Why the Best Weight Lifting Gloves are Fingerless

fingerless gloves are the go-to option for a variety of reasons, including maximized protection with minimal coverage.

At some stage in the mid-80s it became fashionable to wear fingerless gloves. It is hard to pinpoint the exact moment when they started to appear, but a best estimate puts the rapid rise in popularity around the 1983 timeframe, which probably peaked in late 1984.

The fingerless glove as a fashion statement was a culmination of various 80s influences. For starters there were the lace glove-wearing new romantics and the leather/vinyl punk fashions. In addition, punks tended to wear large studded wristbands that were frequently up near the base of the thumb. The other factor is the 80s obsession with cutting off the ends of garments. Leg warmers are a similar example of the cut-off look and were often accessorised with fingerless gloves.

All these factors combined to create the fashion, but like many trends, fingerless gloves didn't take off until some celebrities started wearing them. The two best know fingerless glove icons were Billy Idol and Madonna. True to form, they had their own quirks - Billy Idol generally wore one leather fingerless glove on his right hand (see below) and liked to pose with it in the air. Madonna adopted the fingerless gloves but she seemed a greater fan of both the full fingered glove and the open palm glove (which was closer to a wrist strap). On her 1984 album cover, Like A Virgin (see below), she is wearing that quintessential 80s outfit - a white wedding dress with white fingerless gloves. By the time she appeared in Desperately Seeing Susan posters a year or two later, she was back to the full lace fingered gloves but ditched the look when entered her uninspiring tom-boy phase.

If you’re looking for the best pair of weight gloves, fingerless ones can offer a variety of benefits—we share a few below.

What's the purpose of fingerless gloves?

Fingerless gloves have been wrongly dismissed as 'useless' for failing to fulfil their purpose; keeping your hands warm. This simply isn't true. Like other styles, the glove covers your pulse point as well as your palm and wrist. So even though your fingers are exposed, you can be assured that your hands will remain toasty.

The clear advantage of the fingerless glove is its non-restrictive qualities. The mobility they provide makes them ideal for driving and cycling. It also cannot be denied that this style of glove makes quite the statement piece.

Driving

Our Snetterton driving glove (pictured below) is the perfect accessory for the car enthusiast. Made from premium hairsheep leather, it's supple in nature and acts like a second skin. There's no doubt you'll feel safe and stylish behind the wheel with this fingerless glove.

Almost identical in design, we also have our women's Lashana glove available. Similarly to the Snetterton, this glove design is unlined and helps to ensure a firm grip.

Cycling

With a pair of fingerless gloves, the unpredictable British weather won't be able to stop you from taking a bike ride. Our Aldersley glove will help keep your hands warm, without compromising your grip on the handlebars. The elasticated wrist and padded palms that feature in this design will provide added comfort.

Fashion

As the celebrity looks have shown, the fingerless glove can elevate any look. Our women's short fingerless lace gloves (pictured below) provide an edgy alternative to the conventional occasion glove and for those brave enough, are a stand out accessory when about town. The style of this black pair is timeless and their intricate floral pattern make them ooze femininity.

Helping you keep proper technique and hand grip.

Fingerless gloves allow your hands to have freedom of movement. You are not restricted by full-fingered gloves keeping your hand locked into a certain position. Fingerless gloves let you choose how and where to place your hands, reducing discomfort and helping you keep safe technique.

Reducing sweat.

Wearing gloves that only covers your palms helps to reduce the amount of sweating while you’re working out. Since sweat can be annoying and uncomfortable, a fingerless glove helps you keep cool and able to focus on your lifting instead of pulling and tugging at a full glove.

Less effort tobend the glove.

The December 2009 issue of Human Factors, researched the effect of gloves on grip strength. It reports that subjects wearing full gloves used more effort to grip things due to the extra material on their hands. Fingerless gloves eliminate this wasted energy. You get the protection benefits from the pad, but do not have to use unnecessary strength to move the material. Therefore, you save every ounce of strength for your lifting.

Won’t stain your hands.

A full glove, depending on the material, may bleed color onto your hands. Not only is this unsightly, it also takes time to remove the color—time better spent on other things. A fingerless glove only covers the palm of your hand and the neoprene material will not transfer color to your skin.

Less smelly on your hands and in your bag.

Full gloves may absorb your sweat, the metal from the bars, or germs from machines or free weight equipment. These scents can linger on the material and seem to multiply when they are left in your closed gym bag. The odors can also remain on your hands. A fingerless glove does not have these same concerns as most of your hands are exposed to the air.

There you have it—these are the reasons fingerless gloves are the best weight lifting gloves around. Grab a pair from Gripad today!

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