What’s the Best Archery Glove? (2023 update)

In this post, we’ll be talking about GLOVES—specifically, what we consider the best archery gloves for shooting. We’ll review a couple of gloves that we consider excellent options and then go over some of the features you may want to consider when selecting gloves. 

The Best Archery Gloves: Quick Picks

First things first, take a look at our top picks. If you see something that stands out, make sure to read its full review below.

Neet Products Deluxe Leather Shooting Glove: This is our favorite overall glove because it’s made of a tough but comfortable suede that works for bows with up to 60 pounds of draw weight.

ArcheryMax Handmade Brown Leather Three Finger Archery Gloves: This glove’s thick fabric protects your fingertips even if you’re new to archery.

Bear Archery Leather 3 Finger Traditional Shooting Glove: With a full-grain leather design, this glove is super tough to protect your fingertips.

Allen Traditional 3 Finger Archery Glove: Its camo design makes it ideal for bowhunters using traditional bows.

Damascus Doeskin Shooting Glove: The minimalist leather design makes this glove a good option for LARPers or anyone who wants a traditional look.

PSE King Traditional Leather Archery Shooting Glove: The large size and stretch fabric make this a great glove for archers with big hands.

SAS Leather Traditional 3 Finger Archery Shooting Glove: This glove can handle draw weights up to 70 pounds, which includes some of the most powerful on the market.

Do You Need Archery Gloves?

No, a full archery glove is not absolutely necessary. However, we do suggest that you always wear something to protect your fingers—gloves, tabs, whatever. There are some Tough Guys who swear that they never use gloves or finger tabs, and that after a few months, they develop the calluses necessary to go glove-less. 

It’s ultimately your body and your decision, but we don’t agree with this philosophy. If you never use gloves, you can eventually end up with nerve damage. It’s not a sure thing, but it’s happened to a lot of archers, and it can happen to you. You must protect your fingers. Plus, the months before you develop those calluses are painful.

Even aside from the health aspects of shooting without a glove, the skin of your fingers—which is not meant to be frictionless, and is instead made to be somewhat sticky—robs you of some accuracy.

Bottom Line: You should always wear appropriate archery clothing, and that means a glove. This is important for correct shooting technique and your health.

The Best Archery Gloves: Our In-Depth Reviews

Now that you understand how imperative it is to get and wear an archery glove, let’s dive into the full reviews.

Best Archery Glove Overall: Neet Products Deluxe Leather Shooting Glove

Our Verdict: This glove makes the top of our list of best archery gloves because it’s a stylish suede that’s comfortable, but it still provides a high amount of protection up to 60 pounds of draw weight, enough for hunting and target shooting.

Pros:

• Lightweight palmless design
• Easy to put on and take off
• Protection for draw weight up to 60 lbs
• Soft suede
• Ambidextrous
• Extensive sizing

Cons:

• Thin wrist

This flagship shooting glove from Neet is our all-around favorite. It provides a high level of protection with minimal material. In fact, it has no material on the palm which is more comfortable for many people because it means your fingers are less likely to sweat inside the glove. If you tend to sweat a lot, and you think perspiration may mess with your shot, a glove with less material may be a good choice for you.

Additionally, the palmless design makes it easier to take off your fingers very quickly if you need to remove the glove in a hurry. This can be nice in bowhunting and target-shooting situations even if it’s just to go to the bathroom or adjust some equipment.

As for draw weight, we like that the Neet glove is suitable for a bow up to 60 pounds without experiencing too much wear and tear. That includes some of the more powerful recurve bows including hunting bows, though not all.

The glove is made out of suede, which is technically leather, but it’s a lot softer—it has a “shaggy nap.” Some people don’t like suede, so if you’re looking for a similar style glove that only covers the fingertips, you’ll probably like the Huntingdoor glove, covered below.

Finally, this is also good for righties or lefties, so you don’t have to worry about buying for the wrong hand. We frequently get emails from people—usually lefties—who have accidentally got the wrong glove, a major inconvenience.

Best Archery Glove for Beginners: ArcheryMax Handmade Brown Leather Three Finger Archery Gloves

Our Verdict: Because it has reinforced fingertips that still provide good sensitivity for the bowstring, we recommend this leather shooting glove for new archers who are still learning.

