Summer is upon us, and you know what that means, right? It’s time to hit the trails and enjoy the warm weather. Before you do, make sure you have the right summer sleeping bags, hiking gear—best summer hiking gloves included.
That’s right.
Gloves are essential all year round, whether hiking in the summer sun or winter cold. With so many different types of gloves on the market, choosing the right pair can be daunting, especially if you don’t know what to look for.
We’ve shared the ultimate guide on finding the best summer hiking gloves to protect your hands and some of our favorites this year.
Table of contents
- Best Summer Hiking Gloves Overall – Palmyth Fingerless Gloves
- Best Summer Hiking Gloves for Men – Coolibar Men’s Gannett UV Gloves
- Best Summer Hiking Gloves for Women – JURUAA Women’s UV Gloves
- Best Full Finger Hiking Gloves – SayWow UV Protection Gloves
- Best Lightweight Summer Hiking Gloves – Bienvenu Summer UV Protection Gloves
- Best Summer Hiking Gloves for UV Protection – Drasry UV Protection Fingerless Gloves
- Best Waterproof Summer Hiking Gloves – CYG&CL Outdoor Waterproof Gloves
- How to Choose the Best Summer Hiking Gloves
- Final Thoughts
- FAQ
- Need More Advice on Gear and Footwear?
Best Summer Hiking Gloves Overall – Palmyth Fingerless Gloves
This stunning pair of fingerless hiking gloves from Palmyth is top on our list and with good reason. They’re made from partial synthetic leather with reinforced palms to provide a better grip and dexterity and protect your hands from cuts, scratches, and abrasions when hiking challenging terrains.
Each glove has UPF and SPF sun protection woven into the fabric to prevent your hands from getting sunburned on the trails. We particularly love how lightweight and stretchy the fabric is. It is extremely breathable and quick-drying to keep your hands well-ventilated throughout the hike.
What We Like
- Lightweight and breathable
- Moisture-wicking and quick-drying
- SPF and UPF sun protection
- Fingerless design for enhanced maneuverability
- Long cuff for extra wrist protection
What We Don’t Like
- Sizes run small
Best Summer Hiking Gloves for Men – Coolibar Men’s Gannett UV Gloves
Coolibar Gannet UV gloves are by far one of the best hiking gloves for men. They are made from 87% polyester and 13% spandex, making them ultra-light and stretchy. This lightweight glove comes with a pull-on closure, making it quick and easy to wear.
The fabric in each glove is infused with UPF50+ sun protection, which makes its outer layer extremely effective in blocking out 98% of harmful UV rays. While they are full-fingered gloves, they are breathable thanks to the micromesh built into the fabric. If you’re looking for high-performance hiking gloves, you can’t go wrong with these.
What We Like
- Pull-on closure which makes them easy to wear
- Touchscreen compatible
- Quick-dry and breathable
- UPF protection
- Lightweight and versatile
What We Don’t Like
- They are a little pricey compared to other gloves in their class
Best Summer Hiking Gloves for Women – JURUAA Women’s UV Gloves
The first thing that stood out is how feminine these hiking gloves from JURUAA look. The little dots against the soft pink background also give them a vintage feel, which we can’t get enough of.
These best hiking gloves are made from cotton and are extremely breathable. They also have silicone dots embedded into the palm for enhanced grip, so you don’t have to worry about your hands slipping when holding on to rocks, branches, and roots while on the trails.
These are worth checking out if you’re in the market for a lightweight pair of versatile hiking gloves.
What We Like
- Lightweight
- Breathable
- Anti-slip design
- UV protection
- Versatile
What We Don’t Like
- It may not be ideal for hiking rugged terrains
Best Full Finger Hiking Gloves – SayWow UV Protection Gloves
Full-finger gloves are not particularly popular in summer. However, if you want to block out the sun completely and protect your entire hand – fingers included – from harmful UV rays, you should get this stunning pair of full-finger gloves from SayWow.
We were surprised by how lightweight they felt. They are super stretchy and breathable, which makes them extremely comfortable to wear even on long hikes. You can hardly feel them on.
The fabric feels durable, and the silicone print embedded on the palms and fingers is great for added grip. All in all, they are a worthwhile purchase.
