The Best Kids Bike Gloves

Whether your child is riding a balance bike or a pedal bike, safety is paramount. Having the proper equipment can help minimize or even prevent injuries if accidents happen. When thinking about safety equipment, many parents make the mistake of only ensuring that their child has a helmet. While helmets are indeed a crucial aspect of safety gear, do not overlook bike gloves. With kid’s bike gloves, many people think they serve no practical purpose.

We’ll be looking at a few of the reasons kids’ bike gloves are essential, as well as highlighting a few of the best kids’ bike gloves currently available. If you don’t have time to read through each product review, we’ve selected the winners for each category below!

Why Buy Kids Bike Gloves?

Why are bike gloves necessary, you ask? We’ve highlighted a few reasons below on why having gloves is an important, if not essential, piece of gear for children riding a bike.

Protection

The number one reason to invest in bike gloves for your kids is safety. While balance bikes are much safer and easier to operate than other bikes, accidents can still happen. The many joys of learning to ride a bike, unfortunately, go hand-in-hand with as many falls.

Even older children, who are slightly more experienced riders, will experience a fall at one point or another, even more so when riding on off-road terrain. As you’d know, the first thing one does when falling is to instinctively use your hands to break the fall. If your child is not wearing gloves, this could cause some nasty gravel grazes and painful wrist injuries.

Comfort

Depending on the terrain you’re planning to allow your child to ride on, some gloves come with extra cushioning, which provides that extra comfort and protection from friction while riding on bumpy terrain. 

Bike gloves come in a fingerless design which allows your hands to breathe on those hot days while still protecting your palms and wrists. It is also easier to handle small or finicky objects with your fingers free; thus, it will be easier for your child to grab onto their brakes quickly. 

Grip

Bike gloves are not only for protection; they help children improve their grip while riding. On hot and humid days, in particular, their hands can become sweaty, which can cause them to slip. Sweaty palms can cause extra friction, which could lead to blisters or calluses. So if your child is an avid rider, consider purchasing them a pair of kid’s bike gloves. 

On the flip side, when it is cold and your child wants to ride their bike, gloves can help to keep their hands warm. Cold hands can go numb, which weakens your child’s grip, preventing them from controlling their bike properly.

Staying Visible 

Some gloves design include reflective strips. If your young one is riding around in the road in front of your house, the reflective strips will increase their visibility to passing cars, ensuring their protection. The necessity of these reflective strips depends on the area where you live. If you live in an area where visibility is low due to dust, or any kind of air pollution, consider looking for reflective gloves. 

Note the times of day that your child will be riding their bike. If they ride to school in the early morning and late afternoons or during high traffic periods, consider reflective gloves. 

Fun and Stylish

Besides being functional, kids’ bike gloves can be fun and make the riding experience more exciting for your children. Looking the part and wearing their favorite color gloves could help build confidence for the young ones that are nervous about their first bike. 

Picking The Best Fit

When shopping for kid’s bike gloves, choosing a good fit for your child is essential. Pay attention to the age rating of the gloves; this will tell you if your child is too young or too old to wear them. It is also vital that the gloves are snug and not too loose or too restrictive. 

Remember, blood is pumped around the body faster when riding a bicycle, which can cause the hands to swell. Gloves that are too tight can cause discomfort for the child, while loose gloves can cause chafing or blistering as your child’s hand slips around inside.

How to measure your child’s hand for bike gloves

Glove sizes are based on the hand size and not the age of the child. For example, if they listed the glove as a “Small – 5”, it means you should measure the widest part of the child’s hand, not including the thumb, in inches. Remember to measure the dominant hand of the child. Do not size up when purchasing bike gloves for your child. 

How to Wash Bike Gloves

You can wash bike gloves either by hand or in the washing machine on a delicate cycle. Hand washing is best to prolong the life of the bike gloves. However, we know being a parent is a busy job, and finding the time to hand wash your kids’ bike gloves will not be at the top of your to-do list!

When using a machine, turn the gloves inside out and place them in a delicates laundry bag. Ensure that the velcro straps are secured to avoid snagging. Wash using cold water only and do not use the dryer, instead hang up to air dry.

For hand washing, use a mild detergent with warm (not hot) water. If the water is too hot for your hands, it’s too hot for the gloves. Gently rub the gloves together to remove any dried mud or stubborn stains. Rinse thoroughly and squeeze without wringing the gloves. Leave to air dry.