Lets Design the Perfect Crossfit Glove!
Using a gymnastics grip for Crossfit
It’s come to our attention that people who are involved in crossfit training are buying several models of the US Glove gymnastics grips for hand protection. We’ve had some discussions with them on the phone for feed back, but we’d like to do better. So we thought we’d try and get some input from the crossfit community on what they would like in a training glove.
Some of the questions that come to our minds are things like:
- How stiff does the leather need to be?
- What type of closure is best, buckle or Velcro?
- Do crossfit folks want a dowel attached to the glove like gymnasts do?
- How many finger holes are best?
So tell us what you’d like to see in a good crossfit glove and we’ll build it!
19 Responses to Lets Design the Perfect Crossfit Glove!
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Our Basic Crossfit Palm Protector
I came across this trying to search for gymnastic grips that would be suited for CrossFit (no dowel, but would provide sufficient protection). I hope this project is still active.
Currently I use athletic tape for protection when I’m facing a large number of pull-ups or the bar is really slippery (large and painted bars). That’s to say I don’t use it all the time, and is in fact pretty rare.
It would be the same case here. I would try to use them as little as possible, but would reach for them if I anticipate any tear. It’s not something I would change mid-workout, so don’t need to slip off/on quickly. Or if I didn’t make the right call, and end up tearing, I would need something to protect my hands while I keep doing the WoDs.
I think I’d like the buckles instead of velcro. Specifically double buckles. Not sure if something like Reisport Hyper Protec’s wide single strape with double buckles or two independent strapes with buckles. I’ve read on a gymnastic forum that single buckles can hurt or doesn’t feel as secure. In the same discussion, participants also said they didn’t like velcro since it tend to wear out faster.
For me, it would be pretty slim. Only two finger holes; the middle and ring fingers have a small history of tearing.
Not sure about stiffness, but the texture should be like a well caulused skin. Not sure if that makes any sense… The issue I have with using athletic tape is that it makes the bar feel more slippery. But I’m afraid that with certain gymnastic grips, I’d run into the issue where it was too grippy. With something that’s too grippy, although you can spend more time on the bar, You’re not likely to be able to develop your grip as well. It’s similar to how you use a pronated grip on a deadlift for as heavy as you can go before mixing.
Hi Albert,
Yep, we’re alive and well at US Glove, and starting to recover from our move to a new facility at the end of last year, what a pain that was!
Our plan to manufacture Crossfit products has actually been going through some testing locally. We’ve received a lot of feedback from our testers here in Albuquerque and elsewhere.
What appears to be coming into focus is that there is a need for several different types of product, surprise huh? Many of the women out there like our basic palm protector that we are currently selling. Unfortunately, this product is not being produced in sizes large enough for a good sized guy.
In the very near future we hope to take a good look at everyone’s input and design a couple of products just for Crossfit, while trying to meet the desires of the majority of our customers. I’m sure it will be a ongoing process, not a cut and dry type of thing.
So thanks for your input, we are listening! Once we have some fresh product, I’ll probably email everyone who was generous enough to take the time and share their thoughts with us to let them know what’s happening!
Hi Steve,
This is a great blog and Im very much excited with the idea of a “Crossfit” glove. Tom’s responses about making things easier by adding the dowel is going to be the opinion of about 75% of Crossfitters; seeing as how this is a “sport” workout designed to be competitive…it is functional movement designed to increase overall strength, coordination, and flexibility. If an athlete is weak in grip strength and using a dowel to make high rep pullups easier, they will suffer in the end by unevenly strengthing muscles; the grips would not be used for deadlifts, cleans, kettelbells etc which all require similar grip strength.
The real need for crossfit gloves is to reduce or avoid the friction caused on the palms by the kipping pullups. A lightweight glove, very tight fitting but durable that is not going to restrict natural movement or grip feel is ideal. I have tried the gymnastic grips you currently offer and agree that the leather is too thick and the gapping between the palm and wrist add pressure to the wrist. Note the tape most Crossfitters use to avoid tearing is the typical sports tape; flexible and a little rough on the outside (think a hockey stick grip)
It is unlikely you will develop a glove for competition as Reebok now regulates Crossfit Headquarters and determines competition standards…the gloves would need to be used by all crossfitters outside competition purely for training reasons.
