Gaming gloves are kind of new to the gaming ecosphere, only gaining traction with gamers within the last decade or so.
In terms of comfort and design, they are generally pretty good, but do they do anything to improve your gameplay and are they worth the expense?
Or are they just another fad?
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Are Gaming Gloves Worth It?
Gaming gloves may be worth it if you live in a cold or humid environment, or if your hands tend to sweat more than usual. Gaming gloves tend to help the most in cold or humid climates. They can keep your hands warm in the cold and neutralize the impact of sweat in warmer weather or if your hands tend to sweat more than usual.
Gaming gloves are a comfortable option for many gamers, especially for more serious gamers who spend a lot of time working at their craft.
They provide a little extra padding and help maintain grip when your palms get sweaty.
What Are Gaming Gloves?
If you’ve ever seen someone shooting pool and wearing a glove on their shooting hand well, gaming gloves look a lot like that and act similarly, in that they provide grip. Some have finger sleeves but the index finger is always free for the necessary tactile feedback on the mouse clicker, keyboard, or controller’s shoulder buttons.
Ultimately, gaming gloves are just gloves, but they’re specifically designed for gamers with ergonomic functionality that offers wrist support, a more padded palm with improved grip, and they help to keep your hands dry.
If you spend a lot of time at the computer or with a controller in your hand, there is a level of fatigue that builds up.
It’s barely noticeable at first, but it can reach a level of discomfort, without quite venturing into the realm of pain.
Some people have to deal with sweaty hands as well; far more than others.
Gaming gloves are highly beneficial for just that problem, as sweat can be highly problematic when you’re using a mouse or a controller.
Why Do Gamers Wear Gloves And What Do They Do?
There are a lot of reasons to wear gaming gloves because of the benefits that they confer.
- They keep your hands warm
- Improved controller/mouse grip
- Reduced hand cramps
- Ergonomic support
- Helps to avoid raw fingertips
Some people just have cold hands and it doesn’t matter what the ambient temperature in the room is.
They can be standing in the sun on a subtropical island and they can keep their drinks cold just by holding them.
For those individuals, a gaming glove is worth every penny because it helps to keep the hands warm.
An added and beneficial side effect of this, is warm fingers are far more reliable, nimble, and efficient at gaming than cold fingers.
Gaming gloves reduce hand cramps because the material provides a degree of support, which translates to not only your hands but your wrists as well. This is especially true at a computer, where you are far more prone to developing carpal tunnel than you are holding a controller.
It also helps you avoid raw fingertips by protecting your thumbpads and fingertips from the buildup of friction on the buttons. Not all gaming gloves are this way, since most don’t have sleeves for the index finger.
Do Gaming Gloves Provide A Competitive Advantage?
The primary reason that gamers wear gaming gloves is to gain a competitive advantage. All of the other functionality and benefits that come with gaming gloves are secondary.
There are a lot of games out there that require a level of reaction speed and precision that you won’t find in a turn-based RPG.
As of recently, that game is Elden Ring, where a lack of reaction speed almost always means death.
When it comes to Elden Ring, the strategic advantage applies to both combat on a PvE scale and a PvP scale, because you fight both AI opponents and real players from all over.
If you aren’t on your toes, it can be quite a frustrating experience and a lot of gamers feel like they have a bit of an edge with gaming gloves.
There would be nothing worse than a slightly sweaty palm that resulted from a high level of concentration and stress, suddenly becoming your undoing in the flash of a second.
Related Article: Do Gaming Glasses Help With Motion Sickness? (And How To Stop It)
Are Compression Gloves Good for Gaming?
Compression gloves are outstanding gloves for gaming, but only if you experience hand cramping. Many gamers can game for hours, engaged in lightning-fast FPS shooters, and never have a single problem with a hand cramp.
Then again, there are those who experience hand cramping within an hour or so and that’s who these gloves are made for.
Compression gloves weren’t even designed for gaming, at least not in the beginning.
They’re primarily designed for those who suffer from arthritis or other types of inflammation and finger joint pain.
They do this by improving hand warmth, which improves the blood flow to oxygen-starved joints. They also help to reduce swelling.
When you add all of those design goals together, it’s easy to see how compression gloves could be good for gamers that are struggling with hand cramps.
They’re especially good for older gamers whose fingers aren’t as limber and quick as their younger counterparts.
Can I Use Gaming Gloves For Both PC and Console Gaming?
Gaming gloves can be used for either PC or console gaming, since both variations require your hands to remain in a cramped posture, while still relying on precise and quick movements, for extended periods.
In fact, they may be more of an advantage for console gamers who generally don’t even have a desk to offer some semblance of wrist support and are also required to move all of the fingers on both hands more frequently and more rapidly.
That’s especially true for the fingertips since they touch more surface area more frequently than they do on a mouse.
What To Look For In A Good Pair Of Gaming Gloves
When looking for a good pair of gaming gloves, you need to consider your gaming setup, whether or not you suffer any hand stress as a result of gaming and whether cold or sweaty hands are an issue for you.
For PC Gamers
One of the first things to consider is your gaming setup. If you play on a PC or use a gaming laptop, then wrist support and finger dexterity should be features to consider.
PC gaming gloves should feel very natural to wear, helping you to maintain better hand posture and prioritize an ergonomic feel above everything else.
For Console Gamers
However, if you game on a console, sweaty palms may be an issue. In this case, fingerless gloves with a focus on moisture-wicking capabilities should be considered to help you keep a good grip on the controller.
If shopping for gaming gloves for console players, you may notice that most are fingerless and provide great grip and anti-sweat features to keep you in control of the joypad and your palms dry, while the fingerless design gives your fingers additional freedom of movement.
If You Suffer From Hand Strain
If you regularly experience any hand or wrist strain, compression-type gaming gloves could be very beneficial.
Compression gloves can help to alleviate pain and inflammation by applying light pressure to your veins, increasing blood flow, and warming the temperature of your hands.
This allows you a better range of motion, reduced stiffness, and a stronger grip to hold gaming peripherals.
In case you’re in the market for some, a decent pair of compression gloves for gaming is the Copper Compression Arthritis Gloves.
For Cold Hands
If the main issue is that you’re prone to getting cold hands, look for well-insulated gloves that can warm up your hands quickly and keep them warm.
These types of gaming gloves should be constructed with thicker fabrics but should still be ergonomic enough not to interfere with your gameplay.
For Sweaty Palms
If you’re someone who always has clammy hands, gaming gloves with grippy textures and more breathable materials may suit you the best.
These types of gaming gloves should feature materials such as silicone grips for enhanced control and great moisture-wicking capabilities to help tackle the build-up of sweat.
A great pair of gaming gloves to counter sweaty hands are the Bear Grips Gaming Gloves.
Final Thoughts
Gaming gloves may be something that you see with professional gamers more often than hardcore gamers at home but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be useful.
Some gamers swear by gaming gloves while others find them to be more of a hindrance.
They’re certainly not for everyone so whether or not gaming gloves are worth it for you will be entirely up to your specific circumstances.
