Best Hockey Gloves For 2023

Every wonder how Connor McDavid makes opposing defenders look like swiss cheese as he hangs them out to dry, yet again? Combined with his speed, McDavid has some of the best hands in the game of hockey. The ease at which he dekes left before going to his right and back to the starting point before tucking the puck in on the short side.. all while we didn’t have time to blink because of his superior hands.

Hockey gloves can be some of the most underrated pieces of gear that a player will wear. It’s not until you upgrade into a top of the line glove that you realize the night and day difference between an entry level hockey glove and the same things McDavid wears. McDavid current wears CCM, by the way.

These are the best hockey gloves we recommend for 2023. 

Our mission when testing which hockey gloves are the best is simple. Shoot tons of pucks, wear them for more than 5 games and gather feedback from our athletes. We train several hundred elite D1 and pro hockey players each and every year, and polling the guys wearing the best of the best give us an edge unlike any other.

We’ll recommend a product when we’ve personally worn or used it and won’t add anything unless it fits that mold. Because of this, we’ve personally spent hours testing and researching hockey gloves.  We wanted to create the best list that we possibly could come up with and this is the result…

A couple things that we really want to stress when getting new gloves are durability, wrist mobility, comfort, and protection.  If you can find a pair of gloves that cover all of these bases, you’re going to be dialed on the ice.  You don’t want your gloves to be holding you back while you are shooting, passing, and stick handling.

Highest Rated Hockey Gloves of 2023

For each and every product that we review, we have a rating system.  The glove rating system works in such a way that gives a total of 70 points out for comfort, protection, wrist mobility, stick feel, durability, looks, and price.  Some categories are more important than others to some players, which is why we have the ratings the way they are.  The goal is to help clarify what we feel makes one glove better than the next.

Ever wonder what gloves NHL players wear?

We’ve covered a handful of gloves on the market in this article, most of these are worn by players currently in the NHL. Of course, Bauer, CCM, and Warrior dominate the professional market.

With that being said, these are higher-end hockey gloves. You’re going to spend a bit more on the product, but in return, you’ll get performance unlike any other. Choosing the most comfortable glove for your hand, and one that offers great mobility is crucial to picking something that works well for you.

CCM JetSpeed FT4 Gloves (Best Hockey Glove on the Market)

So, what IS the best glove for hockey players this year?

The CCM JetSpeed FT4 hands down outperform anything else in this class. The glove is simply more comfortable, more mobile, and has lasted longer than any other model we’ve tested.

Our Rating: 

One of the things I’ve never understood about other gloves is, why don’t they follow the same anatomical hand shape guidelines that CCM does? These gloves are built to reduce weight (as if that matters these days, all hockey gloves are light) and reduce material used by following the shape and general contour of your hand.

Of course, CCM keeps their 3 piece index finger and adds a new twist to the thumb design of this glove for this year.

If you’re the type of player that needs the most lightweight hockey glove, or one who needs to have something with maximum mobility, you can stop your search here, the FT4 gloves check all the boxes.

Bauer Supreme Ultrasonic (Best Pro Value)

The Bauer Ultrasonic hockey gloves are new for 2023.  While these will definitely cost you an arm and a leg, the price can be considered “worth it” for many reasons.

Our Rating: 

For one, these are very comfortable.  However, there are plenty of comfortable gloves out there, so this alone doesn’t make them super special.

They feature high-end protection that is designed for elite-level of hockey.  The cuff rises a bit taller than other gloves, offering better wrist protection.  This doesn’t inhibit mobility, but you are less likely to take a puck off the wrist.  Which is well known, can be extremely painful.

Let’s dive into the design of the Ultrasonic gloves a little bit. It features a three-layer design of high-density foam for protection.  The shell is made of Pro Lite Tex which is a material that decreases the weight of the gloves.  The back of the hand Poron XRD foam as well, designed to increase protection.

The palm is another top feature of these hockey gloves.  They have Max Connekt Palms which induce a better puck feel.  Stickhandling and shooting feel better controlled and comfortable.

