Having some good fishing gloves is essential for all anglers.
Whether you’re offshore fishing, on the flats, winter steelheading, or just filleting fish at home – gloves keep your hands safe, so you can go fishing again tomorrow.
Not all fishing gloves are built the same and finding the best fishing gloves comes down to quality and use.
Having been fishing for 25 years, I’d like to share my thoughts and experiences with you so you can find the best fishing glove for you and your needs
The Best From The Review
A quick look at the top products from the lineup sorted by category…
Best Fly Fishing Gloves
Palmyth Fingerless Fishing Sun Gloves
Gloves with a 50+ UPF and SPF sun protection rating to protect your hands from sunburn while you’re out fishing on flats or your kayak.
Palmyth Fingerless Fishing Sun Gloves
The best fishing gloves for fly fishing are the Palmyth Gloves.
These gloves are light, comfortable, are fingerless for dexterity, and most importantly for fly fishing.
They also come with solid index finger protection for stripping your line through.
The Palmyth gloves are made for the sun and give you full UV protection so you can use them on the flats or by a river without any worry that your hands might get burnt.
Best Waterproof Fishing Gloves
Stormr Typhoon Fishing Gloves
Made with neoprene and fleece to keep your hands warm in cold weather. It also has kevlar palms and fingers for hand protection to give you a good non-slip grip.
Stormr Typhoon Fishing Gloves
The best fishing gloves that are waterproof are the Stormr Typhoon gloves.
This pair of gloves are completely waterproof thanks to the neoprene design, keep your hands dry and come with fleece insulation to ensure your hands stay warm.
They are perfect gloves for fishing on cold waters and have a great grip for handling fish too.
Best Fingerless Fishing Gloves
Glacier Glove Alaska River Fingerless Gloves
Made from windproof fleece with a neoprene palm that not only keeps hands warm but gives ample protection from any blisters and more.
Glacier Glove Alaska River Fingerless Gloves
The best fishing gloves that are fingerless are the Alaska River Gloves.
This pair of gloves is built from windproof fleece with neoprene and sharkskin palms.
The gloves keep you warm in moderate to cold conditions, and the sharkskin and neoprene material gives you a solid grip and good protection when you need to handle fish.
Best Fishing Gloves For The Sun
Glacier Glove Abaco Bay Sun Glove
Perfect fishing gloves for anyone who wants to walk the flats and spend all day in the sun looking for bonefish but wants their hands to have as much dexterity as possible.
Glacier Glove Abaco Bay Sun Glove
The best fishing gloves for the sun are the Glacier Glove Abaco Bay Gloves.
This pair of gloves are 100% lycra, fit perfectly on your hands, and provide 50+ SPF protection.
Not only do they keep your hands safe from harmful UV rays but they also breathe to remove any sweat and dry quickly so you aren’t left walking around with wet hands – perfect for flats anglers.
Best Kayak Fishing Gloves
The Fishing Tree Fingerless Fishing Gloves
Gives your hands full sun protection and comes with a synthetic leather palm design for full blister protection while completing heavy tasks like paddling.
The Fishing Tree Fingerless Fishing Gloves
The best fishing gloves for kayak fishing are the Fishing Tree Fingerless Gloves.
This pair of gloves comes with ample protection on the palms and fingers to ensure your kayak paddle doesn’t give you blisters.
The protection also gives a good grip for holding with and the Spandex outer layer both breathes and dries quickly so you don’t have wet hands.
Best Kevlar Fishing Gloves
Pelagic Battle Gloves
These fishing gloves are as durable as possible, as the gloves are meant to handle the hardest fishing tasks.
Pelagic Battle Gloves
The best fishing gloves that are kevlar are the Pelagic Battle Gloves.
They fit perfectly, are comfortable to wear. Being fingerless, they give you excellent dexterity for fiddly fishing tasks like threading line through the eye of a hook.
This pair of gloves are also built to handle anything from holding on to the bill of a 400lb marlin, to wrapping mono around while lifting a 300 lbs tuna.
