Ultimate Wheelchair Gloves Review: Which to Choose? 

What are the best kinds of gloves for wheelchair users? Fingerless gloves? Cycling gloves? Skiing gloves? Or perhaps gardening gloves? What gloves do you glove the best? Gloves featured can be found here in my amazon shop. www.amazon.co.uk/shop/wheelsnoheels_ Some gloves are similar to the ones I tried in the video. But yes the “actual wheelchair gloves I used in the vid are there. :) These are off links.

The loops on the wheelchair gloves are to help you pull them off. I use them all the time when I’m in my manual wheelchair. In my powerchair when it’s really cold I use fingerless gloves with a mitten that pulls over the top. I love them. I’ve used so many other types and some fall apart easily, others have no padding and ones without a thumb split the skin on my thumbs if I’m pushing a long way or if it’s cold/ wet.

Testing how cold your hands were on Shaun was brilliant!

Oh! I want a siren for my wheelchair!!!

I am not a wheelchair user however I do use gardening gloves to help put on my compression stockings😂

Shawn wears many hats dishwasher, cold test dummy, and husband, and if your looking to pull the wool over his eyes he is your guy, an all around great friend!

I used to have two pairs on, a thin thermal pair with weight lifting fingerless and padded on top, the conbination worked brilliantly.

I agree with having a collection of gloves, personally when I'm out working I want my tight gardening gloves so I can feel what I'm doing. However, they aren't practical, so I have sturdier working gloves, but I lose the sensitivity and take them off for fiddly work. There is also one pair of winter gloves in my collection that are vital during the cold season, however, the downside is that they insulate too well at times and I end up having to dry them because the insides are wet.

I have tiny hands so I have found putting the knitted gloves on first then the fingerless wheelchair gloves over them my hands stay warm but I still have grip. Loved this video was so helpful and so funny just love Sean he’s sooo funny. ❤

One suggestion that comes to mind is the all-rounder gloves for warmth, with a cycling glove over the top for grippiness.

I use padded gloves for motocross or biking with full fingers and i measure and trim all the fingers to my own trim them with fabric scissors leaving thumb covered and boom water resistant can be warm or cooler depending on what u buy and u csn have it be fit for u. You also can take a lighter and kinda burn the edge to help avoid thread pulling

I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user, but the fact that I use a SmartDrive makes gloves an extra tricky find - I have pushrim covers (Reha Design Ultra-Grrrip, in case anyone's wondering - got them as a Christmas present a couple years ago) which add the extra diameter and grip that I need for basic everyday things, but when combined with the SmartDrive, I have to have something _super_ durable for when I'm using my chair outside the house, and with the pushtracker for the SmartDrive, I can't have anything that covers my entire wrist, so wrap wrist gloves aren't an option for me. For reference, I have size 8 hands with proportionately short fingers, and I definitely agree about making sure you get the right size. I personally have 4 pairs of gloves: -Fingerless RimSports workout gloves - these are my main gloves; I generally go through about a pair a year, depending on how often I go out in my chair in the warmer months; these are also the gloves I fly with, even in the winter, since I'm inside for most of that and it's never very far from the terminal to the car or to the plane; when combined with the pushrim covers, these provide just the right amount of traction for going downhill in a wheelie; these have never been an issue with any of the pushtrackers I've used; I'm considering getting a full finger pair as well, since my EDS skin splits at the fingertips if it rubs my pushrim covers too much -Half finger Reha Design Ultra-Grrrip gloves - grippy, kind of stiff when new because they're part leather, but they relax nicely; _NOTE: these do NOT work well when combined with both a SmartDrive and pushrim covers_ (I wore through my first brand new pair in about half a dozen uses because of that); I only use these if I'm waiting on a new pair of RimSports ones; these are kind of annoying when using with a pushtracker, even the original PT, because they come further up the wrist than the RimSports ones and end up kind of strapping across the watch face (if you have longer hands than I do, they might not strap so far up) -Mechanix Boxcutter gloves - suede palm and incredible grip all over, even when wet, so excellent when in wet conditions, like when we went to Carlsbad Caverns 2 1/2 years ago; cuts wind a bit but definitely not insulated, so only for warmer weather; do not have the "tech tip" on any fingers, so can be really annoying when dealing with touchscreens, though the chunky rubber fingertips have sometimes worked like tech tips if I tap just right; these have worked fine with the pushtrackers I've had, since they don't come really any further up the wrist than the RimSports ones -Swiss Gear ski gloves - these are my main winter gloves; they have a long dual-cinching cuff that goes all the way up past where my arm would rub on my wheel, so it protects my sleeves without sliding down, and they have a total-palm grip, as well as a zippered pocket on the back, which I put hand warmers in if it's really cold out; I live in the American Rockies region, so we easily get -20F and lots of snow in the winter, and these (combined with hand warmers when needed) have always been warm enough for me, and they are at least mostly waterproof (I can't remember the circumstances of the one time under which water seeped through); the fingers are shaped slightly, which helps with grip, but not so shaped that I don't have any dexterity; there are no tech tips, so can be annoying to operate my touchscreen pushtracker with (when I had the original PT, all I had to do was feel around until I felt and pushed a raised button on the PT under my glove cuff instead of tapping a touchscreen, and they worked just fine for that) After 3 1/2 years, I'm on my 5th or 6th pair of RimSports, 2nd pair of Reha Design (I was given 2 pairs as a Christmas present), 1st pair of Mechanix (mostly because I haven't had to use them much since getting the pushrim covers), and 3rd pair of Swiss Gear.

