Turf can really take a toll on goalkeeper gloves. The issue with goalkeeper gloves in general with regard to turf is that they are ever-changing. You can find a model one year that works great for you, and next year that same glove is not as effective on the surface. Finding the best goalkeeper gloves for turf has been a personal goal of mine for many years. Therefore, this is an article that is going to be filled with new data and discoveries. There are probably going to be some gloves on here that you may not have ever thought could make the cut. Also, I want to take the chance to talk about some of the gloves that are specially made for turf.
The first thing that you need to decide as a goalkeeper that plays a lot on turf is what you value in a glove. Certainly, the biggest issue for many of us is that you don’t want to take the 100 dollars plus glove to the turf field and tear it up in a matter of minutes. The problem that I’ve seen with some of the options are essentially made for turf is that they’re durable, but they don’t provide optimal grip levels. Therefore, a lot of times you find yourself having to sacrifice grip for durability or having to spend more money on gloves because they are going to wear out faster.
In this article, the main challenge is going to be, to find those gloves that can live in that middle ground. I’ve recently had experiences with two gloves that I would label medium to high tier level gloves. I took them to some of the worst fields on the planet, and they’ve been able to hold up. This was something I wasn’t expecting. I want to tackle this idea of whether or not it’s worth it to take gloves that cost you quite a bit to these places!
Grip vs Durability
Before we get to the actual gloves that I would recommend, there’s some value in talking about this. The idea has for long been that if you want to look for a turf glove, you are going to be giving up grip. We are going to see that in some of these examples moving forward. In reality, though, there’s an argument to be made that you’re going to be losing grip on turf regardless of the type of glove that you choose. I actually subscribe to this theory. Of course, what we don’t want as goalkeepers is to have our glove palm rip easily. In many cases, when playing in turf or dirt, the glove can lose grip even if it doesn’t rip.
The pellets that most of these turf fields are covered with tend to smoothen out the glove. A lot of times what this causes is the grip to fall off, even if the latex palm or any other material that the palm could be made out of doesn’t rip. There are ways that you can combat this. Like cleaning your gloves pretty much immediately after you’re done playing in turf. In doing so, you may be able to get some of the grip back for the next time you use them. While you’re on that turf field, though, your grip levels could potentially diminish compared to playing on grass.
If you subscribe to the theory that you are going to lose grip levels on turf regardless of what you do, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to take expensive gloves to those fields. In some of the more modern turf fields, this is not as much of a reality. If you’re playing on some old turf field though that looks like they cut it from someone’s carpet at home, grip does become an issue pretty much regardless of the glove you wear.
Best Goalkeeper Gloves For Turf – Gloves Made For Turf
There are two categories that I want to talk about. These days, manufacturers have caught on to the fact that many people across the world play on turf most of the time. A lot of these soft latex gloves that gave professionals awesome grip for years are just not ideal for the amateur who plays on beat-up turf. You get that fear that I was just talking about where you have gloves that cost you over one hundred dollars and the last thing that you want to do is take them to your local dirt or turf field and tear them up. If that’s the situation you’re in, these options could really work for you.
SELECT 33 Hard Ground Goalkeeper Gloves with Finger Protection
There are a few reasons why you would want to buy this glove. One, you play pretty much exclusively on very beat-up turf. If you’re going to buy it to have it as your second option glove because you occasionally play on very beat-up turf, it also makes sense. If you train on a hard surface, this makes sense. I would say you also have to be pretty confident in your catching technique to trot out there with this glove. Maybe it’s just for training, and you’re ok with having a couple of balls bounce off of you. If none of the things that I mentioned apply to you, there’s no reason to buy this glove. It’s heavy-duty, and it’s going to stay with you for quite some time, even if you put it through some tough testing. If you’re looking for grip, look somewhere else.
There’s also a version of this glove without finger protection. For all of those goalkeepers out there that don’t like that feature. I know there are more than a few of us out there, for sure!
Rinat Kancerbero Quantum Turf
One of the best things about the Rinat brand is that if you like this particular palm, then you can request it in other glove models. Granted, their Kancerbero model is quite traditional. They have other glove cuts though that could certainly be more appealing. You can still get this particular palm that is way more durable than pretty much any other latex palm on the market. When you try on their turf palm right away, you realize that it’s not as soft as some of the other latex palms that you may be accustomed to. At the same time, it’s not going to be as rough as the Select option that we just covered. That one is like a car tire.
