Youth baseball gloves are cut and crafted for smaller hands, but include many of the same features, materials and technologies as adult gloves. Youth gloves have smaller, narrower fingers, and many players transition to adult gloves after age 12. Keep in mind these tips for buying your child's new baseball glove:
- Gloves come in both synthetic leather and leather. Synthetic is recommended for youth players—it's easy to close, lighter in weight and requires no break-in time.
- Choose gloves based on position. Catcher's mitts are fingerless with extra padding to shield against impact. Outfielder gloves have a deeper and longer fingers, while infielder gloves have a more shallow pocket for quick throws to the base.
- Many youth gloves come with Velcro® fasteners to better customize fit.
When it comes to selecting youth baseball gloves, size is critical, but you should also consider the position and age of the player. Players younger than 8 typically use gloves that are 9 to 11 inches in length, while players over the age of 12 commonly use gloves that are more than 10 inches.
