After extensively reading about and researching close to a hundred different weightlifting glove designs, I’ve come to find that the Valeo Competition Wrist Wrap Lifting Gloves are the best investment you can make. This premium glove design marries stability and flexibility, giving you excellent support without sacrificing mobility.
If you’ve ever tried weightlifting, you should already know how important it is to have a decent pair of weightlifting gloves. While some might think gloves are for nothing more than that gym buff aesthetic, this essential aspect of gym gear protects you from the risks, dangers, and injuries that could result from dealing with such heavy weights.
The Valeo Competition Wrist Wrap Lifting Gloves combine a number of impressive features that make it the ideal companion for those tough days at the gym. The sleek, streamlined, and durable design brings a lot to the table, promising to improve your performance and give you the confidence for distraction free lifting.
Premium Materials, Stellar Construction
To determine whether a pair of weightlifting gloves will serve you well, take a closer look at the make and materials. Gloves that use the wrong materials or those with faulty construction can compromise your safety and stability.
With the Valeo Competition Wrist Wrap Lifting Gloves, that won’t be a problem. Firstly, the gloves are made from the highest quality materials, including pliable, durable leather padded palms and finger wraps. This high grade leather material was designed to improve traction and provide stability for a safe and steady grip. The material also works pretty well against wear and tear, allowing you to enjoy the same, impressive performance from the same pair of gloves months after you first use them.
Secondly, the Competition Wrist Wrap Lifting Gloves from Valeo also boast nylon mesh backs. These improve airflow to the hands to reduce sweating, and also provide substantial flexibility to allow natural movements.
All of these elements come together with premium, reinforced stitching which promises to maintain the integrity of your gloves even after daily wear and tear.
Reliable Wrist Support for Unwavering Stability
It’s important to protect your wrists when weightlifting because this specific joint can be subjected to significant stress and pressure during a lift. Depending on the type of lift you’re trying to achieve, there are a number of different fractures and injuries that your wrists could sustain if left without the proper support and protection.
Covering over an inch of the wrists, the wrist supports on the Valeo Competition Lifting Gloves guarantees an injury free lift. The supports are made from sturdy Velcro material that you can adjust to achieve the optimal fit. This enables users to tighten the wrist wraps to provide greater resistance against potentially injurious movements.
Despite being pretty durable and tough though, the wraps are also pretty accommodating of movement, especially when it comes to wrist flexion and extension. Allowing just the right range of motion, these wraps let you achieve a natural lifting position without compromising the safety of your wrists.
Probably the only issue I’ve encountered with the wrist supports is that the Velcro stitching can give up after some time. Because it doesn’t use the same reinforced stitching seen on the palms and the rest of the gloves, they might not be as resilient against wear and tear. For out list of the best workout gloves, check out our definitive guide on the best workout gloves available.
Comfort That’s Just Right
Let’s face it – you really shouldn’t be expecting too much comfort out of a pair of weightlifting gloves. After all, their purpose isn’t to make the lift comfortable, but to ensure your safety. Even then, I want to talk about how these gloves from Valeo don’t really have a lot to offer in the comfort department, especially when compared to lots of other gloves in the market.
For instance, choices like those from Harbinger are significantly more comfortable especially because of their padded palms. Despite having some padding underneath the leather material, these Valeo gloves don’t really wow in terms of providing that soft, cushioned feel.
Another thing I want to mention about comfort is the edge feel on the material. The edges of the finger wraps and the wrist wraps aren’t exactly smooth. In fact, they may dig in to your skin if you buy a size that’s a tad too snug. Unfortunately, there are lots of users who prefer tight fitting gloves because they work better as a second skin. But because these gloves’ edges might constrict your wrists and fingers, it might be better to buy a size up.
Nonetheless, they’re not necessarily the worst either. They’re really just okay when it comes to comfort, so they won’t cause too much pain, but they can’t promise a completely discomfort-free experience either.
Exceptional Grip Promises Complete Control
Lifting a barbell with slippery fingers and sweaty palms is basically asking for disaster. Aside from potentially dropping the weight on yourself, this hazardous practice could cause a number of different hand and arm injuries focused on your different joints.
So it’s no question why proper grip is one of the cornerstones of a reliable pair of weightlifting gloves. These Valeo Competition Gloves work to give you a steady hold on even the heaviest of weights by way of their padded leather palms. The premium leather material offers exceptional traction despite being relatively smooth to the touch.
Another thing, the material doesn’t numb out sensation completely. That is, you can still get a pretty accurate feel of the bar even through the leather gloves. This is important because it helps you adjust your grip to achieve a safer, more ideal hold for a better lift.
