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Choosing the best baseball glove could mean the difference between flubbed catches and quick snaps almost every time. Our evaluation criteria focused on the material, design (e.g. H-web, trapeze web), pocket-size, adjustability, comfort, break-in period, and the ideal position it is intended for.
After more than 11 hours of research and playing, our top pick goes to the Franklin Sports Baseball Glove. It is an absolute dynamo, made out of durable synthetic leather with a quick break-in period and the choice of three webbed styles for infielders, outfields, pitchers, and catchers. Keep reading to learn more about the Franklin Sports Baseball Glove and six others that met our strict grading criteria.
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: These are the best baseball gloves for youth, made of synthetic leather and three webbing styles for different field positions, including trapeze, basketweave, and I-web
Read Full Review: Franklin Sports Master Baseball Gloves
These baseball gloves are made using synthetic leather, which typically has a shorter break-in period than genuine leather. This is ideal for kids who want to quickly get out of the field. Hand formed pockets and custom thumb adjustments provide a snug fit. While catching a series of lobs and hard throws, our hands felt no fatigue. However, it is somewhat stiffer than real leather gloves.
Our favorite feature with these best infield baseball gloves is its three webbing styles. Trapeze webbed gloves hold deeper pockets and larger holes for outfielders to work catches under the sun and shallower pocketed basket/i-web works well for catches and infielders. All positions except catchers are easily covered, making this a winner in our book. This baseball glove will be a necessary start to a growing collection of sports equipment.
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: Thanks to a 90% factory break-in, this is the best baseball glove for people who want a game-ready glove out of the box.
Read Full Review: Rawlings Renegade Basket R130BGS 6 Gloves
We really like this 13″ baseball glove’s construction, which uses full-grain leather with a mesh back that helps reduce weight, making it easier to control each catch. Plus, it is very comfortable to wear with cushioned palm pads to help limit ball fatigue. Its basket webbing has tight intertwining straps in the center with no openings, which allows pitchers to better conceal the ball from batters.
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Aside from belonging to one of the best baseball glove brands, this baseball glove also allows a more adjustable fit than our top using a Velcro pull wrist strap. Kudos for the generous sizing options on offer, ranging from 11.5 to 32.5” for catchers playing baseball or softball. For your own at-home workout, you may want to grab a pair of the best exercise resistance bands.
Award: MOST DURABLE
WHY WE LIKE IT: Thanks to a walnut pro stock leather construction and H-webbing, this baseball glove is a great choice for intermediate to advanced level outfielders who need an ultra-durable and deep-pocketed glove for rigorous play.
Read Full Review: Wilson A2000 11 75 Infield Baseball
This baseball glove comes in an H-Web design, which is characterized by deeper pockets and greater visibility out of the webbing for outfielders to get a better glimpse of fly balls. Unlike our first two picks, this baseball glove also features welting, which uses two strips of leather along the finger backs to help maintain the glove’s shape. Kudos for coming in the widest range of sizing on the list, starting at 11.5″ all the way up to pro-level at 33″
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Thanks to this baseball glove’s walnut pro stock leather, it is one of the most durable on the list. Although not comparable to kip leather, its genuine leather softens up a lot more than synthetic leather, resulting in a more comfortable feel. If you like this glove, you might also like the best fitness tracker.
Award: BEST FOR KIDS UNDER 8
WHY WE LIKE IT: This full grain leather baseball glove is great for young players ages 3 to 8 thanks to a para shock palm pad and liner for cushioning little hands.
Read Full Review: Mizuno GPP1150Y3 Prospect PowerClose Baseball
This baseball mitt is designed for young children, with features such as PowerClose Technology, consisting of triangular cutouts at the pinky finger bottom for easier closing. This is a great option for kids with weaker hand dexterity. A ParaShock palm pad also absorbs hard shocks from quick line drives and minimizes sting while the MZO lining fabric helps flick sweat away from the skin.
Thanks to this baseball glove’s soft leather construction, it requires very little break-in period, allowing kids to get out on the field quicker. Tartan flex webbing most resembles a basketweave design, making it equally useful for all fielding positions. We loved the large variety of size options, ranging from 9″ to 11.5″ To upgrade your at-home workout you might also want to look at the best dip belt too.
