Gloves
Protect your hands with military gloves for every season and task, from lightweight shooting and duty gloves to wool liners and insulated winter shells. Every pair here is from Rothco, and the range is split into two collections.
- Tactical gloves: D3-A type leather gloves, police duty and search gloves, rappelling and rope rescue gloves, cut-resistant and hard knuckle gloves, flame- and heat-resistant flight gloves, mechanics gloves, fingerless styles, and white parade gloves.
- Winter gloves: ragg wool gloves, unstamped wool glove liners, micro fleece all-weather gloves, insulated hunting gloves, waterproof neoprene gloves, a cut-resistant lined police glove, plus Grabber hand warmers and a soft shell hand warmer muffler.
The tactical collection also carries cold weather duty gloves, G.I. glove liners and soft shell gloves for those who want dexterity and some warmth in the same pair.
Good gloves earn their place quickly. They save your knuckles on a fence line, protect you from hot brass and rope burn, keep a pat-down safer, and let you work a rifle, radio or touch screen in the cold. Most people end up with at least two pairs: a thin, dexterous glove and a warm one.
A note for service members: DA PAM 670-1 allows optional commercial gloves with the uniform only if they are plain, all black and of a slip-on four-finger-and-thumb design with no logos, unless your commander restricts them. Many gloves here are built for law enforcement, shooting or work and don't fit that description. The guide below explains the rules so you can buy the right pair.
How to Choose Military Gloves
Pick gloves by the task first, then by weather. A glove that is perfect for rappelling is miserable at 10 degrees, and a thick insulated mitt makes it nearly impossible to load a magazine.
Tactical and Duty Gloves
For shooting, driving, searching and general work, choose a thin glove with a snug fit and good fingertip feel. Leather palms add grip and abrasion resistance; synthetic backs breathe. Cut-resistant liners help officers during searches, and hard knuckle guards protect the hand during rough work. Browse the full range in our tactical gloves.
Cold Weather Military Gloves
For cold, use a layering system: a wool or polypropylene liner for warmth and a shell or insulated glove over it for wind and wet. The liner lets you take off the outer glove for fine work without exposing bare skin. Our winter gloves also include hand warmers for long, still hours in a deer stand or on guard.
Specialty Gloves
Flight gloves are thin and flame and heat resistant. Rappelling and rope rescue gloves have reinforced palms for friction. White parade gloves are for honor guards, drill teams and ceremonies. Mechanics and Griplast gloves suit the motor pool, the garage and the farm, where grip and a washable glove matter more than looks.
Glove Care
Let leather gloves dry slowly away from a heater, then work them in your hands so they stay soft. Most synthetic duty gloves can be hand washed in cool water.
Glove Sizing
Measure around the widest part of your dominant hand, just below the knuckles, and compare with the size chart on the product page. Tactical gloves should be snug with no loose material at the fingertips. Winter shells should leave room for a liner, so many people go one size up for those.
Military Gloves and Uniform Regulations
For the Army, paragraph 20-15 of DA PAM 670-1 sets the rules:
- Utility gloves are issued in a slip-on four-finger-and-thumb design and may be worn alone or with inserts.
- Black leather shell gloves are worn with green wool inserts. Inserts may not be worn without the leather or utility shell.
- Commercial gloves are an optional purchase unless the commander restricts them, and must be all black and plain with no logos or designs.
- Army-issued flame-resistant gloves may be worn even if their colors or logos don't meet those standards, unless the chain of command says otherwise.
- White dress gloves are optional with dress and mess uniforms, and military police may wear them with service uniforms when the commander prescribes.
Paragraph 4-3 lists utility gloves as an accessory normally worn with the combat uniform.
Gloves with Cold Weather Clothing
The regulation authorizes light-duty utility gloves with or without cold weather outer garments, including the ACU parka. Utility gloves can also be worn with thermal inserts or chemical protective handwear, so the same pair carries through from fall training into winter field time.
What That Means When You Shop
A plain black, full-finger glove with no logos is the safest commercial choice for Army uniform wear. Fingerless, reflective, safety green and printed gloves are for work, sport and law enforcement duty. Other services publish their own glove rules, and your unit may be stricter.