Tactical gloves are primarily used by the police and military, the best tactical gloves should protect the user from the elements but also from physical threats to the hands.
The palm is generally made from Leather, and the knuckles/back are usually made from Kevlar.
Kevlar a synthetic fiber, that has an excellent strength to weight ratio making it perfect for gloves. Kevlar is very versatile, and you will see it in a wide range of products from cycling tires to bulletproof vests.
So, the best tactical gloves will provide you with a high level of protection but will maintain your dexterity so that you can do the tasks you plan to do.
These are the allrounders and if you are looking to buy your first pair of tactical gloves, then these are likely to be the style you should go for.
These are just as useful in the woods as they are in urban settings and environments. The best tactical gloves will be resistant to things like cutting, dirt, grease, impact, oil, and sharp objects.
As the name suggest these are used to prevent issues with handling things like needles. They stop the needle from breaking the skin and possibly passing on infections and diseases.
The best needlestick tactical gloves will need to be puncture resistant.
Used by sniper and other gun users, there are generally thinner and lighter than normal tactical gloves.
They usually use no or less Kevlar, to ensure you have as much dexterity as possible. The best sniper gauntlet tactical glove will be light, but strong, whilst maintaining dexterity.
As we have seen tactical gloves are used professionally by the Police and Military. However, there are a whole range of uses for strong and reliable tactical gloves in civilian life. Let’s have a look at some of the possible uses:
These are basically similar games where airsoft uses solid pellets and paintballs use… erm paintballs actually ha-ha.
Tactical gloves are perfect for sports like these, they allow you to shoot, reload, and move around easily but provide protection from the pellets/balls and the external environment.
Whether you have a permanent basecamp or you are just out for a wild camp in the woodland, tactical gloves are very useful.
They will provide protection when you are processing wood with knives, axes, and saws, as well as when you are constructing your shelter to avoid bumps, cuts, scrapes, and splinters.
They are also great when working around a campfire, because of their heat-resistant qualities. For example, you can use them to remove your cast-iron pot from the tripod that is over the fire.
They are great for pitching a tent in the cold, or if you just want to keep your hands clean and dry.
They are also awesome for when the trail gets a little scrambly or you are walking by thorns and brambles. They are an often-underused item of kit for thru-hikers in my opinion.
Tactical gloves are great for protecting your hands when doing DIY and Gardening. They protect your hands from the seemingly endless amounts of knocks and scratches you get, well that I seem to get anyway!
When hunting you may be outside for hours or days, in unforeseen locations and circumstances. Tactical gloves protect your hands from the elements and harsh environments.
But also allow you to use your weapon of choice with ease. Once you have hopefully caught something, the gloves are great at limiting the chances of injury when you are butchering the animal or fish.
Tactical gloves are awesome for weekend fun activities but are just as useful in a working situation, if you are a mechanic for instance, or you work with heavy machinery on a regular basis.
Tactical gloves allow you to preform all the necessary tasks when riding bikes, however, you will need their protection properties in the unfortunate event of an accident.
Tactical gloves will provide a great level of protection and lower the chances of skin and bone injuries in the hand.
This was just a taste of the potential uses of tactical gloves, hopefully it has inspired you to invest in a good quality pair of tactical gloves.
We have tested out a load of great gloves over the years and in many different environments. So, we can be confident in giving the below recommendations:
These are the best allrounders in our opinion, as they come in at an excellent price but are still made from high quality materials and have numerous functions.
The camouflage on these looks great, but they are not just about vanity. They are excellent for hunting trips and stealth camping.
We have found the camo to be really effective in all locations but are particularly good in woodland environments at low light.
The palm is made from 0.8mm of seamless leather. This provides ample protection and maintains a high level of dexterity.
We have handled a range of rifles using these gloves, and we have found them to be just about perfect.
There is also some nice foam padding in the palm, which is really effective in reducing vibration, which limits hand fatigue. The index finger and thumb also have additional texturing to improve grip.
Thermal plastic rubber provides protection to the fingers, knuckle, back of the hand and wrist.
This gives you a good ratio of weight to protection. In fact, it is a very good ratio, because these gloves come in at around 136g depending on the size you need. We are very impressed with how well they absorb impact and prevent abrasion.
They have a good level of weather and water resistance, without been too bulky and stiff.
The breathability is excellent, and you will have no issues wearing these all day regardless of the conditions. The wrist enclosure is excellent, you can get a really snug fit without any discomfort or abrasions.