They aren’t just gloves for offshore anglers though, they are perfect for all anglers who want some fingerless gloves that are as durable as they come.
Top Pick
Rapala Marine Fisherman Gloves
Made for both fresh and saltwater and will give you full hand protection while you’re trying to grab your catch.
Rapala Marine Fisherman Gloves
The top pick out of all the gloves is the Rapala Marine Fisherman Gloves.
These gloves have amazing grip for holding on to fish, are durably made, fit well, and float.
While fishing you often drop your gloves by mistake , losing them. But with these, you get a chance to go grab them before they disappear under the water.
Our Best Fishing Gloves
Here’s the full lineup…
Best Kayak Fishing Gloves
The Fishing Tree Fingerless Fishing Gloves
Gives your hands full sun protection and comes with a synthetic leather palm design for full blister protection while completing heavy tasks like paddling.
The Fishing Tree Fingerless Fishing Gloves
The Fishing Tree Fingerless Fishing Gloves are designed to give your hands full sun protection and come with a synthetic leather palm design for full blister protection while completing heavy tasks like paddling when kayak fishing.
Fit
The Fishing Tree fingerless gloves come in a range of sizes to suit your hands and the sizing is accurate, so you can order your usual size.
Once on, the Fishing Tree sun gloves fit nicely and are both light and comfy to wear.
Being fingerless gloves, they still give you enough dexterity for intricate tasks like threading line through the eye of a hook.
Comfort
They are breathable to remove any sweat build-up from your hands, and they dry quickly after they get wet.
This pair of gloves are designed for warm weather fishing, like stalking bonefish on the flats when saltwater fishing and won’t keep your hands warm while you’re looking for winter steelhead for example.
Grip
The palm and fingers give you a solid grip for holding your rod and fish, plus they offer some protection from line burns and sharp gill plates. And once they are inevitably covered in fish slime, they are also machine washable so you can get the stink out.
The only downside to these Fishing Tree sun gloves is that they can get a bit sticky when you try to take them off, but that’s not a big disadvantage – it just means they fit well.
Specs
- Sizes: S-XL
- Material: Spandex and Amara faux leather
- Water-resistant: No
- Armored: No
- Insulated: No
Pros
- Light and comfortable to wear
- Fingerless for better dexterity and fishing tasks
- Well made from durable materials
- Offer UP SPF 50 sun protection
- Grippy leather hands for protection
- Stop blisters from kayak fishing
- Breathable and dry quickly
- Machine washable for easy cleaning
Cons
- Sticky and tricky to take off
Best Waterproof Fishing Gloves
Stormr Typhoon Fishing Glove
Made with neoprene and fleece to keep your hands warm in cold weather. It also has kevlar palms and fingers for hand protection to give you a good non-slip grip.
Stormr Typhoon Fishing Glove
The Stormr Typhoon Full Fingered Fishing Glove is made to keep your hands warm in cold weather thanks to the insulated fleece lining.
Materials
These full-fingered fishing gloves are built with neoprene material on the outside with a 3mm fleece lining inside that ensures your hands stay warm in cold weather.
The neoprene gloves have Kevlar palms and fingers for hand protection to give you a good non-slip grip on slippery fish, your rod and reel while fishing.
Build
This pair of full finger fishing gloves is put together excellently with heavy-duty stitching and glue and lasts a long time.
So much so, that they are fully waterproof unless submerged.
This means you can go about fishing with dry hands, but when you try to land a fish, you might want to take these neoprene gloves off so no water comes in through the opening on your wrists.
Function
These are not the best fishing gloves for warm weather, however, as they are not breathable.
Sweat builds up inside them and gets into the fleece lining.
These fishing gloves do not dry quickly, as the neoprene palm seems to hold the water under the Kevlar so it gets stuck instead of evaporating out.
Overall, these fish gloves offer excellent hand protection from the cold, anything sharp, and give full sun protection.
These cold weather fishing gloves would even be good fishing gloves for ice fishing but just try to keep them dry.