What I Like About the Valeo Competition Wrist Wrap Lifting Gloves
- Impressive construction puts together the highest quality materials for optimal durability and performance.
- Wrist supports are particularly efficient, able to reduce unnecessary lateral movements, and restrain excessive flexion and extension.
- Superb grip lets you get a hold of your weights without losing control.
- Breathable design reduces sweat production for better traction.
- Durable construction promises to withstand wear and tear better than other weightlifting gloves.
What Needs Improvement
- Comfort isn’t the best it could be. The edges of the gloves can dig into the skin and cause some constriction.
Some Other Top Contenders
The Valeo Competition Wrist Wrap Lifting Gloves aren’t the only suitable gloves I found during my search. In fact, there were quite a number of them! But for the purpose of this review, I’m going to discuss two of the other better performing gloves with wrist support to help you find an alternative that suits your needs and preferences.
Harbinger Pro WristWrap Vented Cushioned Leather Palm Weightlifting Gloves
It’s almost impossible to search for weightlifting gloves and not come across the Harbinger brand. Known as one of the juggernaut companies when it comes to manufacturing weightlifting gear, Harbinger is a crowd favorite that puts out some of the best performing fitness gear and accessories you’ll find.
Their Pro WristWrap Vented Cushioned Leather Palm Weightlifting Gloves came in at a close second because of its premium design and material. The leather palms with reinforced stitching and the moisture wicking padding give it great traction and stability for a variety of uses. Plus, the wrist wraps are particularly efficient, providing both comfort and support for a confident lift.
I just couldn’t bring myself to rank it higher for two reasons. Firstly, the wrist supports aren’t made from a flexible, stretchy material, so they might not fit too comfortably. Second, the stitching on the Velcro areas that hold the glove against your hand isn’t as good as the stitching found on the leather. So those Velcro pieces might just come peeling off a few weeks or months into use.
What I Like About the Harbinger Pro WristWrap Vented Cushioned Leather Palm Weightlifting Gloves
- Premium leather and moisture wicking padding make a steady, stable, and firm grip.
- Wrist supports efficiently reduce potentially risky wrist movements for a safe, and injury-free experience.
- Affordable at just half the price of the Valeo gloves.
- Shorter finger length increases the surface area of skin that makes direct contact with the bar for better control.
- Easy to maintain and clean.
What Needs Improvement
- Wrist supports aren’t made from elastic material, so fit can become an issue.
- Stitching that secures the Velcro isn’t as reliable as the reinforced stitching seen on the leather material.
Trovis Weight Lifting Gloves with Wrist Wraps
The last honorable mention that I thought deserved a spot on this review comes from Trovis. Banking on sleek, streamlined, and lightweight designs, this weightlifting glove manufacturer is better known for their simplistic glove silhouettes.
What sets it apart from other glove designs and what I think really gives it an edge is the fact that their gloves don’t have a backing material. So the dorsal surface of the hand is kept completely exposed for better breathability and flexibility. On top of that, the material used for the palms is pretty decent when it comes to establishing a firm grip on the bar. Wrist support wise, they’re really efficient as well, providing just enough resistance to prevent injury.
The main problem with the design lies in its unique silhouette. The cut generates an uncomfortable pull on the dorsal areas of the fingers. When flexing the fingers towards the palm, the back section of the finger wraps can dig into the skin because of the lack of a backing material to resist tension. This also takes a toll on the palm sections which tend to move away from the skin during flexion.
What I Like About the Trovis Weight Lifting Gloves with Wrist Wraps
- Backless silhouette makes them exceptionally breathable, comfortable, and flexible.
- Lightweight construction enables users to get a better feel of the bar for greater control.
- Super affordable compared to other weightlifting gloves.
- Wrist supports provide exceptional resistance against injurious ranges of motion.
What Needs Improvement
- Finger wraps tend to dig into the skin during flexion.
- The palm section tends to move away from the skin during movement because of the lack of tension around the dorsum of the hands.
The Bottom Line
The Valeo Competition Wrist Wrap Lifting Gloves are a major investment in my book. So if you always find yourself lifting heavy weights in the gym, you might want to check them out. These premium competition-grade weightlifting gloves provide the right support, traction, and fit. So ultimately, they’re designed to help you breeze through your fitness goals with ease.
Other choices like the Harbinger Pro WristWrap Vented Cushioned Leather Palm Weightlifting Gloves and theTrovis Weight Lifting Gloves with Wrist Wraps are also great picks. Developed to help maximize what you can do in the gym (whether you are working out at your local gym or killing it on gym equipment for home use), these gloves offer much more than meets the eye. So be sure to check them out in your search so you can land the best gloves for your preferences.