Best Kayaking Gloves

In my 20 years of kayaking, I’ve learned a lot by adventuring on the rivers and lakes of Ontario. The biggest thing I’ve learned? When you’re out on the water, you need to be prepared for anything.

Imagine paddling in windy conditions and feeling a sting in your fingers due to exsessive wind. Hmm shoulda brought gloves I reckon!

While they may be a bit excessive in the hot summers they are a game changer in fall and winter conditions when things are cooler. They also protect the palms of your hands from getting those nasty paddling blisters you get when out for a while!

While many of the other gloves certainly have their perks. The best kayaking gloves on the market that we liked are the NRS Skeleton gloves. 

Obviously, the best type of glove depends on what season you’re going out on, but we love the NRS Skeleton for tons of reasons, all of which we’ll detail below. In this post, we’ll talk about all the things you need to know before you buy a set of kayaking gloves. 

We’ll also highlight various brands we think are some of the top contenders in the industry and break down what’s working about their gloves (and what isn’t). 

Best Kayaking Glove Reviews 

1. NRS Maverick Kayaking Gloves – (Best Men’s Spring/ Fall Pick)
2. NRS Skeleton – (Summer Time Pick)
3. Kokatat Inferno Paddling Mitt – (Winter Time Pick)
4. NRS Women’s HydroSkin Gloves – (Women’s Spring/Fall Pick) 
5. NRS Mamba Pogies – (Frigid Winter Pick)
6. BPS Storm – (Grip Pick)
7. Kast King Sol Armis – (Fishing Pick) 
8. Neo Sport Wetsuit Gloves – (Great For Wetsuits) 
9. Stohlquist Toaster Pogie – (Great Pogie Option) 

The key to understanding the best gloves for kayaking is to gain a sense of what’s working and what isn’t. Even better, you should understand what seasons your gloves work best in, what material they’re made of, and what they should be used for. 

We’ll get to all of this and more in our kayaking gloves reviews.  

1. NRS Maverick Kayaking Gloves: Best Men’s Spring/ Fall Pick 

First up on our list are the beloved NRS Maverick Kayaking Gloves. The NRS Maverik Kayaking Gloves have undergone quite a transformation; within the last few years, NRS has developed new versions of these gloves to improve past design flaws. 

First up on our list are the beloved NRS Maverick Kayaking Gloves. The NRS Maverik Kayaking Gloves have undergone quite a transformation; within the last few years, NRS has developed new versions of these gloves to improve past design flaws. 

The final product is a set of titanium laminated, high-resistant gloves from a top-seller from tried and true river-runner company NRS. 

Top rated and incredibly popular, let’s see how these waterproof kayak gloves hold up when analyzing features, benefits, and more. 

Features 

• The glove is designed with pre-curved fingers, which prevents hand fatigue for long kayaking trips 
• Rock Solid Guarantee promises against defects 
• Liquid-proof seams prevent water leaks 
• 4-way stretch Extend interior enhances dexterity 
• Pairing snaps on glove wrists keep the gloves together 

Materials 

What makes the Maverik glove so effective is the shield of a 2mm raw neoprene exterior. This exterior provides warmth to hands and ultimately protects hands from cool air and water. 

The palm is constructed of Rawhide for phenomenal grip and combines with liquid-sealed seams to deliver an even more comprehension waterproof protection. 

The gloves also utilize a “HydroCuff wrist”, which prevents paddle drip and keeps water out of the cuffs and onto your hands. 

Ideal Season To Use 

Though one of their best features is their materials to protect hands from cold weather, these gloves aren’t as effective as they’re marketed. I (and other customers as well) can certainly feel low temperatures when kayaking in 45-degree weather. 

Because of this, we recommend using these gloves during warmer seasons where the waters won’t be as frigid. They do keep hands warm, but not enough to take these out in below 30 temperatures. 

As a result, we recommend using these for fall, spring, and summer rides, when water temperatures are a bit more moderate. 

What Kind of Kayaking? 

The pre-curved fingers make this glove not as flexible as other gloves on the market. Because of this, we recommend using these gloves for recreational/ sea kayaking and paddling, activities that don’t require a whole lot of hand dexterity. 

We do not recommend using these gloves for activities where you will have to use many nimble hand movements like fishing. 

