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The Best Belay Gloves for Climbing of 2024

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Carrying a pair of belay gloves around is something that heavily benefits you as a climber in a variety of different ways which makes them an essential product for most people. And besides, belay gloves have many alternative uses that can even double as gloves for any other sort of activity. Although some adventures don’t see the value in climbing gloves, they offer extra gripping power, help get you use less energy, and much more. While some rope climbing gloves are designed to be really visually appealing others are designed to be the most optimal and save you more time and money. You’ll want your grip on holds when you are out climbing to be the steadiest to ensure optimal safety. Since there are lots of different uses for these products we have established our overall favorite, the runner ups, and our value picks for today’s list. Look no further, here are the best belay gloves for climbing on the entire market!

If you want to get back to climbing, click here to get our top pick for the best belay gloves for climbing. Or if you need a belay device in the first place, read our article on that here.

Otherwise, read on to learn what the best belay gloves for climbing are.

Our Top Pick
Milwaukee 48-22-8722 Performance Work Gloves, Large
Our #2 Pick
Metolius Full Finger Belay Glove - Naural Small
Our #3 Pick
Black Diamond Crag Half-Finger Climbing Gloves, Black, Large
Belay Gloves
Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves
Metolius Belay Gloves
Black Diamond Climbing Crag
Prime Eligible?
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
-
Our Top Pick
Milwaukee 48-22-8722 Performance Work Gloves, Large
Belay Gloves
Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves
Prime Eligible?
Amazon Prime
Our #2 Pick
Metolius Full Finger Belay Glove - Naural Small
Belay Gloves
Metolius Belay Gloves
Prime Eligible?
Amazon Prime
Our #3 Pick
Black Diamond Crag Half-Finger Climbing Gloves, Black, Large
Belay Gloves
Black Diamond Climbing Crag
Prime Eligible?
-

Last update: 2024-10-22 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Our Favorite for the Best Belay Gloves for ClimbingOur Favorite for the Best Belay Gloves for Climbing

Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves

Starting off for today, Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves have to be our overall favorite pick because of their highly thought about design which allows precision when handling small items and use of touch screens. They are great for belay climbing due to the fact that they have a great grip and provide protection to your hands. On top of that, the materials of the glove can vary depending on what you are looking for but no matter what you will receive a breathable professionally built lining inside of the gloves. These are modern, fashionable, and most importantly very useful gloves that will last a very long time no matter what you are using them for.

What Makes Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves Unique:

  • This particular glove can be found on many recommended belay gloves lists manufactured by climbers. And even the reviews are so positive that you will be satisfied with the quality and overall value of their product that they even offer a 30-day no-hassle refund that is sure to help you out in any way if you are not entirely happy. On the other side, there is actually a built-in terry cloth sweat wipe which is meant to help if your hands get sweaty after a long hard workday because typically cheaper gloves will break down and start to show signs of wear after just a couple applications. However, Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves are made with such a high-quality design it will last you ages and ages.

Why Choose Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves:

  • Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves are very highly rated, and always has new improvements and different varieties of the product throughout the year. An example of their customer satisfaction comes from their reviews, with their overall rating being very close to 5 stars, “These gloves are a good compromise in comfort, protection, and affordability. I also own Milwaukee’s demolition gloves, but these offer a decent amount of protection for quite a bit less money. They’re seeming to hold up pretty well, but I haven’t exactly put them through any torture tests. I prefer to use these over thick leather gloves because the performance gloves fit my hands very well, without bulky fingers that limit dexterity. The gloves are breathable, which really adds some comfort when working outside in the heat. The velcro wrist strap keeps them on and prevents slipping well. I got lots of use out of the terry cloth sweat wipe too, which is a great design feature. Good thing they’re machine washable!”