Lastly, you get top-of-the-line wrist mobility in the Ultrasonics.  These are meant for the pros so if you aren’t in need of gloves this hardcore, go with another option.  But, if you can afford it, you likely won’t regret it.

Warrior Covert Pro (Best For The Money)

The Warrior Covert Pro gloves aren’t the latest and greatest to hit the market, but they’re still a quality pair of gloves.  They’re the gloves that are going to get the job done and last a long time… at a reasonable price.

Our Rating: 

They feature a taper fit which is ideal because it makes it a natural fit in your hand, as all hockey gloves should be.  They also feature a lightweight build for additional comfort, while stiff offering the protection you need.

The palm of the glove is very durable so you can expect to use these for a long time.  Ideally, a pair of higher-end gloves should last you a couple of years.

And lastly, the Covert Pro gloves have a Wartech FNC liner which is designed to keep your hands as dry and comfortable as possible.

Anonymous Review: “These Warrior gloves are fantastic.  I have worn NHL player worn gloves and these are every bit as good.”

Overall it’s hard to go wrong with a pair of gloves like these.  Reasonable priced, highly protective, and should last you multiple seasons.

Bauer Vapor X2.9 (Most Affordable Gloves)

The Bauer Vapor X2.9 hockey gloves are the best budget gloves on the market.  Here’s what we did and didn’t like about them.

Advantages: 

• Solid budget pair of gloves
• Very popular amongst high school level players
• Wrist mobility

Our Rating: 

The Bauer Vapor X2.9 gloves were originally released in 2020.  So they aren’t the latest gloves to hit the market, but that doesn’t take away from their ability to perform today.

The biggest positive in getting these gloves is that they don’t cost a whole lot of money – relative to the most expensive gloves on the market.  You can get these for less than $120ish.  This is super nice, considering that gloves aren’t exactly the most exciting piece of gear you will need (still important though).

They’re a comfortable set of mitts.  They feature a Taktile palm that is designed to last a long time, while also providing a nice feel with your stick in hand.

There’s nothing worse than a pair of gloves that you can’t get broken in and never really feel natural.  That isn’t the case here.

Mobility-wise this glove is special.  The fingers are a 3-piece while the thumb is split into 2.  This allows for better stick handling, passing and shooting.  The open cuff in the wrist area also has an important part to play in this.

Lastly, the moisture wicking technology helps increase the speed at which your gloves dry out.  Obviously, it’s nearly impossible to keep your gloves dry during a game or practice, but technology like this helps!

A couple of downfalls would be that these gloves likely aren’t the same quality as the elite-level gloves, but good enough for the price.  You also are losing a little bit of protection in the hands compared to those gloves.

Overall though, the Bauer Vapor X2.9 gloves are stellar for those of you that want to scoop a great deal.  Can’t go wrong with that!

CCM Tacks AS1

The CCM Tacks AS1 hockey gloves are popular for a multitude of reasons.  One, the CCM brand in hockey is just a high end brand.  Two, these are elite gloves.

Our Rating: 

These were the best CCM hockey gloves before the latest FT4 lineup was released.  Probably the best aspect of these gloves were the protection up near the wrist.  Highly protective.

Other than that, they are super comfortable and have a classic old-school look.

Price-wise they are a bit up there, but other than that these are a top pair of gloves, despite getting dethroned by the FT4 Pros.

Warrior Alpha LX Pro

The Warrior Alpha LX Pro are the latest and greatest hockey gloves from Warrior.  Brand new for 2021, they feature a pro palm + that is designed to improve the lifespan of the gloves.  Here’s the rating that we gave these gloves.

Our Rating: 

The Hybrid taper fit makes for a natural fit in the hand and the Pro Cuff increases the range of motion when you pass, shoot or stick handle.

The most impressive aspect of these Alpha LX Pro gloves is the overall feel of them.  They don’t restrict the movement of your hands and really that’s one of them most important aspects of a pair of gloves.

The downside of these gloves is the price tag.  They’re not cheap and at that price, it might make more sense to go with a pair of FT4’s or Ultrasonic gloves.

