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The Best Wicket-Keeping Gloves: The 2021 Guide

We have tested a full range of wicket-keeping gloves and picked out the Newbery Legacy Wicket-Keeping Gloves as the best pair on the market.

By CricketersChoice Editors

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The Lowdown

  • Best Wicket-Keeping Gloves: Newbery Legacy (click to see)
    This top of the range glove not only look great but have the features required to maximise any professional wicket-keepers performance.
  • Best Value For Money: Kookaburra 4.1 SC (click to see)
    “The 4.1 SC comes from the recently revamped Kookaburra wicket-keeping range. The gloves have some great qualities which can be bought at a fraction of the price of premium alternatives.”

Wicket-keepers can find themselves on the receiving end of cricket balls travelling at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. It is therefore important for a wicket-keeper to wear gloves that provide comfort and most importantly protect the hands. If you are looking for a new pair of wicket-keeping gloves and don’t know what pair is best for you, we’ve picked out and reviewed our favourites.

There is currently an array wicket-keeping gloves available on the market. We have considered 15 wicket-keeping gloves and picked out five that are excellent to wear behind the stumps.

Even though we have an overall favourite, no single pair of gloves will suit every wicket-keepers needs. Our picks cover a variety of different gloves – ranging from the perfect pair for a junior wicket-keeper starting off in the game, ranging to the best pair for the seasoned professional.

Table of Contents

Best Wicket-Keeper Gloves - Editor's Choice

Newbery Legacy Wicket-Keeping Gloves

FEATURES

  • Made from genuine premium leather and offers a large catching area.
  • Octopus grip palm
  • Unique airflow pattern.
  • Memory foam finger ends
  • Sizes: Junior, Small Senior and Senior

Sitting at the top of the market are the Newbery Legacy Wicket-Keeping Gloves. These top of the range gloves not only look great but also have all the features required for a successful afternoon behind the stumps. Designed by professional wicket-keepers, we think these are a fantastic investment for any keeper.

Starting with the material on the outer, you will find that the gloves are constructed with genuine premium leather. The high-quality leather is soft and offers a full range of motion. At the bottom of the glove is a padded cuff which protects from any nasty hits on the wrist from stray balls.

Inspecting the palms reveals a large catching cup on both gloves. We felt that the cup is slightly wider than other premium keeping gloves. The catching cup has two splits which creates a wider catching area and offers an increased level of flexibility. The palm is also lined with the ever so popular octopus palm which clings to any ball that enters the glove – if the ball gets caught, it stays caught.

It’s crucial that any wicket-keeping gloves fit perfectly. To ensure this, the Legacy gloves are fitted with memory foam within each finger. The gloves mould to the hand to ensure a secure and comfortable fit. Each finger is ventilated to prevent the hands getting too warm during long periods of play. 

We have to comment on the gloves design. The clean white outer finished with subtle gold piping looks nothing short of sensational. This really keeps in-line with the rest of the Legacy range, oozing a real sense of class. The Newbery logo and Legacy writing are stitched into the gloves, keeping closely inline with the premium specification.

To summarise, this is everything that we expect from a premium wicket-keeping glove. We can honestly imagine the gloves lasting nearly a lifetime, the quality is that good. If you are serious about your cricket and want to make an investment in your game, these gloves are a great place to start. Sitting right at the top of the market for price, we promise that these gloves will not disappoint.

Best Budget Wicket-Keeper Gloves

Kookaburra sc 4.1 wicket-keeper gloves

FEATURES

  • Made from premium PU
  • Unique thumb setting to enhance catching cup
  • ‘Shorti’ glove style
  • Rubber palm to enhance grip
  • Sizes: Adult/Junior/Small Junior

If you’re new to cricket or simply cannot afford an expensive pair of wicket-keeping gloves, you will be pleased to know there are plenty of cheaper alternatives that can do a great job. Kookaburra have recently revamped their wicket-keeping range, in which we have picked our best budget option from. The Kookaburra SC 4.1 gloves have some great qualities which can be bought for a fraction of the price of premium alternatives.

The first thing that stuck out about these gloves was the level of protection they offer. Like historic Kookaburra gloves that have come before them, the SC 4.1’s feature the K-Flex support patch which protects the back of the hand. The support patch is topped with premium PVC, which looks and feels great given the price.

Regarding the design, Kookaburra have slightly tweaked the thumb positioning to give the player a better quality of catching – this is a unique feature to Kookaburra gloves. The palm is covered in a standard dimple textured rubber, which creates a more secure catching surface.

We do want to point out that these gloves come in a ‘Shorti’ style. The style has emerged from Australia and implies that the cuff is slightly shorter than traditional keeping styles. This creates a lighter glove and allows a slightly wider range of moment within the wrist.

We think the blue and white colour way looks striking and will fit in nicely with the rest of your kit. If you are unsure on the colour way, Kookaburra currently offer the LC 5.0 which comes in a green and white.

Overall, we think these gloves are fantastic value for money. Kookaburra have a fantastic reputation when it comes to keeping gear and these gloves keep up that high-standard. For under £40, you get a glove that offers great support and comfort.