I have been crossfitting actively for a year and half and competed in South East local competitions in the last 6 months…I feel I can speak for most in that the worst part about high rep pullup workouts is simply the known fact that you will do them raw, you will most likely tear, which will in turn slow down continuous training.
Thank you!!! I look forward to seeing/trying what you come up with!
Hi Bridget,
Thanks for you input, we appreciate it!
There is one thought I had concerning the dowel option that I’m curious about. I was thinking that it may be something a beginner Crossfitter would be interested in, especially if they are lacking the conditioning to do very many reps on the chin up bar. The logic being that they could develop strength sooner with a slight aid in the grip department, allowing them to be able to do more reps sooner. Once they reached a certain level, they could go with the non-dowel version. Just a thought…
Like everything in marketing, we may just make it available and see if people buy it. I’ve learned it’s never a good idea to assume what people what or need, just let them speak for themselves!
On another note, bear with us, we are almost set to move into a new larger facility. We desperately need more space so it will be great, except for the move…
Hi Steve. I have been involved with Crossfit for just over a year. There are many of us at my box that experience the callous and tearing discussed above. In fact, it seems that this has come up in conversation frequently as of late and we have been sharing solutions. My trainer has tried the gymnastic grips but felt that they were too thick and stiff.
I plan to order the Beginner Grip with Velcro as the taping that I cuurently do is time consumming and cumbersome. In looking at the website, there is a beginner gymnastic grip and a crossfit grip. The measurements differ for each product yet they look identical in the photos. Is there a substantive difference between the two? Is one thicker or thinner than the other?
I will pass along the info from your website. Thank you for your help.
Hi Michelle,
In answer to your question, we sell 3 variations of a beginner’s grip, beginner rainbow velcro, beginner soft velcro, and beginner buckle. The thickness of the leather is the same for all of them. It’s difficult to tell from the site photos, but there is a significant difference between the two velcro models. The beginner soft velcro is a more durable construction due to the way the leather is cut and sewn together.
The model that I have listed under the Crossfit category is actually our Rainbow model. This is because we make it in a larger size than the beginner soft model. Remember that these grips were designed for beginning gymnasts with small hands, not adults. So if your hand measurement is small enough, I suggest you try the soft, not the rainbow.
The leather in these grips is about twice as thick as a good leather work glove. I moved the rainbow model over into a Crossfit category just to bring them to the attention of people who do Crossfit. We have learned through many phone calls to our factory that lots of people are using these grips for Crossfit. In the near future we will be designing a product or two specifically for your market and we are very interested to get feedback from the gyms and boxes out there in terms of what people need and want. US Glove will soon be moving in to a new larger facility which will allow us to expand, after which we’ll have some more advanced products for you Crossfit folks!
So give them a try, get back to us and share your thoughts. I’ll be listening! I’m pretty sure you’ll like them better than taping all the time.
Hi Steve,
I just ordered (hesitantly) my first pair of gymnastic grips. I tend to rip pretty easily under my middle and ring fingers, as well as my palms. For a crossfit glove, as Tom had mentioned, no grip enhancement is needed. That would be shunned by any competitive or “more than casual” crossfitter. I would say 80% of the crossfitters who have gone to my box for over 3 months would consider themselves “more than casual.” You could think about having a beginner and competition model, but if you were starting and looking to sell the most product, you should cater to the larger majority. Minimalist is key for crossfit. Lightweight, easy on and off (Though I am intrigued by the idea of incorporating wrist wraps), and still allowing a natural feel when doing barbell work. Should also protect the side of the thumb, which always rips with high rep cleans or thrusters. Just my $.02.
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for your two cents worth! We appreciate hearing from crossfit folks on this subject. It does look like we have a need for a couple of different products. I assume you ordered a set of dowel-less beginner grips? Did you buy Velcro or buckle closures? I would really like to hear back from you after you have had a chance to use them for a while. Perhaps you will have further insights then to share!
Yeah, I think a dowel would be classified as a grip enhancement so if you did allow a dowel it would have to be removable.
I would say wider than normal would be idea. Plus why don’t you incorporate the wristband material into the grip? It would be cool if I could sinch them up tight and they would serve as a wrist-wrap as well as grip saver. That would be perfect for a workout where you are doing wrist-straining barbell movement like thrusters and pullups.
