Batting gloves take more abuse than almost any other piece of kit — sweat, impact, grip friction and poor care is the main reason gloves wear out faster than they should.
After Every Session
Let them air dry, fully open, out of the bag. Packing damp gloves straight into a kit bag is the single biggest cause of premature wear — trapped moisture breaks down the leather and foam padding, and encourages odour you won't get rid of later. Loosen the wrist straps and let air circulate through the palm before storing.
Never dry them with direct heat. No radiators, no tumble dryers, no direct sun for extended periods — leather cracks and foam padding can lose its shape under heat.
Periodic Care
Condition the palm leather occasionally, especially if you're playing regularly through a season — a light leather conditioner keeps it supple rather than stiff and prone to cracking. Don't overdo it; too much softens the leather too far and reduces durability.
Check the padding stack on the fingers and thumb every few months. Once it's visibly compressed or you can feel the finger spine through a firm squeeze, protection is reduced even if the gloves look fine externally.
Brush off dirt and grass stains gently rather than washing gloves — submerging leather palms in water is one of the fastest ways to ruin them.
When to Replace
Not when they look worn — leather gloves are supposed to look used. Replace when: the padding is visibly compressed and no longer springs back, seams are splitting at stress points (usually between fingers), or you can feel impact through the palm that you didn't feel when they were new.
Looked after properly, a good pair of batting gloves should last a full season or more of regular club cricket. Browse our glove range.