Specs
- Sizes: S-XXL
- Material: Neoprene
- Water-resistant: Waterproof unless submerged
- Armored: Yes
- Insulated: 3mm Fleece lining
Pros
- Insulated to keep your hands warm in cold weather and when ice fishing
- Waterproof to keep your hands dry
- Durable and well made
- Good non-slip grip for doing fishing tasks
- Kevlar palms give full finger protection
- Good for handling fish
- Comfortable to wear and have a great fit
Cons
- Water will get inside if submerged
- Don’t dry fast, they stay wet
- Not breathable and sweat builds-up
Rapala Marine Fillet Glove
Made to keep your hands safe cutting your catch. It also gives a good grip to help you handle slippery fish.
Rapala Marine Fillet Glove
The Rapala Marine Fillet Glove is made for slicing and dicing your catch.
The fillet glove is made from a Tuff-knit yarn that incorporates stainless steel into the fabric to ensure the fillet glove will protect your hands from your sharp filleting knife.
Design
The fillet glove isn’t just made to protect your hands, it’s also designed to have a good grip on slippery fish.
This means you can handle your catch with the fishing glove knowing that your hand is safe from and slips you have with your cutting hand.
Function
You don’t just have to use this fishing glove for filleting, it is a perfect fishing glove for going offshore too.
The fishing glove offers ample protection from sharp knives and they will do the same against mono, the bills, and the gill plates of any fish you catch.
This fishing glove can be used as a right or a left, and if you want a pair of fishing gloves, you’ll need to buy two of them.
Build
These gloves feature a durable build and one of the best things about them is that they are machine washable, so you can get that fish slime off with ease.
The only downside to this glove is that it’s not made for cold weather or ice fishing and you’d freeze if you thought about using them for ice fishing.
Specs
- Sizes: S-XL
- Material: Tuff-knit yarn
- Water-resistant: No
- Armored: Yes
- Insulated: No Full Specs
Pros
- Full finger protection while filleting
- The glove fits either hand depending on which you fillet with
- Good grip for handling fish
- Protects your hands from knives while filleting
- Heavy-duty build for long-lasting durability
- Machine washable for easy cleaning
- Great for holding sharp and slippery fish
Cons
- Only comes with one glove
- Not insulated for cold weather or ice fishing
Top Pick
Rapala Marine Fisherman Glove
Made for both fresh and saltwater and will give you full hand protection while you’re trying to grab your catch.
Rapala Marine Fisherman Glove
The Rapala Marine Fisherman Gloves are an ideal choice for holding on to your catch.
Build
This pair of fishing gloves is made for both fresh and saltwater and will give you full hand protection while you’re trying to grab your catch for a photo.
The fishing gloves are made from a blend of cotton and polyester will non-slip rubber palms for grip.
The palms on these fishing gloves actually stick to slippery fish for a better grip meaning you’re always in control of your catch.
Floating Feature
Another great thing about these fishing gloves is that they float.
I don’t know about you, but I have lost a few pairs of fishing gloves overboard, but if the fishing gloves had floated, I would have been able to go grab them.
These fishing gloves are well put together and will last for a few seasons without a problem. They are also machine washable fishing gloves, meaning you can keep them smelling fresh with ease instead of stinking out your boat and fishing tackle.
Fit and Insulation
The only downside to these non-slip fishing gloves is that they are not made for cold weather, and the sizing isn’t quite right and I’d recommend ordering one size up.
These are not totally ice fishing gloves, however, you can use them when ice fishing for landing your catch only and then switch back to your warmer ice fishing gloves after.
Specs
- Sizes: S-XL
- Material: Rubber, Cotton, Polyester
- Water-resistant: No
- Armored: No
- Insulated: No
Pros
- Non-slip palms hold on to slippery fish with ease
- Made for use in fresh and salt water
- Durable and long-lasting build
- Protect your hands from sharp spines and gill plates
- Made to float so you never lose one
- Machine washable and easy to clean
- Full fingered for full hand protection
Cons
- Not made for cold weather
- Sizing is a bit off, go one size up
Best Kevlar Fishing Gloves
Pelagic Battle Gloves
These fishing gloves are as durable as possible, as the gloves are meant to handle the hardest fishing tasks.