Check out the Inzer wrist wraps. 12-18 inchers would be great. This would eliminate the issue of the wrap straining the wrist as these are designed to be supporting the wrist.
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the input. I’ll check out the Inzer product and see how it works. I was actually already thinking of the idea of having a neoprene wristband built in for protection of the wrist. One less piece of equipment if it were integrated.
Hey! So glad I stumbled across this! What I would LOVE is a grip made out of yoga mat material. It’s the perfect grippy texture for the metal bars. I have a couple of cut pieces I use, but they fly away when I jump down for rest.
The perfect wrist, would be a soft suede with a simple velcro closure that doesn’t use a loop. More like a baseball glove so I can just rip them off during a WOD, and not have to slip them through. Or when putting them on quickly, I don’t have to thread the loop. I can just slap them on fast.
Hope this helps!!
Hi Jenna,
Thanks for the input! Interesting idea about the non-skid concept for the material. As it turns out, we are already using a non-skid material in our waterproof Tiger Paw and in our Mudra Paw for yoga. I am curious about your crossfit goals, by that I mean do you compete or just train for personal reasons? I ask because I have read on CrossFit.com that competition rules do not allow any type of glove that enhances your grip.
Our goal is to have a Crossfit glove ready for the market in a couple of months so check back!
The only reason to use a glove or grip in crossfit is to prevent ripping and tearing in your hand. If you create something that assists with grip or any type of tacky/sticky advantage will be shunned by the community and it quickly become useless.
Hi Tom, Thanks for your input. However as you can see from just this small sample of crossfitters, some people are interested in more grip. Either a dowel or grippy material is something folks would like to see. This gets to the philosophical side of crossfit. My guess is that there plenty of people who do crossfit training, but are not necessarily the “hardcore” type of person. I may be one of these people myself soon. Incorporating crossfit type routines would make for some good variety to my boring workout schedule.
For a few years now we have had conversations with people who call the factory and talk to us about their needs. What we’re are learning, which is no real surprise, is that with a community this large, we will likely need several different designs to suite the needs of different people. Since we already manufacture a couple dozen different products we can handle that!
I own a small Crossfit box. Several of my athletes are using leather grips with no dowel and love them. I use them and they keep me from tearing but the loop on the side wil dig into my wrist actually breaking the skin one time. My other problem is my grip is the limiting factor when doing higher reps of pull-ups. Will a dowel help with that?
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your input.
RE: the loop digging into the side of your wrist, same suggestion as for Mary. All gymnasts wear wristbands under the grips for this exact reason. Also note that the cotton wristbands we sell here are double or triple woven to provide extra protection to your wrists.
The dowel question is one that we are very interested in! The whole reason for the dowel in a gymnasts grip is to take some of the strain off of the grip muscles, allowing longer time on a bar before fatigue. It makes perfect sense that a dowel in a crossfit glove would have the same benefit.
We are basically thinking of making a new design that uses the more flexible leather of our beginner grips, made in larger sizes for adults, with a dowel added. The advantage over our existing dowel grips would be the lack of required break in period. Gymnastic dowel grips are made from very stiff leather in order to provide a grip that does not stretch. Stretch is very dangerous for a gymnast swinging on a bar, but is not an issue for someone doing pull ups!
We have a couple of other little design features we are considering as well. Stay in touch and check back regularly, I’ll let you know when we have a product ready for you to check out!
Again, if you put a dowel in there or any other feature that makes the exercise easier, it will be shunned. Nobody goes to a crossfit gym with the intention of making anything easier.
Sorry to be blunt. I’m rooting for you!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your input. My first thought is that our gymnastic grips are almost always worn over a cotton wristband to prevent the wrist area from being chaffed. I’m wondering if that would be of use in your situation. Some also use a light weight neoprene wristband for the same reason.
Other than this problem, what other changes would you make to the basic beginner Velcro grip to make it better for crossfit? How is the stiffness of the leather, and the width of the palm surface for what you need?
I’m 52 and have been crossfitting for about a year. The beginner velcro grips were the help I needed to get my kipping pull-up. My issue is that I ended up pinching a nerve in my wrist up through my index finger, which is now either numb or tingly a month post injury, by jumping up and the grip pulling up on my wrist. If there were a way to design something thin, tight yet not restricting it would be great.