneficial in the long term for your wrists.

7. They improve your overall safety when training because the chance of you dropping yourself or something heavy is limited because of the better friction you get.

Final Thoughts 

As you have already seen there are different types of gloves each one having its own good and bad characteristics.

I hope all the provided information above was useful to you and it helped you pick a winner.

If you still haven’t I highly recommend you to pick a pair that is specifically designed for you and your type of calisthenics workouts.

If for any reason you are having a difficult time deciding which gloves should you go for I will try to make this decision easy for you.

For me, the best gloves for calisthenics are the Fit Active Sports Ventilated Gloves.

Click Here to check their latest price on Amazon

I really like them over all the other models because they have an open design, long and thick wrist wraps, and nice and thick padding.

After using them for a while I believe they are a perfect choice for pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and advanced bar and groud workouts.

They are comfortable, don’t slip (even on a wet bar) and provide solid wrist support.

What else do you need?

You can train with them both at home or outside and wash them in a couple of minutes.

In my opinion, these gloves are awesome and are worth every penny.

If you want to learn more about them please Click Here to get the latest reviews and price on Amazon. <<

And remember that this is my personal choice and if you do not agree with me it’s totally fine.

After all, I’ve included 4 more very good models you can check out above!

I really hope this post was helpful when it comes to buying a good pair of gloves.

If you have read the whole post now you know what are the best gloves for calisthenics and why.

Thank you for reading my article. If you liked it and find it useful please share it with others.

Don’t forget to comment below your thoughts and connect with me.

Hope to see you again!

– Bozhidar