What We Like
- Pull-on closure
- UPF50+ protection
- Touchscreen compatible
- Anti-slip design
- Breathable and lightweight
What We Don’t Like
- They’re not waterproof
Best Lightweight Summer Hiking Gloves – Bienvenu Summer UV Protection Gloves
If you’re looking for a basic pair of hiking gloves to protect your hands from the hot summer sun, you can get this affordable pair from Bienvenu. They are very lightweight, breathable, and won’t cost you a fortune if all you’re after is sun protection.
They are made from a blend of cotton and polyester to keep your hands dry and well-ventilated during your hike. Furthermore, the silicone patches embedded into the palms for better grip. They provide outstanding value for the money.
What We Like
- Affordably priced
- Breathable and lightweight
- UV protection
- Easy pull-on closure
- Snug fit
What We Don’t Like
- We would have preferred it to be a little more stretchy
Best Summer Hiking Gloves for UV Protection – Drasry UV Protection Fingerless Gloves
Drasry hiking gloves offer outstanding UV protection. They’re made from polyester nylon, spandex, and polyurethane. One look at them, and you can tell they’re built for high performance. The palms and high wear points are reinforced with partial synthetic leather and embedded with silicone dots to provide a better grip when holding on to smooth rock surfaces, branches, or roots.
Our fabric is ultra-lightweight, stretchy, and breathable to keep your hands dry and cool even under the hot summer sun. For the quality, these hiking gloves are surprisingly well-priced.
What We Like
- High quality
- Excellent grip
- UV protection
- Lightweight and breathable
- Extremely versatile
What We Don’t Like
- We’re not fans of the terry cloth fabric on the thumbs
Best Waterproof Summer Hiking Gloves – CYG&CL Outdoor Waterproof Gloves
If you encounter light summer rain during your hike, you’ll want a pair of waterproof hiking gloves to keep your hands warm and dry. This set from CYG&CL is quite impressive as far as waterproofing and water resistance go.
They’re made from synthetic leather, nylon, resin, and silicone, with a plush soft polar fleece interior glove liner. This weather glove is extremely durable, breathable, moisture-wicking, and anti-static, a feature you don’t get with many other brands of hiking gloves. They are certainly worth checking out.
What We Like
- Waterproof, water resistant, and windproof
- Warm and comfortable
- Touchscreen sensitive
- Breathable, moisture-wicking, and anti-static
- Great for the price
What We Don’t Like
- Sizes run small
How to Choose the Best Summer Hiking Gloves
Here are some important factors to keep in mind when choosing the best hiking gloves for summer.
Material
Hiking gloves come in several different types of materials. The two most popular types are leather gloves and fabric gloves. The latter are usually made from polyester or nylon or a blend of the two materials.
As far as durability goes, nothing beats good old-fashioned leather gloves. The downside is that they aren’t as breathable as their fabric counterparts.
Leather gloves are flexible and comfortable and provide unmatched protection from blisters and scrapes caused by brushing up against rocks and plants while hiking. They are better for colder months.
On the other hand, fabric gloves made of synthetic materials like nylon and polyester are great for warmer summer months where breathability is paramount. They wick away moisture from the skin, leaving your hands cool and dry while protecting them against harmful UV rays from the sun.
Unfortunately, fabric gloves don’t offer quite the same level of protection as leather gloves. A sharp rock is more likely to cut through a nylon or polyester glove than a leather one.
While fabric gloves aren’t nearly as durable as leather ones, they won’t lose shape or become stiff like leather gloves over time.
When choosing which summer hiking gloves, figure out your non-negotiable features and then pick accordingly. If breathability is important to you, then go with fabric gloves. If durability is at the top of your list, go with leather gloves.
Whichever pair you choose, make sure they offer some level of UV protection, and keep an eye out for those with mesh along the palm side of each glove.
Design
The next thing you must consider when choosing summer hiking gloves is their design. What kind of gloves do you want? Would you prefer gloves that completely cover your wrists, or would you rather have a pair that only extends slightly past your fingers?
The glove design you get depends on the level of protection and ventilation you require. Here are some popular hiking glove designs to consider.
Velcro-Cuff, Pull-On, and Stretch Designs
As the name suggests, hiking gloves with Velcro cuffs have Velcro fasteners at the wrist to secure them. They prevent heat, dirt, and debris from getting into the gloves. However, they can be inconvenient if you need to quickly get them on or off.
Pull-on hiking gloves don’t have any fasteners around the wrist, and as such, don’t do as great a job preventing dirt and debris from getting into the gloves. However, they are easy to put on and pull off when needed.