Pelagic Battle Gloves
The Pelagic Battle Fishing Gloves are designed for heavy-duty offshore fishing where you’re wrapping mono and pulling up big tuna and marlin and grabbing their bills.
This makes these fishing gloves about as durable as possible, as the gloves are meant to handle the hardest fishing tasks like when fishing heavy mono.
Function
That’s not to say the gloves can’t be used for other fishing situations too.
These fingerless gloves give you enough dexterity for intricate tasks, they offer full sun protection, and are lightweight and comfortable to wear. I’d happily wear them polling and fly fishing on the flats too.
Material
This pair of fishing gloves are made from polyester with Kevlar on the palm and fingers that will protect your hands from anything your gear or your catch will throw at them.
They last long, even when used in saltwater every day, just be sure to rinse and dry them each day after you use them.
The only downside to these is that they are not the best ice fishing gloves, your hands will get cold using them in chilly weather and when ice fishing.
They are made for warm weather and surviving saltwater.
Specs
- Sizes: S-XL
- Material: Polyester & Kevlar
- Water-resistant: No
- Armored: Yes
- Insulated: No
Pros
- Heavy-duty kevlar will protect your hands from heavy fishing tasks
- Lightweight and comfortable to wear
- Fingerless gloves make tying knots easy
- The durable build is very long-lasting
- Good grip for handling fish
- Offer protection from the sun and ideal for warm weather conditions
- Ideal for saltwater fishing
Cons
- Sizes run small, pick one size up
- Not made for cold weather fishing
Best Fly Fishing Gloves
Palmyth Fingerless Fishing Sun Gloves
Gloves with a 50+ UPF and SPF sun protection rating to protect your hands from sunburn while you’re out fishing on flats or your kayak.
Palmyth Fingerless Fishing Sun Gloves
The Palmyth Fingerless Fishing Sun Gloves come with a 50+ UPF and SPF sun protection rating to protect your hands from sunburn while you’re out fishing on flats or your kayak.
Build
The fishing gloves are produced from synthetic fabric that has chemical protection inside them to stop any harmful UV rays from getting to your hands.
Aside from protecting you from harmful UV rays. The fishing gloves feature synthetic leather palm and fingers for further protection from fish or your line when fly fishing that also provides a better grip.
Function
The fishing gloves are lightweight and comfortable to wear.
You barely notice them on your hands and being fingerless gloves, you can still do intricate tasks like trimming a fly or snipping line.
The fishing gloves are breathable to remove any sweat build-up, ensuring hands stay dry and don’t skip when you’re doing important things like setting the hook on a fish.
Easy to Remove
You’ll also find pulls on the fingers and wrists that make taking off this pair fishing gloves a breeze after a long day of fishing.
The downside to these fingerless gloves is that they don’t dry very fast, so you will have wet hands for a while once they are wet.
These summer fishing gloves will also tear easily due to the thin synthetic fabric, but this is the case for all sun gloves.
Specs
- Sizes: S-XL
- Material: Synthetic fabric
- Water-resistant: No
- Armored: No
- Insulated: No
Pros
- Provide excellent sun protection
- Durable and well made
- Open fingertips for tying knots
- Palm design has good grip
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Breathable to remove sweat build-up
- Perfect for hot-weather fishing
- Wrist and finger pulls for easy on and off
Cons
- Not made for cold weather
- Thin fabric can get cut through by your line like every sun glove
- The gloves don’t dry fast
Lindy Fish Handling Gloves
These super tough and durable gloves are made from an anti-cut super fabric that no knives, teeth, or gill plates will ever get through.
Lindy Fish Handling Gloves
The Lindy Fish Handling Glove doesn’t come as a pair and this is because these fishing gloves are designed to handle fish, which you usually only need one hand for.
You can order two of the Lindy Fish Handling Glove to make a pair if you want to, and anyone doing heavy tasks while on a fishing trip like wiring big marlings would be wise to, as you’ll need both hands.
