Climbing Gloves

If you plan to jam in cracks, pick full-finger crack gloves with reinforced padding like the Black Diamond Crack Climbing Glove, which uses about 2mm padding for abrasion protection. For warm-weather sport or bouldering choose half- or 3/4-finger crag gloves for more dexterity, and for cold alpine days opt for softshells with gauntlets and adjustable wrist straps.

Fit depends on glove type: crack gloves usually have stretchy cuffs and pre-curved geometry and come in sizes S–XL with palm widths around 3–4 inches, while crag gloves favor a snug, anatomical fit in S/M/L or one-size options. Test finger length and palm girth because leather can stretch 10–20% with use, and softshells add room for layering with adjustable wrist straps.

Goatskin and cowhide leather palms offer excellent abrasion resistance and grip, with thicker leathers (around 1.5–2mm) lasting longer, while deerskin gives superior dexterity but tends to wear faster. Look for reinforced areas like TPU crack guards or padded knuckles and double-stitched seams to extend service life.

Low-profile models such as the Outdoor Research Splitter II and Fossil Rock II are designed to keep bulk down while maintaining dexterity; Splitter II includes Gore-Tex inserts and a Pertex shell for moderate cold. These gloves trade some insulation for precise tool handling, so they’re ideal when you need finger control on ice and mixed routes.

Heavy-duty leather belay and rappel gloves like the Petzl Cordex use goatskin, triple-stitched seams, and robust construction to resist rope abrasion and punctures, often meeting CE EN388 puncture-resistance ratings in the 2–4 range. They’re built thicker than crag gloves to protect hands during multi-pitch trad and mountaineering, though they sacrifice a bit of dexterity compared with thinner models.