There are two significant reasons for the conditioning of baseball gloves. These reasons include comfort and forming a pocket. When you successfully condition a baseball glove, you find it easier to use in the sense that your hands will be able to move freely in the glove due to the softened leather.
The second primary reason for conditioning a glove is to form a pocket in the palm of the baseball gloves that enable catchers to catch the ball. However, the pocket formed must not be too tight as players will need to throw the ball. Most baseball coaches or professionals will tell you the best way to condition a glove is through constant use.
Find out what’s the best baseball glove conditioner for you using our guide below.
To know more about baseball gloves
how to break in a baseball glove
Best Baseball Glove Conditioner
There are various types of baseball glove conditioner out there based on their brand. Some of the best conditioners have been reviewed and compiled for your comfort to help reduce the mental stress of having to go endless list to select the best for your glove.
1
NOKONA GLOVE CONDITIONER
The Nokona glove conditioner is one of the best baseball conditioners available in the market. This brand is notable for producing quality conditioners. For baseball players looking to get excellent glove conditioning oil, the Nokona should be strongly considered as this conditioner boasts high-speed conditioning when applied on gloves. The Nokona glove conditioner is very reliable and highly efficient in helping you maintain and clean your equipment throughout the lifespan of the glove.
This conditioner is made from an oiling formula unlike no other that helps keep your glove well-conditioned and less messy. The main advantage of this conditioner that makes it unique is that it can soften rigid and stiff gloves without deteriorating the leather of the said glove or interfering with the fabrics used in making the glove. Another prominent feature that makes this piece unique is that the conditioner can be used on different leather materials.
The Nokona is an excellent glove conditioner but should be carefully applied to leather gloves. Players should learn to apply this conditioner on their gloves sparingly to avoid destroying the leather of the gloves or forming discolouration, which will eventually form patches on the leather of the gloves. The Nokona glove conditioner help keeps your glove hydrated and well-cushioned to make it comfortable for use at any time, even when using the gloves in the harshest of weather.
Key Features:
- Tight seal
- Cover Type:lid
Specification:
- Brand: Nokona
- Model: Glove oil conditioner
- Dimension: 1 x 1.5 x 7inches, 2.88 ounces
Pros
- It is fast and highly efficient.
- Enhances good conditioning process
- Made out of natural materials
- Highly versatile as it can be used on a different leather product
Cons
- To fully restore old leather might require multiple treatments.
2
Wilson Premium Glove Oil
The Wilson premium glove oil is another efficient conditioner for your baseball glove; the Wilson premium glove oil is easy to use and is very efficient on gloves once it is applied. The silver lining about this particular glove conditioner is the fact that it is pretty affordable for almost anybody. This glove oil is one of the best baseball gloves conditional used in baseball as the oil penetrates the leather of the gloves without destroying or deteriorating the leather.
Once the Wilson premium oil is applied to baseball gloves, it helps break new gloves and rejuvenate old gloves. The Wilson premium glove oil features a spray mechanism that makes it easier to use on gloves in a well-controlled quantity.
To apply this oil to your glove, spray the glove with oil lightly and rub it into the leather with a piece of cloth or fingers.
As said earlier, too much conditioner is terrible for your glove. So when using this glove conditioner, you should avoid spraying the glove with too much oil, and if this happens, gently wipe it away with a clean piece of cloth. This particular conditioner should be used on gloves at least twice a year. At the end of the fall season and during the spring to help keep your glove in top conditions and to make it serve you at its maximum capacity.
Key Features:
- Plastic case
- Spray mechanism
Specification:
- Brand: Wilson
- Model: Glove oil conditioner
- Dimension: 15.24 x 15.24 x 7.62cm 68.04 grams
Pros
- Easy to use
- the presence of a spray applicator helps control the amount sprayed
- Softens and breaks-in glove effectively
- It can be used to soften and preserve other leather materials.
Cons
- Overuse of this oil ultimately damages gloves.
3
Franklin sports MLB conditioning oil wipes
The franklin sports conditioning oil wipes are designed for use on 12 inches leather gloves. The exciting thing about this conditioner is the fact that it is easy to use. When looking for a conditioner that is easy to use, one should seriously consider the franklin conditioning oil wipes. This conditioner is relatively easy to use on your leather gloves. It helps soften and cleanse your gloves when used appropriately, thereby elongating your leather gloves’ lifespan. one lovely thing about this glove conditioner is that it is easy to use, and the wipes can be disposed of after use.
Another good feature about this glove is that it is made out of unique materials and is only used on leather gloves. This conditioning oil does not interfere with the quality of your glove or its color, thanks to the materials used in its production. The wipes help reduce the moisture content in your gloves, thereby prolonging the life span of baseball gloves. Another exciting factor about this conditioner is that it is easy to carry around as it does not possess any significant weight.
