15 Best Hockey Gloves in 2022 (youth + junior + senior)

On this ice, everything goes fast, especially the puck.
Therefore your ice hockey gloves are some of the most important elements of your equipment: they protect your hands while still giving you good mobility for stick handling.
Below is my guide to help you choose the best hockey gloves for you with the critical criteria, answers to your frequently asked questions and reviews of gloves for youth, junior and senior hockey players.

Note: if you are looking for goalie gloves, head to my other article.

This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase using my link, I get a commission at no extra cost to you (more info here).

Best hockey gloves in 2022 - overview

Choosing your hockey gloves

This complete article gives your all the information your need about choosing the right hockey gloves for you, including size, FAQs, buying criteria and reviews. But if you don't want to read everything, below is an overview of my suggestions for youth, junior and senior players.
All gloves are a balanced of these criteria:

• protection
• mobility
• comfort
• weight
• warmth
• grip
• design

You have to choose what is most important to you and find the best fit for you.

3 Best youth hockey gloves

5 Best junior hockey gloves

7 Best senior hockey gloves

Ice Hockey Gloves - Frequently Asked Questions

Before sharing with you the criteria for good gloves and my reviews of the best ones, let's start by answering your most frequently asked questions about hockey gloves.

Why do you need gloves to play hockey?

Good hockey gloves are designed to:

• Provide optimal protection to your hands and fingers
• Sufficient breathability
• Adequate warmth
• Protect against chafing
• Not feel too heavy on the hands
• Allow stick handling freedom
• Minimize stink

Thus, given the vital role that gloves play in an ice hockey player’s overall performance.

What do hockey gloves look like?

A hockey glove is designed to protect the hand from injuries and also allow freedom of movement and optimal stick handling. The main elements of hockey gloves are:

• Fingers - The fingers of hockey gloves are square and padded to protect you against injuries. On the inside, they are lined with a soft protective fabric to keep your fingers warm and comfortable. You will also find the use of grips on the outside for stick handling.
  The thumb on hockey gloves sits separately and usually employs plastic-like material to prevent overextending of the thumb and lock it in place.
• Back Rolls - Padding on the top to protect the back of the hand - cu in sections to allow for movement
  
• Wrist - The wrist or the cuff on hockey gloves aligns with the wrist of the player and performs the dual function of allowing wrist mobility as well as ensuring maximum protection
• Cuff roll - Cuff roll is the portion of the cuff that extends beyond the wrist to the forearm. Modern hockey gloves employ a short cuff roll, leaving a gap between the cuff roll and the elbow pad. Traditional hockey gloves used to employ longer cuff rolls that did not leave any gap between the cuff and the elbow pad. However, a longer cuff roll restricts mobility to a great extent, and although more protective, it is not suitable for optimal performance.

Hockey gloves are heavily padded on the underside of the fingers, the back of the hand, and the bottom end to provide complete protection against hard falls and injuries. The only area relatively less padded is the palm area, which allows breathability and ease-of-stick handling.

Are hockey gloves different for men and women?

There is no difference between men’s hockey gloves and women’s hockey gloves.

Do hockey gloves make a difference?

Hockey gloves are critical for the player’s overall performance as they determine the player’s overall swiftness of movement and command over stick handling. Moreover, by ensuring the right fit and sizing, hockey gloves also protect the player’s hands against injuries. The puck can fly very fast!

What gloves do NHL players wear?

NHL players wear pro-level hockey gloves such as the Bauer Vapor 1X, Warrior Covert QRE, or the CCM Jetspeed. You will find detailed reviews of all these gloves below.

How long do hockey gloves last?

• For kids, the main issue is growth. You can expect to change gloves every season or every other season - it is important to keep wearing gloves with a proper fit.
• Most adult hockey gloves can last 5 months to 4 or 5 years. It depends on the quality purchase, the frequency of use and the care applied.
  The life of hockey gloves can be extended further by taking proper care of them as per the tips mentioned at the end of this article.
• The most common reason to replace gloves for adult is palm wear.

