8 Best Running Gloves in 2024

Running isn’t a seasonal sport, you can run all year round, no matter what’s the weather. Being a running lover isn’t just about choosing proper running shoes, jackets, and tights, it also refers to picking the right gear such as the best running gloves. They guarantee comfort during a chilly fall or winter run without making your fingers numbed and frozen.

Thus, a runner should bundle up properly by wearing comfortable warm yet breathable and elastic clothing, including protecting their hands from cooling. Buying proper running gloves isn’t easy: it requires sufficient research on what gloves model serves well, their temperature management, and defining your needs.

Top 8 Best Running Gloves Reviewed

1. Nike Men’s Dry Tech Lightweight Running Gloves – Top Pick
2. New Balance Lightweight Running Gloves – Runner-Up
3. Adidas Dash 2.0 Winter Performance Gloves
4. FanVince Winter Running Gloves
5. Tough Outdoors Thermal Running Gloves
6. Aegend Lightweight Running Gloves
7. Unigear Lightweight Anti-Slip Running Gloves
8. FREETOO Winter Running Gloves

Product	Total	Price/Quality	Design	Comfort	Stitching	Durability	Protection
Nike	59	9.5	10	10	10	10	9.5
New Balance	59	10	10	10	10	9.5	9.5
Adidas	58.5	10	9.5	9.5	9.5	10	9.5
FanVince	58.5	9.5	10	9.5	10	9.5	10
Tough Outdoors	57	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5
Aegend	57	10	9	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5
Unigear	57	10	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5	9
FREETOO	55.5	9.5	9	9	9.5	9.5	9

1. Nike Men’s Dry Tech Lightweight Running Gloves – Top Pick

• Type: running, outdoor exercising
• Sizing: M-XL
• Material: polyester
• Color palette: black/silver
• Closure type: pull on
• Season suitable for: moderately cold winter, windy fall/spring

These best cold weather running gloves are made of lightweight and breathable material to avoid sweaty hands while guaranteeing warm and dry palms. These lightweight running gloves with a weight of just 0.1g provide good protection from windy and cold weather. It has light coverage for running in moderate temperatures. When it’s frosty outside, you can wear the second pair of gloves on these ones, which becomes possible due to their thin layer.

There’s a membrane material between fingers to vouch for your hands to stay dry and form a grip without clammy feelings. These mens running gloves have a reflective brand logo to make you noticeable in the early winter morning and evening running workout by keeping you safe and visible.

2. New Balance Lightweight Running Gloves – Runner-Up

• Type: running, outdoor exercising
• Sizing: S/M - L/XL
• Material: 86% polyester, 14% spandex
• Color palette: black, gray, dragonfly, hi-lite
• Closure type: pull on
• Season suitable for: cool spring/fall, wind chill, cold weather below +10 degrees Celsius

These warm running gloves have a reflective graphic logo, touchscreen, and smartphone touch-tip, silicone gripper on the palm to keep your gadget firmly. New Balance Dry & New Balance Fresh technology ensures sweat removal and keeps your hands dry and warm while resolving the issue of bad odors from sweating. These grippy waterproof gloves for running are feeling like a second skin due to the 3D stretch fabric.

They’re perfect for chilly fall and spring running workouts by guaranteeing your hands stay warm and comfortable even during heavy rains and strong winds.

3. Adidas Dash 2.0 Winter Performance Gloves

• Type: running, biking, outdoor exercising
• Sizing: XS/S - 7-7 ¼”, L/XL - 7 ¾”-8”
• Material: polyester
• Color palette: black/white
• Closure type: pull on
• Season suitable for: brisk windy days

Here you are the ultimate lightweight running gloves with Climawarm technology that keeps your hands warm due to excellent thermal insulation, still providing superb breathability. The moisture-wicking feature makes your hands stay dry and warm even during and after the longest intense running sessions.

You’ll enjoy exercising with them thanks to their high functionality: there are thumb and index touchscreen conductivity pads that simplify using your smartphone while you work out without taking gloves off.

Also, you get an extended cuff for updraft protection, so they keep even warmer for your hands and wrists. Moreover, there’s a hidden pocket compartment on the back of the hand to store some little essentials while running.