I'm not a wheelchair user, but I do do a lot of hiking and camping, so hopefully these tips are helpful: - mittens are warmer, but gloves give you more mobility - glove liners can be added to make gloves warmer - they are very thin so shouldn't affect the fit too much. They could be used to upgrade a summer glove to a winter glove (probably not snowy weather, but should improve wind resistance). - you can test how waterproof something is by looking for beading: if it's waterproof, then the water will bead on the surface instead of soaking in. If something should be waterproof and doesn't do this, then it needs rewaterproofing. - you can get various waterproofing solutions with all sorts of application methods (add to wash, spray, sponge applicator, etc) that can be used either to rewaterproof older items or to make something waterproof, even if it wasn't before. If you have a particular pair of gloves that you like, but aren't very waterproof then take them into an outdoor shop and see what they'd recommend. - items should be clean to be fully waterproof: when waterproofing the solution won't stick properly if there's dirty particles present; also, if the tiny holes in the fabric are clogged, then your sweat can't escape which makes your gloves or whatever damp from the inside!

I live in a very wet bit of the UK, don't drive and have arthritic hands and Raynaud's; finding gloves for my manual wheelchair that are waterproof, warm and comfy is an ongoing battle! I like Sealskinz for the winter, although they are £££ and I wish they made an XS size for the snug fit. Once it's warmer, I just have cheap cycling gloves to protect my skin from friction and increase grip.

I have always used leather gloves. They have some grip, they fit me well, they can be lovely and warm and are a bit waterproof.... tho obviously not in downpours!! Lol! Oh and they come in do many colours and styles. I usually have 2-3 pairs on me when I'm out, as I too have lost a single glove soooo many times, but I have found they arw what I always come back to. X

I'm an active C5/6 quad (paralyzed from the chest, down with no hand grip) and I use a manual wheelchair. I can't open my hands to fit my fingers into "regular" gloves. I have used gloves made by Gloves for Life for about 11 years and I highly recommend them.

Finding wheelchair gloves is the biggest pain in the ass, I end up using the weightlifting gloves most of the year. In winter I found some great waterproof gloves that are insulated. This is a great video, fantastic sense of humor to boot.

The best ones I've found for wheeling myself round are weightlifting gloves. They're like the cycling gloves but have some pretty thick rubber padding on palm and fingers, which is brilliant for grip, The thickness of the pad stops me catching my fingers on the wheel spokes as well. (I've got big hands) With fingers being exposed they're cold but can do things. My daughter is threatening to knit me finger covers in the form of minions - that won't be embarrassing at all!

For winter: Leather winter horseback riding mittens. They're really warm - good to about -15C, very durable, basically waterproof (works in Toronto, Canada slush). A bonus is because the pinky fingers are separate you can pick up things in bags without squashing a small finger. They're also great for use with canes and Nordic walking poles. hEDS here and I bruise and blister easily.