Award: BEST FOR AGES 10 TO 13
WHY WE LIKE IT: This baseball glove is great as a starter set for ages 10 to 13, thanks to a comfortable polyurethane lining and an included training ball, while also coming in a size appropriate for adults.
Read Full Review: KUYOU Baseball Glove Catchers Leather
This baseball glove comes in two sizes – 10.5″ for kids and 12.5″ for adults. Like our number two pick, this model has a basket webbed design with tight intertwining straps that make it easy for pitchers to not give away their pitching position. An adjustable binding strap is also comfortable on the wrists and the inner soft faux fur lining helps absorb sweat.
For a beginner baseball player looking to become the next Clayton Kershaw this glove comes with a cushioned palm pad to help avoid stings off hard line drives. Though it feels comfortable, this baseball glove is starter set material, especially with the included training ball. For a rigorous baseball game and practice schedule, the Mizuno Prospect may be a better choice. Use one of your best-running watches to track your workout during the game.
Award: BEST ON A BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: This glove features plush inner cowhide lining, making it great for beginner baseball players ages 6 to 15 who need extra wrist support, while coming in at a budget-friendly price point.
Read Full Review: FerDIM Baseball Glove Teeball Youth
This baseball glove is made using PVC artificial cowhide, which is comfortable but lacks a quick break-in period or flexibility. Its basket weave design works best for infielders that want to emphasize ground ball work, as opposed to high and fly balls where H or I webbing would be more appropriate.
Thanks to this baseball glove’s inner faux fur liner, wrist comfort, and sweat absorption are maximized. Sizing is also generous, with four sizes available from 9.5″ to 12.5″ for six to fifteen-year-olds. All in all, this baseball glove is very pliable, soft, and folds well enough to work well with kids with limited experience catching fly balls and grounders. If you like working out, you might also want the best exercise ball for your home gym.
Award: BEST FOR BEGINNERS
WHY WE LIKE IT: This baseball glove features a B-hive web pattern and cushioned palm and index finger pads, making it great for beginner ballplayers.
Read Full Review: Unihoh Baseball Glove Softball Gloves
This baseball glove is made from PU synthetic leather, which carries a shorter break-in period than genuine leather. Its B-hive web pattern resembles a typical basketweave, which is great for in fielding and pitching. Consider this a proper baseball glove for beginners, good for no more than one or two seasons before moving on to genuine leather.
While catching a series of fly balls and line drives, the glove felt fully pliable and soft with no issues closing. Cushioned index finger and palm pads help minimize sting and wrists are properly supported. We were very impressed with this starter baseball glove’s overall build quality.
In determining the best baseball glove to buy, we explored material, design (e.g. H-web, trapeze web), pocket-size, adjustability/comfort, break-in period, and the ideal position it is for.
Baseball gloves and softball gloves are generally made from leather, synthetic leather, and PVC (faux leather). Leather is generally the most durable and best conforms to your hand, allowing for snappier catches once broken in. Synthetic leather is lighter and generally fares better with younger players. PVC leather is the cheapest option and has a hard plastic-leather hybrid feel, which is decent for beginners but generally worse with wear and tear over time.
Webbing is very important. Different webbing styles match different positional needs. The most common webbing, basket, is generally used by pitchers looking to conceal the ball. Trapeze, HJ-Web, and I-web gloves hold deeper pockets and open webbing that allows for better visibility while catching pop-ups and dirt/debris repelling, preferred for outfield gloves. Infielders and outfielders usually go for this.
We recommend ball gloves that come in a wide range of sizes. The more sizes available, the better the exact fit. Our best pick for sizing is the Wilson A2000 Baseball Glove, with sizing at 11.5″ to 33″. This is especially important when picking the best baseball glove for dads. We also admired products that were highly durable.
Adjustability and comfort are very important. Our preferred wrist support is velcro straps which can be tightened or loosened for an exact fit. Others, like our #6 pick FerDIM Baseball Glove, have inner faux fur liners that help absorb sweat and cushion the wrists, working well for beginner ballplayers. Cushioned palm pads are also a bonus.
The break-in period is a factor. The shorter the break-in period, the quicker one can get on the field comfortably. However, this often at the expense of overall durability, as leather baseball gloves have a longer break-in period but can last a long time.
