Climbing gloves: climb the next summit safely
Climbing builds body awareness and reduces fears. It's the perfect sport to push your limits and then let your mind wander. But as a velcro climber, you know that: Your safety has top priority. Whether in the bouldering hall or on a bare rock face, you protect yourself against accidents with the right climbing equipment. This includes climbing gloves. They not only protect you when climbing, but also when belaying and abseiling.
Protect yourself and your hands
Climbing ropes generate friction and therefore heat when you run through them. If you use them with bare hands, you will burn yourself or develop blisters. Rubberised sports gloves absorb the friction and protect your skin. To provide sufficient protection, they are reinforced on the palms and wrists. They also give sharp wire ends no chance of damaging your skin. Gloves are an important piece of climbing equipment for crack climbing. Here you wedge your hands into crevices and cracks to secure yourself and move around. The rough rock surface can easily cause pressure points or abrasions. You can easily avoid this risk with gloves made of tear-resistant material. You will quickly work up a sweat during sporting activity. This also applies to your hands. Damp fingers are therefore taboo when climbing. With a coating on the inside or permeable material, climbing gloves ensure that you always have a firm grip on the rock.
The right pair for every situation
The fine motor skills of your fingers are essential when climbing & bouldering. Good climbing clothing protects them without impairing them too strongly. That's why sports gloves fit as snugly as possible. However, every layer between your fingertips and the rock face reduces the sensitivity of your sense of touch. Even if full gloves protect your skin best, they are not always the best choice for your climbing tours.
Models without fingertips offer you better sensitivity. They are particularly recommended for summer activities, but also for outdoor use in general. They provide excellent grip on rough rock faces. Beginners who want to develop a better feel for the rock like to use these so-called half-finger gloves. You can also use these models for bouldering indoors.
In winter or if you want to get particularly high up into the alpine mountain landscapes, lined or padded versions provide protection against the frosty temperatures. They make up for the reduced sense of touch thanks to the rubber coating on the fingers.
Sports gloves made from leather, synthetic leather or softshell
Leather is a popular material with many climbing clothing manufacturers. Its surface structure gives you a firm grip on the rock. As a robust material, it not only offers you excellent protection, but is also durable. The disadvantage of leather gloves is that you need to care for them sufficiently to ensure this longevity. They are particularly susceptible to water. Caring for leather equipment therefore involves taking measures to make it water-repellent. Synthetic leather offers the same advantages, but is less maintenance-intensive.
Another popular material is softshell. Unlike leather, this is waterproof. As a breathable material, it allows moisture to escape from the inside of the gloves. This property makes softshell gloves comfortable to wear and increases their grip.