This was a great video. So much fun. 😊😊😊

I used to use muddy fox cycling gloves, but then a friend gave me a pair of the global leather wheelchair gloves like you had in the video and they were amazing. I use them all the time more so I'm dry weather and when I'm using my sports wheelchair. For outdoors wheeling I use inibike motorcycle gloves their leather and have been fairly sturdy plus the knuckles are reinforced so if ive any annoying ableists in my way I can always do a batman comic "kapow!!". A top tip for wheelchair users aswell is, if your car has a heated steering wheel, get that bad boy on as it will help keep your hands warm and loose for when you have to brave the elements. 😅

Looks like your gardening gloves and the builders gloves were of very similar construction - so that’s really a case of “what fits”. My hands are large enough that builders gloves fit well.

I have to "hand" it to you, this was is very informative. Those of us who don’t use a wheelchair, gloves can be something we forget that wheelchair users need. When it’s warm outside, do you use the short fingered padded gloves? You’re one of the RU-vid channels that consistently deals with the day-to-day issues that wheelchair users go through. I’m subscribe to a channel that did similar content to yours, but unfortunately, he stopped posting, and I have no idea what happened to him. So keep up the good work.

If you could get manufacturers onboard, some higher end gloves testing would be appreciated. Good vid

I use Giro Stradamassa SuperGel fingerless gloves. One pair lasts about two years daily use. Tons of padding, which is great as padding is proven to help reduce our chances of overuse injuries and carpal tunnel over time.

You might be describing gloves for horse riding at the end of the video, maybe try them? They`re not cheap, but also come in thermal. Be careful not to get them too snug, it will cut off circulation and you`ll get really cold hands! (I say that from experience) ;-)

I've pretty much settled on fingerless cycling gloves in the summer and motorcycle gloves in the winter. Those work for me.

Bit left field, but for better grip I'd recommend some none standard push rims.

Sports Direct do fingerless, leather weightlifting gloves and ski gloves with a grip. I've found both to be perfect. Plus far cheaper than actual wheelchair gloves.

For me, I mostly use fingerless gloves when I go bike riding and also can place other gloves over them when you need to when it's really cold.

Maybe look for winter cycling gloves which have full fingers coverage.

Thank you! I didn't know that fingerless full thumb wheelchair gloves existed.

I just bought synthetic leather work gloves at Leroy Merlin from their Dexter brand. They protect fingers, have nice padding and great grip. Highly recommend! Previously I used leather sailing gloves, but they had 2 issues: were too big for me and were fingerless on thumb and index finger, which caused some skin issues.

Gem, you are a natural presenter - I can imagine you on TV someday. You are right about needing a collection of gloves for different occasions. I have small hands and correct fit is absolutely important. Padding is essential for handling the friction of rims at high speeds from power assists like Smoov and Smart drive - anything thinner wears out too quickly as I ride the rims to steer. (My fave padded glove is branded Bellwether - very durable. Tioga brand was also tough). My thinner gloves (Endura) - too thin for using with power drive but for indoors and plain manual wheeling, they give better grip but also dexterity and don't look too casual. Not warm at all! For formal functions, I might swap to soft leather fashion gloves at the venue for looks but they are not good for lots of wheeling. Too delicate and not enough padding/support. But if I am just sitting at tables, popping across to the loo etc. they look very stylish plus they are warmer with full fingers. I tried weightlifting gloves donated to me which seemed promising but the fit wasn't good and the padding was not in the right place for my hands. My next idea, yet to try, is sailing gloves! If sailors wear them to protect their hands from ropes, they might cope very well with wheel rim punishment. Watch out for seams in bad places, especially around thumbs and heel of hand. May this be helpful for you and others.

The loops on fingerless wheelchair gloves are designed to make pulling them off easier. Also, gotta point out that massive pom pom.❤

Lovely Gem! What an amazing video. 💕 Loved the humour and great testing. I have wheelchair push mitts for tetras. They are from Rolli Moden in Germany. I seem to remember they were quite expensive. I use a power chair now so don’t have much need, but I was constantly being stopped and asked by other wheelchair users where I got them from. I will recommend them for every day pushing but they’re not practical for freezing weather. I agree with you I think it depends on the situation and there are so many factors probably carrying a couple of pairs of gloves with you with different situations would be ideal. You have a fabulous collection. Looking forward to your next video. Thank you for all that you are doing 😊xx

I got exercise/weightlifting gloves, and they work just fine and are very breathable for summer, but I definitely need a thumb cover, because I'm getting serious blisters on my thumb. I might jyst bite the bullet and get a pair of actual wheelchair gloves

In the summer I burn thtough a pair of gloves, pretty much, every month. So I tell my friends and family to keep their eyes open for good wheelchair gloves. Problem is, most of them don't know what makes a good wheelchair glove i.e padded palm and fingers, covered thumb and good durable material. So I've ended up with a box of gloves i will never use. Those GlobalLeather ones are 1 of the few brands I find work the best for everyday use aswell as some pretty tough exercise sessions.

