Disc golf is a sport that requires a lot of practiced technique and skill. It is also a sport that can be played throughout the year, no matter the season.
With that being said, playing disc golf outside in the biting cold can seriously hinder your technique, potentially costing you a game that you could otherwise have won.
Stiffness in the wrist and finger joints is the enemy of any serious disc golf player, and cold temperatures are a major risk factor for this problem.
Luckily, as the popularity of disc golf has skyrocketed in recent years, more disc golf apparel is being manufactured than ever before.
This includes disc golf gloves, which not only help to keep your hands warm and flexible in cold weather conditions, but are also constructed with the goal of enhancing your play.
Read on for our reviews of the top 5 best disc golf gloves on the market.
If you’re feeling spoilt for choice by the end of our review section, don’t hesitate to scroll down and take some tips from our buyer’s guide on how to choose the best disc golf gloves.
The Top 5 Best Disc Golf Gloves
Best Overall
Friction Disc Golf Gloves
These disc golf gloves from Friction Gloves are widely considered to be the best disc golf gloves available on the market.
The material of these gloves is tightly woven, so it provides good protection against cold winds and holds up very well in terms of durability.
With that being said, the material isn’t too thick, either, so you don’t have to limit your use of these gloves exclusively to cold weather.
The Friction Disc Golf Gloves feature rubberized grips on the palms and fingers, with added finger grip to enhance the consistency of your grip and your control over each throw.
Thanks to the velcro hook and loop closure, putting on these gloves is a quick and easy task that won’t take more than a few seconds.
One of the very best features of the Friction Disc Golf Gloves, however, is that they have been approved by the PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association).
This means that the gloves can legally be used in tournaments.
Something that could be improved about these gloves is their breathability. The material is not particularly moisture-wicking, meaning that your hands may get sweaty if you choose to wear these gloves in warmer weather.
Pros
- Tightly-woven material – Soft, warm, and durable
- Not too thick – Also suitable for warmer weather
- Rubberized palm and finger grip – Enhanced control
- Velcro closure – Quick and easy fastening
- PDGA-approved – Suitable for tournament use
Cons
- Not very breathable – Not the most moisture-wicking design
Runner-Up
Layout Ultimate Frisbee Gloves
In our runner-up spot, we have the Layout Ultimate Frisbee Gloves.
The material used to make these gloves is very lightweight, which makes them excellent for moisture-wicking purposes and appropriate for wear in most weather conditions.
Whether it’s winter or summer, you can use the Layout Ultimate Frisbee Gloves to improve your disc golf technique.
Layout’s Ultimate Frisbee Gloves feature synthetic leather palms that are exceptionally durable and resistant to wear and tear. They also provide a firm grip that will give you full control over your disc handling.
Additionally, the Layout gloves incorporate Flick Grip technology, which constitutes extra grip on the middle finger for increased spin. This helps to improve the distance and accuracy of your throws.
Like our best overall pick, the Layout Ultimate Frisbee Gloves have velcro closures at the wrists which makes them easy to put on and take off whenever you need.
Plus, the size range for these gloves is extensive, ranging from x-small to x-large, so finding the Layout disc golf gloves in your size shouldn’t be a problem.
The only time we wouldn’t recommend wearing these gloves is in very extreme cold because the material isn’t quite thick enough to provide proper protection in these conditions.
Pros
- Light material – Moisture-wicking
- Synthetic leather palms – Superior grip and durability
- Flick Grip technology – Better spin for distance and accuracy
- Velcro closure – Easy to put on
- Sizes x-small to x-large – Wide size range
Cons
- Thin material – Not ideal for extreme cold
Best Budget
FD-Sport Ultimate Flying Disc Gloves
Getting started in the world of disc golf requires the purchase of several pieces of equipment, which can quickly add up financially. Luckily, these Ultimate Flying Disc Gloves from FD-Sport will allow you to save some money.
Made of a lightweight and breathable material, these gloves are moisture-wicking and flexible, meaning you will have total control over the movements of your hands and won’t be distracted by the feeling of sweaty palms.
The silicone grip on the palms and fingers ensures that you’ll never struggle to maintain a firm and consistent hold on your discs.
You’ll notice that the joining point between the thumb and forefinger on the FD-Sport Ultimate Flying Disc Gloves is thickened for reinforcement purposes.