The weight is barely noticeable, making it relatively easy to move around with it, especially when going for a tournament or training. Another good thing about these wipes is that they help remove debris and dirt your glove might have collected throughout using it.
Conditioning should be done on rare occasions as frequent conditioning can break down the leather of the gloves and make them wear out pretty fast.
Key Features:
- 25-35 disposable wipes capacity
- Plastic bottle
Specification:
- Brand: Franklin sports inc.
- Model: Glove conditioning wipes
- Dimension:8.3 x 15.2 x 15.2cm
Pros
- It is easy to apply and use
- It helps remove debris from gloves.
- Keeps gloves in good working conditions
- Conditional can be used on both suede and leather.
Cons
- Overuse degrades leather very fast.
4
Pecard Baseball Glove Conditioner
Pecard baseball conditioner is ideal for use on all types of leather gloves; it helps keep your gloves subtle and soft, which gives players maximum comfort and performance during use. The way you treat your equipment influences your performance in a game.
For example, using a glove that has not been conditioned adequately in a match will be very uncomfortable as the leather is still tough. Moving your fingers in the glove will be very difficult, which will eventually amount to poor performance.
However, when using well-conditioned equipment, you find the equipment easy to use and comfortable, and it helps you perform at your peak. This is why proper conditioning of gloves is needed, and to achieve that is no longer an issue as the pecard baseball glove conditioner helps boost the lifespan of your glove and the performance without distorting the quality of the product.
This particular conditioner helps prevent the hardening or cracking of your leather gloves, making them easy and comfortable to use. This conditioner is not limited to baseball gloves alone; it can also be used on all other leather products. Once applied on gloves or leather products, it helps remove dirt and stubborn stain, which means the looks of your baseball gloves will be revived.
This conditioner is not just easy to use alone; it enhances the efficiency and durability of leather products. However, too much of this conditioner will result in the discolouration of your baseball glove.
Key Features:
- Tight seal
- Plastic container
Specification:
- Brand: Pecard leather care co.
- Model: Pecard glove conditioner
- Dimension: 3.2 x 3.2 x 1.1 inches
Pros
- Highly efficient
- Suitable to use on both old and new baseball glove
- Restores leather appearance and quality
Cons
- Overuse of this conditioner will result in glove discolouration.
5
Rawlings Baseball Gold Butter
The Rawlings baseball gold butter is indeed an excellent conditioner and one of a kind. The Rawlings gold butter is a great all-round conditioner; for players looking for a top-notch conditioner, the cold butter is the perfect pick for you. The gold butter is referred to as the ultimate conditioning glove oil. The Rawlings gold butter is quite affordable, making it available to almost anybody. The Rawlings gold butter is highly efficient in maintaining, preserving, and restoring leather gloves.
The sweet thing about this glove is that it can be used on both old and new model baseball gloves, which means you can either buy it for use on new model baseball gloves or restore the old ones you have. The gold butter is unique as it boasts efficiency and high-quality conditioning. This conditioner boasts a fast-breaking of a new baseball glove, softening hard leather and enhancing the appearance of old leather gloves by removing stains and dirt accumulated overused.
The rawling gold butter boasts a unique feature only a few conditioners can match; the gold butter does restore the appearance of old leather gloves and helps restore the leather’s smell or scent, giving the leather glove an overall new feel on the player’s hand.
The Rawlings gold butter is made out of natural ingredients, making it highly efficient and does not damage leather or reduce the quality of your gloves. However, with all these impressive qualities, it is not advisable to over-apply this conditioner on your baseball glove as the consequences might be dire.
Key Features:
- Tight seal
- Transparent case
Specification:
- Brand: Rawlings Sporting Goods
- Model: Rawlings gold butter
- Dimension: 1.25 x 7 x 10 inches
Pros
- The gold butter is easy and convenient to use
- It is affordable
- It is versatile and efficient.
Cons
- Melts on exposure to high temperature or heat
6
Wilson Pro-stock Glove Conditioner
When looking for the perfect conditioning cream that restores old baseball gloves, you should strongly consider the Wilson pro-stock glove conditioner. This baseball glove conditioner restore cleans and conditions baseball gloves, making them perfect for your old gloves at home. This unique piece helps rejuvenate your glove without leaving a messy residue on the surface of the leather.
The fascinating thing about this conditioner is that it contains vitamin E, which helps re-establish the leather’s natural scent, hence giving it a whole new feel when in use. The Wilson pro-stock glove conditioner is an economical piece because only a small amount is needed to break in and restore your baseball gloves. This conditioner is easy to use and highly efficient.
To use the Wilson pro-stock, all you need to do is apply a tiny amount of the oil to the glove surface and rub it evenly on the surface with a soft cotton cloth. The conditional is beneficial not just to baseball players but also to other people.