What you are probably going to find is that these gloves provide a bit below average grip level. Maybe comparable to what some older generation’s gloves were able to provide. If you have a decent catching technique, this grip level may just be enough for you. That’s going to be an interesting find then. Because although the grip level is a little below what we may consider optimal, it’s not going to drop off like the grip on other gloves might if you use them on turf and hard surfaces. If you’re tired of getting your 100 plus dollar gloves ripped up by the terrible fields that you’re playing in, these gloves could be a good option. Plus, this brand usually offers lower tier pricing!
Best Goalkeeper Gloves For Turf – Overall Gloves
One thing that’s worth pointing out here is that not all turf fields are the same. Some of the more modern turf fields are good enough to the point where you can bring your regular gloves and expect similar wear and tear to what you’d see in natural grass. These two options that I’m going to be looking at here, though, are options that I’ve personally tested on very low quality turf fields. The result was overly surprising for me. Going into the first game, I was really nervous that I would ultimately rip up the glove and my hefty investment on it would go down the drain. That wasn’t the case, though!
Reusch Pure Contact Gloves Speed Bump
I’ve talked about these gloves before. One of the things that really surprised me was their durability. I really put these gloves to the test on some of the roughest turf that you can imagine. The speedbump palm was certainly a concern that I had. I thought that in rough turf, those bumps would smoothen out. Yes, the bumps do wear out over time, but they were good for me for about 4 months. That’s with minimal care and really again putting them to the test. If you clean these gloves regularly, they can last quite a bit more. Even if you use them in some rough circumstances.
These gloves start out real sticky. As you use them, though, they can start to wear down. Like I said, they don’t wear out as quickly. When they do though, I’ve found out a way to get them back to their regular stickiness! This is another one of the articles that you can read here!
Elite Neo Goalkeeper Gloves
These are some of the best top tier medium price gloves on the market. They have a more traditional type of palm with what can be considered a bit of a more modern cut. The latex palm is soft enough to provide real good grip. At the same time, it’s way more durable than what most people would have probably expected. As is the case with the previous glove that I mentioned, if you clean them regularly, you’re going to have a better chance to get them to last even longer. Regularly cleaning these gloves is not going to be as much of a challenge.
If there is one thing with these gloves that you need to watch out for is that they come with a layer of plastic. Make sure to remove this plastic before you use the gloves. Otherwise, getting good grip could be a bit of a challenge. Remember that a lot of times in turf, some of the rubber pallets are going to rub on the glove palm. Even if they don’t rip through the palm, you can still lose quite a bit of grip, you don’t clean the glove properly.
Is It Worth It To Use High-end Gloves In Turf Fields?
If you paid over one hundred dollars for your gloves, is it going to be a good idea to take them to a turf field? There are a lot of variables here to unpack. If you’re going to be training in a rough turf field, it’s probably not worth it. When that’s the case, it could be a good idea to look into the rough turf options that are detailed above. For two reasons, you’re going to be forced to sharpen your catching technique instead of relying on the palm. The second reason is of course that you won’t be as disheartened if your gloves rip up!
On the other hand, if you’re going to be playing or even training on some of the more recent turf pitches using your regular gloves that you paid over 100 dollars could definitely be an option. One of the things to keep in mind though is that gloves used on turf could require much more maintenance. As I mentioned, some of those pallets will rub against the glove. If you don’t clean the gloves accordingly, you’re going to end up losing grip. There’s really not too many ways to get around that, for sure!
Best Goalkeeper Gloves For Turf Conclusion
It’s really hard to crown what the best goalkeeper gloves for turf could be. It really depends on the turf, and what you’re going to be doing on that hard ground. That being said, the Rinat Turf series may be gloves that you’re going to want to look into. The feeling with the Select turf gloves can be really weird. With the Rinat gloves, though, you’re getting pretty much the same feeling that you would with a middle of the pack glove. Except, you know that the palm is going to be way more durable than your regular gloves.
Speaking of your regular gloves, there are some turf fields where you’re going to be able to use them without too much trouble. In this case, then the best goalkeeper gloves for turf are going to be whatever the best gloves are for you, period. If you’re going to be using your regular gloves on turf, be sure to wash them after pretty much every usage. That’s going to give you the best grip available. I don’t necessarily mean that you should throw them in the washing machine after each use. Getting a towel though and using some of the popular cleaning products for gloves can be enough to preserve some of that grip!