Bauer Vapor 2x Pro

The Bauer Vapor 2X Pro Hockey Gloves were our top pick for last year, and while being dethroned by the new CCM FT4 gloves, it doesn’t mean these should fall off the list. Actually, these gloves are a very comparable second choice behind the new FT4 line. I’ve already noticed them knocked back a bit at Pure Hockey and I’m hoping they’ll go down in price at Hockey Monkey as well.

Advantages:

• Elite level gloves
• Lightweight (265 Grams)
• Protective (Shock Lite Foam)
• Ultra-Sensitive feel with your stick (CONNEKT+ PALM)

Our Rating: 

Last season, these were some of our favorite gloves. Like everything, we’re on to bigger and better things and we’re not into playing brand favorites. The new CCM gloves are legit, but for those of you looking to sneak into something perhaps at a bit of a discount, check the Bauer 2X Pro gloves out.

They’re super comfortable with Thermo Core and Hypersense lining in both the palm and fingers.  They’re super protective with Shock Lite Foam making up most of the glove.  The quality of the gloves is very good, and they’re super durable.  Not only that, but these gloves are super lightweight.  The price hits a little hard, but you won’t find a better pair of hockey gloves on the market.

True Catalyst 9x

Over the last several years, True has been dramatically improving the quality of their equipment.  Their gloves are different.

The True Catalyst 9x gloves are the top of the Catalyst lineup.

Our Rating:

Definitely one of the most underrated hockey gloves on the market.  While they aren’t the best looking, and you’ll pay a premium to have these, they do offer a lot of high end qualities.

For one, wrist mobility.  While it’s difficult to say that one glove has a tremendous advantage in mobility compared to the next, the Catalyst 9X deserve to be near the top.

For two, comfort.  Playing hockey in comfortable gloves is a game changer.  Everything depends on how well each moving piece fits together, and the less friction possible, the better.   That’s where True really elevated their game for this year.

Overall, there are definitely higher ranked gloves that might suit you better, but if you want to step away from the crowd a little bit, you can’t go wrong with some True gloves.

Warrior Covert QRE10 (Most Innovative Glove)

The Warrior Covert QRE10 gloves are next on the list.  Here’s what we did and didn’t like about them.

Our Rating: 

The Warrior Covert QRE10 hockey gloves are super lightweight.  They’re designed with Convert Taper Fit that allows for maximum protection of the wrist area.  They also feature AxyFlex V2 Cuff technology which helps out with the protection of the wrist, while also keeping it mobile.  Warrior also implemented The AxyFlex Thumb which provides supreme flexibility in the thumbs.

The gloves as a whole are made of Warrior’s first-class protective EXO+Foam.  It’s some of the most protective foam that you can get for your gloves right now.  Not only is it protective, but it doesn’t weigh a whole lot.

Finally, the durability of these gloves is top of the line.  They’re made very well with quality materials.  The only problem with the gloves is the price tag, they’re not cheap.  But otherwise they protect the hands very well, are mobile and lightweight.  There’s not much more to look for in a high-quality pair of hockey gloves.

Related: Best Hockey Stick

CCM Tacks 4R Lite Pro

The CCM Tacks 4R Lite pro hockey gloves are designed for players that aren’t interested in spending a million dollars on a nice pair of gloves.  Overall these are fairly comfortable and have a quick break in time.

Our Rating:

While you will be getting better features in higher end gloves such as the FT4 pro’s, the lower price makes these gloves attractive.

In these gloves, you will be getting middle of the road protection and mobility.  They feature dual-density foam in the fingers and the back of hand for added protection.  The wrist has a mobile design with an open segmented cuff and PE inserts.

The palms of the gloves are also reinforced with additional material to increase the life span of the gloves.  The thumbs can be flexed forward easily, but they have no give when flexed backwards.  This keeps your thumbs protected from hyperextending in collisions.

These are a solid pair of gloves, especially for the price.  Performance-wise, they might not be as good as the Vapor 2X Pro gloves, but they also cost a lot less.

