If you’re looking for lifting gloves for deadlifts, you’re either someone who (1) wants to protect your hands from calluses or (2) increase your grip strength.
Truth be told, you should only wear workout gloves for deadlifts if you want to prevent calluses.
If you struggle with grip, deadlifting gloves can actually make the problem worse because the thick material of the glove will prevent you from closing your hand tightly around the barbell.
If you struggle with grip because of sweaty palms, I recommend using liquid chalk (this one is my favorite).
If you struggle with grip because your hands are just weak, then (1) get some lifting straps (check out my reviews of the best lifting straps), and (2) get yourself a hand strengthener device so in the long-term you’re working on the underlying issue (weak hands).
With that out of the way, if you still require deadlift workout gloves to protect your hands from calluses, then I’ve reviewed the 3 best options on the market.
In a hurry? Here’s my top pick:
The best deadlift workout glove is the Gymreapers Weight Lifting Grips, which have the best balance between protecting your hands from calluses, but not being overly bulky, which can negatively affect your grip strength. They are also very rugged and are built to last without fraying after repeated gym use.
Check to see whether the gloves are cheaper on Amazon or direct from Gymreapers. If there are no price differences, I recommend ordering direct from Gymreapers to get better customer service.
Table of Contents
Should You Wear Gloves While Deadlifting?
No, you shouldn’t wear gloves while deadlifting because gloves padding effectively increases the barbell thickness and makes it harder to grip. Yet, if you’re only looking for a way to prevent calluses, then you may go with gloves, as they can help in minimizing that problem.
Calluses are those rough patches that may develop into serious ulcers and require medical attention.
In addition to how uncomfortable and distracting they are, they also look bad and scratchy, which is why a lot of women prefer using gloves when they’re lifting or doing exercises that involve metal bars.
And yes, workout gloves offer a relatively thin barrier layer that is required to prevent these calluses and blisters from forming or at least limit them to a minimum.
However, blisters aren’t the only reason why people look for lifting gloves for deadlifting. From my experience, the main problem that lifters face while lifting is grip, and many of them opt for gloves thinking that these gloves will improve their grip performance.
In that case, gloves aren’t your best solution, and there are plenty of options to go for, such as traditional lifting straps, figure 8 straps, or hooks.
These options will provide you with a much better grip and performance than gloves if that’s what you’re looking for.
Moreover, gloves that are suitable for deadlifts will be usually made of thinner materials that will wear out quickly.
On the other hand, lifting straps and hooks will usually last a lot longer and resist fraying, especially if you’re using a quality one.
Top 3 Deadlift Workout Gloves Available on the Market
The top 3 deadlift workout gloves are:
- Gymreapers Weight Lifting Grips – Best Overall Gloves for Deadlifts
- RIMsports Leather Workout Gloves – Best for Women/Small Hands
- DMoose Workout Gloves – Best Budget Pick
1. Gymreapers Weight Lifting Grips – Best Overall Gloves for Deadlifts
The Gymreapers grips aren’t technically deadlift gloves. However, they’re the ideal middle ground between protection from calluses and maintaining a somewhat powerful grip over the bar.
The way you wear these “grips” is that you wrap the cuff around your wrist, which is fastened with Velcro. Then you wrap the leather material around the deadlift bar, which acts as a protective barrier between your hand and the bar. It’s the leather that keeps your palm from developing calluses.
The main difference between these weight lifting grips and lifting straps is that the grips cover the entire palm, so the whole hand is protected. Whereas, with liftin straps there is still skin exposed that can develop calluses.
Additionally, one of the great things about these grips that they’re super breathable and padded with neoprene, which promotes comfort while wearing them.
Although they’re a bit pricey, the grips are well-built and should last you quite some time.
Pros
- Remarkably durable design
- Comes in many colors
- The ideal design to maintain grip while providing protection
Cons
- Pricey
Check to see whether the gloves are cheaper on Amazon or direct from Gymreapers. If there are no price differences, I recommend ordering direct from Gymreapers to get better customer service.
2. RIMsports Leather Workout Gloves – Best for Women/Small Hands
What I liked about this glove is that it maintains some of the comfort quality without adding too much material by padding. The only place padding on callus-prone contact points only.
So in theory, you should still be able to maintain a relatively strong grip around the barbell for deadlifts.
Meanwhile, it’s available in a variety of sizes, including an X-small one, which is perfect for small hands and women’s hands. There are also plenty of designs that match all tastes.
RIMsports also backs up their product with a lifetime warranty, for an additional layer of security and value to the gloves!