On Sale
Milwaukee 48-22-8722 Performance Work Gloves, Large
  • Smart swipe Fingertips, Knuckles and Palms - Permits the use of touch screen devices without removing gloves
  • High dexterity finger tips provide dexterity when handling small objects
  • Built-in terry cloth sweat wipe

Last update: 2024-10-22 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API


Our Runner Ups for the Best Belay Gloves for ClimbingOur Runner Ups for the Best Belay Gloves for Climbing

Metolius Belay Gloves

This fantastic pair of Metolius Belay gloves features an adjustable hook and loop wrist closure which allows for use in a variety of different subjects. Their product description even adds more details to the features of this product,  “Mesh back material is breathable and stretches to enhance fit. Integrated clip-in hole for easy carry. More durable than goatskin yet offers an excellent fit and dexterity.“  Being made of a very strong leather type material, this pair of belay gloves are perfect for climbing on any type of surface – indoor or outdoor. In fact, these gloves aren’t only great for adults but are also just as useful for youth members as well.

What Makes Metolius Belay Gloves Unique:

  • This glove actually has more variety and different uses than all of the other rope climbing gloves on today’s list. Even the reviews have picked up on how great Metolius Belay Gloves truly are, “I have only used these once for a sport climbing trip outside of Austin. I’m 6’5″, but don’t have enormous hands and found my size large gloves pretty snug. I don’t discount the snug fit, but I think it will take a few wears for the gloves to fit just right. The carabiner hole is also pretty useful and I look forward to wearing these gloves more.” On the other hand, here is a different view from another fellow customer, “This glove really strikes a great balance between value and price. No, it isn’t the cheapest glove out there by any stretch of the imagination. However, gloves of this quality will run you twice what this glove does, and this one may even edge those out.”

Why Choose Metolius Belay Gloves:

If you happen to be looking for a very strong yet durable climbing pair of gloves, you better write the name of Metolius Belay Gloves down on a piece of paper because you have struck gold. These will also be able to last for several years if used every single day, that is a really remarkable piece of information to us because as you are probably more than aware, gloves do not always last that long.

Metolius Full Finger Belay Glove - Naural Small
  • Cowhide main body with triple-stitched, split cowhide palm reinforcement
  • Biner clip in loop
  • All wear areas are reinforced

Last update: 2024-11-01 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API


Black Diamond Climbing Crag

Made of synthetic leather, you know you’re getting your values worth for this pair of gloves. Specifically, they happen to be 6” wide and 3” tall which is a pretty standard glove size for the majority of pairs you will likely be able to come across. Another plus to this product is the fact it comes with hook-and-loop cuff closure with pull-on. They are even so highly rated that they are over 4.5 stars of positive reviews that puts this as one of the frontrunners in all of the climbing gloves you will see upon the market.

What Makes Black Diamond Climbing Crag Unique:

  • Basing our picks on the way these belay gloves are viewed by the general public is actually a high priority of ours simply because it’s great to know people love a product just as much as you. For example, here is a review found on Google for these Black Diamond Climbing Crag Gloves, “These gloves did an outstanding job on a recent trek to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite. Some others we saw tried using $5 leather gardening gloves or even padded biking gloves to get up these cables (do a google image search and you’ll see what I’m talking about), and they had all kinds of issues. These gloves gripped wonderfully and didn’t slide at all, which is critical to keeping you safe on the mountain. My wife did this trip, and when she returned the first words out of her mouth (after “hi honey”, course) were that these gloves were awesome and I had to write an Amazon review of them. Not only were they perfect for the cables, they kept her hands in great shape in those times she used them with her climbing poles in steep areas.”

Why Choose Black Diamond Climbing Crag:

  • Being only about 4 ounces, these lightweight guys pack a punch of strength and great portability. It will almost feel like you aren’t wearing anything at all which is a great godsend for the majority of belay climbers. If you would love to learn more about Black Diamond Climbing Crag take a quick peek at their product description found on Amazon, “A lightweight, breathable and durable cragging glove for belaying and via ferrate, the Black Diamond Crag protects your hands without compromising dexterity. Built with highly breathable stretch-mesh and tough synthetic leather, the Crag provides a firm grip and comfortable fit. Imported.”