This is typically the weakest point of sports gloves, so the extra thickness is a great durability-enhancing feature.
These gloves fasten with velcro closures at the wrist, so there’s nothing time-consuming or complicated about the fastening process.
Something we especially like about the FD-Sports gloves is that they feature touch-screen-friendly fingertips, allowing you to continue using your phone or tablet as needed throughout your game.
Something to bear in mind about the fingertips, however, is that they definitely seem to be the weakest points of the gloves. Make sure not to size down with these gloves, or you might find that the fingertips give out prematurely.
Pros
- Lightweight material – Breathable and flexible
- Silicone grip – Durable and grip-enhancing
- Thickened thumb and forefinger joint – Extra wear resistance
- Velcro closure – Quick-fastening
- Touch-screen friendly – Convenient
Cons
- Fingertips are less durable than the rest of the glove – May show signs of wear prematurely
Best Premium
Friction Gloves Ultimate Frisbee Gloves
Another pair from Friction Gloves, these Ultimate Frisbee Gloves are the most costly option on our list, although not by much.
If you don’t settle for anything but the best quality and performance enhancement, these are the gloves we would recommend.
The material is light and breathable, which is excellent in terms of moisture-wicking and provides a natural feel. However, the gloves are still warm enough to be worn in cold weather conditions, so you get the best of both worlds.
Friction Gloves has incorporated a rubberized grip into the palms and fingers of these gloves to enhance accuracy and control in equal measure.
We were very impressed by the durability of the Friction Ultimate Frisbee Gloves, thanks to the reinforced upper palm and double stitching.
If you’re looking for a pair of disc golf gloves that will see you through years of practice and games without wearing out, these are the ones for you.
Your hands won’t feel at all restricted in these gloves because of the 4-way stretch action of the fabric.
The stretchability prevents webbing between the fingers, especially the thumb and forefinger, which allows for a better grip.
The Friction Ultimate Frisbee Gloves come in both men’s and women’s sizes for optimal size compatibility. However, please be aware that the sizing tends to run small, so you may want to size up with these gloves.
Pros
- Light material – Breathable and natural feel
- Rubberized grip – Improved accuracy and control
- Reinforced and double-stitch – Incredibly durable
- 4-way stretch – No webbing
- Men’s and women’s sizes – Largely size-compatible
Cons
- Sizes run small – We recommend sizing up
Highly Commended
Disc Living Ultimate Frisbee & Disc Golf Gloves
We also recommend that you take the time to check out these Ultimate Frisbee and Disc Golf Gloves from Disc Living.
The lightweight material of these gloves doesn’t provide much insulation, so we wouldn’t recommend these for playing in freezing temperatures, but the upside is that they are highly breathable and moisture-wicking for sweat-free comfort.
You’ll see that the silicone grips extend all the way from the palm into full-finger grips for incredible control and accuracy.
The double-stitching used to put these gloves together ensures that they will resist wear and tear better than most.
We also like the fact that, in addition to the convenient velcro closure, the wrists of these gloves are elasticated. This allows for a full and unimpeded range of motion as you throw, so you won’t have to sacrifice flexibility for grip.
Pros
- Lightweight – Moisture-wicking
- Silicone palm and finger grips – Superior control
- Velcro closure – Easy and quick to fasten
- Double-stitched – Highly durable
- Elasticated wrist – Full range of motion
Cons
- Not much insulation – Not for extremely cold temperatures
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Disc Golf Gloves
If you’d like some extra tips and pointers on how to choose the best disc golf gloves for your intended purpose, keep reading! Our buyer’s guide covers everything you’ll need to consider before you complete your purchase.
Material
Ideally, you want the main material of your chosen disc golf gloves to strike a good balance between warm and breathable.
Of course, the conditions that you usually play in will determine exactly how thick or thin you need the material to be, so this part is entirely up to your own discretion.
More tightly woven material is likely to provide more insulation against the cold, while a looser weave will allow for breathability and moisture-wicking.
We also recommend selecting an elasticated material with 4-way stretch.
This will allow you to continue to use your full, natural range of hand motion while you play and will prevent webbing, which is where the material tautens between the fingers, creating an obstruction.
Construction
As far as disc glove construction goes, you’re going to want both durability and flexibility.
