You might think that wearing gloves for sim racing is a bit overkill and, in a lot of cases, you’d be right! They do, however, serve a purpose especially as you start to become more competitive, race harder, and move towards higher-end gear.

If you’re not sold on the benefits of gloves I recently wrote an article talking about the benefits of using racing gloves when sim racing.

The following is a selection of five gloves that I recommend for sim racing.

Sparco HYPERGRIP Sim Racing Gloves

Considering we’re sim racers, it’s only appropriate that we start off with a glove that is specifically designed for sim racing, the Sparco HYPERGRIP.

Tried and true, the Sparco HYPERGRIP’s offer enough protection for all your sim racing needs. Couple this with nice breathable fabrics which provide plenty of grip whilst still letting your hands breath so you won’t sweat up a storm, these become a really attractive option.

The Sparco HYPERGRIP’s have a touch-sensitive index finger and thumb so you’ll be able to use a touchpad, phone, or tablet without taking these off. The index finger and thumb tips are also able to be detached for a ‘controller’ configuration.

Sparco Meca 3 Mechanics Glove

Yep, Sparco again! You can’t fault them though, and there’s a reason why they’re one of the most recognized and trusted brands in the automotive industry.

Whilst the Sparco Meca 3’s are mechanics gloves, you’ll find they are one of the most popular sim racing gloves as well.

There is a lot of cross over between various industry gloves, so don’t like the fact that they’re mechanics gloves put you off. Sim racers often use mechanics, mountain biking, and karting gloves because, at the end of the day, we don’t need a lot of the high-end features such as fire resistance that come with proper racing gloves.

The one thing that is a drawback for me is that they currently do not have touch support, meaning that you won’t be able to use your touchpad, phone, etc with them on. For me personally, this is an issue, but if you’re using a mouse then it’s a non-factor and in that case, the Sparco Meca 3’s would be my pick of gloves.

Mechanix Wear FastFit

Again, another Mechanix Wear FastFit is another glove that is not targeted towards sim racers, but is highly recommended within the community.

These are my budget pick for gloves as they have pretty much all the features of the other gloves on this list, and also have touchscreen support. At the price that they are at, you really can’t go wrong with these gloves.

They may not look the coolest, but for sim racing, they do a really good job.

Alpinestars F-Lite

If you’re after something with a bit of color, then the Alpinestars F-Lite gloves might be to your taking.

They are thinner than the other gloves in this list and are more of a lightweight mountain biking style glove than a motorsport glove. As I mentioned earlier though, as sim racers this doesn’t matter at all.

As far as touchscreen capabilities go though, I’ve heard mixed reports. Some people say that it works fine, some people say that it doesn’t. Alpinestars don’t make any note of the Alpinestars F-Lite’s having touchscreen support so you’ll need to take that into consideration if you’re considering purchasing these gloves.

They come in a huge range of colors though, unlike most of the other gloves in this list, so if you’re looking for a set look or something that matches your rig/setup then there might be an option in there for you.

Alpinestars Tech-1 K Race v2

If you’re after a full gauntlet glove then the Alpinestars Tech-1 K Race v2 is worth checking out. This glove was originally designed for Karting which means they will more than hold up anything that your Sim Racing wheel can throw at them.

Lightweight, comfortable, and not too thick which means that your hands will be able to stay cool and breathe and you won’t lose any detail coming through your wheel whilst still offering enough protection that they won’t get shredded in a couple of months.

These gloves are also touch screen compatible via the thumb or index finger which is a nice feature in a full gauntlet karting glove.

The Alpinestars Tech-1 K Race v2 is the only full gauntlet glove on this list, and whilst it does absolutely nothing in terms of performance or offering any extra protection for sim racing, it looks really cool and if you’re into the full race aesthetic then this glove is probably one of the cheaper full gauntlet gloves that you’ll find available from a reputable company like Alpinestars.

Wrap Up

Well, there you have it. Five gloves that I recommend for Sim Racing that won’t break the bank but also offer greater quality and protection for both your hands and your wheel.

If I was to purchase any of these gloves it would be a toss-up between the two Sparco gloves listed, the Sparco HYPERGRIP and the Sparco Meca 3.

The only decision between the two would come down to touch screen capabilities. Personally, for me, it’s important because I use a keyboard/trackpad combo on my rig so I’d like to be able to operate that without taking the gloves off.

My budget pick would be the Mechanix Wear FastFit. For the price that they’re available at, you can’t go wrong for a sim glove to get you started.