Black Diamond Crag Half-Finger Climbing Gloves, Black, Large
  • Country Of Origin: Pakistan
  • Package Height Of The Item Is 1.0"
  • Package Length Of The Item Is 1.0"

Last update: 2024-11-01 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API


Our Value Picks for the Best Belay Gloves for ClimbingOur Value Picks for the Best Belay Gloves for Climbing

Mountain Hardwear Butter Glove

Who’s better to tell you about the hilarious yet very charming named Butter Gloves than the humble creators of the glove themselves, “The name says it all: the Butter Glove is our lightest-weight liner that’s silky smooth and buttery soft. Can be worn alone on a cold day when you need maximum dexterity — but you’ll find they make a great wicking liner. Seamless fingertips for greater dexterity.” With that last sentence, the glove’s fingertips really do prove to be a fantastic design. They want you to feel like the thin design isn’t even their, and then it feels like it is there when you need to have durable gloves in a tough climbing situation. These pair of gloves are wonderful for those on a budget as they go on sale very frequently.

What Makes Butter Glove Unique:

  • With sizes that come in the standard, small, medium, and of course large, the creators of the Butter Glove want you to get the most customized and best fitting belay glove out on the market. Being made of fabric body, they are somehow fluffy and even durable in the toughest of situations. While they have a basic black design, the interior of this product is one that is professionally made and really great in our eyes.

Why Choose Butter Glove:

  • The Butter Glove is highly rated and an exceptional pair of gloves that are excellent for belay climbing but aren’t limited to it by any stretch of the imagination, as evident by a plethora of recent reviews, “I bought this second pair of butter glove because I wanted a lightweight glove for running in 30-45F temperatures. My first pair has made it through two winters of constant wear and cleaning without showing any seam failure. Great glove!  I recommend these 100%. You also can’t tell in the picture very well, but there are holes in the wrist straps so you can attach the gloves to your pack using a carabiner.”

Uline Gription Gloves

This sleek and very visually appealing set of gloves weighs in as our second value pick for a very great reason. That reason being the fact that they have such a wide appeal and longevity – as we see both of those aspects as very great signs when you happen to be looking for a pair of rope climbing gloves. Here is even just a brief description of this product that can be found across various websites,  “Super-tacky palm and fingertips for a non-slip grip. Handle material handling, warehouse, and construction jobs. Breathable, flexible for all-day use.”

What Makes Uline Gription Gloves Unique:

  • Quite shockingly, these pair of belay gloves actually get the most people using them for more uses than just belaying – which just shows us how big the appeal for the Uline Gription Gloves are. The appeal for this product spans as far as factory work, climbing, winter gloves, yard work, and much more. We think this just goes to show how effective this pair of gloves truly is, people love these so much they are willing to use them for just about any service imaginable.

Why Choose Uline Gription Gloves:

  • Uline Gription Gloves are continuously loved and supported by a very large number of members in the climbing community, from Reddit to Facebook. Here’s some insight from a newcomer to the product, “I love these gloves. They’re everything the product description says. I work in a factory handling parts made of various plastics. They’re thin enough that I can feel for defects in the parts. My hands don’t sweat and they’re very comfortable. I’ve been wearing this pair 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 1.5 months and it’s time to replace them. Given how much I use them on a daily basis, I think for what I paid for 3 pair, this was a good deal.”

Why You Should Invest in Quality Belay Gloves

In our humble opinion, wearing high-quality belay gloves makes anyone’s climbing experience a million times safer. Just one fall can put you out of rock climbing for the rest of your years, so being the safest you humanly can be is very meaningful. They do in fact range from a thin variant to a very thick material version, which depends on what you prefer or the environment you will be using them in. We hope you can understand the sheer amount of safety it adds to your climbing experience.

First things first is deciding if you think having a pair of belay gloves will benefit you (spoiler alert, having one almost always benefits you). You’ll come to learn that many rock climbers in the industry heavily recommend using belay gloves. But, they aren’t just going to advertise any ordinary pair, professionals will recommend having the best of all time. You may be asking yourself, “What is the best belay gloves for climbing then?” Don’t fret, finding the best one will be easily determined for your specific skillset, equipment, and purpose – if it hasn’t already been decided for you. Once you have pondered about that, then you now need to begin thinking on what you’re going to be using your very own belay gloves for. Ensure to also think about your budget and how long you need the product to last. Depending on the cheaper price, it might seem like it’s saving you a couple of bucks here and there, but typically the more affordable they are the shorter the longevity.

