When it comes to goalkeeper gloves for juniors, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. The first thing that you want to look for is a glove that really does provide protection. At the same time, you probably don’t want a glove that gives you too much of it! The perfect example here are the gloves with very stiff finger protection. If it gets to the point where kids can’t move their fingers at all, you’re not actually helping your kid that much. I’ve picked up a couple of options that I think reflect that. In that they are a glove that provides protection, but also decent mobility for kids. Which, I feel, is really important in certain ages, and can help you find the best goalkeeper gloves for juniors.
Other than overprotection, you’re also going to want to avoid gloves that are not really made by regular glove manufacturers. A lot of times, the overall design is not going to give a kid a real feel for what a goalkeeper glove really is. That can be a problem if you’re trying to develop the kid’s catching technique and how to properly put their hands together to make a save. You want to avoid all the options that are not full gloves. If the gloves look like something you’d wear at the gym to lift weights, those are not it!
Best Goalkeeper Gloves For Juniors What You Should Be Looking For?
I mentioned the two key aspects for me, safety and mobility. When it comes to safety, you want to make sure that the gloves that you buy actually do a good job in softening the blow. The main reason why goalkeeper gloves were invented in the first place was to give goalkeepers a way to be able to deal with hard shots. Back in those days, with how much balls weighed, goalkeepers didn’t get much help from the gloves that were available. Your kid doesn’t have to go through that. These days, we have the best goalkeeper gloves for juniors that we’ve ever had.
Another important aspect is making sure that you buy the right size glove. I have other articles on size that I’m going to link to here. If you read through some of the articles on the site, you know this already, but I have to say it. When it comes to goalkeeper gear for kids, don’t make them grow into it! The best goalkeeper gloves for juniors are the ones that fit perfectly at that particular age. You may have to buy new ones in 6 months. Yes, that’s how it goes! The problem with buying gloves that are too big is that your kid’s fingers are going to bend easily with certain shots. The problem with gloves that are two small is that the finger is already bent inside the glove. Direct impact can cause a severe injury!
We’ve gone over 2 aspects here, you need a glove that’s thick enough to soften the blow, but not too hard so that it doesn’t limit mobility. Make sure you buy the right size. It’s also super important to buy a real glove! You need your kid to be able to get a feel for what it’s like to wear goalkeeper gloves. This is going to allow them to develop better catching and saving techniques. They’ll be able to carry over that knowledge to the next gloves that you ultimately buy. That’s why I don’t recommend buying goalkeeper gear from a brand that typically doesn’t make this type of equipment.
Do’s, Don’ts, Maybe’s What To Buy!
This is just going to be a quick intro before I start talking about different types of actual glove brand and models. Instead of giving you a typical top 5 of gloves to buy, I’m going to be looking at 4 brands of glove manufacturers. Telling you which models to stay away from and which models you can potentially pick up. Hopefully this can be a good guide to help you avoid rookie mistakes. The mistakes that mom and/or dad make in the store are things that your child could pay for on the field.
Elite Stars Youth Goalkeeper Gloves – Good Option
I have a bit of a soft spot for this brand, I must admit. Part of it comes from the fact that they have stayed with a bit of a more traditional way to do goalkeeper gloves. Some of the futuristic models that Adidas, Nike, and Reusch have put out are not something that the old timer loves to wear. When it comes to the best goalkeeper gloves for juniors, there’s a good chance that the Elite Stars Youth Goalkeeper Gloves can take the cake.
These are thick gloves with spines, and a soft latex palm that can allow kids to really get a sense of how grip works in goalkeeper gloves. I feel that this issue is one of the biggest ones with junior goalkeeper gloves. If you buy gloves with a palm made from materials that are not what you would typically see in pro style gloves, you don’t begin to understand the concept of grip. These are a solid buy, they provide enough protection, good grip when new. The price tag isn’t through the roof either, sitting right under the 40 dollar mark! There are other versions of this glove without finger protection that you can get if your young keeper wants more mobility. Also, these are gloves that complete novice little keepers can enjoy, as well as those with some time between the sticks.
Nike Jr. Match Gloves – Maybe
The Nike Jr. match gloves are one of the options that you could typically see plenty of kids wearing at certain levels. That’s usually because of their availability. You are probably going to find these in broad sports stores more often than you find a brand like Elite, or Reusch. That’s a shame because those two brands really specialize in goalkeepers. This Nike has the same effect as plenty of others have had through the years. Your kid is going to look fresh wearing a pair of these, there is no doubt about it! The problem is the protection level is certainly not ideal for kids.
Yes, there are new ways that glove manufacturers have found to make sure that thinner gloves are able to reduce the impact of a shot significantly. That being said, these thin gloves in my book probably wouldn’t protect my kid enough for my liking. That’s because I know how hard shots really feel like. A lot of times parents that don’t have experience in goal can’t relate to that. I give them a maybe if your kid has experience in goal and wants to try these out. If he or she is just starting out, they are not a great idea.