How it Compares 

These gloves certainly rise above other similarly designed gloves circulating the current market. Although they don’t have as much insulation (hands can feel cold temps), they will definitely keep your hands dry. In this regard, they are a better pick than other gloves, such as Stearns gloves.

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2. NRS Skeleton – Our Summer Time Pick 

NRS makes our list again with their NRS Skeleton model. The NRS Skeleton is a top fingerless pick. 

Highly rated and well designed, these fingerless gloves give boaters finger flexibility with their ultra-lightweight design. Not only that, but the gloves are incredibly durable, often lasting users plenty of miles and treks before they start to see wear and tear. 

Several buyers have raved about these gloves’ durability, including one customer who brags that these gloves lasted a 20-hour sailboat voyage. Another adventurer says the gloves held up over her 70-mile wilderness trek. 

Overall, these gloves’ excellent design shines through their powerful grip and great flexibility. 

Features

• Open finger design
• Created with synthetic leather patches on fingers and partial palm for extra grip
• Palm dotted with silicone dots for even more grip  
• UPF 50+ sun protection
• Pairing snaps on the cuffs keep the gloves together.

Materials 

The gloves are constructed of a blend of nylon and Spandex to give the gloves that light, airy feeling. The gloves give users optimal flexibility with their finger-less design so that you can use your fingers and the grip of your fingertips. Combining that with the H2Core Rashguard material, users benefit from free-breathing fabric that wicks moisture to keep hands dry and protected. 

Additionally, the palms have extra silicone grip dots to help you when paddling in water to optimize effectiveness and usability. 

The Skeleton Gloves also use sun-protecting material so you can keep your hands safe and healthy, even on those days where you’re out on the water from sunup to sundown. 

Ideal Season to Use

Because these gloves are lightweight and have open fingers, they’re best to use in warmer seasons. While we love their lightweight design, that also means that they don’t hold up well in frigid temperatures. As a result, the NRS SKeleton gloves are an excellent pick for summer use and one of the best kayaking gloves for warmer temperatures. 

What Kind of Kayaking?

These NRS kayak gloves are incredibly lightweight, which means they’re fast-drying. We recommend using these gloves if you have to get your hands wet, so long-form kayaking is a great way to use these since your hands are in the water most of the time. White water rafting is also a great way to use these gloves. 

Because the fingers are exposed, the Skeleton gloves are also a terrific option for any kayak fishing since you have free range over your hands. 

How it Compares

NRS consistently makes quality paddling products, and their Skeleton Gloves are no exception. While many fingerless gloves are circulating the market, the Skeleton Gloves are in a class of their own and far out-perform their counterparts. 

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3. Kokatat Inferno Paddling Mitt – Winter Time Pick 

These gloves are exactly what they sound like: winter paddling mitts that lock in heat during winter boating. These fingerless paddling mitts aim to keep your hands and fingers warm during extremely low temperatures and cold waters. The ability to trap heat in hands makes this a very popular glove choice among winter boaters. 

Features

• 3mm Smoothskin neoprene (thermo lined to trap heat)
• One large mitt for hands increases body and hand heat
• Stitch constructed with glued seams 
• Mitts are pre-curved for easy paddle grip  
• Reinforced palm

Materials

Kokatat uses Neoprene, an artificial rubber that fights against water leakage and is more impactful than traditional rubber. Think of Neoprene as rubber 2.0 – and it is effective!

Kokatat uses neoprene lining throughout their mitts, and it does a great job at keeping the heat in and the water out. As a result, the Kokatat paddle mitts are a favorite amongst boaters and water enthusiasts. 

Ideal Season to Use

Since the mitt glove does such an excellent job at trapping heat, it should come as no surprise that this Koatat mitt glove is our top pick for gloves to wear during the winter. 

What Kind of Kayaking?

The Inferno Padding Mitt is an excellent choice for any kayak trip in cold waters. It’s also great for other types of water-based activity like holding kite bars for windsurfing and is ideal for holding paddles. 

How it Compares

All in all, these mitts are very effective at keeping hands warm through cold temperatures. However, many people complain about the durability of these gloves. If you’re looking to purchase a warm glove for continued use, you may have better luck continuing with your search, as many people have issues with these mitts holding up after long periods. 