Pros
- Available in a variety of designs
- Suitable for small hands
- Only padded where it matters for comfort and protection
Cons
- You should wash them before first use because the colors bleed into sweaty hands
3. DMoose Workout Gloves – Best Budget Pick
Lastly, if you’re on a budget and looking for a pair of gloves to avoid calluses while deadlifting, you should consider the DMoose Workout Gloves.
Of course, there might be other cheaper options, but they’re either too bulky and too flimsy that they’re not worth your money. Moreover, they just wouldn’t be suitable for deadlifting.
I do think that you could use these gloves for other movements in the gym, outside of just deadlifting. But they aren’t the most durable, so if you do a lot of barbell lifting, you can expect for them to fray and breakdown with repeated gym use.
Pros
- Highly affordable and great for someone on a budget
- Relatively more comfortable while maintaining a low thickness
- Available in a variety of sizes, including X-Small for a snug fit for petite hands
Cons
- The thin material won’t last a long time with continuous use.
Deadlift Glove Alternatives: Grip Solutions
Now that you know that a deadlift glove isn’t the best solution for weak grip, let’s have a quick look at the options you have to improve your performance.
1. Weightlifting Hooks
My number one recommendation to improve grip problems is usually weightlifting hooks. These are curved metal hooks that are securely attached to your hand and wrist through a velcro strap.
The work by getting the hooks under the barbell to shift the weight pressure and tension completely from your hands to your wrists and forearms, which are a lot stronger.
In fact, you can even take your hands completely off the barbell while using them, though not recommended.
Deadlift hooks can be also used for other exercises, such as shrugs and rows, and exist in a wide variety of options.
Ideally, I pick the Grip Power Pads Lifting Hooks as the overall best option because they’re extremely durable and capable of lifting up to 600 lbs, which is more than enough for even advanced lifters.
Moreover, they’re lined with neoprene to keep your hands comfortable during the lift. Click here if you want to find out more about the best weight lifting hooks on the market and how to pick the ideal one for you.
2. Figure 8 Straps
Similar to hooks, lifting straps are excellent tools to help you overcome the grip limitations of your hands, allowing you to lift as much as your arms, back, and quads can go.
Ideally, there are plenty of types of lifting straps. However, when it comes to deadlifts, there aren’t many options that will get the job done better than figure 8 straps because they’re all about security.
They’re usually designed in the form of a single loop of rugged fabric that is stitched into an “8” figure, creating two equal loops that you wrap around the bar.
The Serious Steel Fitness Figure 8 Straps are my recommendation for this category because they’re well built and designed to do what 8-figure straps do best. Here’s a quick guide that I wrote with several other options
3. Regular Straps
If you like to drop the barbell from the top of the lift, a highly secure lifting strap like the 8-figure one wouldn’t be a good idea. Instead, you want a lifting strap that can unfold immediately as you release it.
In that case, other types of straps, such as the regular ones, would be a more suitable alternative to gym deadlift gloves.
They’re also called a single loop strap because of how they look. They usually have unequal sides in terms of thickness and you wrap them around the bar before lifting.
If you want to find out more about lifting straps, how to use them properly, and whether regular or figure 8 straps are better for you, make sure that you read my best lifting straps guide.
4. Strengthening Your Natural Grip
While using straps and hooks to improve your grip over the bar is a great idea, they sometimes have a technical disadvantage of developing dependencies. This happens due to the gap creating between your deadlift muscles and hand strength.
If you want your hands to keep up and get some strength on their own, improving the strength of the grip naturally is your way to go.
I’ve previously written a guide about the best hand strengtheners on the market. Of course, IronMind’s Original Captain of Crush is my top recommendation for hand strengtheners.
Moreover, I also wrote a full guide that walks you through all the techniques and details to train your grip and how to use the grippers properly with sample routines and information about their resistance levels.
Main Features: What To Look For With Deadlift Gloves
Thickness
Gloves are typically thick, which you now know is a bad thing. Always check the thickness of the material and find the sweet spot that offers protection without being too bulky and limiting your grip power.
Materials and Durability
One of the main problems with deadlift workout gloves is that they’re typically thin to avoid unnecessary padding this impact grip, but that also makes them uncomfortable.
That’s why you need to make sure that the gloves make up for the thin materials by offering naturally durable ones, such as neoprene and leather.
Avoiding the Extras
Additional features like built-in wrist support and full-finger coverage are not necessary for the deadlift movement, so you’re better off avoiding them anyway.
Wrap Up
I hope that this guide has led you to a satisfying answer regarding the best deadlift gloves on the market.
If gloves are still your choice, make sure that they're a grip-enhancing type like the Gymreapers Weight Lifting Grips rather than traditional thick gloves.
However, if maintaining grip is your main priority, I’d recommend something more suitable, such as Serious Steel Fitness Figure 8 Straps or Grip Power Pads Lifting Hooks.