Great video. There are so many choices out there, and it is the user's choice for what their needs are. I wear those exact Wheelchair gloves daily to keep callous' and rubbings to a minimum, but I also use my dipped gardening gloves over them when I go out for recreational outings or yard work. I get my gardening gloves two sizes too big to fit over the wheelchair gloves. I get the protection from the extra padding from the wheelchair gloves, which I have quite snug, my gardening gloves are water resistant material and also have silicone-dipped palms and fingers, which means I can still use my cell phone without taking them off, plus I can dig around in the muck and dirt and stay relatively dry, but they are not waterproof. You are correct about the skiing gloves, they only have one job and it is to keep your hands dry and warm, and nothing much else! Lol!

The loops on the wheelchair gloves are for pulling them off.

Builders gloves, their construction gloves!

Great video and awesome info.

I love the thumb coverage on the actual wheelchair glove! In the past, I’ve tried other fingerless gloves and when I’m wheeling around a lot, I end up with blisters on my thumbs because of the pressure there and lack of coverage… I’m gonna have to get me some of these! Thanks Gem!

Insert epic music ha ha ha 😂 the humming is funny

Thanks!

You two are so fun!

The best gloves i have found is Gore C5 cycle gloves now they are expensive but the last and they fit my hands perfectly. Really you want your gloves to fit as well as our shoes, you don't walk to walk around in shoes too big or too small it's the same with gloves. Loose gloves mean they they will move around and slip and you end up fighting the gloves as you push wasting energy.

Personnally I buy moutain byking gloves, but not fingerless ones, full gloves, and I cut the fingers depending ont he season. I always keep the thumb because there's a lot of friction there. I always cut the tip of the the first and second fingers so I can use my phone and search things in my pockets, and in cut the other two fingers more or less in winter and summer. I feel like full gloves are impractical for everyday tasks, but I really need the thumb cover so that's a good alternative! And I can cut finger less low than what fingerless gloves usually do, so it's warmer as well.

So thorough and thoughtful, and of course fun to watch! I usually get a pair of the thin knit gloves every year, as they're good for driving or just keeping my hands warm for short periods of time. I found them not very good for my wheelchair, because they slip around. I have used them just to get from my car to the store. I got a pair of exercise gloves that are fingerless with a little bit of grip just to protect my hands a bit. I think they rely too much on the velcro at the wrist and don't stay in place well. But they were cheap! I've got a pair of kids gardening gloves and like the fit, but haven't tried them with my wheelchair because they stink! Then smell then clings to my hands and clothes and really bothers me. Something to be wary about for those who are scent sensitive like me.

Do you have an amazing smile Gemma keep showing at all when I was younger I went to the Special Olympics iMac Christopher Reeves he picked me up with his arms

I need to try a pair of the wheelchair gloves, especially during festival season here.

Ooh I loved those and am also struggling to find the perfect pair like you are!

I use cycling fingerless gloves when playing wheelchair pickleball but when it gets cold outside and we are still playing I use a thin ski liner glove under the fingerless. But not going to work in the Maine snow.

I have fingerless wheelchair gloves and then I put gardening gloves over the top. I find the Aldi ones good sizing

I've used the Globaleather gloves for a while, and they do make some full fingered options. But when I got some rim covers, I found I didn't need the gloves in summer. Until it rained, that is - then the rims might as well have been made of glass they were so slippery. I've now gone back to cycling gloves in wet weather, just to have a bit of extra grip. I'm not as hard on gloves as I used to be - I think the combination of a better chair and the rim covers helped a lot to improve my pushing, and reduce how hard I am on my hands/gloves. I still 100% use them if I'm going out for exercise, but not usually for a trundle round the shops any more. It's now weird to think how many pairs of gloves I was going through at first - those £50 rims have earned their keep in glove costs 😂

Yay, there it is!

GEM The loops are for ease of removal (The Actual Wheelchair gloves)

Thanks for testing :) You could knit some warmers for the wrist/use sportsbands to cover bare skin around the gloves end and to the arm. I like to see you 2 playing together

i am going to probably buy a pair of gloves from the brand Mechanix Wear, I have worn them in working situations and they are very good gloves. They even do some armoured versions to save your knuckles

I loved this video. The tests are so well designed! I have cycling gloves from Decathlon but I don't find them satisfactory. As this is my first pair it is possible that I chose the wrong size. I looked at the comments a bit, there are some interesting ideas.