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4. NRS Women’s HydroSkin Gloves – Women’s Spring/Fall Pick 

Looking for a glove with grip and feel but with enough insulation to be comfortable and wearable? These Hydroskin gloves work to reduce chill but still give users superb usability and flexibility. 

These impressive gloves offer less bulk but never compromises comfort and gives you some extra warmth to keep you on the water for hours. 

Features

• 0.5 mm neoprene layer  
• PowerSpan exterior allows for stretchy, wearable fabric 
• ThermalPlush lining adds extra insulation
• Quick Dry
• Silicone grip improves palm and finger stability and grip. 
• Sheds water fast 
• Pairing snaps on the wrists help keep the gloves together.
• Wrists have stretchy cuffs for ease of use 

Materials 

These women’s paddling gloves are constructed of 0.5 mm of HydroSkin, PowerSpan outer layer, a ThermalPlush inner lining, Titanium laminate adhesive, and DWR coating. Together, these five ingredients blend to create a robust lining that traps heat without adding extra bulk. 

This results in a moveable, wearable glove that still provides efficient heat-trapping capabilities when temperatures drop. 

Ideal Season To Use

We think the best time to use the NRS Women’s HydroSkin gloves is during the fall when temperatures begin to fall but are not low enough where you see those frigid temperatures. 

For an excellent transition glove between summer and winter, use this glove to give you extra mobility without sacrificing comfort or warmth. 

What Type Of Kayaking?

While these gloves effectively keep hands warm, once these gloves get wet, they stay wet. As a result, you want to make sure you’re using these gloves for a calm leisure paddle, where your hands might not get very wet.

Fishing might also be a good use for these gloves, although they are harder to move your fingers in than Skeleton gloves so that you might have trouble in that regard.  

How it Compares

Compared to other NRS gloves, these are great because they have great padding and grip and are lightweight. However, they don’t dry quickly, which means it will be cold for a while if your hand gets wet. In that sense, some other NRS paddling gloves may be better suited for moderate temperatures in high activity levels. 

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5. NRS Mamba Pogies – Frigid Winter Pick

If you’re diving into the icy waters of a frigid winter boating trip, you need gloves that can match extreme temperatures and deliver warmth and protection so you can enjoy your kayaking. The NRS Mamba Pogies are just the product for those looking to do extreme cold weather kayaking. 

These Mamba pogies are some of the best kayaking gloves because you get the benefits of wearing mitts but, since the bottom of the hand is exposed, you also get direct hand contact with your paddles.

Features

• Neoprene insulation adds warmth. 
• VaporLoft lining is fast-drying and eliminates clamminess in hands.  
• A short cuff makes for easy usability. 
• A wrist cuff reduces water entry and leakage. 
• Pairing snaps on the wrists help keep the pogies together.

Materials

These mitts are crafted with a 5 mm neoprene layer, Nylon-backed Neoprene, and VaporLoft lining to keep hands warm and dry and evaporate water quickly. 

Ideal Season to Use

These kayaking pogies have one design and one design only: to keep your hands warm in frigid temperatures. The best season to use these kayaking gloves, then, is during the winter months where you’re up against severe temperatures. 

What Type Of Kayaking?

Because of the open fingers on the other side, these are excellent winter kayak fishing gloves and are ideal for those looking to use their fingers for baiting hooks, casting lines, and so forth. 

They are also ideal for sea kayaking in the wintertime.

Unsurprisingly, these pogies are also great for frigidly cold water kayaking and other cold-water boating activities. Grab these the next time you take your boat on that icy river!  

How it Compares

These are one of the better pogies around. They’re highly effective in trapping heat and keeping hands warm and dry during cold water trips. 

However, the opening is relatively small, which means they’re difficult to pull on and off, which can be challenging in cold weather and isn’t very convenient. 

If you have bigger wrists, you may have to purchase other pogie gloves as these may be difficult for you to use. 

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6. BPS Storm – Grip Pick

The BPS Storm crafts each pair of Storm Gloves to make sure your hands move freely without suffering from hand fatigue. Its primary design benefit is its textured grip palm, which helps you handle all slippery surfaces safely and efficiently.