You can use it on other household materials like a belt; however, one should avoid overusing the Wilson pro-stock glove conditioner. Excessive use will cause discoloration on the leather surface. When using this conditioner, it enhances the feel of the glove and boosts the smell of the product while cleaning, and increases the quality of leather.
Key Features:
- Plastic casing
- Removable cap
Specification:
- Brand: Wilson
- Model: Pro-stock glove conditioner
- Dimension: 1.25 x 7 x 10 inches
Pros
- Soften stiff and hard gloves
- Suitable for old and new product
- Restores leather scent and appearance
- It can be used on different leather materials.
Cons
- It makes the leather darker when used excessively.
7
Hot Glove Cream Conditioner Treatment(Instant)Glove Break-in
This conditioner is regarded as the fastest conditioner. It breaks in new gloves quickly and also helps in restoring old gloves. This conditioner penetrates deep into the fibre of the leather. Once it penetrates, it break-in a glove and restores it. One noticeable feature of this conditioner is the high amount of heat it produces, which is non-toxic. The high heat generated from this conditioner has no adverse effect on the health of the user.
This conditioner is unique in different ways. One of the fantastic things about this conditioner is that it softens hard and stiff leather and helps erase cracks and creases from baseball gloves; it also helps waterproof the gloves and restore the appearance of old baseball gloves.
What makes this glove conditioner exceptional is the materials used in the production; this conditioner contains Vitamin E and natural lanolin that helps moisturize and condition the product. The hot glove cream conditioner is superior to most conditioners in baseball. It helps in repelling moisture from gloves while enhancing the appearance of leather gloves upon application and boosting the glove’s natural scent.
With all the unique features this conditioner possesses, it is not advisable to use the conditioner on leather frequently or in excess as this will degrade and destroy the quality of leather. The hot glove cream works on both leather and vinyl leather.
Key Features:
- Tight seal
- Plastic casing
Specification:
- Brand: Hot glove
- Model: Cream conditioner
- Dimensioning: 3 x 1 x 1 inches
Pros
- Instantaneous reaction
- Repels moisture
- Works for all leather materials
- Soften stiff and hard leather
- Enhances the appearance of leather and erases cracks
Cons
- Excessive use destroys leather.
8
Hot Glove Cream 0il
The hot glove conditioning cream is one of the best baseball glove conditioners on the market. This conditioner is affordable for most people; as a player looking to break in your baseball glove without going through the stress of working your baseball glove until it breaks in, you should consider getting the hot glove cream oil. The hot glove cream oil is one of the best in the market for a reason; this conditioner contains some materials and characteristics that make it unique and different from other conditioners. This unique piece contains natural ingredients used in its production.
The ingredient used includes vitamin E and lanolin. The primary function of this ingredient is to give the baseball glove a natural scent and rejuvenate the scent of the leather to give it a whole new feel when in use; also, these ingredients help in softening leather. When this particular conditioner is applied to the glove, it leaves no stain, nor does it make the product heavy as it doesn’t solidify on the product.
This allows the hot glove cream oil to be useful in conditioning new baseball gloves and rehabilitating old ones. This conditioner helps to soften, clean, and restore leather gloves, making them much more comfortable for users and allowing baseball players to achieve maximum efficiency with the glove. A significant silver lining in this product is that it repels and reduces moisture on the surface of the glove. As a result, it increases the duration of use of the gloves.
The hot glove cream oil is an excellent conditioner that not only breaks in your glove but also helps maintain and preserve the glove’s lifespan. As a player looking for the right conditioner that will help you manage and prolong the life span of your leather gloves, the hot glove cream oil is the ideal pick for you.
Applying this conditioner to your glove doesn’t require any significant skill. All you need do is apply product sparingly on your glove and rub it in with fingers or a piece of cloth. Once you’ve successfully conditioned your gloves using this product, it helps reduce the chances of the gloves getting damaged even when used continuously.
Key Features:
- Crushproof case
- Tight seal
Specification:
- Brand: Hot glove
- Model: Glove cream oil
- Dimension: 4 x 6.95 x 1.55 inches
Pros
- It helps restore leather gloves to their original scent.
- Easy to apply on the leather surface and highly efficient
- Suitable for new and old gloves
- Great for rehabilitating worn out and old gloves
- Made with lanolin and vitamin E, which helps in softening leather
- Does not add weight to glove after application
- Repels moisture
Cons
- Excessive use leads to discolouration and distortion of gloves.
- Excessive use damages leather.
How to Condition a Glove?
To condition a glove, You will need some oils and lotions to soften the leather of your baseball glove.
To condition a glove, all you need to do is pick an oil or lotion of your preference, apply it to the glove, pick a piece of cloth, rub the applied lotion into the leather of your glove and leave overnight.
When conditioning your gloves, a word of caution; never use too much oil or lotion as this will make the leather deteriorate very fast and end up ruining your glove.
