REVIEW: The Four Best Golf Gloves You Can Buy On Any Budget and For Any Need

Golf Gloves are arguably one of the most universally-used pieces of equipment in the sport. Some people use drivers, some don’t. Some people use hybrids, some don’t. Some people use club brushes, and some, for whatever reason, don’t.

Other than the givens like balls and clubs, gloves are a personal preference, but having the right one if you’re going to use one can be beneficial to your game.

Over the Spring, Summer, and now early Autumn, I decided to put together a review of some gloves that I’ve either purchased on my own or had sent to me, hoping to give a well-rounded look at what I think are the four best golf gloves on the market.

They all have their strengths, their weaknesses, and their own price points. But altogether, these four gloves lasted me, someone who plays roughly 100 rounds a year, through the three most golf-concentrated seasons of the year.

Best Premium Glove: Titleist Players Glove – $26

Titleist has its own lineup of gloves that differs from FootJoy, which is also owned by parent company Acushnet. With several offerings, you can truly tell the difference between one Titleist glove and another, and their Players Glove is the cream of the crop offering.

“The choice of leading professionals, the Players™ Men’s Golf Glove features a strong base of tanned cabretta leather complemented with well-thought-out and precisely placed seams.”

• Premium Select Cabretta Leather delivering the finest feel and precise fit
• Thinnest leather specification
• Precisely sewn dual rows of elastic
• Finer gauge Velcro®
• Satin reinforcement at cuff and thumb
• Precise sewing construction and seam placement
• Breathable perforations

Pros – 

This is truly the most premium glove I have, and I have ever tried. The Cabretta leather gives a premium feel while still remaining thin enough to enable feel with your hand and the grip of your club. Without being too thin, you still feel like you’re getting a good grip and have a good feel.

This glove lasted me all Summer, and I wore it through 30 rounds in a variety of conditions. 90 degrees and high humidity? No problem. Don’t expect it to be dry at the end of your Summer rounds, but do expect to still maintain grip on your clubs. You won’t get any slipping from this.

Cons – 

This is one of those gloves that you need not to ball up and throw in a pocket after your round, especially when moisture is involved. If you sweat in this thing during your round, do yourself a favor and put it on an alignment stick, glove shaper, or something else that will breathe and dry out correctly. If not, you’re going to deal with a crusty, stiff, dry-rotted glove that will not only be uncomfortable but will slash the longevity of it by a fraction. 

The key to making a leather glove last as long as possible is maintaining it by taking care of it after your rounds and range sessions. Don’t let this thing bunch up in a bag and let moisture and sweat ruin it. It’s only $26, but some of us don’t want to spend $100 on gloves every two months.

Best Feel Glove – FootJoy StaSof – $24

When I talk about feel, there are only a few gloves out there that offer what feels like a bare-handed grip on your club. The FootJoy StaSof is one of them.

Usually opting for Titleist, I picked this up on a whim because I left my Player’s glove at home one day, and this was the offering at the course I was playing. I had never used a FootJoy glove in the past, although I’m a huge fan of their shoes, so it was a new experience.

“The new FootJoy StaSof Golf Glove is crafted from Taction3 advanced performance leather that provides optimum feel, unmatched grip, and superior, long-lasting softness, regardless of climate conditions.”

• Exclusive, advanced Taction3 performance leather retains its softness longer while providing Tour-proven feel, reduced perspiration, exceptional grip, and durability
• Strategically placed perforations and PowerNet mesh improve breathability and flexibility
• Proprietary 3-Directional angled ComforTab closure offers a precise fit
• Tailored construction and precise placement of elastics enhance fit and comfort

Pros – 

Here’s where this glove earns its keep in this list: feel. It is a premium glove, but not quite as quality as the Titleist Player’s, which is why that glove gets the nod in that category.

However, this glove did a much better job offering what felt like bare-handedness on the club, and breathability was unmatched. Although I bought this glove in mid-August when it was extremely hot and humid in Pennsylvania, there were never any issues with moisture, slippage, or lack of confidence because I thought it wouldn’t provide enough stability in my hand.