Stretch hiking glove designs are a cross between Velcro-cuff and pull-on gloves. They are easy to put on and are tight around the wrists to keep dirt and debris from getting inside them.
Full-finger or Fingerless Designs
Full-finger gloves cover the entire hand, including the fingertips. They offer excellent protection against rocks and other rough surfaces along the trail.
Some designs include extra cushioning around the palm and knuckles to protect the hands against scrapes and bruises when brushing up against bushes, trees, and rocks when hiking heavily foliaged terrain. The downside to wearing full-finger gloves when hiking under the hot summer sun is that your hands tend to get quite hot after a while.
Fingerless glove designs are an excellent option for hiking in warm weather. They look like conventional gloves, the only difference being that they cover the palm and back of your hands, leaving the fingers open.
As expected, fingerless gloves offer excellent ventilation, making it unlikely for your hands to get hot and sweaty. The downside is they don’t offer as much protection against dirt, debris, scrapes, and scratches if you encounter rough surfaces while hiking.
Choosing between full-finger and fingerless gloves comes down to the type of terrain you’ll be hiking and the level of sun exposure you expect. If it is extremely hot out, you’re better off wearing fingerless gloves to keep your hands nice and airy. On the other hand, if you’re going on a particularly strenuous hike, full-fingered gloves might be a better alternative for maximum protection.
Waterproof and Non-Waterproof Designs
Choosing between waterproof and non-waterproof hiking glove designs depends on the weather and your hiking elevation. Wear waterproof gloves to keep your hands dry if it rains during your hike.
The same thing applies if your hike involves some elevation gain. The weather in higher altitudes tends to be erratic, with higher chances of rain, so bring your waterproof gloves with you.
Other Designs
What kind of activities do you intend to engage in during your hike? If ladders and ropes are involved, you should choose gloves with padding on the palms to prevent blisters and chafing.
If your trail requires you to hold onto roots, rocks, and branches as you go uphill, choose a pair of gloves with rubber grips on the palms and fingertips to prevent slipping.
Fit
Last but certainly not least, you must consider the fit of the gloves. They shouldn’t be too tight to the point of cutting off blood flow to the fingers, nor should they be too loose that they let dirt and debris in.
Here’s how to ensure the hiking gloves you get fit correctly.
- Use a measuring tape to measure the circumference of the widest part of your hand (excluding the thumb).
- Choose hiking gloves one to two sizes larger than the measurement you recorded in the previous step.
- Put on the gloves and make a fist with your hands to check that your fingers aren’t bunching up inside.
- Ensure the gloves leave about an inch between where they end and your wrists to allow you to rotate your hand easily without restriction.
Final Thoughts
There you have it—the best summer hiking gloves to confidently hit the trails. The ones you pick should be breathable to keep your hands cool and dry when hiking in the hot summer sun. The options reviewed in this guide are solid for hiking in warm weather.
In the meantime, do your feet get hot while hiking? Step up your hiking game with these best trail sandals the next time you hit the trails.
FAQ
Yes, you should. Gloves aren’t just for cold weather. The best gloves protect your hands from dirt and debris and prevent them from getting scrapes and bruises when brushing up against rough surfaces. They also protect them from the sun’s harmful UV rays so your hands don’t get sunburned.
The best gloves will depend on the weather and the activities you intend to do. If it’s rainy out, then you should wear waterproof gloves to keep them dry. But if you’re going on a strenuous hike that requires you to hold on to roots, rocks, and branches as you go uphill, choose a pair of full-fingered gloves with rubber grips on the palms and fingertips to prevent slipping. And for easy hikes in the hot summer sun, consider wearing fingerless gloves for more ventilation.
If you’re hiking during winter or in high-elevation areas with a high likelihood of rain, even in summer, you should wear waterproof gloves to keep your hands dry, warm, and comfortable.
Need More Advice on Gear and Footwear?
Here are some links to our most popular articles:
- Explore in Comfort with the Best Summer Hiking Socks
- Stay Cool While Trekking in the Heat in these Best Summer Hiking Outfits
- Stay Dry on the Trail with Lightweight Rain Gear
- Must-Have Hiking Gear: The Best Hiking Gloves for Cold Weather
- Protect your eyes from the sun’s rays -Best Mountaineering Sunglasses
- Mens Hiking Clothes: What You Need to Pack For the Trails
Last update on 2025-01-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API