What causes holes in hockey mitts?

Friction between fingers and stick causes gloves to develop holes in the thumb, fingertips, and palm. This process is accelerated if:

• you don't dry out your gloves between practices
• Use a lot of coarse grip tape

Do hockey gloves stretch out?

Good quality, well-fitted hockey gloves do not stretch out. However, if your hockey gloves seem too tight on the fingers, using them wet for a few sessions can help stretch them out slightly to better accommodate your fingers.

How to break in ice hockey gloves?

The safest way to break in ice hockey gloves is by wearing them at home for as long as possible and doing a few stickhandling drills at home or in the yard.

You could also bake your gloves or hold the gloves in your hand and bend the fingers back to break in quicker. However, note that both these activities, if not done with due care and under the supervision of an expert, could permanently damage your gloves.

Hockey revolution practice trainer set to practice at home:

Get it / Read reviews

When should you move to custom hockey gloves?

You should only move to custom hockey gloves if you are a pro-level player playing for teams and already have sufficient experience in choosing and wearing standard hockey gloves.

If you choose to customize hockey gloves, you can choose not only the size, fit, materials, and level of padding but also external elements like the color and styling of the gloves.

How to choose the best gloves for ice hockey - Criteria

Choosing hockey gloves requires you to take into consideration several factors. Let me break all of them down for you.

Sizing for hockey gloves

Hockey gloves sizing come in an increment of an inch.
To find the hockey gloves sizing suitable for you, use one of the following methods-

1. Measure from the crease of your elbow to the top of your middle finger or
2. Measure from the base of your palm (Not the wrist) to the top of the middle finger and multiply the figure by two. (More popular method recommended by almost all brands)

The measure for hockey gloves that you get using the above methods will be more or less the same. For measurements falling between two sizes, always round up to the size above.

Note that merely finding out how to size hockey gloves is not enough without learning what the right fit should look like.

I must also add that while the best hockey goalie gloves come in an age-based sizing, player goalie gloves come in a more defined sizing. Therefore, do not simply choose your gloves based on your age.

Fit & mobility

Hockey gloves come in 3 types of fit profiles -

• Traditional: These hockey gloves feel loose throughout the hand and are more padded.
• Tapered: These hockey gloves feel snug only on the fingers and feel looser on the cuff .
• Contoured: These hockey gloves feel snug all around the hand.

The type you choose depends on your style of play and what feels most comfortable to you. But no matter what style you opt for, you must ensure that the fit meets the following requirements -

• The fingers should stretch out almost till the end of the fingers on the glove but not all the way up to the gussets. Thus there must be a small amount of room between the end of your fingers and the top end of the glove fingers.
• The knuckles on the gloves must align with your knuckles.
• The wrist must sit exactly above your wrist.
• For shorter cuff rolls, there must be a gap between the cuff roll and the elbow pad, but the cuff roll must brush the elbow pad slightly while moving the hand.

Usually, traditional fit hockey gloves with volume at the wrist offer excellent mobility.
Conversely, contoured fit gloves feel snug on the wrist and may restrict mobility.

Weight

As a basic rule, remember that you should always opt for gloves that feel light on your hands.
Do not blindly rely on the weight specified in sizing charts. In fact, you can see a difference of up to 50 grams in the weight specified and in the actual weight.

However, since gloves have to perform the dual function of providing protection and promoting mobility, it is best to rely on how heavy the gloves feel when worn instead of merely opting for gloves based on their actual weight.

Material

Technically, standard hockey gloves use over 30 types of material to perform well in both the performance and protection departments.

However,  when buying hockey gloves, you need to look at the material used in making

• the shell of the gloves - either using synthetic leather or nylon or a combination of both. Leather hockey gloves are more durable than nylon gloves, but nylon gloves are lighter and more breathable.
• the palm of the gloves - normally uses leather and a combination of feature-enhancing materials such as lycra, mesh, etc. You should choose one that lets you grip the stick well but isn’t too light to rip easily.
• the padding used throughout the product - most gloves use foam. A dual-density foam offers more protection than single-density foam.
• the liner used - it determines the moisture-wicking and anti-microbial quality of the gloves. Thus, instead of opting for gloves with a basic nylon liner, you should look for ones that have a more advanced quality liner.