I even had to buy it a size larger than I usually wear because of lack of availability. It didn’t make a difference. It was a great experience using this FootJoy glove, and I know if I ever am in a pinch again and this is the offering, I’m going to be happy.

Cons – 

While this glove is a premium-feeling glove, it is not ultra-premium like other gloves. The material is somewhat thin, which is probably why it does a great job of feel and breathability, but it almost feels like it would be worth upping the quality just a tad. This is personal preference, but this would not be my first choice in a lineup of any glove if I had access to a catalog like that. 

Additionally, the velcro was not as strong as other gloves I have tried, and while I never had an issue with it detaching completely, I did have issues with it staying tight through the golf swing at times.

Best Bargain Glove – Zero Friction Cabretta Elite Leather Glove – $20

Zero Friction reached out a while back and sent me a variety of their gloves, including this Cabretta Elite Leather in White, Red, and Black. 

For the money, there is not a better bargain glove than this. If you’re on a budget, this is a great option. It comes with a ball marker and tee that snap and attach to your glove as well, which is a great feature.

“Our unique Compression-Fit one-size technology, 100% authentic cabretta leather glove gets a make-over with matching lycra colors. -molds with your hand for a guaranteed fit -leather provides a solid grip in wet or humid weather -works with smartphone & touch screen devices – reinforced lycra throughout fingers, back of hand and palm for maximum strength, durability, and enhanced breathability. -detachable tee and ball marker – leather patch engineered around the first finger for solid gripping.”

Pros –

Affordability, feel, and longevity. It’s cheap, it’s thin, and it won’t ever dry rot on you like other gloves, likely due to the mesh throughout. It offers breathability and comfort while keeping your hands dry and cool. It’s a great glove for the Summer and one I truly enjoyed using. I gave my friends the red and blue ones because I’m not one for color in my golf gloves, at least not often. They also truly loved the feel of it, and it lasted them through the Summer before finally giving way after three months of consistent play.

It also is thin enough to enable texting and smartphone operation, which is a nice touch.

Cons –

This is not a glove that is ideal for colder temperatures. This past weekend, it was rainy and cold in Pennsylvania, and when I took these four gloves out for their final bit of analysis and photo ops, this was the one glove that I truly did not enjoy wearing. It’s too breathable for this time of year or these conditions, and your hands will get cold fast. I only kept it on for a hole because that’s all I could stand with the 45-degree rainy day I played in on Saturday.

Additionally, the colors will stain your hands. The dye from the blue and red gloves will run, especially when you’re sweating. I’m not sure if this is an issue with all colored gloves, as I have no experience with them. But this is something that I would consider if you’re interested in any of their eight colorways.

Best Looking Glove – Asher x Golf Pride Fall Collection – $175

Now, $175 will get you two of these gloves and a full set of Asher x Golf Pride Fall Collection Tour Velvet Grips, so don’t lose your mind over the price tag.

I was skeptical of the colors, especially considering my previously shared sentiments on colored golf gloves. But this one, this one is just different.

I went with Cognac for my color, and Asher sent along one glove and three grips, and talk about premium.

“Introducing the ASHER x Golf Pride Collection. A first of its kind, premium grip and glove collaboration where fashion meets innovation.”

Pros – 

Look. Feel. Quality. This glove really has it all.

It feels about as quality as the Titleist Players, but doesn’t provide the same amount of feel. However, it looks awesome and this color is just one of four to chose from.

Asher gloves have a good reputation already, and their collaboration with Golf Pride brought a new set of colors and matching grips to the party. I really like this glove because of the quality of materials and its aesthetic. I didn’t get to test it out in warmer temperatures, but it kept my hand warm this past weekend in the rain and cold and stayed dry despite the wet conditions.

Cons –

I’m not quite sure if you can get this glove by itself, so if you really love a color, you should make sure you need some new grips, too.

While I feel this glove is super quality, I could see some people thinking the palm is a tad too thick, not providing enough feel for them. I didn’t personally feel this way, but I did thing it was a tad thick, so just be aware of that.

I didn’t have any issues with dye like the Zero Friction gloves, but I also didn’t wear it in the humidity and heat.

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Cover Image via Joey Klender