Besides their phenomenal grip, these gloves also benefit from other cool design features, such as an adjustable strap wrist that minimizes water entering your glove. 

Features

• Double-lined Neoprene makes these gloves durable
• Seams are glued, which adds extra durability. 
• A rubberized palm grip creates phenomenal grip 
• The adjustable wrist strap delivers comfort, warmth, and a snug fit. 

Materials

BPS crafts their Storm Gloves with sturdy Neoprene to lock in heat, keep out water, and lasts for years of use. The gloves also feature a hook and loop closing mechanism for easy, convenient use. 

Additionally, the rubber they use on the palm of their gloves helps you to grip your paddle, board, and any other gear you’re working with. However, the rubber dots aren’t made with long-lasting material as they have been known to peel off after just a few uses – especially in the hot spot areas. 

Ideal Season to Use

We would recommend using these gloves while the season is warmer and water temperatures are a bit more moderate as a significant drawback of these gloves is that they let some water slip inside. 

If you are looking for gloves to use in icy waters, these may not be a great fit as your hands will get cold fast. 

What Kind of Kayaking? 

These gloves have phenomenal grip, which means that these gloves are great for any water sport. From surfing, scuba, kayaking, and white water rafting, if you need a little extra help gripping your gear, then these are the gloves for you. 

How it Compares

If you’re looking for gloves with a fantastic grip, these kayaking gloves are the right ones. They also give users incredible dexterity. However, they aren’t effective in keeping water out. 

If you kayak in colder temperatures, you may want to keep looking for an alternative glove. 

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7. Kast King Sol Armis – Great For Fishing 

In need of some kayak fishing gloves? Tough, durable, and fashionable, the Kast King Sol Armis gloves boast great features like excellent breathability and fast-drying fabric so you can stay dry all day while you fish your heart out. 

These mighty gloves are also machine-washable and have a finger-less design, making them a prime candidate for activities where you need complete control over your hands and fingers, like kayak fishing. 

Features

• Fingerless design
• Reinforced Palm 
• Breathable fabric 
• Machine-washable
• Made with Certified UPF50+ and SPF UV protection material

Materials

The fabric is made of breathable, flexible faux leather to stand up against harsh waves and give you fast drying, fast-acting materials. The added leather will help in gripping, which makes this an excellent tool for fishing. 

Sun protection is also essential to keep your hands healthy and happy, especially if you plan to spend the entire day outdoors. 

Ideal Season to Use

The fingers are exposed, so a great time to use these would be during the warmer seasons like spring or summer to protect your hands from too cold temperatures. 

The good news is that you can still use these gloves during the fall because the quick-dry mechanism allows for gloves to dry fast, so your hands don’t feel so soggy, damp, or cold. 

What Kind of Kayaking?

These gloves are especially great for fishing. Because your fingers are exposed, you can tie and bait hooks while still keeping your hands warm. 

Also, because of the fingerless design, these gloves are great for rowing, paddle boarding, and other paddling activities. Since you have extra dexterity and flexibility. Plus, the UV Sun Protection allows you to stay on the boat all day long. 

How it Compares

The Kast King compares well against other competitors. However, the materials used for these gloves may be a little thin for kayaking, so you may want to buy another brand (like the NRS Skeleton) if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the water. 

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8. Neo Sport Wetsuit Gloves – Great For Wetsuits 

The first thing you’ll notice about these wetsuit gloves is their texture. These thick, large gloves are designed to keep your hands warm even when submerged in icy water. Paired with the neoprene fabric, high-grip features, and a wrist binding velcro seal, create a robust wetsuit glove that effectively keeps hands warm and functioning in low temperatures. 

Features

• Gloves have great flexibility. 
• Materials add thermal protection. 
• Seams are both glued and sewn to ensure less water leakage. 
• Palm is highly textured to provide users with a secure grip on a gear. 
• Elastic closure fits over sleeves for a secure seal.

Materials

These gloves are crafted with a thick 3MM Neoprene shield to keep hands protected. Built with quality gripped palms and curved fingers, these gloves effectively keep hands warm and allow users to remain agile while boating outdoors. 

When hands do get wet, the gloves keep your hands warm, as they were designed. 