Durability can be ensured through fabric reinforcement, double-stitching, or a combination of the two.
The best areas to look for reinforcement in are the joint between the thumb and forefinger and the top of the palm since these are the areas that come into contact with the disc most often.
Double-stitching reinforces the seams to minimize splitting, so we’d recommend looking for gloves that are double-stitched in as many areas as possible.
We’ve already talked about the importance of stretch (elasticity) in disc golf gloves to prevent webbing between the fingers and allow you to move your fingers freely. However, we also recommend prioritizing elasticity in the wrist area of the gloves.
A lot of the flicking action involved in throwing the discs in disc golf comes from the wrist, so it’s important to preserve your range of motion here through flexibility.
Grip
You will have a choice of a few materials when it comes to grip. Disc golf glove grips can be rubberized, made of leather, or in the form of silicone.
Rubberized and leather grips will provide the best durability, although it’s difficult to choose between the three materials when it comes to grip enhancement.
Where possible, you should choose disc golf gloves where the grip extends from the palm to cover the full length of the fingers.
Closure
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a disc golf glove that doesn’t fasten using a velcro closure.
The reason for this is that velcro closures are quick and easy to work with.
The last thing you want if you have to tighten your gloves during a game is to have to wrangle with complicated buckle closures or risk pinching your skin in a zip.
Size
Sizing for disc golf gloves can be tricky, especially since it’s not uncommon for gloves to come only in men’s or women’s sizes.
Manufacturers should provide a size guide for their gloves, and ideally, they should show you which areas of your hand to measure to verify your size.
The most important measurement to take of your hand (you can either use a ruler or tape measure) is the straight line from the tip of your middle finger to the heel of your hand (the base of your palm).
Remember to read through any customer testimonials relating to the size and fit of the gloves you are considering buying before you finalize your purchase.
Often, gloves may run slightly smaller or larger than advertised, and it’s better to know this beforehand so that you can size up or down accordingly.
Legality
By ‘legality,’ we don’t mean whether or not a pair of gloves is legal to wear in general. Of course, there are no legal restrictions on which gloves you wear in your free time.
However, if you are intending to wear your disc golf gloves in official tournament situations, you will need to verify whether the gloves have been approved by the PDGA.
PDGA stands for Professional Disc Golf Association, and this association is responsible for implementing rules and regulations relating to disc golf.
Only one of our selected products has been PDGA-approved, so make sure to check this carefully if you want to play at tournament level, where the equipment permitted during play is held to strict regulations.
Additional Features
Most disc golf gloves are designed to be light, simple, and affordable, so you won’t find many bells and whistles.
However, one thing that is really helpful is being able to continue using your phone at intervals during your game of disc golf.
Whether you want to check the weather forecast, reply to a message, or take a photograph, standard gloves can easily get in the way.
Luckily, some disc golf gloves have touch-screen finger pads that allow you to operate your phone or tablet without removing your gloves first.
This is a real timesaver and means you’ll never have to get cold hands for the sake of using your phone in the winter months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need disc golf gloves?
Disc golf gloves are not a necessity if you are a disc golf player, but they can certainly help to keep your hands warm and improve your play.
If you find that your hands regularly get cold while you’re playing, or you have noticed that you struggle with your grip, disc golf gloves can really help you out.
Similarly, if you haven’t managed to get the hang of the perfect spin yet, disc gloves that feature extra middle finger grip can make this easier.
Ultimately, while you don’t strictly need disc golf gloves, we would strongly recommend investing in a pair if you’re serious about disc golf.
Are disc golf gloves worth the money?
Most of the disc golf gloves on the market are relatively affordable and deliver good grip enhancement and improved control for a reasonable price.
If you’re struggling to get to grips (no pun intended) with your throwing technique, investing in a pair of disc golf gloves will most likely be worth the money in your case.
Even if you haven’t noticed anything drastically wrong with your performance, you’d be surprised at the difference that extra grip and elemental protection can make.
Can I use frisbee gloves for disc golf?
As our selection of top-rated disc golf gloves demonstrates, you can absolutely use frisbee gloves for disc golf.
High-quality frisbee gloves should do everything that disc golf gloves are designed to do, including improving your grip, keeping your hands warm, and in some cases, enhancing your throwing technique through added spin for distance and accuracy.