Protection

Ice hockey gloves provide protection in the form of padding. To determine how much protection hockey gloves offer, you must look at -

• the type of padding used. (dual-density padding offers better protection)
• the areas where padding is used (more coverage means better protection)

Thumb lock system

All gloves provide some level of thumb protection. Beginner-level gloves usually only have a small plastic insert in the thumb area for more protection. However, for optimal protection, you should look for a thumb lock system made using plastic inserts placed to prevent hyperextension or backward bending of the thumb.

Durability

The better the quality of the material used throughout the glove, the better its durability. Plus, as stated earlier, synthetic leather-based hockey gloves tend to be more durable than nylon-based gloves.
However, the best way to enhance the durability of gloves is by taking proper care of the gloves, both when in use as well as after use.

Style

Hockey gloves come in various colors and styles. Some can even be customized to get your name inscribed on the same.
The style, color, inscription on the gloves should be the least important factor to be taken into consideration when buying hockey gloves.

New vs. Used

While it is true that hockey gear can be expensive and that you would often be tempted to buy used hockey equipment, you should never buy used hockey gloves.
The reasons for the same are:

• Gloves are a breeding ground of bacteria and could expose you to bacteria-based ailments.
• The condition of a pre-used glove may not provide optimal protection on account of its degeneration.
• You will not find the perfect fit on account of the wear & tear of old hockey gloves.

Best Youth Hockey Gloves Reviews (8 to 9 inches)

Let's start by finding out the best hockey gloves for youth players. There is less choice available for the young ones, but the balance price / protection / mobility are great for beginners.

Bauer NSX

My Top Pick!

Pros:

• Lightweight shell
• Breathable
• Moisture-wicking liner
• Good thumb protection and thumb flexibility
• Durable
• Affordable

Cons:

• Tapered fit restricts wrist mobility

Review

The Bauer NSX hockey gloves are not only feature-rich but also fall under the category of cheap hockey gloves. The design takes into consideration the requirements of kids getting used to hockey gloves. Thus, the shell is made using lightweight but durable material. The palm uses the same nash leather as that used by PHX Elite Hockey Gloves, making it long-lasting. 

The tapered fit makes the gloves less bulky but could restrict wrist flexibility. The ergo-thumb promotes freedom of movement without compromising on protection.
However, the best part about the gloves is the mesh-liner that helps keep the hands dry and limits odor built-up.

Buy them / Read user reviews

PHX Elite Hockey Gloves

Ideal for: Good balance - price / protection / Mobility

Pros:

• Use of good-quality material
• Breathable
• Good finger & thumb protection
• Affordable

Cons:

• Not suitable for pros.

Review

If you are looking for cheap hockey gloves, these could be an excellent fit for you.

These youth ice hockey gloves ace in the protection department as they use multi-density foam and plastic thumb inserts.

The palms use nash leather, which means that they do not rip easily and can easily last for a couple of years up to the size of the hand changes.

Of course, it is not as sophisticated as other pro-level gloves and thus could do better in terms of moisture-wicking and grip.

Buy them / Read user reviews

Bauer Supreme 2S Pro

Ideal for: Those looking for the best youth hockey gloves for beginners or intermediate players - Great for very young players

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Allows good stickhandling grip
• Breathable & comfortable
• Durable
• Allow great wrist mobility

Cons:

• Those used to a tapered fit may not like the extra volume of these gloves.

Review

The Bauer Supreme 2S Pro hockey gloves are one of the best ice hockey gloves in the market for young players. The youth variant is also power-packed in terms of functionality and comfort. The padding on the glove is well-placed, especially on the backhand, to protect even in more advanced levels of play.

The shell is lightweight, and the liner allows breathability and moisture-wicking. The overall comfort feel is further strengthened by the neutral fit that allows more volume without compromising the fit.