Best Junior Wicket-Keeper Gloves

NEWBERY SPS MK IV KEEPING GLOVES

FEATURES

  • Unique double layer leather top
  • Made from 2 styles of premium leather
  • Soft cup, that moulds to your hand with large area octopus grip palm
  • Memory foam finger ends
  • Webbing stitched to the back of the glove

For junior wicket-keepers that are serious about their game, the Newbery SPS Mk IV Keeper Gloves may just be the ultimate gloves which can enhance any performance. Sitting right at the top-end of the junior wicket-keeping glove market, we are confident these gloves will not disappoint.

The most important thing about junior wicket-keeping gloves is protection. These gloves are created from two styles of premium leather which offer protection like no other. The gloves fingers are fitted with memory foam ends which will mould to the hand during use. This ensures a snug fit which is critical for any junior player.

As with all premium gloves, the palm is covered with an octopus style grip. This is a great feature which can only enhance a wicket-keepers performance. Having the correct tools to put on a master-class in wicket-keeping can only increase the confidence of any juniors game.

The double layer material design, creates an element of breathability when wearing the glove. This is perfect for long hot afternoons behind the stumps. The glove follows the traditional English glove styles, which means the cuff is a great length to protect juniors from nasty hits on the wrist.

We really like the minimalistic design. The stripped back look is refreshing to see. Newbury have clearly spent more time perfecting the gloves features rather than wasting time on how the product looks.

Our only slight issue with these gloves is the price. We are conscious that juniors are still growing, so after a year or two of use, they may need to be replaced. Aside from this, these gloves are probably one of the best wicket-keeping gloves a junior can wear.

Best Designed Wicket-Keeper Gloves

GRAY-NICOLLS POWERBOW INFERNO 1000 WICKET-KEEPING GLOVES

FEATURES

  • Ultra lightweight PU glove
  • Powerflex grip with leather backing
  • Traditional square cuff with T-shape webbing 
  • Ultra light thimbles with vapour foam 
  • Leather cuff with HD foam padding
  • Sizes: Youth/Medium/Large

Sitting within the mid-range of the market we have the Gray-Nicolls Powerbow Inferno 1000 Wicket-Keeping Gloves. Endorsed by professionals players such as England International Ben Foakes,  these gloves are a something to consider – especially given the price.

We think the design of the glove really sets them apart from other competitors on the market. The gloves adopt the ever so famous colour scheme of the Powerbow range, with black backs and palms finished with yellow piping. If black is one of your favourite colours, then these unique gloves maybe a great option for you.

The gloves are constructed from lightweight PU, which make them a suitable match for any wicket-keeper who’s serious about their game. The gloves feature a Powerflex grip with leather backing, which increases flexibility allowing keepers a wider range of movement.

Gray-Nicolls have factored protection into the gloves design. The cuffs are a traditional square cuff or “English” style. Made from leather, the cuff had extra HD foam padding that will protect any keeper from any stray balls that come off the bat.

There is added vapour foam to each thumb thimble to add  more lightweight protection to the gloves, making these some of the best within the mid-range market. When wearing the glove, we found that this feature added to an overall comfortable fit.

To summarise, these gloves are fantastic value for money. Currently sitting in the middle of the market, you are getting a pair of stylish gloves, made with quality materials that is endorsed by the professionals. Buying these gloves has all the necessary feature any wicket-keeper needs which allows any keeper to focus on the only thing that matters in cricket– the ball.

Most Expensive Wicket-Keeper Gloves

OBLIVION STEALTH WICKET-KEEPER GLOVES

FEATURES

  • Ultra lightweight premium leather glove
  • Octopus grip with leather backing
  • Traditional square cuff with T-shape webbing
  • Ultra light thimbles with Vapour foam
  • Leather cuddles with HD foam padding

Sitting right at the top of the market, we have the Gray-Nicolls Oblivion Stealth wicket-keeping gloves. New for 2020, these gloves are designed for seasoned wicket-keepers – it’s not long before we start seeing some of the top professionals sporting these gloves out on the pitch.

The first thing we have to comment on is the design. The Stealth gloves are primarily white, finished with silver and chrome colouring. We think that the design looks really slick and gives a real premium feel to the glove. The design alone will definitely prove these gloves to be popular when the season begins.  

Premium leather is the main material which has been used to craft these gloves. This material gives an ultra-lightweight feel and a level of flexibility like no other. Like any top of the range glove, the palm is coated with an octopus grip to reduce the chances of putting down any balls. The soft materials ensure that any wicket-keeper has a supreme level of comfort when taking tricky catches in these gloves. 

The cuff follows the traditional square style, giving an extra level of protection required – especially when faced with a stray edge. The materials used to make the cuff include leather and HD foam padding. As with most Gray-Nicolls gloves, the cup is created with T-Shape webbing, creating an impressively large area to take the most vital of catches.  

Adding to the light weight feel of the glove, vapour foam thimbles ensure that the gloves mould to the hand – ensuring a comfortable and secure fit. 

Rounding it up, we think these gloves are a great premium option for any serious cricketer. As they are new for 2020, we found these to be the most expensive gloves on the market. We felt that the value for money lies with our number one pick, however if you want to really impress your team mates – these are definitely the gloves for you. 

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