The Lindy Fish Handling Glove comes in a left or a right, so be sure to order the right one for you.
Build
The fishing gloves are super tough and durable and will handle saltwater life with ease.
The fishing gloves are made from an anti-cut super fabric that no knives, teeth, or gill plates will ever get through, giving your hand full protection from anything that might come its way.
The Lindy Fish Handling Glove also offers puncture protection from hooks which most other fishing gloves can’t manage.
Grip
You’ll notice that these fish gloves have a textured palm that gives a better grip on fish while also protecting your hands from their sharp fins and teeth.
They also protect your hands from chemicals and naturally repel gas and oil which most boat fishermen will find themselves working with daily.
Another great thing about these fishing gloves is that they are machine washable so you don’t have to have any smelly gloves around, and they offer full sun protection too.
Size
The downsides to these fishing gloves are that they are a little bulky for tricky tasks like tying a knot, and the sizes run a bit small so order one size up.
Otherwise, they are some of the best fishing gloves around for hand protection.
Specs
- Sizes: S-XXL
- Material: Anti-cut super fabric
- Water-resistant: No
- Armored: Yes
- Insulated: No
Pros
- Super tough and durable build that lasts
- Protects your hands from any knives, teeth, or gill plates
- Comfortable and secure when on
- Puncture protection from hooks
- Chemical resistant and repel oil and gas
- Machine washable for easy cleaning
- Good grip for slippery fish
- Come in a left or right-hand option
- Great for fresh and saltwater fishing
Cons
- A bit bulky for intricate tasks like tying knots
- Sizes run small, order one size up
Glacier Glove Islamorada Sun Glove
An excellent pair of sun gloves that offer not only protection from the sun but from line burns and blisters too.
Glacier Glove Islamorada Sun Glove
The Glacier Glove Islamorada Sun Glove is another excellent pair of sun gloves that offer not only protection from the sun but from line burns and blisters too.
Build
These Glacier Glove fishing gloves are designed from lycra with leather palms and fingers for added protection.
The seams are well stitched and glued, and you can expect these Glacier Glove fishing gloves to last a long time.
Function
The leather is well placed on the Glacier Glove so that your fingers are protected from the line while you’re stipping and so that the cork handle on your fly rod doesn’t give you blisters when casting all day long.
The Glacier Glove Islamorada fishing gloves also come with a USPF 50+ rating to ensure your hands stay fresh and don’t get burned while you’re out enjoying fishing in the sunshine.
Fit and Comfort
These Glacier Glove fishing gloves are light and comfy to wear and being fingerless gloves, they are perfect for tying intricate knots on the flats or trimming a fly down before you make a cast to a tailing bonefish.
There are quite a few downsides to the Glacier Glove Islamorada fishing gloves.
The leather on the index finger isn’t high enough up and you’re likely to experience line burns from stripping or when a fish takes off.
The fishing gloves also get smelly quickly and will need washing often.
Specs
- Sizes: S-XL
- Material: 85% Lycra, 15% Synthetic Leather
- Water-resistant: No
- Armored: No
- Insulated: No
Pros
- Provide 100% sun protection
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Breathable to remove sweat build-up
- Dry quickly when wet
- Fingerless gloves for doing intricate tasks
- Durable and well made
- Synthetic leather palm design for good grip
Cons
- Get smelly quickly
- The sizing is a little off
- Not much protection for your index finger when fly fishing
Best Fingerless Fishing Gloves
Glacier Glove Alaska River Fingerless Gloves
Made from windproof fleece with a neoprene palm that not only keeps hands warm but gives ample protection from any blisters and more.
Glacier Glove Alaska River Fingerless Gloves
The Glacier Glove Alaska River Fingerless Gloves are designed for cold but not freezing weather.
This pair of fishing gloves are made from windproof fleece with a neoprene palm that not only keeps hands warm but gives ample protection from any blisters and more.
Build
The materials are well put together on this pair of gloves with well-stitched seams that guarantee them to be durable and lasting.