Ideal Season to Use

Because the gloves have such stellar insulation, you want to use these gloves in colder temperatures. If you use the gloves when it’s too hot out, your hands might become sweaty or uncomfortable with the heat. 

Therefore, we recommend using these gloves during winter and fall months when temperatures drop below 60 degrees. 

What Kind of Kayaking?

These gloves are designed to give you comfort, even when your hands are fully submerged in water. 

As a result, the NeoSport Wetsuit Gloves are great for scuba diving, boating, and white water rapid kayaking. They’re also great for using around your home or business, tending to aquariums, gardens, ponds, lakes, and gutters. 

How it Compares

While these gloves do an excellent job at keeping hands warm when submerged in water, there are some downfalls to these gloves. The biggest drawback is some customers complain of receiving defective gloves, where the stitching comes undone too easily. 

In this sense, you may be better off purchasing another warmer glove, like the NRS Mamba Pogie. As this NRS glove is effective at keeping hands warm and being durable in cold temperatures.

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9. Stohlquist Toaster Pogie – Great Pogie Option 

Stohlquist offers the best of both worlds with its insulated mitt for those boaters who want warmth but don’t want to compromise control. With the skin-out design, you can easily grip any paddle or gear you come across. Plus, their Neoprene layer offers more excellent protection for warmth and comfort. 

Features 

• Lightweight waterproof cuff.
• 2mm neoprene skin
• The skin-out design reduces evaporative heat loss. 
• Velcro cuff seal  
• Large cuff for easy use 

Materials

The Stohlquist Pogies are built with a sturdy 2mm Neoprene lining that delivers users extra warmth and wind protection.

The Velcro cuff seal also works to keep out water from sneaking in through your wrist and cooling down your hands, fingers, and arms. 

Because it’s built of lightweight materials, you get the benefits of a warm, insulated, cozy glove while not being dragged down by heavy, clunky materials. 

What Season To Use? 

Because these Pogies are effective at trapping heat, we recommend that users only use these gloves during winter with low temperatures. Otherwise, your hands will be too uncomfortable from all of the excess heat trapped in the glove should you use the Pogies in warmer weather. 

What Kind of Kayaking

Due to their cutout design, these pogies are phenomenal to use during intense kayaking since you can grip the paddle so well. You need full use of your hands to control any gear you’re using, so these mitts are great to use for rougher waters or more extreme sports. 

How They Compare

Funnily enough, these pogies have the opposite problem that the NRS pair has – the Stohlquist Pogies have too wide of an opening, which means that they may be less desirable in some conditions. 

The positive side to having wrist openings too large is that they are large enough to wear light gloves in addition. Additionally, taking the mitts off and putting them back on is fairly straightforward, which gives it better usability during those intense kayaking trips. 

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How to Choose the Best Kayaking Gloves for YOU

Finding yourself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of kayaking gloves to choose from and don’t know where to begin? The key to selecting the best kayaking gloves is finding the ones that meet your personal needs. Make sure you keep your activity level, geography, hobbies in mind when choosing your next set of kayaking gloves.

Below are some helpful questions to help you start thinking about what kinds of kayaking gloves would best fit your needs. 

What’s Your Season?

Figuring out what season you will be kayaking in will greatly help you narrow down what gloves you should purchase. Also, your geographic location should help narrow it down too. If you’re kayaking up far north, it doesn’t matter if it’s summer or spring; you’ll still want a pair of kayaking gloves with a hearty amount of insulation. 

Colder water demands more heat protection. You don’t want to spend your whole outing with freezing hands – not only is it a bummer, but it’s also a health risk. Always veer on the side of caution and pack for colder weather versus warmer. You can also always carry an extra pack of gloves if you need to change into something lighter. 

What are the Kayaking Glove Types? 

There are four main glove types, one type for each season. There are fingerless gloves that you can use in warm and hot weather. These gloves are also an excellent choice for activities where you need to use your hands a lot, like kayak fishing. 

There are also thin Neoprene kayak gloves for cooler days or nights. These usually run around 1 to 2 mm of insulation and padding to give you a little extra heat for those cooler summer days or kayaking when the seasons begin to turn. 

For colder weather, you should have a glove with about 3 mm of Neoprene insulation. These you can wear in the fall and early winter. 

