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The pain, stiffness, and swelling that accompany arthritis can make it hard for you to accomplish daily tasks. However, many sufferers find arthritis gloves provide a degree of relief from their symptoms.
Could arthritis gloves help you? If so, how do you figure out which gloves are right for your particular symptoms?
At BestReviews, we want consumers to find the products that help them. Not only do we perform lab testing, we also talk with real customers and get the lowdown from experts. We crafted our carefully sourced information into the detailed buying guide that follows. To learn more about arthritis gloves, read on.
Arthritis gloves are specially designed gloves that can help to relieve some of the painful symptoms of arthritis. They work by providing compression, rigid support, heat, or a combination of the three.
While you shouldn't expect arthritis gloves to completely halt your symptoms, many users do report improvements. Thanks to the gloves, they say they can perform some of the tasks that were previously too difficult due to arthritis pain.
You'll find three main types of arthritis gloves on the market: compression, thermal, and splint varieties. Some gloves utilize more than one of these methods for optimal results.
Compression gloves are tight; they exert a degree of pressure over the whole hand. They can help reduce puffiness, so they're ideal for arthritis sufferers who experience a lot of swelling. Compression gloves may also help improve the user's grip. Different gloves offer different degrees of compression, so you can choose between a firm and mild glove.
Thermal gloves are made from thick material and designed to trap body heat to create a warm environment. The warmth can help relieve some pain and stiffness. Thermal arthritis gloves can be a bit warm for daytime use. They are often worn at night to help relieve symptoms in the morning.
If you need more support than compression gloves can provide, consider some arthritis splint gloves. These combine splint elements with gloves and can help reduce pain from movement. While not the most common type of arthritis gloves, they're extremely handy for people who need that extra support.
You can find arthritis gloves made from a range of natural and synthetic materials. Common choices include cotton, spandex, nylon, and elastane. While synthetic materials are affordable, they're not as breathable as cotton and other natural materials, which means your hands can get hot and sweaty when wearing your gloves for extended periods of time.
To avoid overheating, look for arthritis gloves that are made primarily of cotton with a small percentage of spandex or elastane to provide stretch and compression. Lightweight materials are best for daytime use, whereas thicker gloves might be preferable for nighttime wear.
Your arthritis gloves should fit, well, like a glove. As such, you should make sure you choose the right size. The same gloves that fit a stocky six-foot wearer would swamp a petite person of five-foot-nothing, so getting the sizing right is important.
Most arthritis gloves come in a range of sizes from XS to XL, but sizing isn't universal, which means getting the right size can be a challenge. Most manufacturers have a sizing chart you can refer to in order to pick the correct size for you, but you may have to take some measurements of your hands.
Arthritis gloves, especially compression gloves, are designed to fit snugly. Of course, they shouldn't be so tight that they're uncomfortable or restrict the blood flow in your hands. They might feel a little bit weird at first, but they shouldn't be painful. If they are, they're too tight and you should size up to a larger pair. However, it's also important that they're not too loose; otherwise, you won't get all the therapeutic benefits that arthritis gloves offer.
Should you be unsure whether or not your gloves fit correctly, your doctor or specialist should be able to help.
One of the many frustrating symptoms of arthritis is reduced grip strength. This can make a whole range of everyday activities more difficult, from opening jars to holding eating utensils. Some arthritis gloves feature rubberized knobbles on the palms, which can help a little with your grip.
Just how much should you expect to pay for arthritis gloves? Here are the average prices of different types of gloves.
Compression Gloves: You can find basic arthritis compression gloves for under $10, whereas high-end models can cost over $30. You don't really need to spend more than $10 to $20 on a decent pair, however.
Thermal Gloves: Thermal arthritis gloves start at around $10 or $15, though the most expensive pairs can cost as much as $30 or $40.
Splint Gloves: Simple arthritis splint gloves cost as little as $8 to $10, whereas high-end models than also include overall compression cost more like $20 to $30.
Decide whether you want fingerless or full-hand gloves. Full-hand gloves may be slightly more effective, but they make it harder to carry out certain tasks and don't allow you to use touch screen devices. If you choose a fingerless option, just make sure the fabric covers all your affected joints.
Pick a color and style for your arthritis gloves. No arthritis gloves are exactly stylish, but if you're going to be wearing them in the daytime, you should choose a pair that you wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen wearing. Look for gloves in a color that goes well with the kind of hues you usually wear.
Choose arthritis gloves that are comfortable to wear. Since arthritis gloves are designed to be worn for around eight hours at a time, they should be comfortable enough that you won't start to find them irritating.
Q. Does copper really help relieve the symptoms of arthritis?
A. It's an old tradition to wear copper to relieve the pain of arthritis, which is why you'll find a range of arthritis gloves that have copper woven into the fabric. However, a variety of studies in the area have suggested that copper has no effect – positive or negative – on arthritis. So, using copper for pain relief appears to be nothing more than superstition. As such, we wouldn't recommend you specifically seek out or pay extra for copper-containing gloves. Wearing copper gloves won't do any harm, however, so if a decent pair of arthritis gloves happens to contain copper, we wouldn't discount them.
Q. Are arthritis gloves easy to keep clean?
A. Since you'll be wearing your arthritis gloves all night or for much of the day, sweating into them and touching all manner of items, it's important to keep them clean for hygienic reasons. Most arthritis gloves are machine washable. Always check the washing instructions on your chosen gloves before cleaning them.
Q. Can you find arthritis gloves that look like regular gloves?
A. Some arthritis gloves have a therapeutic look to them, which isn't ideal if you don't want to announce to the world that you're wearing arthritis gloves. The good news is, you can find a range of arthritis gloves that essentially look like regular winter gloves, any of which will look much less conspicuous.