4. FanVince Winter Running Gloves

• Type: running, cycling, hiking, outdoor exercising
• Sizing: men XS-XL, women S-XXL; 3.09”-3.54” mid-finger length, 7.4”-8.86” palm circumference
• Material: polyester
• Color palette: black
• Closure type: pull on
• Season suitable for: cool winter, windy and rainy fall&spring

These gloves will keep your hands warm even for extra long workouts thanks to insulated warm and soft polar fleece fabric inside the gloves and a knitted cuff that is longer than in other gloves. They’re water-resistant and windproof due to their high-quality waterproof membrane and polar fleece material. So, these properties make them one of the best warm running gloves that can withstand frosty winters and windy chilly falls.

The touch screen design with the thumb and index pads and anti-slip surface enables you to click your smartphone and not be afraid of slipping it off the hand. Also, you’ll like multiple silicone particles on the thumb, forefinger, middle finger, and palm that increase gripping features.

5. Tough Outdoors Thermal Running Gloves

• Type: running, cycling, outdoor exercising
• Sizing: XS-XL, 6.5-7” - 9-10” palm circumference
• Material: polyester
• Color palette: black
• Closure type: pull on
• Season suitable for: cold temperatures 5-10 degrees of Celsius

These water-repellent gloves go with the brushed fleece fabric inside to keep your hands warm in low temps, making them one of the best gloves for running in moderately cool and brisk weather (5-10 degrees Celsius).

One-Touch Technology makes them sensitive, so you can swipe and type easily without hard touch and taking them off. Embossed gripping is made to avoid slipping your device from the hand. Thanks to the stretchy material, these gloves are anatomically fit with a low-bulk design that provides you excellent dexterity and high precision of touch.

Additionally, these gloves can be used as standalone or glove liners for ski gloves for extra warmth.

6. Aegend Lightweight Running Gloves

• Type: running, cycling, climbing, hiking, lifting weights, driving
• Sizing: S-L, 8.26-9.45" palm circumference, 7.48-8.26" length from width to mid finger
• Material: 88% polyester, 12% spandex
• Color palette: black
• Closure type: pull on
• Season suitable for: winter, early spring, fall

You can use them as liner gloves under ski mittens and other bulky gloves, or as standalone ones in moderate weather conditions.

The Touchscreen fingers design is compatible with all devices' screen types, silicone grip design with 4 pieces combination of the palm and fingers guarantees that your phone won't slip from your hand even during active movement.

Polyester fleece lining keeps your hands warm and comfortable, due to the fabric's elasticity and breathability you can easily put on and off the gloves. Double cuffs suppress wind blow. Additionally, anti-pilling and anti-static material features ensure your hands breathe and wick instantly.

7. Unigear Lightweight Anti-Slip Running Gloves

• Type: running, biking, cycling, driving, outdoor exercising
• Sizing: M-L, palm length 6.7-7.4” - 7.8”, palm circumference 7-9” - 7.4-9.4”
• Material: viscose 41.8%, cotton 29.8%, acryl 23.4%, spandex 5%
• Color palette: black
• Closure type: pull on
• Season suitable for: mild, moderately cool weather, the lowest temp resistance is 5 degrees of Celsius

These gloves are perfect for mild winter, fall, and spring, so if you want to wear them in cold frosty conditions, you’d better use them like a lining below the bulky gloves. The stretchy material fits your hands well by staying durable and guaranteeing high dexterity. Their lower elastic cuff of 1.57” in length resists cold and wind. These gloves can be also considered the best running gloves for women because the M size fits perfectly for a small hand.

Integrated silicone dots vouch for an increased firm grip. No extra seams around the thumb that provides anti-ripping and durability of the gloves, and improved elastic stitching. Conductive microfiber points enable one to type without taking gloves off. Velvet fabric absorbs moisture and releases heat.

8. FREETOO Winter Running Gloves

• Type: running, cycling, driving, hiking, outdoor exercising
• Sizing: XS-XL, palm width 6.8-7.2” - 8.8-9.5”
• Material: 94% polyester, 6% spandex
• Color palette: black, brown
• Closure type: pull on
• Season suitable for: cold winter, fall, and spring, serves well above the temperature of 4 degrees below zero

Anti-slip features with a streamlined design and snug fit of the gloves ensure a high level of dexterity making it easy to use your phone during the activity with no worries about its slipping off the hands. The gloves have good cushioning inside, yet stay lightweight. These touch screen running gloves are flexible for comfortable use: no matter whether you want to type a message or take a photo, all these options are possible thanks to the thumb and forefinger-sensitive touchscreen pads.

