You’ll never see a sailing glove sold with golf gloves. And you’ll always see people coming off of sailboats with bruised, bleeding hands. And, for a good reason. Sailing gloves are highly engineered. Besides their obvious function, they should fit to the size of your hand and most importantly, the glove should stay on your hand without folding or letting go. As far as gloves go, I can count the number of times I haven’t had a glove stay on or have seen it flap off my hand before the actual time I’ve needed it. Do not try to save some money by buying a cheap pair. Cheap gloves will break, slip off your hand, cause injuries, or disappear. Spend the money if you need to get the right gloves.

Speaking of putting the gloves on your hand, make sure they’re big enough. If you are shopping around from online shops such as unigloves, for example, you may want to go with a half size bigger if needed. Remember, they are going on your hand first, after your palm is warmed, you can roll them down to fit better. Although you’re going to sit down on the sailboat, you’re going to be standing up with your hands constantly. The gloves need to stay on. Get your gloves wet with water, be careful not to sit in them or they’ll leave marks. Invest in good sailing gloves if you want to be a safe sailor.

Find the right weight for your hand

As I’m sure many of you have read, we sail in pretty light weather. If you’re out of shape, your hands are going to get cold pretty quickly. If you’re heavy, you won’t be able to stay warm for as long. I prefer to find a pair of gloves that is slightly heavier than my hand. Some come in heavier, with half or quarter fingers. But that’s not really necessary. You’ll be able to just roll them down once they are warm. I prefer to use a half size or heavier than my hand, so I can adjust the glove to the right size. Otherwise, you may find yourself pulling on the glove and getting it caught around your neck and trying to get it off, causing more damage than necessary.

Instead of pushing your glove off with your fingers, roll them and slide your hand into the glove. Slide your thumb in first. Then roll the glove down the back of your hand and through the opening. Adjust if necessary until the gloves fit you comfortably. Then you can remove your thumb. If the gloves were larger than my hand, they would end up coming off my hand rather easily. The glove will end up rolling off your hand. The way the gloves are made, if you try to force them off your hand, they’ll rip apart and leave you with holes in your hand. Not a good idea.

It’s hard to find a sailing glove that fits your hand comfortably, so try to find one with a drawstring closure. There are some gloves that don’t have a drawstring but they will give you some protection. But I personally feel like they have a tighter fit. So it’s good to have a pair that gives you some flexibility.

There are other important things to consider when buying a pair of sailing gloves. Weight is something you definitely want to try and find a pair that is lighter than your hand. Also make sure the gloves have some waterproof protection on them. And don’t worry, you can purchase them online as well for the best deals.

They are well worth It

Sailing gloves can get pretty expensive. But, in all honesty, a pair that has lasted me almost 20 years is something I’ll definitely invest in, without a doubt.