According to the European standard EN 388, they provide the following resistance levels. Level 3 for Abrasion. Level 2 for Tear. Level 1 for Cut and Puncture.
The price compared to usefulness is unparalleled in our opinion. For a very reasonable price you will get an excellent blend of protection and comfort.
We have used these in various circumstances, and they have performed admirably.
We found them especially useful for bushcraft tool maintenance and repair, operating machinery and tools, and for camp construction and improvements.
These tactical gloves are great at keeping your hands clean and dry, but when they come to being cleaned themselves it is a very easy process as they are machine washable.
This means you can have no qualms about getting down and dirty in them. They also come in a large range of sizes, so you can get the perfect fit for your hands.
Whilst you can use them in and around the fire area in your camp, you do need to be careful, they will provide you with some protection, but they are not made from fire-retardant materials.
The leather on the palm is quite thin, so they will be prone to wear and tear under heavy use and depending on what you are using them for.
The Velcro strap is relatively small and has loosened on occasion. And with-it being Velcro, you can run into issues in the snow as snow can block the teeth.
These are a great “go-to” glove, whatever you need a tactical glove for then these will preform well.
They are therefore a great option for someone who is looking to buy their first pair of tactical gloves.
A more experienced tactical glove wearer will know what they are looking for, but I think you will find these gloves with suit most of your needs.
We are in a very lucky position nowadays, because there is a huge range of tactical glove options for you to buy.
Whilst we think the best tactical gloves are the: Mechanix Wear - M-Pact Multicam Gloves because of their versatility and price point.
There are a whole host of other great options, and they could be even better than our top pick depending on what you use them for.
Here are another 3 excellent options for you.
These are lightweight and allow for basically unrestricted movement of your hands. We found them to be amazing for shooting and hunting. In fact, they make the trigger finger thinner and more sensitive than the rest of the glove.
This is great for if you are out in the forests and mountains and you are using a touchscreen devices for navigation and do not want to keep taking your gloves off.
These are like a second skin; you will forget you are wearing them. The breathability is off the charts, and you can wear them all day long and feel no discomfort.
They are on the expensive side when compared to other gloves with similar functions.
These have more limited capabilities then other gloves. If you need a shooting or climbing glove, these are excellent. But if you need something to absorb a bit more impact, then there are better options than this glove.
The glove is great in Spring, Summer and Autumn but it is too lightweight to be useful in the winter. Unless it is a mild winters day.
These SAP gloves are a great glove if you are interested in hand-to-hand combat and self-defence. They will protect your knuckles from being damaged but will apply additional force to the opponent.
They have anti-skid technology meaning you can get hold of people, animals and objects and keep hold of them.
So, whilst primarily a combat glove, we have found them useful when fishing… on the rare occasions we catch anything.
It has a strong, robust, and simple Velcro strap. Once you have fastened it, it will stay fastened. There is nothing that annoys me more, than when I see MMA fighters fidgeting with their glove straps all fight.
It preforms best as a combat tactical glove, as that is what it is designed for. It can be used for other things, but with varying degrees of success.
They are too heavy for my liking. Which is a pro when you are trying to hit someone, but a con for almost all other reasons.
Whilst they are well made and technically, they are comfortable… they are bulky and not as breathable as other tactical gloves.
These gloves allow you to operate a touchscreen on your phone or tablet whilst still wearing them.
We normally like to be phone free when we are sat around the campfire, but as a survival and safety pro it is useful to be able to quickly use your phone especially in cold conditions without taking off your gloves.
A nice glove that can be used for a great range of outdoor activities where you may need to protect your hands from the elements or impact.
These are really comfortable, and hardwearing. Which is just what you want from a tactical glove.
We think the camo is too light, it could do with being a couple of shades darker.
They are liable to rip under heavy and dramatic usage.
If you are just using them for pottering around your basecamp then they are great, if you are running around an airsoft ground for days on end then you may need something a little tougher.
They perform well in every test we put them though, but they never came out on top. So, they are a good utility option, but if you have a specific use for them in mind then there may be better options out there for you.
To round up the article I would like to point out that the devil is in the detail.
If you only want to have one pair of tactical gloves then you need to find a good allrounder, that is why we think the Mechanix Wear - M-Pact Multicam Gloves are the best tactical gloves for multiple activities.
If you are willing to buy multiple pairs of gloves or are only going to use them for a limited range of activities.
Then you can get more specific with the requirements you need from the glove.
Afterall someone who needs a glove to prevent blisters when digging an outdoor toilet with an entrenching tool, will need a different glove from someone who likes to use then in fighting situations.