These running gloves weigh 60g making them a good lining for skiing or cycling bulky mittens. A pair of these gloves will serve you long due to their high durability and double stitching.

What are the Benefits of Using Running Gloves?

✅ Keeping Hands Warm in Different Weather Conditions

Our hands get cold quickly when the temperature goes down because our body tries to keep our core and internal organs warm by increasing blood circulation. That’s the main reason why our extremities get cold during a cool winter run. Tough weather conditions aren’t the reason for stopping your outdoor running workouts.

Therefore, properly chosen running gloves keep your hands warm and dry, so you won’t notice harsh weather conditions, i.e., cold wind, snow, rain, or frost. Perfectly fit running gears work for all conditions in which you run. To get the most out of the chosen gloves you should consider the temperature outside, the intensity of your training, and the tendency of your overheating.

✅ Extra Protection and Better Grip

It’s better to look for the gloves with extra wind-proofing properties: multiple layers of the material are designed to stop the wind and protect hands from windchill and stiffnes feeling. The next point you should consider is gloves gripping texture on the palm side. For instance, if you regularly get out your phone from the pocket, or want to uncover a protein bar, or gel on the go, then a good secure grip on the palms is imoprtant for you to consider when choosing a perfect gear. Such silicone patterns brings much better traction when holding objects and there’s no need to stop running to get out a phone.

This feature refers also to trail and course obstacle runners. They wear gloves to protect their hands while running through diverse terrain surfaces, i.e., to cushion from accidental falling thanks to padding elements. Also, they will provide extra grip when a runner needs to climb up or down the rock, or climb the rope, overcome obstacles, jump through the roots and so on. In such harsh and extreme conditions, running gloves are must-have because they also bring runners’ hands mobility and dexterity while protecting them.

✅ Be More Visible

With reflective accents on the gloves, a runner becomes more visible for the upcoming traffic and attracts more attention to the drivers in the evening with their hands moving and waving while running in poor light districts. Generally, high-visibility elements on the sports wear can significantly reduce accidents in low-light conditions.

What to Look For in Best Running Gloves?

1. Price/Quality

The price tag is also important when choosing the best winter running gloves: high-quality garments can’t be cheap and their price shouldn’t be super high considering the specific features. The more durable the material is, the more extra features running gloves have, and the higher price will be for the item. The average price for good gloves may vary from $20-30 and they should be touchscreen compatible, with reflective and non-slip elements, made of durable fabric to allow optimal breathability, moisture-wicking, and keep the warmth.

2. Design

Having some reflective elements on the gloves is a necessary thing in case you do running in the evenings in an area with poor light conditions. Reflective brand logos, stripes, and dots make you more visible to the traffic and bring your extra safety. Pay attention to the material texture: mostly, the palm area and fingers have silicone grippers to keep your phone firmly in the hand without slipping it off occasionally. 

The touchscreen feature is highly important nowadays because, besides smartphones, all of us use diverse gadgets to track our workout performance. That means you won’t interrupt the tempo of your run while checking your stats on the smartwatch without taking off the gloves.

Despite we didn’t include such gloves in our running gloves review, if you’re thinking about the best running mittens to buy, this variant is also worth attention. With mittens, your fingers are kept altogether and share warmth, which makes such gear a decent option for cold winter running. Another type of glove is fingerless running gloves: it’s definitely not the best choice for cold weather run. But, you can consider them for the warmer period.

3. Comfort

Running gloves should be comfortable for everyday use, they don’t have to compress your palms and fingers, as well as they don’t have to be loose. The main point is that comfort depends on the material: gloves for running should be made of flexible, stretchy fabric that is highly durable to provide users with ultimate comfort while staying functional sports gear. They should prevent sweat, stiffness, and numbness of the hands in any weather conditions.

Stretchy material should guarantee a snug fit that also simplifies the usage of smartphones without taking the gloves off. So, you may feel them like a second warm layer. Too big gloves can cause enough discomfort, i.e., skin chafing and irritation, especially if your hands are already sweaty. Too small gloves prevent normal blood circulation to your extremities, so they’re becoming colder more quickly.

Material breathability also plays a crucial role in vouching for a high level of comfort. They should be ventilated enough to keep your hands dry while staying warm. Polyester material copes with this task perfectly due to its high breathability and absorbency features.