Once on, these fishing gloves are super comfortable, and being fingerless gloves give you the maximum dexterity to tie knots or re-tie your leader without getting your hands cold.
Grip and Sizing
The palms on this pair of fishing gloves are covered in sharkskin to give you a better grip. You’ll be able to hold your rod or fish with ease while wearing these fingerless gloves.
The only downsides to these Glacier Glove fingerless gloves are that they take a long time to dry and that the sizing is a little off.
So if these Glacier Glove fishing gloves get wet, the fleece absorbs it all and it gets stuck trying to leave from under the neoprene resulting in cold, damp hands.
Specs
- Sizes: S-XL
- Material: Windproof fleece, neoprene palm
- Water-resistant: No
- Armored: No
- Insulated: Yes
Pros
- Made to keep your hands warm in moderate to cold weather
- Fleece lining is windproof for further protection from the cold
- Sharkskin and neoprene palm design offers good grip and protection
- Fingerless gloves so you can do intricate tasks
- Comfortable and fit nicely
- Well made and long-lasting
Cons
- Sizes run large, order one size down
- Gloves don’t dry quickly when wet
Best Fishing Gloves For The Sun
Glacier Glove Abaco Bay Sun Glove
Perfect fishing gloves for anyone who wants to walk the flats and spend all day in the sun looking for bonefish but want their hands to have as much dexterity as possible.
Glacier Glove Abaco Bay Sun Glove
The Glacier Glove Abaco Bay Sun Gloves are made from 100% lycra.
These fishing gloves are truly a sun glove and nothing else and unlike other sun gloves have zero palm or finger protection.
Function
The Glacier Glove Abaco Bay Sun Glove is light, comfortable, fits well, and offers 100% protection from the sun for your hands.
They are perfect fishing gloves for anyone who wants to walk the flats and spend all day in the sun looking for bonefish but want their hands to have as much dexterity as possible.
Design
The fishing gloves have a fingerless design so you can do all the tricky tasks you need to but they have zero grip, so you better hold on to your rod tight while you’re using them.
Being made from 100% lycra, these fishing gloves dry very quickly and they are also super breathable to ensure you get zero sweat build-up.
Sun Protection
The Glacier Glove Abaco Bay Sun Gloves are awesome for sun protection but the lack of grip and extra palm protection means they won’t last long and fish spines and line burns will have them in threads quite quickly.
Specs
- Sizes: S-XL
- Material: Lycra
- Water-resistant: No
- Armored: No
- Insulated: No
Pros
- Provide full sun protection
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Give you full dexterity while fishing
- Dry quickly when wet
- Breathable to remove any sweat build-up
- Durable and well made
Cons
- No grip or protection in the palm design
- Will tear and fray when in contact with sharp fish and lines
What Are Fishing Gloves?
Fishing gloves come with extra features when compared to a normal glove.
They are designed to get wet, handle rough conditions, protect your hands, and hold on to fish.
If you tried putting normal gloves through these tasks, you’d most likely have damaged, wet or cold hands by the end of it, and the gloves wouldn’t have much of a life left to live.
Why Buy Fishing Gloves?
I have a saying in fishing, and it comes from a life of guiding all over the world. ‘You can’t fish without your hands or your feet, so look after them’.
When you’re fishing, your hands are next to and in amongst all the action and account for 90% of the injuries you might have on the water.
Here’s a quick video on why you should wear fishing gloves…
Purpose
They hold knives, cut lines, tie knots, pull hooks, grab fish, cast your rod, and reel in your line.
Not only can you not fish without them, but they are in the line of fire all of the time.
There is nothing worse than having a line burn, or blisters from polling and paddling and then trying to hold a rod and cast it, it’s so painful.
Protection
This is where fishing gloves come into play, they keep your hands safe.
You can use the gloves when you need them or wear them all the time, it’s up to you.
But at the end of the day, all anglers need a good pair of fishing gloves, and here are their advantages.
