People who are serious about weightlifting, CrossFit, and fitness make it look easy. What they don’t post are the behind-the-scenes problems: calluses, bruises, blisters, and palms that look like they lost a fight with the pull-up bar. So they’re always on the lookout for something that protects their hands without getting in the way of the lift.
Palm Protectors are the best weightlifting and fitness glove alternative, because they are lightweight and unobtrusive, yet built to stop the skin damage, calluses, and blisters that come with weightlifting and gym life.
Read on to find out what Palm Protectors are, why a motocross brand built them, and how they can save your hands the next time you’re at the gym.
What Are Palm Protectors?
They are a minimalist pair of gloves that offer full-coverage protection against the debilitating effects of blisters and skin damage common during workout sessions.
They safeguard the most vulnerable areas of the palm while leaving the fingers free to grasp weights and hold onto equipment, so you keep full dexterity with unrestricted movement for the fingers.
Palm Protectors are meant to be worn anytime you are participating in a fitness activity that could be abrasive to your hands. Use them at the gym or any other fitness facility. Of course, this includes your home gym or even your backyard. In fact, they are so versatile they can be used outside of the gym when you are participating in various sports activities, like CrossFit, biking, water skiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, paddling, rowing, and more.
Built for Motocross, Not the Gym
Palm Protectors didn’t start in the gym. James Burry, the founder of our sister brand Risk Racing, built them for motocross riders, who hang onto bucking handlebars for a living and tear up their palms doing it. Turns out lifters have the exact same problem, just with a barbell instead of a dirt bike. That’s why you’ll see the Risk Racing “R” on every pair. STKR Concepts and Risk Racing are both part of BISS Product Development in Troutman, North Carolina.
The same Palm Protectors earn their keep well beyond the gym, too: DIY projects, working in your yard, construction, and the outdoor sports that wreak havoc on your hands. For more information about STKR Concepts and our product line, visit our website or call us at 704-508-1031.
Palm Protector Sizes and Specifications
Each order comes with one pair of Palm Protectors with the left and right hand clearly marked on each glove. Sizes available are small/medium, large, and extra-large. Measure the width of your palm and use the chart above to pick yours. The gloves are made of neoprene with a silicone grip. They cover the entire palm and have holes for the fingers.
Where to Buy Palm Protectors
You can buy Palm Protectors online from the STKR website. They’re small enough to toss in your bag with the rest of your gym bag essentials.
They are very durable. A small price to pay to save your hands. They can even be washed right alongside your other fitness clothing.
Why Palm Protectors Beat Weightlifting Gloves
Palm Protectors were built by people who train, work, and ride hard, so they know what hands go through. They help anyone who takes on demanding workouts, weightlifting, playing tennis, or any other activity where blisters can slow them down. If you want the full rundown on your options, read how to protect your hands when lifting weights. These are the advantages:
Hand Protection
With Palm Protectors, you can work out longer and harder, knowing you are protected against blisters, calluses, and bruises that form during workouts. They’re like armor for the most vulnerable areas on the palm, as well as the saddle area between the index finger and thumb. Calluses are their own fight, and we cover that in how to prevent calluses when lifting weights.
Pressure Reduction
The gloves reduce pressure from handling sporting equipment, lifting weights, and exercise activities. Although the material is super thin, there is just enough cushioning effect to make grabbing weights and fitness equipment comfortable.
Durable Structure
Risk Racing researched, designed, and tested Palm Protectors. They created a sturdy construction that slips easily over the hand, meant to minimize the intense friction, rubbing, and generation of heat and moisture associated with weightlifting and using sports equipment. They developed Palm Protectors for performance and reliability even in tough environments.
Lightweight Composition
Palm Protectors’ ultra-thin, yet strong, protective layer covers the whole palm. Their breathable neoprene stretch-to-fit material conforms to the user’s hand. Unlike a traditional pair of gloves, they do not retain heat or moisture.