In addition to this, the feature that stands out is the grip tech palm that is not only durable but provides a better feel of the stick for controlled strokes.

Buy them / Read user reviews

Best Junior Hockey Gloves Reviews (10 to 12 Inches)

Now, let's move one to junior players. There is a little bit more choice with different fits, protections and styles.

Bauer X2.9 

Ideal for: Those looking for excellent comfort and lightness - my top pick

Pros:

• Super comfortable
• Lightweight and breathable
• Provide great feel of the stick
• Moderately-priced
• Promote mobility

Cons

• May not work on wide hands

Review

If you hate how your bulky gloves feel after a few hours of play, you should consider these ultra-comfortable Bauer hockey gloves. The reason why most hockey glove reviews include this pair in their listings is their superior quality of comfort and soft feel.

For softness and comfort, these gloves employ the soft but grippy Taktlie palm. The lining material used is Thermomax which specializes in moisture-wicking and warmth retention.

The use of a 2-piece thumb and a 3-piece index allow swift stroke-making. The open cuff makes these gloves even more breathable while also increasing wrist mobility.

Overall, these gloves are excellent for spending long hours on the hockey rink.

Buy them / Read user reviews

Bauer Vapor 1X Lite 

Ideal for: Those looking for lightweight hockey gloves for all-round performance

Pros:

• Breathable & comfortable
• Lightweight feel
• Excellent protection
• Great mobility and flexibility

Cons:

• Not suitable for absolute beginners
• Prone to wear & tear

Review

These are elite-level hockey gloves that are made for enhancing the overall performance of the player.

This can be seen from their use of Quattro-grip palm for better stickhandling. The cuff roll also enhances wrist mobility for improved shot-making.
The ease of play is further strengthened by using a 3-piece finger and thumb technology that allows excellent knuckle movement.

The lightweight shell and the advanced liner keep the hands feeling warm and dry.

What’s impressive is that the flexibility and mobility do not result in a lack of protection. The gloves employ dual-density foam strengthened with poly inserts for supreme protection against aggressive play.

Thus, if you are looking for one of the best junior hockey gloves, you don’t need to look beyond these gloves.

Buy them / Read user reviews

Warrior Covert QRE 10

Ideal for: Excellent for stick handling and mobility

Pros:

• Allow great mobility
• Promotes advanced stroke play and controlled stickhandling
• Flexible and breathable
• Lightweight
• Durable
• Minimal break-in time

Cons:

• Maybe too advanced for beginners

Review

Pros use these Warrior Hockey gloves for controlled stickhandling and advanced stroke play.

Every feature in these tapered fit gloves is well-thought-out and made using high-quality material. The Warrior QRE uses a one-of-a-kind cuff protection technology that combines dual density foam and plastic inserts.

In addition to this, the gloves also the top-quality EXO foam padding strengthened with plastic inserts throughout its body.

However, this added protection does not weaken its usability. The thumb’s mobility is enhanced using a unique stretchy mesh fabric between the cuff and the body. This feature in itself optimizes the stickhandling control of these gloves.

Additionally, the palm material feels soft on the inside and super grippy on the outside. It is also made using material that won’t rip easily.

Thus, to sum it up, these hockey gloves are the best hockey gloves for stick handling and an excellent choice for advanced-level players.

Buy them / Read user reviews

True XC9

Ideal for: Those looking for maximum protection

Pros:

• Excellent protection
• Provides a custom-glove like comfort
• Durable
• Relatively lightweight
• Stylish looks

Cons:

• The snug fit may not suit those used to wearing traditional gloves
• Requires more break-in time

Review

Despite the craze of using tapered fit gloves, I have often found the comfort and mobility of wider gloves more appealing. However, these junior hockey gloves are an exception to that.

These tapered fit gloves are loaded with protection and mobility all around. The protection is boosted using solid 24 mm EPP foam with plastic inserts. In addition to this, True’s Trueflexx+ thumb lock technology is one considered by many to be the best in terms of providing ample freedom to the thumb while locking it against sudden backward movement.