After the conditioning process, you can form a pocket. To achieve this, pick up the glove and play a game of catch with anybody. It will start the molding and stretching process of the leather of the gloves around your palm.
Another significant way of forming a pocket is to put a ball in the pocket of the glove and tie it for some time; this method is quite popular because it is less strenuous.
Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs)
The answers to most questions frequently asked about how to break in your gloves are provided in this segment. This should help potential buyers of conditioners have a broader knowledge of the type of conditioners in the market to make the best decisions for themselves.
If my baseball leather is cracked, would conditioning work?
A crack doesn’t mean the end of the glove, if this crack is extensive, it might be too late, but conditioning can still be of significant help because it softens the leather, which will reduce the chances of cracks forming from the site of the formal crack or close to it. When you condition a glove, it softens the leather and removes any stiff leather on your glove; when the leather is soft, it won’t be able to produce any more crack, unlike when it’s hard and unconditioned.
Do you put your gloves in the oven right after conditioning?
Well, it’s not necessary to put the gloves in the oven; all you need do is get a piece of cotton cloth and use it to rub the conditioner into the leather; this is enough when conditioning a leather glove. Rubbing the conditioner into the glove allows it to get into the leather’s fabric and soften it from the inside. You still have to be very careful about the amount of conditioner you apply to your glove, as too much conditioner might discolor or damage the baseball glove.
How can I make my gloves last longer?
This is a question that pops up often in the world of baseball. Increasing the life span of your kits is necessary, although there are quite a several ways for you to achieve this. The following ways you can increase the durability of your baseball gloves include
Oil Your Baseball Glove
Oiling your baseball gloves periodically is good for your gloves, especially the dry and hard parts, to prevent them from cracking or breaking. The need to oil your baseball glove can range from once a week to once a month based on the humidity in your area. When you oil your baseball glove based on the humidity of your location, it helps to increase the life span as it will prevent dryness and cracking, which is the major problem gloves face.
Tighten and Check Your Glove Lace Frequently
Tightening your glove lace is another way of prolonging the life span of your gloves. How do you know when to tighten your glove lace? This is another major question that arises in the conditioning of gloves. You will know it is time for you to tighten your glove lace when balls that you’re meant to catch start popping off, and you feel your finger moving around in the glove loosely. You can also tighten and check the lace of your baseball gloves at least once a week; that way, you keep the glove in good working condition.
How long does it take to break or condition a glove?
This question is quite common; there is a general rule that serves as the answer to this question. There is no designated time or duration of breaking a glove; however, the better the leather, the longer it takes to break a glove. Although some conditioners can help you break your glove in no time, you have to be extra careful not to destroy the leather in the conditioning process permanently.
How does glove oil help in conditioning baseball gloves?
Conditioning oil is made with ingredients that penetrate and soften leather evenly; there is no harsh chemical present in the ingredients used in making these oils or lotions, making it easier to break your glove with conditioners. It also helps rehabilitate old gloves by feeding the leather used in the production of the baseball glove and gradually replacing lost oil.
This process helps to restore old gloves and give them a new fragrance or return it to the original scent, boosting the glove’s appearance while giving it a whole new feel.
Will baseball gloves conditional darken leather?
This can happen, although not very common; baseball glove conditional doesn’t darken leather. The only reason why your conditioner will darken your leather is as a result of excessive use. Before using a conditioner, you should know the humidity rate of your area.
Having this piece of information will guide you in understanding the number of times you need to condition your gloves; it might be once a week or once a month, depending on the humidity rate of the area.
What happens when I used conditional excessively?
This is a simple question when you use excessive conditional on your baseball gloves; you will damage the gloves’ leather. In some cases, excessive use of conditioner might darken or stain your leather.
However, to avoid all these, you need to use your condition sparingly and rub it into the leather with a soft cotton cloth.
Does conditioner leave a residue or stain on leather after use?
Not all conditioners leave residue on your leather after use, although some might. However, the only major reason your conditioner will leave residue on your leather after use is if you apply too much condition on your leather gloves. Doing this might cause the conditioner to leave residue on your leather, but it can be avoided if you use the conditioner sparingly and space the time of use very well.
Conclusion
Getting the perfect conditioner that suits your taste and purpose is no easy fit as there are many good products in the market, although there are some bad ones. To escape falling victim to bad conditioners that will stain and destroy your leather, you need to do your homework well on conditioners. Another important thing is knowing precisely what you want.
Many great conditioners have been reviewed here for you, making it easier for you to pick the one that best suits your purpose. Although all the above-listed conditioners are great, the one that will be recommended for you is the Rawlings baseball gold butter, as this conditioner is an all-around great conditioner.
If you are looking to get a conditioner for your leather gloves today, you should strongly consider the gold butter.