This guide covers baseball and softball batting gloves. Cricket batting gloves are a different, padded glove; see the cricket section below.
Last updated October 22, 2026
What should I check first when choosing batting gloves?
Check the size first, because the size charts we checked go by hand length. Then choose the palm, the closure and the sport:
| Check | What to look for | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Hand length in inches, youth or adult | "What size batting gloves do I need?" below |
| Palm material | Leather (cabretta, sheepskin, goatskin) or synthetic | "Should I choose leather or synthetic?" below |
| Fit | Snug, with no slack at the fingertips or behind the knuckles | "How should batting gloves fit?" below |
| Closure | Wrist strap that holds the glove in place, often hook-and-loop | Try the glove on |
| Sport | Baseball and softball gloves, or padded cricket gloves | "Are cricket batting gloves the same?" below |
What do batting gloves do?
Batting gloves mainly improve your grip on the bat. Baseball Monkey says they also cut the risk of blisters and abrasions and absorb shock or vibration. Bruce Bolt says they keep sweat from spoiling grip and "reduce stinging" when the ball meets the bat outside the sweet spot, especially in cold weather.
These are retailer and brand claims for baseball and softball, not lab results.
What size batting gloves do I need?
Measure your hand from the base of the palm to the top of the middle finger, then match the length to the chart. This chart is Rawlings' baseball batting glove sizing. Tater Baseball's chart uses the same hand-length ranges but gives no ages:
| Size | Hand length (in) | Typical age |
|---|---|---|
| Youth S | 6–6.25 | 6–8 |
| Youth M | 6.25–6.5 | 7–9 |
| Youth L | 6.5–6.75 | 9–10 |
| Youth XL | 6.75–7 | 10–11 |
| Adult S | 7–7.25 | 11–13 |
| Adult M | 7.25–7.5 | 12+ |
| Adult L | 7.5–7.75 | 13+ |
| Adult XL | 7.75–8 | 14+ |
| Adult 2XL | 8–8.25 | 15+ |
Charts vary by brand. BestReviews, for example, lists a men's XS and separate women's sizes. Always check the chart of the glove you are buying.
How do I measure my hand? Rawlings measures from the base of the palm; Tater Baseball measures from the top of the wrist, where it meets the hand. Both stop at the tip of the middle finger. Measure both hands and use the larger number (Tater Baseball).
What if I'm between sizes? Tater Baseball says to size down, because its leather breaks in over the first few sessions. A youth player who is still growing mid-season is the exception and should size up.
How do I choose youth batting gloves?
Use the same hand-length method, then read the youth rows of the chart. In Rawlings' chart, youth sizes run from 6 to 7 inches, roughly ages 6 to 11. The ages are only a guide; the hand length decides the size.
Because children grow during a season, Tater Baseball's advice to size up for a growing youth player matters most here.
Should I choose leather or synthetic batting gloves?
Choose leather for feel and grip, or synthetic for a lower price and no break-in. Grip Boost, a glove brand, compares the two as follows:
| Factor | Leather (cabretta) | Synthetic |
|---|---|---|
| Grip and feel | Molds to the hand quickly and keeps a tacky feel | Good synthetics can feel sticky right away |
| Break-in | Short break-in | None needed; often fits true to size right away |
| Durability | Higher-end leather usually outlasts synthetic for players who swing a lot | Lower-cost synthetics can peel, stretch or thin, especially at the palm |
| Breathability | Breathes naturally | Often adds a mesh back for airflow |
| Care | Not covered | Easier to wash; resists cracking from moisture |
| Price | Not covered | Wins on price |
Source: Grip Boost (December 9, 2025). This is one brand's guidance, not a lab test. Grip Boost also says a well-designed glove often pairs a leather palm with a ventilated back.
What is cabretta leather?
Cabretta is "a leather made from the skins of sheep that grow hair rather than wool" (Dictionary.com). Grip Boost calls cabretta thinner, softer and stronger than most leathers. It calls cowhide "thicker, heavier, and slower to break in," and says goatskin's coarser grain makes it slightly less flexible and less tacky.
Thickness is set by each brand, not by an industry standard. Bruce Bolt, for example, uses 0.9 mm cabretta in its batting gloves. For other glove leathers, see glove leather types.
How should batting gloves fit?
A batting glove should fit snugly, with no slack behind the knuckles or at the fingertips (Tater Baseball).
- Try both gloves on. Measure and try both hands, and size to the larger one (Tater Baseball).
- Close the wrist strap. The strap should hold the glove in place without pinching.
- Grip a bat. Hold a bat in both gloves before you buy, and check that nothing bunches.
- Expect leather to stretch a little. That is why Tater Baseball says to size down between sizes.
Are cricket batting gloves the same as baseball batting gloves?
No. Cricket batting gloves are padded protective gloves; baseball and softball batting gloves are mainly grip gloves. The ICC's playing conditions list batting gloves as external protective equipment, "worn for protection against external blows." They also count a glove on the hand holding the bat as part of the bat.
Cricket gloves have their own padding styles. It's Only Cricket describes sausage-finger gloves with "thick, continuous padding on each finger," and calls split-finger gloves "one of the oldest" finger-glove designs. The size chart above is for baseball and softball, not cricket.
Making batting gloves for your team or brand?
The checks above are what your players and customers will ask about. Put each one in your tech pack: palm leather, closure, colours and the size split by youth and adult.
UMIRX makes leather batting gloves for baseball and softball in Sialkot, Pakistan. Our two listed styles are a cabretta leather glove (full finger, listed as non-slip, hook-and-loop closure) and a sheepskin-palm glove. Both are listed for adults and youth, in sizes XS to XXL.
| Order term | UMIRX |
|---|---|
| Custom minimum | 100 pairs per design; sizes and colours can mix within the 100 pairs |
| Sample | Paid sample first; its price comes with your quote |
| Production | About 29 days after you approve the sample |
| Palm material | Our listed batting gloves are leather (cabretta or sheepskin palm). Ask for other palm materials in your quote. |
| Reply time | We usually reply within 15 minutes |
See custom batting gloves for team and brand orders, or the batting gloves range. Selling in Europe? Read EU rules for glove importers. Also stocking golf gloves? See how to choose golf gloves.