Pros:

• Reinforced fingertips
• Leather design
• Velcro wrist strap
• Ambidextrous

Cons:

• Breaks in slowly
• Only for draw weights up to 50 lbs 

This glove is a little different in that the pads of the fingertips are reinforced with fabric: that’s a nice feature, especially if you’re looking for some extra protection. If you have very sensitive fingers or are worried about getting any of the wear-and-tear injuries that can happen to long-term archers, this can be a good item.

Because of that, there’s a little more fabric to this glove than the other gloves, and that results in a fit that’s a little more snug. Some of the lighter gloves can wrap around your fingers towards the fingertip, but this glove is a little more dense and doesn’t seem to curl as much. If you’re the kind of person who is “highly tactile”—that is to say, the kind of person who can’t stand feeling a wrinkle in your sock or a crease in your clothes—that extra material can be a fantastic feature.

This glove is for bows 50 pounds and below, so if you’ve got a really heavy bow, this glove isn’t for you. You’ll want something a little more rugged, like the Neet glove or SAS glove. However, new archers who are using low-powered bows and have soft, sensitive fingertips can really benefit from this design.

Best Leather Archery Glove: Bear Archery Leather 3 Finger Traditional Shooting Glove

Our Verdict: If you want the protection and durability of full-grain leather, this glove from Bear Archery has the potential to stick with you through years of archery adventures.

Pros:

• Bear Archery brand
• 100% full grain leather
• Durable design
• Highly adjustable wrist strap
• Ambidextrous fit

Cons:

• Limited sizing

There are a number of gloves out there that incorporate leather into their designs, but we love this one from Bear Archery specifically because it’s made of 100-percent full-grain leather. That makes it highly protective for your fingertips, of course, but it also makes the glove durable. It can stand up to tough hunting situations as well as regular use on the range.

One place this glove really shines is the wrist. It has a standard adjustable Velcro wrist strap, but it has one of the most comfortable fits we’ve found. More importantly, it stays snug, even while you’re shooting, so you don’t have to repeatedly readjust it.

The Bear Archery glove is ambidextrous, too, which is convenient since you don’t have to worry about ordering the correct hand. That said, the sizing is a little limited, particularly if you have small hands, so women and kids might want to look at the other gloves on our list.

Best Archery Glove for Hunting: Allen Traditional 3 Finger Archery Glove

Our Verdict: When hunting, attention to detail is key, especially with a traditional bow like a recurve. That’s why we recommend the Allen Traditional 3 Finger glove and its camo design for traditional bowhunters.

Pros:

• Realtree Xtra Camo
• Breaks in fast
• Comfortable, breathable material
• Ambidextrous
• Adjustable wrist strap
• Reinforced fingertips

Cons:

• Less durable material than leather

The most unique feature of the Allen glove is that it comes in Realtree camo. Although the brown coloring of most gloves works okay, we really like being able to completely blend in, especially if you hunt in a winter landscape.

Another great part about this glove is that it’s ready to rock. If you hate waiting around for your gloves to get broken in and you want to show up to the range with a ready-to-shoot glove, this one may be a good option. Plus, the whole reason it breaks in so easily is that it’s made of a soft, breathable material that’s also great for hunting because it cuts down on sweat buildup that could lead to odor.

Moreover, this glove is ambidextrous and has an adjustable wrist strap. It also has reinforced fingertips, so despite the comfortable material, it will protect your skin while using a traditional bow.

Best Archery Glove for LARPing: Damascus Doeskin Shooting Glove

Our Verdict: If you’re LARPing, target shooting, or something similar, the Damascus Doeskin glove looks traditional and authentic while still protecting your fingertips with low-draw-weight traditional bows like recurves and longbows.

Pros:

• Balanced thickness
• 100% leather
• Durable
• Comfortable fit
• Traditional look
• Reversible

Cons:

• Only for bows up to 50 lbs
• Vulnerable to brass nocking points

If you go to any archery range in the United States or Canada, chances are pretty strong you’ll see someone using the Damascus shooting glove. It’s also the go-to for several staff members at Complete Guide to Archery because it’s reliable, relatively long-lasting, and, above all, comfortable.

The trick with gloves is that they need to be thick enough to give you proper cushioning against the bowstring while at the same time being thin enough that you can feel your way through a shot. A really thick glove will give you a lot of protection, but you won’t be able to tell if you’re touching the bow string. That’s why we like this glove so much—it provides excellent protection while also allowing you to feel your way through a draw.