The palm is also powered by the use of suede that makes the gloves suitable for rough usage.

The backside of these True hockey gloves is also made extra-flexible using a solid 15-piece make.

Buy them / Read user reviews

Warrior Covert QR Edge

Ideal for: Those looking for pro-level hockey gloves with excellent grip

Pros:

• Excellent grip
• Highly durable material
• Good breathability and moisture wicking
• Quite lightweight
• Moderately priced

Cons:

• The snugness in fingers required some time to get used to
• Advanced for beginner-level players

Review

Before you read any further, let me tell you that these are some of the best ice hockey gloves ever made. Every element on these gloves is beautifully designed and constructed and works incredibly well when put together with the rest of the unit.

The shell uses lightweight nylons knitted for added durability. For the palms, it employs the most formidable combination available in hockey gloves, that of Smartpalm and Gatorskin. This makes the palm rubbery on the outside and super soft on the inside.

The liner excels at keeping the hands odor-free and also limit bacteria breeding.

However, the two features that need special applause are the extension of the palm on the index finger and pinky for increased durability (these are the areas that are most prone to ripping) and the use of the stretch mesh Axyflex between the cuff and body of the glove which increases the mobility of these gloves to the same level as that of wider-fitting gloves.

Buy them / Read user reviews

Best Senior / Adults Hockey Gloves Reviews (over 13")

And for the last reviews, let's have a look at the best gloves for senior hockey players.  You will see some of the same products as for the junior, but also some variants.

Bauer X2.9 Senior

Ideal for: Those looking for excellent comfort and lightness - my top pick for recreational / Intermediate

Pros:

• Super comfortable
• Lightweight and breathable
• Provide great feel of the stick
• Moderately-priced
• Promote mobility

Cons

• May not work on wide hands

You can read the full review in the Junior Hockey Gloves Section above.

Buy the senior version / Read user reviews

Warrior Covert QRE 10 Senior

Ideal for: Those looking for pro-level hockey gloves with excellent grip

Pros:

• Excellent grip
• Highly durable material
• Good breathability and moisture wicking
• Quite lightweight

Cons:

• The snugness in fingers required some time to get used to
• Advanced make for beginner-level players

You can read the full review in the Junior Hockey Gloves Section above.

Buy the senior version / Read user reviews

Bauer Supreme S29

Ideal for: Those looking for budget/recreational senior hockey gloves

Pros:

• Comfortable
• Offers good protection
• Super affordable
• Durable
• Provides adequate mobility

Cons:

• Not suitable for advanced levels of play

Quick Review

The Bauer Supreme S29 is constructed in a way in which even budget or recreational ice hockey enthusiasts could benefit from modern technology.

The shell is made using pro nylon mesh which makes the gloves feel pretty light when worn. The foam used is also a high-quality dual-density foam fortified with plastic inserts for optimal protection.

The two-piece thumb, too, facilitates excellent protection and flexibility compared to other budget gloves.

These gloves also excel in the ‘comfort and feel’ department. The Hyper Sense liner used in the fingers keeps the fingers feeling fresh. This feel-good factor of the glove is further enhanced by using the Thermo Max liner, which keeps sweat and moisture away.

The long-lasting Suede Quattro palm allows sufficient stick control and its extension to the finger areas keeps it protected against wear and tear.

Overall, these gloves provide excellent value for money for recreational hockey players.

Buy them / Read user reviews

True XC9

Ideal for: Those looking for maximum protection

Pros:

• Excellent protection
• Provides a custom-glove like comfort
• Durable
• Relatively lightweight
• Stylish looks

Cons:

• The snug fit may not suit those used to wearing traditional gloves
• Requires more break-in time

You can read the full review in the Junior Hockey Gloves Section above.