Related: Best Hockey Helmet

True A6.0

The True A6.0 gloves are are very technologically advanced.  Here’s what we did and didn’t like about them.

Advantages:

• Protective (Pro Grade EPP Foam)
• Ergonomical cuff
• Microban technology cleans and dries
• Durable palms

The True A.60 gloves are another awesome pair of gloves for playing hockey.  They’re quite expensive, but they’re super comfortable, highly protective and mobile.  Not only that, but the palms also are durable.  The fit and feel is snug, not too much loose space and not too tight.  The stick control in these gloves are one of its biggest pluses.  The high grade nylon shell is super lightweight, but keep the hands and fingers protected.

The True A.60 gloves are engineered to absorb impact.  Getting slashed in the wrist or taking a shot to the hand isn’t super painful.  Finally, maybe the coolest feature in these gloves is the Microban technology.  They use antimicrobial properties that kill the growth of bacteria and keep your gloves fresh.  Essentially reducing the smell of sweat in your gloves.

Overall the True A6.0 gloves are a great option for hockey players in 2023.   They’re durable, protective and have bacterial growth killers to keep them clean and dry.

Bauer Nexus 2N (Best Looking Gloves)

The Bauer Nexus 2N hockey feature a 4 roll design that looks really cool.  Here’s what we did and didn’t like about them.

Advantages: 

• Look great
• Quick break-in time
• Updated for new style of hockey
• Adjustable wide cuff design
• Sensitive touch

The 2N hockey gloves were a leader in the glove industry for many years. Easily the best-looking gloves, they are now at a cheaper price than before.  That is obviously because the newer 2X and Ultrasonic gloves were released to the market.

Which is totally fine.  I believe that a lot of hockey players just want to get the latest and greatest gear when in reality a lot of equipment doesn’t improve a whole lot compared to the latter.

That being said, the 2N gloves are at a steal of a price right now.  I have to assume that’s because Bauer stopped making them, which is generally the case after new iterations of equipment are released.

Moving onto why these gloves are in the top 15 hockey gloves.  For one, they’re comfortable.  They have a nice stick feel and also have sanitization technology to reduce the smell and keep them clean.

Overall these are a classic style looking pairs of gloves that have been very popular in the hockey world.

Related: Best Hockey Pants

CCM Jetspeed Ft1 Youth (Best Youth Gloves)

The CCM Jetspeed FT1 Youth gloves are the best gloves you can get for youth hockey players.  Here’s what we did and didn’t like about them.

Advantages:

• Inexpensive
• Lightweight and comfortable
• Protective PE thumb
• Soft Nash palm

Disadvantages: 

• Not super advanced

The CCM Jetspeed FT1 Youth gloves are the best youth hockey gloves.  They’re not very expensive but get the job done for your kid.  They’re comfortable, lightweight, and comfortable.  The thumb is protected and strong.

Yes, these gloves aren’t super-advanced, but youth hockey players typically don’t slash very hard, if it all.  Which sort of takes out the need to have high-end hockey gloves that are super technologically advanced.

The Jetspeed FT1 gloves will get the job done, and done well.  Without breaking the bank.

Related: Best Hockey Bag

Hockey Glove Sizing

Getting the correct size of your next pair of gloves is critical.  If you are interested – we have a full post on how to correctly size your hockey gloves so you aren’t spending time ordering, returning and otherwise wasting time.  Click here to view the glove sizing chart.

Maintaining Your Hockey Gloves

Hockey gloves, like every other piece of hockey equipment, can and should be washed. In fact, one of the easiest ways to prevent holes in your gloves and unnecessary palm repair is by maintaining your gloves on a somewhat regular basis.

Here’s a guide we wrote on how to wash your hockey gloves. Think about it, every time you complete a strenuous practice, what condition are your gloves in? They’re soaked, completely through. One of the easiest maintenance things you can do for the health of your gloves is to wash them on a regular basis.

Conclusion: Best Hockey Gloves

Hockey gloves are an important yet underrated pieces of equipment.  They are the difference between soft or break hands.  The difference between going bar down or missing the net.  The difference between catching the pass or the puck bouncing off.