Another thing we like is the minimalist style. It gets the job done, but it looks old-school, like something Robin Hood would use. It has traditional dark brown leather, but the modern Velcro lining at the wrist keeps everything in place, so I don’t have to re-adjust it a hundred times like with some other gloves.

One thing to be aware of is that this glove is only up to 50 pounds, which doesn’t include the most powerful traditional bows. However, it is reversible, meaning you can use it right- or left-handed, increasing its versatility.

Best Archery Glove for Big and Tall Archers: PSE King Traditional Leather Archery Shooting Glove

Our Verdict: Both large and stretchable, this glove from renowned archery manufacturer PSE is great for big and tall guys who need protection for their long fingers.

Pros:

• Extra-large
• Stretch fabric
• Quality leather design
• Lightweight
• Ambidextrous

Cons:

• No smaller sizes

Our favorite thing about this glove is the stretch wrist that connects the leather fingers to the wrist strap. When you combine this with the extra-large size, it’s a great choice for men with larger hands who can never seem to find a comfortable glove otherwise.

Of course, you probably recognize the PSE brand, which is popular for bows, especially recurves. They bring that same quality to this glove, which is made of leather that protects your fingertips well. At the same time, it’s extremely lightweight with minimal material. This makes it comfortable, especially in warmer temperatures.

Lastly, the PSE King shooting glove is ambidextrous. Whether you’re right- or left-handed, it provides the same level of protection and dexterity.

Best Archery Glove for High Draw Weights: SAS Leather Traditional 3 Finger Archery Shooting Glove

Our Verdict: This SAS glove is made for draw weights up to 70 pounds, meaning it can handle some of the most powerful recurves out there, whether for hunting or target shooting.

Pros:

• Suitable for up to 70 lbs of draw weight
• 100% leather
• 2 color options
• Ambidextrous
• Adjustable wrist strap

Cons:

• Full palm can be awkward

SAS makes some of the best recurve bows on the market. And many of those recurve bows have draw weights as high as 70 pounds. That’s serious power, enough that it could really damage your fingers if you don’t have a glove with enough protection. 

For that reason, SAS designed this glove with 100 percent full cowhide leather for shooting their bows with. If you have an SAS bow or any bow with a draw weight up to 70 pounds, definitely consider the SAS shooting glove.

Oh yeah, and another great thing about that leather design is that it’s tough. It can handle powerful bows, but it can also handle repeated use and harsh conditions.

Finally, we like how well this glove works for a wide range of archers and bowhunters. It has good sizing—small, medium, large, and XL—and two different color options. Plus, it’s ambidextrous and has an adjustable wrist strap.

What to Look for in an Archery Glove

Because a lot of archery shooting gloves look the same, it can be difficult to know which to choose. Here are the most important things to look for, from the top priority to least.

Protection

The main purpose of an archery glove is to protect your fingertips from the friction of the bowstring. Therefore, this should be your top priority.

Naturally, any archery shooting glove will have some level of protection on the fingertips, but it’s worth noting how thick the material is. If you’re new to archery, you might want a thicker material to protect your sensitive fingertips while an expert might be okay with a thinner material that’s protective but gives you more sensitivity.

Sizing and Comfort

Of course, your archery glove needs to fit correctly. Otherwise, it may prevent you from handling the bowstring with enough dexterity. The best way to get the right fit is to check the manufacturer’s sizing guide. Additionally, check for things like stretch fabric that help the glove adapt to your hand.

Bow Draw Weight

Traditional bows like recurves can have draw weights as high as 70 pounds, sometimes even higher. Unfortunately, not all archery gloves are equipped to handle bows of such high power. For instance, a certain glove may only work with bows that have draw weights up to 50 pounds. Always check the draw weight of your bow and then get the appropriate glove.

Style

At the end of the day, style doesn’t necessarily affect the function of the glove, but it’s still something to take into account, especially if you’re using the glove for specific activities like LARPing or bowhunting.

For example, if you’re LARPING, you probably want a traditional-looking leather glove. If you’re bowhunting, though, a camo glove that will hide you from game is a better choice.

Final Thoughts

Trust us, your fingertips will thank you for using quality, protective archery shooting gloves. We recommend the Neet Products Deluxe Leather Shooting Glove in particular, but make sure you’ve read through all our reviews to find the one that’s ideal for your personal situation.