For frigid temperatures, Neoprene mitts are the way to go. Always make sure to use these during the winter months – even if you think you won’t need them, it’s much better to have them around as backup than to risk getting frostbite in your hands. 

What Materials are Best?

As you may have noticed through reading this article, Neoprene is one of the most common materials used in kayaking gloves. This is because it’s durable and works better at keeping out water than most other materials. 

Spandex is another common material used with making gloves. They help give you added mobility and aid with heat retention. 

Sometimes faux leather will be used in gloves, although this is rarer. However, faux leather does add benefits such as added comfort and protection. However, you need to be careful when purchasing faux leather kayaking gloves. Gloves with too much of this material limit movability. 

How Well do my Gloves Need to Fit?

Most beginner kayakers think that the perfect glove will be snug and a little righter, like a regular pair of gloves. People believe this because it’s what they’re used to and because they think a tighter fitting glove will keep their hands warmer. 

However, the opposite is true. A tighter glove will restrict the circulation in your hands, which will make them colder in the long run. 

On the other hand, if you think that you should always pick looser gloves, think again! Wearing a loose glove can cause blisters since the looseness creates unnecessary friction.

To find a correctly fitted glove, size by the palm area. When you try on gloves, make sure that they fit at the wrist, knuckles, and fingers to find that perfect fit.

How do I Determine my Gloves Quality?

As you sift through all of the kayaking gloves, it can be challenging to determine which ones are quality and which ones aren’t. One big factor to look out for is that quality gloves are flexible and that you’re able to make normal hand movements. 

You also want to make sure that all of the seams look sewn correctly and that there are no tears or areas where the seams can unravel. You also must make sure that the bottom of your gloves lineup so that you can snap them together (so you don’t lose them). 

How Should I Read Customer Reviews?

Customer review sites are a bit of a minefield. You don’t know if the reviewer is truthful or if they are being paid to write their review.

As a result, take everything with a grain of salt. Don’t assume that everyone is genuine. Instead, look for verified accounts and read their reviews for a better idea of the product. 

If you keep seeing the same issues repeatedly from multiple reviewers, this is a strong indicator that the product has a problem. 

Get as many points of view as possible. Don’t just stick to one site: Research reviews on Google Reviews, Amazon, and Youtube to get the full picture. 

FAQ’s 

How Do You Care for Your Kayaking Gloves?

The key to properly taking care of your kayaking gloves is to always rinse after use. This is especially the case if you went kayaking in a saltwater body of water. 

After you rinse them, hang them out to dry in the sun (unless the gloves have built-in sun protection, in which case hang them in the shade).  

Can You Use Cycling Gloves for Kayaking?

Yes and no. If you’re new to kayaking, and you don’t want to invest in a pair of expensive kayaking gloves, it’s certainly better to use cycling gloves as opposed to nothing. While they are not waterproof, they somewhat protect the paddler and provide warmth when the air is cool. 

However, they are not effective against water, and after a continued amount of use, you may just want to invest in a pair of kayaking gloves. After all, kayaking gloves protect you from the sun, protect you from friction, and are typically water-resistant. 

If you’re trying out kayaking to see if it’s right for you, maybe start with cycling gloves to see if you like it first before investing in gloves specially made for kayaking. Besides, if you use your cycling gloves for too long, the water will destroy them. To prevent damage, it’s always a great idea to purchase waterproof kayak gloves. 

How Can You Keep Your Hands Warm While Kayaking

When you’re kayaking in cold waters, it’s essential to keep your hands warm. Sometimes it helps to have gloves with big mitts so that your fingers can group together and create additional body heat.

Another great trick is to place hand warmers in your gloves to create extra heat inside the gloves. However, this is really only effective when you wear big mitts so that the excess heat has a chance to spread to all of your fingers. 

So What Are the Best Kayaking Gloves?

From kayaking pogies to fingerless gloves to everything in between, this kayak gloves review should help you get off to the right start so you can find the best glove for you.

While all of our favorites are listed above, different kayakers need different gloves to fit the season, activity level, and recreation they plan on using their gloves for. 

If you’re looking for a moderate glove that gives you the best usability and mobility, we think the NRS Maverick Kayaking Gloves are the best all around, and as such, are one of our top favorite kayaking gloves.