Palm Protectors weigh about .5 oz a pair, yet are capable of defending against the extensive rubbing and friction that cause blisters. Use them without gloves, but if you need extra protection, wear them under heavy-duty gloves for maximum comfort and safety. That’s exactly how motocross riders wear them.
Odorless
Palm Protectors don’t generate strange smells over time, unlike regular gloves. If yours already do, here’s why workout gloves stink.
Reviews from Actual Users
Owners of Palm Protectors have raved about them. These are just some of their positive comments:
- They’re great for the rowing machine.
- Allissa claims that they’re great for weights not rubbing on your hands. The aggressive texture on some free weights would callus her hands. Great protection if you’re doing high-impact exercise, cross-training, or attending a boot camp. She claims she no longer has “man hands!”.
- They’re great for blister prevention. One gym owner says he uses Palm Protectors for pullups and rope exercises and has passed them out to his best customers. Having Palm Protectors keeps his customers in his gym getting exercise more often. Before Palm Protectors it wasn’t uncommon for a customer to miss a week or two due to “ripped hands”. Now they don’t need to miss out on their fitness goals due to recovery.
- Another thought the palm would be a bit stickier for pull-ups, but the product definitely helped prevent some tearing.
- Eve gives Palm Protectors away as presents and claims all recipients love them.
- Rachel bought them when she started getting calluses on her hands from weight training. She loves them for heavy deadlifting.
- Madonna uses them to prevent skin damage: “They keep my palms from developing rough spots and calluses.” She initially thought they felt a little thin but was surprised that they hold up well during her long workout sessions. She said they were better than she thought they’d be: “I’m happy with them.” She uses them for every workout.
- Karen, who has a cyst on the palm of her hand, appreciates the fact that they are lightweight and not obtrusive. They help her hold a tennis racket despite her affliction. She finds them easy to use.
- Susan actually benefits from Palm Protectors for her daily use. She finds them very useful for her wheelchair. They don’t take up much room in her bag so she takes them everywhere she goes. She likes that “they do their job as advertised.”
- One customer uses them for CrossFit. She finds that, after her workouts, her hands are much less sore than usual. For some reason, she ended up with large Palm Protectors but found that despite her hands being of medium size, the gloves fit her well and stayed in place.
- Anna and her spouse confirmed that their Palm Protectors did the job, but advised would-be buyers to “watch the sizes.” They bought only one medium-sized pair (for sharing between them) but later regretted their size choice, as Anna’s husband discovered he would have been better off with an LG pair. Luckily the low cost allowed them to get a pair for each. Her husband now has a pair of his own. His wore out quicker, but admits he is much more aggressive and thought he got good value from the lightweight glove.
- A Kindle customer found them “unique and effective.” Uses them more than he thought he would. Even outside of the gym.
- Chris viewed them as a great solution for competing in endurance fitness events. He claimed he normally gets blisters, but when he started wearing Palm Protectors under his original full finger fitness gloves, he stopped getting them.
- Philip, a manual laborer who suffers from Dupuytren’s Contracture, said he initially thought his Palm Protectors felt flimsy, but later found them “surprisingly fantastic and very easy to use. No more sore hands at the gym or on the job site!”
- After using them a few times, Mr. Cruickshank found that they do make a difference. He recommends them for people who need to protect their hands but don’t like to use full gloves.
Takeaway
Working out in the gym should be a 100% beneficial experience for the body. You should do all that you can to prevent injury, especially to your skin and hands. Blisters are obvious injuries and prevent athletes from continuing with their fitness goals. Calluses however are also damaging. Many people believe that they just need to tough it out and build calluses, but they should be avoided for healthy hands. Palm Protectors are the perfect fitness glove alternative to keep your hands healthy.
Whether you’re in or out of the sports or fitness arena, the possibility of acquiring blisters and bruises is always around the corner. So skip the torn-up palms nobody posts about, and invest in a pair of Palm Protectors. Not only do they feel great at the gym, but they will also allow you to work out harder and longer while being a preventive measure against injury. They were built to survive motocross. Your deadlifts don’t stand a chance.
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