Do you have a great personality to I definitely appreciate it

Thank you for this video! I have similar ones to the wheelchair ones, and I use the black straps to help me pull them off my hands :P

Another option is gloves for horse riding. They usually have good grip and a reinforced palm - though they’re probably more expensive (aka overpriced) like everything to do with horses…

Great video guys I currently have 4 types in my collection-motorbike ,mountain bike,padded work wear and fingerless weightlifting gloves 🙌👍

Another source of weather proof gloves that are longer "gauntlet style" are motorcycle riding gloves.

I use normal Winter gloves i just take a pair off gardening gloves on topp i cant find eny good warm winter gloves i live in Finland and wi have had upp too 34minus this last winter

American Football gloves. Wide receiver football gloves.

I love my ski gloves for winter, I don’t have the same issue that you do with not being able to use my hands properly in them luckily! I need kids gloves (around age 8) because I have tiny hands 😂 so maybe they're a bit thinner than adults ones. In summer I use kids bmx gloves, basically I need the padding because my skin is so fragile that I get blisters after pushing for about a minute if I don't wear gloves

I’ve found the wrist wrap workout gloves work great.

Haai I got gloves for takealot it is B-Forest gloves they work verry good love them

You should try horse riding gloves you can use your phone and they are grippy on the reins and not bulky and keep your hands warm while riding they might be good for wheelchairs :)

Ah the quest for the perfect glove - I don't think there is one (or in this case two) which is the solution. Love the fact that you've covered most options. Just when I think I've found the answer I find a fault! My current pair are fingerless (so are cold) and terrible in the wet with no grip ! Boxing Gloves ?

My favourite are fist full gloves and global leather half wheelchair gloves

I've found that weightlifting gloves are perfect for padding and for grip when self propelling. Brilliant on a dry, warm day but still searching for the rocking horse poo that is gloves that are also warm and waterproof.

Knitted gloves is a big no no for me. But honestly I haven’t found a pair with those rubbery dots for better grip. I like to use riding gloves. They are usually reinforced on the index finger and thumb and lasts a itty bitty bit longer than without and fits well since riders need good mobility too. I especially like if they paired with reflective material. Can be seen far away in the traffic! With that said I usually go through 1-3 pair each winter. Both through wear and tear, the snow and the salt they use against the snow. It destroys any gloves in an instance…

Any ideas for a family carer wheeling a transit wheelchair person in the summer, hands get sweaty need grip on handles

I’m not in a wheelchair but I think I’d find finding gloves EXTRA annoying if I was because I struggle to find gloves that fit my hands. Due to growth problems from when I was younger so children’s gloves often don’t fit my hand properly but adults gloves are too big. Also my finger lengths are different on each hand. I wish there were more places We could get custom gloves in uk that were made specifically for each hand.

Have you tried kayaking gloves. Cross between gloves and mittens

I can't find the video to ask on it, but I bought the slinger phone case that you recommended in one of your clips. Is there any way to extend the lanyard? It is short and so close to my face that I go cross eyed when trying to look at my phone. It's a great idea so I'm hoping for an easy fix instead of having to return it.

I bought the first pair of gloves you recommended. I like them a lot. I'm probably not even going to see this recommendation though because the background noise is just as loud as your voice

Horse riding gloves

I struggle with gloves in that when you used the restroom and wash your hands. Wet hands aren’t good for any mobility aid but if there aren’t paper towels what do you do?!?! And having to take them off and on and is a pain and means you are sitting in the middle of the bathroom fiddle-faddling with gloves. Any tips would be appreciated

I just looked up how much those rim covers and theyre minimum $65! I have half finger gloves and my fingies are cold

Oh, yes! The smell of fertilizer in the morning

Why don't you try to design your own grubs when I want something I tried to design it myself I have surprised myself so many times

Love your videos - I am writing an article about those who inspire others through You Tube etc with SCI. Are you interested, Ruth (I write for Forward mag)

No no no no no no no The sound on the back!!!! URGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Gem. I love your videos so much. Thank you for sharing your story and your life with us. I too have gone through several pairs of gloves in my life. They have a great grip and are really resistant. -HTZPLOO- is the brand. Thanks again.