Gloves for belaying?

I like the idea of cheap garden type gloves, emphasis on cheap, but they all have rubberized palms that will melt off all over the rope, even just sliding through while lowering. Been hunting for leather, but work gloves are all way too huge (female with short stubby fingers on very small hands). Any suggestions, or do I have to pop for something expensive online?

I really love my Petzl Cordex Gloves which can be had for around 30 bucks or so it seems. They are not bulky, have a tough leather palm for belaying and rappelling and seem to be constructed well. Plus they have a nice hole in each glove for clipping a carabiner through. Not sure if that meets your definition of cheap but I have found them to be worth what I paid.

Edit: I would size down one from what you think you need. I normally wear large gloves but the mediums fit me perfectly, for example.

I'm constantly on the look out for a "cheap" belay glove and rarely can you do better than the Black Diamond Crag glove. $15 or so, they stand up to lots of abuse and have a hole for clipping them to your belay device.

backcountrygear.com/black-d…

I think pigskin work or driving gloves are available in small

Old lady H wrote:I like the idea of cheap garden type gloves, emphasis on cheap, but they all have rubberized palms that will melt off all over the rope, even just sliding through while lowering. Been hunting for leather, but work gloves are all way too huge (female with short stubby fingers on very small hands). Any suggestions, or do I have to pop for something expensive online?

The problem with thick gloves, such as leather, is the dexterity and sensitivity completely sucks. Personally, I like mechanics gloves. They have awesome dexterity, at the cost of some durability, but they only run $10 on eBay.

cut off the tips (insert circumcision joke here)

My local hardware store sells utility gloves for $10. They're great, have a clip-in point, and when they get too gnarly or nasty, it's time for a new pair. I think it's best just to see what you're local shop sells... The very second something is labelled "for climbing," there's an price bump and the hardwear store skips that.

The problem with cheap gloves is that they're cheap. You get what you pay for.
Try the Camp Axion belay glove...great gloves with good grip and dexterity.

Camp Axion belay gloves...$19.95

You might try these...

rocknrescue.com/acatalog/PM…

Thanks! A lot to look into. Are any of these reinforced between the thumb and fingers? That seems to be where I tend to have the rope running.

Years ago some of the guides for Vertical Adventures turned me on to baseball gloves, Supple, sensitive and wear pretty well. On sale (if your hands are small you can find them for as low as $11 each). One pair would last a season of guiding.

Right now I am using some model out of Lowes or Home Depot. I think I paid about $12. Leather and composite fabric with no coating. I tried the fancy pigskin ones and they tore up quickly

Sometimes you can find good deals at auto parts stores...Mechanix brand which are a bit pricey (expect to pay $29) but wear about 3 times longer. There must be over 50 styles to choose from. No need to trim the fingertips on these gloves

I have had good experiences with deerskin gloves, purchased at random small town hardware store or lumber yards. Supple but durable.

Benjamin Chapman wrote:The problem with cheap gloves is that they're cheap. You get what you pay for. Try the Camp Axion belay glove...great gloves with good grip and dexterity.

Comment to the OP on the fit of the Camp Axion gloves: I have average man-hand size, with short fingers. Female version of any given glove model usually fit me better than the male version. I ordered a pair of Camp Axion gloves in size small, the gloves fit pretty tight on my hands overall, but the fingers are just a tad too long, especially the index finger. If you have short fingers and small hands, the fingers will most likely be long for you as well.

Regarding the Camp Axion gloves. Like Matt N. says "cut off the tips"

I used half-finger mtb gloves for the first time this past weekend, worked fine for me.

Thanks for all the input! My plan is to compile all the suggestions, hit Lowes, a local tool supply type place, etc, but then go to the climbing glove online approach if nothing seems all that great. I'm not sure I will want to circumcise the fingers though. We have nice dark basalt to climb on locally, which fries eggs and climbers in the summer, but sheds snow super fast in winter. As the one least likely to lead, or even clean, I spend a whole lot of time belaying! No, garden gloves don't keep hands warm, but naked fingers that aren't climbing get even colder!

Ancient thread, but the info is still good.

Cheap gloves (black and red) from the grocery store automotive section, with extra fabric where I wanted it, on the palm and thumb webbing. I hacked off the fingertips (too long) to see if that was a viable option.

Okay gloves that did the job when called upon, but not quite tight enough. The rip on the index finger is from getting sucked into the belay device. All the other wear is from just a couple climbing sessions indoors, about 10-12 belays.

Second pair, I haven't had the chance to try with ropes yet. These are weightlifting gloves, all leather, from a local sporting goods store. $11.00.

All the construction, garden, etc. gloves I found, are still sized far too big. Apparently women, men or kids with small hands, don't do anything serious.

I did also try on rappel gloves at REI. Too big, and felt pretty bulky, like a catcher's mitt, to me! Pretty expensive, too.

Gloves

OLH

I just get a couple pairs of BD crag gloves when they're on sale, chop off the fingers when I wear through the digits.

Little League (baseball) batting gloves.

Most of the climbing-brand gloves have worked well for me, but I'd say the people who know the most about the combination of protection and grip are sailors, and there is an enormous range of sailing gloves available, including in women's sizes. Many of these leave the thumb and pointer finger free but protect the other three tips.

Go to Home depot and look at deerskin (1st choice) or pigskin work gloves. They come small med and large but size varies greatly glove to glove.

Get a good tight fit and don't cut the fingers off, your fingertips should squeeze the rope against the center of your palm and your thumb should be pinching the rope between the pad of the thumb and your index finger.

If you're belaying with cut off gloves you don't really need gloves or are holding the rope wrong. Same should be true of the running/hauling side, the pads of your fingers should be controlling friction against the palm.

Just my .2 H