This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you purchase through these links. See my full disclosure here.
Since the dawn of golf, leather has reigned supreme as the go-to material for golf gloves. But make no mistake, a glove isn’t just a glove. Golf equipment, including gloves, can be categorized into entry-level, mid-point, and premium.
While a novice golfer might prioritize value, seasoned golfers often seek top-notch performance. For them, grip, comfort, and breathability are critical components influencing every shot. And indeed, many leather gloves deliver on these attributes.
However, what’s the verdict on vegan gloves? Can they rival their leather counterparts? Today’s market offers materials that mimic and match the qualities of genuine leather.
This raises the question: Are vegan golf gloves readily available? The answer is yes, but they remain a rare find.
Introduction To Vegan Golf Gloves
Obviously, vegan golf gloves should not contain any animal ingredients.
Most vegan gloves I find contain different forms of synthetic material. A pretty common one is auto suede, which is a very fine fabric that is also used for cars, and aircraft interiors. There’s also knitted fabric woven into the gloves, which is what provides the gloves with breathability, flexibility and quick-drying comfort.
This type of material is important because in hot, humid environments your hands can easily start to sweat from holding the club many times, which might affect your grip.
Needless to say, it can also be useful for rainy days, where your gloves are most likely to get wet.
Different gloves have more (or less) intricate technologies, which will be reflected in the price. So far the price point for the gloves I’ve found has not oscillated much, which means the quality of the technology is quite similar.
Avoid Non-Synthetic Leather
Just remember, for your golf gloves to be vegan, you must avoid leather, which is what golf gloves often contain. In fact, what you will most likely find are gloves made from Cabretta leather.
This is basically the skin of sheep that grow hair rather than wool. In other words, it is tougher than other sheepskins so it’s used to create durable products like gloves and shoes.
None Of The Brands Are “Sustainable”.
Let me mention first that none of the brands I’ll mention have any type of environmental commitment. If you want to find golf products with a big emphasis on sustainability and ethics, I’m afraid golf is just not that kind of sport.
The golf gloves I will share with you are technically considered vegan because they’re fully synthetic. However, that does not mean they’re sustainable since usually every type of synthetic material has a harmful impact on the planet.
This said, using synthetic products is still infinitely better than skinning animals for leather.
Regular Golf Gloves
Puma Flex Lite Golf Glove
What’s surprising about this glove is that despite the cheap price, you’re getting a glove that is notches above the Callaway glove. This glove is made from synthetic leather combined with 4-way stretch lycra, which gives it the flexibility and comfort found in most genuine leather gloves.
You would think that durability is an issue but the reviews on Amazon could not give you a better indication of the contrary. According to many verified reviewers, this Flexlit golf glove is quite durable and should last you a couple of summers, even if you play regularly 3-4 times a week.
Those tiny holes in the glove (see in the image) are strategically placed to enhance breathability, which should keep your hands from getting sweaty and uncomfortable. This technology makes it so the moisture created by your hands is expelled when in contact with the glove so that each swing feels light and comfortable.
Just like any other velcro tab, you can adjust the closure to fit the size of your wrist. According to the information shared by Puma, these gloves are comprised of 52% polyester, 42% polyurethane, and 6% spandex.
In other words, these are all forms of plastic which makes this glove vegan-friendly.
Golf Gloves For Rainy Weather
FootJoy Men’s RainGrip Gloves
Would you believe it if the #1 rain golf glove was vegan? Well, it probably wasn’t intentional, but the materials are purely synthetic. Unlike the majority of gloves, where its either leather or a combination of both, this glove is all suede and velcro.
Upon use, you’ll notice that it works better when wet since the fibers within the fabric activate t0 increase the grip you have on the club. But just because it works better with rain, that doesn’t mean it can’t perform on a sunny day.
You can still run your palm down on wet grass to activate the fibers.
In addition to that, these gloves are also equipped with quick-dry material on the back of the glove, which adds breathability, and helps reduce the moisture coming out of your body rather than the external one.
Overall, this is a standard for wet weather golfers, and they’re certainly one of the best solutions for rainy weather. This being said, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them without rain.
FootJoy Men’s WinterSof Golf Gloves
The package comes with both left and right-handed gloves.
Each glove is made with fleece insulation to retain warmth, plus a weatherproof backhand and an extended knit cuff to cover the wrist, which keeps cold air from seeping through. Plus, they are fully synthetic and technically considered vegan.
Like the first example, these also use fabric from car interiors (autosuede), which activates upon contact with water, providing the user with a better grip when playing in the rain. These gloves also come with a tee slot so you don’t have to remove a glove and search around for a peg. Visually, they might seem bulkier than regular gloves, but they’re actually quite sleek.
Plus, they’re very soft and warm due to the fleece insulation, so they’re 10/10 for comfort.
TaylorMade Rain Control Golf Gloves
These gloves are predominantly used in rainy weather.
Unfortunately, unlike the ones from Foot Joy, the Taylormade gloves are more genre-specific. As you can see from the picture, they look a lot bulkier, which essentially means that:
- The gloves have a very durable construction;
- They’re designed to keep rain from getting through, thus are less breathable;
- The price point for these gloves will be higher, which is also affected by the prestige of the brand.
Considering these gloves are strictly made for rain, you can also expect to have a better grip in those conditions. The people behind Taylormade gloves suggest that these gloves enhance your grip by 40%. In fact, the grip is made to have more traction even if the gloves are soaking wet. Obviously, this technology will make the gloves more expensive than most.
The closure design for the gloves is also very high-quality since it allows you to easily control and adjust your wrist. The velcro is very durable, and the stitching creates a contoured quality fit that matches the overall quality of the glove.
The pricing not only reflects the quality of the gloves but also the fact they come in a pair.
Mizuno Thermagrip Golf Gloves
The Mizuno ThermaGrip golf gloves showcase a fusion of design and technological innovation. The synthetic suede palm ensures durability, seamlessly paired with a Breath Thermo flexible upper for a snug fit.
The BREATH THERMO® technology, integral to these gloves, captures escaping body vapor and transforms it into warmth, making it a desirable feature for chilly morning rounds.
A distinctive element is the 3D printing on the palm. The foam resin print promises an enhanced grip, especially beneficial during wet conditions. This, combined with the FitBridge design, ensures a contoured fit from palm to the back of the hand, achieving an optimal balance between comfort and functionality.
Interestingly, these gloves possess a feature not highlighted in Mizuno’s product details: touchscreen compatibility. This unassuming feature can be a boon for golfers who rely on tech gadgets during their rounds, allowing for uninterrupted usage.
However, there’s a minor concern: the Velcro tends to catch on the material at the back of the hand. Achieving the perfect fit might result in slight damage to the product.
In Conclusion
Even though the standard fabric for golf gloves remains to be Cabretta leather, I still feel like you can find pretty good synthetic gloves that can offer you great grip, comfort, and durability. But note that I’m referring to golf gloves used in regular, sunny weather.
If you want to play in more humid, rainy weather, you should not do it using leather gloves. That’s because the longer leather remains saturated in moisture, the greater the risk of damage.
On the other hand, synthetic materials are very waterproof, which is why rain golf gloves are usually fully synthetic. Depending on how often you play, you might want to have two pairs of gloves: one for sunny weather and one for when it rains.
That’s typically how professional golfers do it.