- Sun protection
- Extra grip for holding fish
- Extra warmth
- Some are waterproof to keep you dry
- Some are armored to stop any injuries, even from filleting knives
- Protection for hooks, fish spine, teeth, and gills
Should you wear gloves when fishing?
It’s up to you whether you wear gloves while you’re fishing.
I personally fish without gloves and have a glove or two ready in my pocket for when I need them, like when landing a fish.
Harsh Weather
The times when you should wear gloves while you’re fishing are for protection from the elements.
If you are flying from a New York winter to the flats of Seychelles, your white hand will go pink and blistered in a few hours, so keeping your best winter fishing gloves on is a wise move.
The same goes when fishing in cold and wet conditions, the last thing you need is freezing frostbite fingertips.
Fishing
Outside of weather conditions, you’d use fishing gloves for landing fish or fileting them, in which case it’s best to have them on standby.
This allows you to go about your fishing normally without any gloves in the way, and use them for protection when you need them most.
Other Tasks
You can also use fishing gloves to protect your hand from blisters when polling on the flats or paddling your kayak, and in this instance, you’re not fishing, as you’re moving your vessel into fishy waters.
Again it’s up to you if you fish with the gloves on after you’ve reached your spot.
What are the best fishing gloves?
The best gloves for fishing come down to a few things. Firstly, the gloves have to be fit for purpose.
You don’t want to be wiring a marlin with sun gloves as they will rip them to shreds, just like you don’t want kevlar gloves to protect you from the sun, as you’ll sweat through them.
Once the gloves are fit for their purpose it’s about grip and a good fit next.
Proper Fit
Wearing fishing gloves should not hinder your movement. Gloves that fit well give you a lot more dexterity than loose gloves that are bulky and baggy.
The grip is important, as you’ll be trying to hold on to fish that are wriggling and doing everything they can to slip away, and the last thing you want is to lose a fish before you get a picture with them.
Things to consider when buying fishing gloves
What are you going to use them for?
We touched on this already in the section above and it’s of the utmost importance that you choose the right gloves for what you intend to use them for.
It’s pretty much common sense, but fishing gloves come in all shapes and sizes with different features.
Fly Fishing
If you’re fly fishing, then make sure the gloves come with padding on the index finger in order to protect you from any line burns while stripping in your line.
When it comes to sun protection, you’ll want lightweight gloves that breathe so that you don’t overheat or sweat too much and ruin your user experience.
Handling
If you just want some gloves to land your catch with, make sure the gloves come with an adequate grip to hold fish with and the right material to stop any sharp bits of the fish from cutting your hands.
For offshore fishing, you’ll need a glove that has a lot of protective padding, like kevlar that’s used in bulletproof vests, as you’ll be holding fish with serrated bills, or holding on to mono with a 100lb fish on the end of it, and without the right glove, the mono will slice right through.
Cold
For fishing in the cold, look for a neoprene glove with some insulation like fleece to keep you warm, and enough grip so you can do fishing tasks without removing the glove and getting cold.
Gloves like this might also be waterproof to stop cold water from getting in.
Type Of Gloves
Once you have decided on the purpose of your gloves, it’s time to think about the type you might want.
To make things simple, I’ll break it down into two categories, full-fingered and fingerless.
Fingerless
A fingerless glove is useful for giving you the maximum dexterity you need for tricky tasks like threading a line through a hook or tying a knot.
They are also great for hot climates as they give you some ventilation to keep you cool and stop any sweat build up.
But, they do leave parts of your fingers exposed, so if you’re filleting or handling fish that are sharper than others, you might want to go for gloves that cover your whole hand.
Full-fingered
Full-fingered gloves offer a full protective layer for your hand, not just from fish, hooks, and knives, but from the elements as well.
If you’re fishing in cold places, filleting, or handling particularly dangerous fish like wahoo or billfish, you’ll want a full-fingered glove to hold your catch.
Grip
Whatever you need your gloves for, you’re going to end up holding fish with them and we all know how slippery a fish can be, especially when it’s thrashing around attempting to get away.
You’re going to want some gloves with some kind of grip so you can hold your catch without any worry that your catch might swim away.