Buy them / Read user reviews

Warrior Covert QR EDge

Ideal for: Those looking for pro-level hockey gloves with excellent grip

Pros:

• Excellent grip
• Highly durable material
• Good breathability and moisture wicking
• Quite lightweight
• Moderately priced

Cons:

• The snugness in fingers required some time to get used to
• Advanced for beginner-level players

You can read the full review in the Junior Hockey Gloves Section above.

Buy them / Read user reviews

CCM Jetspeed FT1

Ideal for: Elite / Pro players looking for superior quality hand gloves with comfort

Pros:

• Superior quality construction
• Excellent mobility
• Super lightweight feel
• All-round protection
• Suitable for advanced levels

Cons:

• Not suitable for beginners
• Open cuff structure may take time to get used to

Quick Review

These CCM ice hockey gloves are the preferred choice of many top-level players for how well they have combined the performance and protection functions.

These gloves pack maximum protection by using D30, PE inserts, and Zetofoam. To make it easier to understand, the clever use of this combination means that the glove stiffens up in case of sudden slashes. But at the same time, it feels lightweight to attempt tough shots freely.

It combines the best of traditional and tapered fit gloves by providing an open cuff with incredible mobility. Thus, the tapered fit keeps the glove snug and yet provides complete rotational mobility.

Overall, the CCM gloves are designed to let advanced hockey players take on tough shots and play fearlessly.

Buy them / Read user reviews

Traditional Bauer Nexus 2N

Ideal for: Those looking for the classic traditional 4-rolls design for wider hands.

Pros:

• Superior comfort and protection
• Excellent mobility
• Adjustable as per hand width
• Durable

Cons:

• Those used to a tapered/ anatomical fit may take time to get used to it.

Quick Review

While I know that the trend these days is to opt for anatomical fit gloves, I couldn’t have completed the list of the best hockey gloves without mentioning the traditional Bauer Nexus 2N gloves.

The design employs the classic 4-roll, which means that the body of the gloves feels roomier, and the wrist enjoys excellent mobility. The volume that comes with these gloves allows confident shot-making and greater protection.

However, to keep it lightweight, Bauer has used the pro nylon mesh and cable mesh shell (just like its other designs listed above). Its fingers use a 2-point flex with nash gussets for better grip and flexibility.

What’s impressive is that these gloves not only work exceedingly well on wide hands but can also be tapered down at the wrist using the adjustable strap. Thus, you can narrow down the wrist without having to deal with that restrictive feeling of tapered fit gloves.

Buy them / Read user reviews

How to take care of ice hockey gloves?

Now that you know which gloves work the best for ice hockey, let me tell you how to take care of your gloves so that you can extend their lifespan.

Here are a few quick tips:

Pre-use care

• Always carry hockey gloves in a proper gear bag
• Wash your hands thoroughly before putting on gloves to avoid bacteria transmission. Make sure your hands are completely dry before wearing the hockey gloves.

Post-use care

The most important is to completely dry out your gloves after each practice.

• Take out your hockey gloves from the bag as soon as possible.
• Let the gloves air dry completely, palms facing up. (You could also use a dedicated gear rack for this - see 2 options below)
• To avoid the build-up of bacteria and to ensure that you do not have to use smelly hockey gloves, spray the gloves with a gear deodorizer. Ensure that you spray the gloves both on the outside and the inside.

How to wash hockey gloves

Hockey gloves can be hand washed or machine washed.

For hand washing-

• Soak your hockey gloves in a cleaning solution made using detergent, laundry booster, and hot water for at least half an hour.
• Rinse thoroughly
• Let them air dry completely.

For machine washing-

• Soak the gloves for at least 15 minutes in cold water
• Run a regular wash cycle using detergent and laundry booster
• Let the gloves air dry. To prevent irreversible damage to the gloves, never use a clothes dryer to dry the hockey gloves.

How to prevent ripping of hockey gloves

This is a common problem faced by plenty of players on account of the glue from the cloth tape tearing through the thin palms of hockey gloves.

The two solutions to this problem are-

• Use a grip tape or rubber tape instead of cloth tape on your stick.
• Put baby powder on the cloth tape to prevent the tape glue from rubbing against the palms of your gloves.

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