4. Stitching

The quality of stitching refers directly to the material and its thickness level. You’d rather choose gloves of thicker material for cold weather, and you’ll wear thin ones on warm days. As usual, the front side of the gloves is made from thicker fabric to protect hands from wind, while the opposite side is thinner to absorb sweat in the palm area and make hands dry and warm.

That means your gloves can be produced from several types of synthetic fabric that should be stitched well not to make it easy to tear accidentally or avoid gloves seams split in the stitching of two materials.

5. Durability

Durability is connected to the material your gloves are made from. The majority of gloves are made from polyester, spandex, and nylon, also merino wool is becoming popular nowadays. These materials wick away moisture and provide runners with additional warmth and protection.

For instance, polyester brings good absorbency and breathability while not having water protection and wind resistance features. The same is with acrylic and elastane. Fleece gloves don’t absorb water well, but are soft and keep hands warm and highly protected. Polypropylene material can protect hands from wind and is water-repellent, but it’s not breathable enough which results in internal sweat accumulation.

6. Protection

Choosing the right running garments is important both for starters and experienced marathon runners. If you keep your body warm during running, you get better performance, maintain your health, and have an injury-free workout. Besides proper warm-up exercises, you should wear comfortable and warm clothes, as well as appropriate running gloves that will protect your extremities from being frostbite and numbed.

So, when picking a pair of gloves, consider what temperature range and weather conditions they’re designed for. When speaking about winter or cold fall/spring running, such gloves should have a warm fleece lining, moisture-wicking material that is moderately thin, and light not to slip off your hands or bunch up on the palms. They should bring you extra thermal insulation and protection, so after running you still feel your fingers keep the warmth.

Also, a vital point in selecting running gloves is the possibility of not exposing your hands to the cold when you want to use your phone to type something or take a photo quickly. So, the chosen pair of gloves should be warm enough, soft inside, flexible, and breathable to bring you maximum comfort while working out.

FAQ

Is It Good to Wear Gloves While Running?

Running in the cold with gloves influences athletes’ general comfort, maintains blood circulation to your fingers and protects them from being stiff, cold, and swollen because of frost. Even experienced runners wear gloves to avoid injuries in case of losing their footing and falling.

Are Wool Gloves Good for Running?

Wool gloves can become useful for your low-temperature running training if the temperature is going below 7 C, so your fingers are becoming highly susceptible to frost. Wool is a pretty breathable material that enables air circulation and protects your hands from overheating and extra moisture. Still, wool gloves keep hands warm inside.

Why Do Ultra Runners Wear Gloves?

There may be several reasons: gloves do help to warm up since fingers aren’t working hard while running. Also, runners use gloves as sweat rags to wipe their faces from salty sweat. Another reason is that running gloves can save runners’ hands from injuries and occasional falls or tripping.

Conclusion

Considering the mentioned factors we offer you the Nike Men’s Dry Tech Lightweight Running Gloves as the best running gloves that will last long and improve your running workout with extra comfort. It’s a great option to bundle up for a cold and frosty winter, without quitting your running routine. Whether you have sensitive extremities, want to keep your hands warm during outdoor workout, or fight the problem of finger numbness, this pair of gloves will meet all your needs. If any questions occur, please write to us below, our sports experts will resolve your query asap.

Also read:

• what is tempo run pace
• running every morning
• how to run with your phone
• sprinting benefits

References:

1. Hannes Gatterer, Tobias Dünnwald, Rachel Turner, Robert Csapo, Wolfgang Schobersberger, Martin Burtscher, Martin Faulhaber, and Michael D. Kennedy, "Practicing Sport in Cold Environments: Practical Recommendations to Improve Sport Performance and Reduce Negative Health Outcomes," Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep; 18(18): 9700, National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8471173/ (September 15, 2021).
2. "Running in Winter: Benefits and Protection Strategies," Healthline, https://www.healthline.com/health/winter-running (November 18, 2020).
3. Leoni Jesner, "Tips for First Time Cold-Weather Runners," Verywell Fit, https://www.verywellfit.com/tips-for-first-time-cold-weathered-runners-5205528 (November 19, 2021).
4. L.R. Sudhakar, R.W. Schoenmarklin, S.A. Lavender, W.S. Marras, "The Effects of Gloves on Grip Strength and Muscle Activity," Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, Volume 32, Issue 11 (October 1988).
5. Jonathan D. Robbins, "Workout glove having a wrist wrap," Google Patents, https://patents.google.com/patent/US9067123B1/en (2015).