It's 2016 and millions of crossfit, gym, and workout enthusiasts are using Instagram now more than ever. For the previous 3 years GymPaws Lifting Grips have been voted the Best Weight Lifting Gloves for Crossfit, and 2016 is no exception!  Thanks to thousands of votes on Instagram, I'm excited to give out the latest review of the have's and have not's of gym gloves and hand protection.  Here's my review (and video) of the best and the rest!

Best Weight Lifting Gloves For Crossfit

Whether you're a diehard Crossfit fan or like to sweat your time away weightlifting in the gym, at some point you've probably realized that a tough workout that leaves your quads, back or chest screaming for mercy, can be even more rough on your hands!  Snatches, cleans, muscle ups or kettlebell swings might lend themselves more to a Crossfit WOD than a workout or weightlifting routine, but they all have one thing in common… they cause calluses from working out and can leave your hands in sorry shape. 

Callosity is the clinical term for calluses.  When pressure and friction are repeatedly applied to the same area of skin, your body's natural defense is to build the skin thicker and more tough in that area.  Those of you who don't take good care to moisturize your hands regularly may notice that these rough spots will become dry and even crack and bleed from a brutal workout.  Some gymrats and meatheads think this is some sign of their level of dedication and athletic ability, but in reality its a sign of ignorance.  

Watch any sport or athlete while they're working out and tell me if you see them with cracked bleeding hands.  Of course you don't!  They need to be able to perform at the highest level, and they can't do that with injuries. You should take the same precautions, and that's one of the reasons GymPaws AGAIN are ranked the best weight lifting gloves for crossfit.  You can even check out a previous post from 2013 "What Are The Best Mens Weight Lifting Gloves?"

Here's a great demo / review video using GymPaws gym gloves on the beaches of Santa Monica, CA if you want to see these leather grips in action doing muscle ups.

2016 brought accolades to this innovative little grip pad for a couple of reasons:

1. These are Genuine Cowhide Leather.  Not faux leather, or synthetic materials like micro fiber.  Leather is the most durable material on the market.  That's why big brands like Harbinger gloves and Valeo gear use leather for their products as well. The slightly padded palm ease hand fatigue without being bulky or inhibiting movement. 

2. Four finger loops keep these grips in place.  This is one of the main reason people call them the best weight lifting gloves for Crossfit.  In a typical WOD you're moving from exercise to exercise with little if no rest.  You don't have time to take your gym gloves on and off, and you definitely don't have time for stupid rubber grip pads to fall on the floor or bunch up as you use them. The four finger loops assure that these will stay in place even through the most grueling weightlifting routine. 

3. Compact design.  These were made to be ergonomic and minimalist.  They protect the pressure points and hand pads just below the fingers on your palm.  This is where the weight places friction or pressure, or where a pull ups bar would do the same. You don't need the bulky excess material!

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