Grip gloves are textured gloves which provide traction to prevent slipping and sliding. There are a number of uses for grip gloves, ranging from athletics to moving, and they can be a useful thing to keep around the house. Like other gloves, grip gloves come in a range of styles and sizes, with many companies making generic gloves which can fit a range of hand sizes. Hardware stores and sports suppliers both carry an array of grip gloves, and specialty grip gloves are also available from stores which cater to particular athletic pursuits such as yoga.
There are many occasions when people need to wear gloves to protect their hands, but ordinary gloves would potentially be slippery, which could lead to dropped objects or difficulty in performing tasks. Grip gloves provide protection for the hands in these situations, while offering a textured surface which creates some friction and traction. Movers and mechanics, for example, can utilize grip gloves to keep their hands safe during heavy and dangerous tasks. Grip gloves also keep the hands safe in cold weather so that people can work outdoors in cold or frosty conditions.
In other applications, bare hands might be perfectly safe and appropriate, but they could become slick from sweat, causing slippage. Yoga is an excellent example of an application for grip gloves; by wearing yoga grip gloves on the map, yogis and yoginis can ensure that they will not slip while performing tricky yoga moves. The grip gloves are also soft enough to touch the skin, allowing for a firm grip in poses where the hands grip various parts of the body.
Grip gloves for sweaty sports like tennis, cycling, and horseback riding are also available, sometimes with special features which are designed for use in a specific sport. Cycling gloves, for example, might have cutout fingertips to make it easy to change gears. Using grip gloves in these sports can also protect the hands from cold weather, which can be a concern for some athletes.
These gloves can be handy for household tasks like wrestling with heavy furniture while rearranging a room, or performing various fix-it tasks around the house. A basic pair of cotton grip gloves can be kept in a utility drawer and used by several members of the house, with cotton being an ideal material because it is strong, durable, and washable. More heavy duty grip gloves made from leather and synthetics are also available for heavier tasks like chopping wood or working on cars.
By Mary McMahon
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a About Mechanics researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.