How to Choose the Best Belay Gloves for You

Reviews

Clearly, people heavily value the opinions and satisfaction of fellow buyers on a variety of recommended belay gloves. Reviews help you understand if the vast majority of people are happy with their purchase which typically can help you gauge whether or not you’ll be satisfied with your purchase as well. When looking at reviews, you’ll want to aim for at least 80% overall satisfaction to ensure that the product maintains a high standard it’s marketed as.

Price

As with all of your purchases, we’re sure you can agree that price is a major factor on whether or not you’re actually going to buy the product. Most of the time, the higher the price the better the product, and that couldn’t be more true with rope climbing gloves actually. You are paying for the material of the belay gloves, as well as the design intuition. Price also contributes to how long you think you’re going to need the product to last – whether it’s for a big ol’ trip or just to use occasionally for just a bit of fun with your climbing friends.

Longevity

The second to last thing to consider is quite simple yet very valuable to remember to look out for, that being longevity – how long you expect the belay gloves to last. As with most things in life, they don’t last forever or even that many years when you think about it. However, most of these gloves on today’s list are made of thick and expensive materials designed to last for a good amount of time and be able to withstand the harsh environments climbers can be in.

Quality

Lastly, you need to also be sure to check on how good the gloves protect your hands, grip onto holds, and how comfortable they truly are. This not only saves you money on future purchases but makes the overall climbing experience more enjoyable. Based on its materials you’ll be able to equate how well it was designed and the strength of the product. In short, quality is always something to look for as quality also helps ensure the last thing to look for – longevity.

Summary of the Best Belay Gloves for Climbing

Our Top Pick
Milwaukee 48-22-8722 Performance Work Gloves, Large
Our #2 Pick
Metolius Full Finger Belay Glove - Naural Small
Our #3 Pick
Black Diamond Crag Half-Finger Climbing Gloves, Black, Large
Belay Gloves
Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves
Metolius Belay Gloves
Black Diamond Climbing Crag
Prime Eligible?
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
-
Our Top Pick
Milwaukee 48-22-8722 Performance Work Gloves, Large
Belay Gloves
Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves
Prime Eligible?
Amazon Prime
Our #2 Pick
Metolius Full Finger Belay Glove - Naural Small
Belay Gloves
Metolius Belay Gloves
Prime Eligible?
Amazon Prime
Our #3 Pick
Black Diamond Crag Half-Finger Climbing Gloves, Black, Large
Belay Gloves
Black Diamond Climbing Crag
Prime Eligible?
-

Last update: 2024-10-22 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

With no doubts in our mind after today’s list of the best belay gloves, the Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves is our overall favorite pair of belay gloves. It works for every skill level imaginable and provides a solid experience. The glove’s extra space and gripping power just add to this already great product. These belay gloves offer a large amount of space which will ensure you’re the climber with the best fit and overall most comfortable pair out there.

On the other hand, the clear cut winner of the runner ups title is handed to Metolius Belay Gloves. Due to professionally made materials, it’s easily applicable to be shared with your climbing friends or anyone for that particular matter. It can single-handedly be put through the beater and still survive and be in a very durable and strong condition. The Metolius Belay Gloves heavily competes with the prior winner, but overall is not as loved and well known as the Milwaukee Performance Work Gloves.

Thirdly, the last title of value picks belongs to the Butter Glove. With this product’s additional lifetime warranty it adds a huge aspect to the title of value picks. It’s even designed to withstand the harshest environments imaginable- even if you go out climbing every single day of the week for many hours. You’re getting a little bit of everything with this very unique pair of rope climbing gloves which obviously promises a huge amount of value that’s sure to last you many years, just for a one-time price. Overall, this product will stay in our minds for a very long time – as it should with you as well.

In closing remarks, there is a pair of belay gloves for everyone and there continues to be new ones made each year by climbing companies. We hope that today we have assisted you in narrowing down the perfect belay gloves for you and have helped explain what makes each and every belay gloves its own. The best belay gloves for climbing are out there for you, we promise you that.

Did you enjoy this post? Then check out our other climbing gear reviews here.

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