Reusch Attrakt Jr. Resist Goalkeeper Gloves – Failing Grade
The Reusch Attrakt Jr. Resist Goalkeeper Gloves get a no from me, and quite frankly this bugs me a lot. The reason I say this is because these are pretty much the only Reusch glove for juniors at a lower cost. They know that this glove is not going to help anyone succeed. I know the unprotected thumb was a thing in goalkeeper gloves for years. Now, it’s just a lazy way to put out a low quality glove. They don’t give you access to a pro palm. In fact, they don’t use this palm in any of the other gloves that they make. Why would that be?
I would love to say that you can get quality from a great brand at a low price with these gloves. That’s just not the case. The biggest issue for me is that they are pricing themselves out of the juniors market. At least in my book. I know that going to my dad for one hundred plus dollars just for a pair of goalkeeper gloves was insane. I had a hard time selling him on 50 or 60 dollar gloves! With that background knowledge, you can probably get a better idea of why this glove bothers me. Are there worse options on the market? Yes, of course, but my problem is that this brand knows better. They know they are selling the client short with this glove.
Reusch Attrakt G3 Fusion Ortho-Tec Junior – The Redemption Glove?
This is a glove that is essentially exactly the same as what you can get in adult sizes. That is something that I always appreciate, you don’t necessarily have to provide less quality with junior equipment. That being said, there’s no escaping the fact that these gloves are worth over one hundred dollars! Of course, that’s going to put them out of the range of the budget that most parents have in mind. Especially if they want to follow the advice of buying equipment that fits their kid at their current age. A hundred dollars plus for a glove they could outgrow in a couple of months! Welcome to goalkeeping mom and dad, it’s a hell of a ride.
There are other Reusch gloves out there that maybe could’ve qualified as the best goalkeeper gloves for juniors. I just can’t bring myself to recommend the more modern cut gloves for novice goalkeepers. You won’t be getting the level of protection that is essentially crucial at this age. If your kid is still young, but has some experience, and you want to give him a treat try the Reusch Pure Contact III G3 Fusion Junior Goalkeeper Gloves. More modern, and less expensive.
Adidas Predator Jr. Match Fingersave Goalkeeper Gloves – A, C Grade
Moving on to the next big brand with the Adidas Predator Jr. Match Fingersave Goalkeeper Gloves. If I’m being honest, I really wanted to give these gloves a top-notch grade. As I examined them closer, though, some of the materials that I see on the backhand of the glove are not what you’d find in normal gloves. They pass because they can be that introduction to fingersave gloves. If you don’t want your kids to grow up and have crooked fingers, getting them accustomed to gloves with finger protection is the way to go. Crooked fingers are not that bad, mine still work to type for a living!
There’s a warning sign that I want to throw out here. Make sure that you’re looking at the match version of these gloves. There’s also a training version. The training version is a lot closer to the first Reusch glove that I talked about. I had a ton of these training gloves growing up. They don’t provide a level of grip that you can feel comfortable with. It can be hard to perfect a good catching technique without some of that extra help. That extra help can come in the form of a decent palm. The price difference isn’t massive. Buy the match version, not the training version.
PUMA Ultra Protect 3 RC Jr Goalkeeper Gloves – A Good Overall Option
I looked through pretty much all of the Puma gloves that I could find. To see if I could include any of them on this list of the best goalkeeper gloves for juniors. The reason I did this is that at least in the United States, Puma offers decent prices on gloves. I was really excited when I found these gloves, because they are right around that 40 dollar range to where they are not too expensive. I think kids can really benefit from a thicker glove. It’s going to help them manage hard shots better.
There is one thing that has me on the fence with these gloves. That is the finger protection. The backhand part of the finger can prove to be too hard for some players. Maybe it’s the same thing that can happen with fingersave gloves. It does worry me though that they are not as comfortable as they could be. Plus, they are a little bit over that 30 dollar range where you can find many of the other options. Naturally, that’s going to make them a bit of a harder sell for some parents. If your kid feels good comfort levels with this glove, it can be a solid option.
What Are The Best Goalkeeper Gloves For Juniors?
There are gloves out there for juniors that could be the second or third glove that you buy for your kid. As I’ve mentioned before, those modern cut gloves are probably reserved for kids with a little more experience. If you’re starting out, some of the more modern options just don’t provide a level of protection that as a coach or a parent I would be comfortable recommending. Probably gave this one away too soon, but for me the best goalkeeper gloves for juniors currently are the … Elite Stars Youth Goalkeeper Gloves!
These gloves provide good overall protection. They are going to give kids that introduction to the traditional latex palm that does provide a decent level of grip. As I mentioned, a lot of the options from Nike and Adidas in particular that are labeled as “training” gloves really don’t allow you to feel what a pro palm potentially looks like. Unfortunately for many of us, some of these cheaply made gloves were the only thing out there for juniors. For some of the older people in the crowd, those gloves were the only ones they found as adults!
The Elite Stars Youth Goalkeeper Gloves are the best goalkeeper gloves juniors in my book because they have something for everyone. If you’re starting out, they’ll give you a good level of protection without having to sacrifice the grip. They give you a decent intro into what goalkeeper gloves should feel like. If you feel comfortable with these gloves, you can continue to use them and grow up in the traditional type of glove fan club. Of which many old time goalkeepers are still members of!