Materials
Glove grips come in a variety of materials including rubber, kevlar, leather, sharkskin, and more.
Some are better than others, but all of them are better than not using a glove.
So, once you have decided what you’re going to use the glove for, and the type of glove you want, make sure it has some good grip on it.
Durability
Your gloves are going to live a hard life, harder than any non-fishing gloves.
The gloves will be holding fish, holding hooks, getting wet, being rubbed around, and they’ll need to be durable in order to survive.
All the gloves in the review are durable for their purpose, and ensuring your gloves survive comes down to picking the right gloves for the right tasks.
NOTE
Sun gloves won’t last one encounter with a sailfish bill for example, but they’ll happily hold a bonefish without any worries.
Fit & Comfort
Having gloves that fit well and are comfortable to wear adds up to an excellent user experience.
Gloves should be like a second skin in order to give you the maximum amount of dexterity and the best experience possible, rather than being cumbersome and bulky.
Most fishing gloves have similar sizing but they are not all the same, the sizing depends on the gloves manufacturer which makes finding the right size gloves a little tricky.
Different Sizing
Some gloves are true to size and other gloves are smaller or larger.
All the gloves in the review have different sizes and I have mentioned under the gloves reviews how the sizing works so you can get the perfect sized gloves for you.
Cleaning & Caring For Your Gloves
Caring for your gloves is easy, just make sure they get rinsed in fresh water and dried after every use and they will last.
Cleaning your gloves is another story. The gloves are going to be smelly whatever you use them for.
Your gloves will either smell of sweat, fish, damp, or all three.
Machine Washable
Some gloves in the review are machine washable which makes cleaning them easily while other gloves need to be washed outside of the machine.
Most fishing gloves you buy will let you know how to wash them, buying a machine washable pair of gloves does make life a little easier.
Water-Resistance
Some gloves are waterproof, and other gloves aren’t.
The only time you’ll need some waterproof gloves is when fishing in cold climates so the cold water doesn’t freeze your fingers off.
Most cold climate gloves are waterproof or at least water-resistant, so make sure you choose a pair of them if you plan on going on a winter fishing trip.
Summing Up
I hope you have found the fishing gloves reviews handy and through them, stumbled upon the right fishing gloves for you
Remember it’s all about finding the right gloves for what you plan on using them for – Whether it’s sun protection, wiring big fish offshore, or having a pair to keep you warm on the river.
If you’re still not quite sure which gloves are the right ones for you, here are the gloves I would choose and why. It’s prudent to own all three pairs of these gloves if you’re a traveling fisherman too.
Best Fly Fishing Gloves
When you’re on the flats, your hand will get burnt, and the best gloves for this scenario and when fly fishing are the Palmyth Gloves.
These gloves are comfortable, durable, block the sun completely, and have all the right padding in the right areas to protect your hands from your fly fishing line.
The padding also gives you good grip when holding fish too.
Top Pick
For full fingered protection, the Rapala Marine Gloves are a great choice.
These full finger gloves have a good grip for handling fish, provide ample protection, and are durably made.
The gloves also fully cover your hands and will keep them warm if they are not wet while you’re fishing on chilly days by the lake and river.
Another great thing about these full finger gloves is they float, so if you drop a glove, you can always go and get it.
Best Kevlar Fishing Gloves
For offshore anglers or anyone who wants an awesome pair of fingerless gloves that’ll last them years, you can’t go wrong with the Pelagic Battle Gloves.
These gloves are made to handle anything you can throw at them, and the kevlar padding ensures your palms and fore-fingers stay protected while you’re dealing with big fish.
Happy Fishing
Thanks a lot for reading my fishing gloves reviews, I hope that you found the best fishing gloves for you.
Please feel free to share it around with your friends and family, and any anglers who need some fishing gloves.
If you enjoyed the article, please check out some of my others. I cover most things you might need for your next fishing adventure, from weighing scales, fishing shoes to fly fishing rods and fish finders, you’ll find all the info you need right here.
