If you have a Tee Ball player or Little Leaguer at home, like I do, then you know most are just beginning to learn how to catch a baseball. Kids 10 and under have minimal grip strength and dexterity with their non-dominant hand. Add the weight and awkwardness of a glove, and it can get ugly sometimes!
The best baseball gloves for kids who are just beginning their baseball journey are the light-weight, flexible youth models that, lucky for you, are cheaper than most other gloves. At the bottom of this article, we’ll recommend some youth gloves that hold up well in spite of their light-weight designs.
What to look for when choosing a glove for kids up to age 10:
- Easy to break in – Breaking in a baseball glove can be a lengthy process. Sometimes an adult glove may need to be worked and caught with for months before it is pliable enough for an adult to close. A good youth glove should break in quickly with minimal effort.
- Light-weight – Heavy gloves can be difficult to control for youth players. Their hand-eye coordination is still developing, and extra weight can make it tougher to sync the hands and eyes up.
- Easy to close – Ideally a youth glove should be very pliable. With much less grip strength than an adult, a kid will struggle to close even the most “broke in” adult gloves. The more flexible and easier closing the better.
- Smaller hand opening and finger holes – Smaller hands will move around inside of an adult sized glove. A good youth glove will have a more of a snug fit, and even better yet, a velcro strap for added size customization.
- Minimal maintenance required – The more laces a glove has, the better the chance one will come untied, loosening the glove and causing issues for the user. Choose youth gloves that have fewer laces for less maintenance.
Best Baseball Gloves for Kids 10 & Under
We’ve done the homework and searched through online reviews and forums and found a few of the best models out there. Any one of the models listed below fit the criteria above. You can be confident your baseball player will be happy with these selections. Based on reviews, these selections should have the durability to hold up for at least a couple youth baseball seasons.
Mizuno Prospect Series Gloves
-
- Our #1 recommended glove for the Little League or rec baseball player.
- Available in many different colors and designs.
- Multiple sizes available from 9 – 11.5 inches
- Power Close technology for easier closing and catching.
- Power Lock Wrist strap for simple and secure fit.
Browse models and sizes at Baseball Plus Store starting at $24.95
Browse models and sizes on Amazon, starting at $20.11
Rawlings Prodigy Series Gloves
-
- Our #1 recommended glove for the youth travel baseball player, those playing year round, or on multiple teams.
- Comes 90% broke in.
- Multiple sizes available from 10.75 – 12 inches.
- Offers a more “professional” look, with smaller finger holes and lower hand backing for youth fit.
- All leather shell constructed to maintain shape and durability in spite of easy break in.
[cta_btn color=”success” size=”” link=”http://shrsl.com/ucj8″ ]Browse models and sizes at Baseball Plus Store, starting at $34.95[/cta_btn]
[cta_btn color=”warning” size=”” link=”http://amzn.to/2GgxWFR” ]Browse available models and sizes at Amazon, starting at $43.91 + free shipping[/cta_btn]
Rawlings Players Youth Glove Series
-
- Our #1 Recommended Glove for the tee ball age and younger.
- Comes 100% broke in and game ready straight from the factory!
- The velcro hand strap offers more of a custom fit for players’ hands.
- Comes from one of the most trusted name brands in the game, and is the most affordable selection on our list.
[cta_btn color=”success” size=”” link=”http://shrsl.com/ufre” ]Browse color choices at Baseball Plus Store, $15.95[/cta_btn]
[cta_btn color=”warning” size=”” link=”http://amzn.to/2pw4oum” ]Browse color choices on Amazon, $19.99[/cta_btn]
Thanks so much for the very detailed information and choice. 🙂
The prices are very affordable as well, I have one grandchild that will love one of these.
Thanks.
Glad to help! Please come back and visit for more recommendations the next time you are planning on making a baseball purchase for your grandson!
Hi,
I loved this page you had great information and so many links to providers. I took a look at most of the shopping sites and was surprised the prices were very reasonable.
I hope you don’t mind I did leave a comment on your page.
The only thing I can comment on is the images you used on this page were small and not easy for me to see the details.
The size of the first image of a baseball glove on your page was perfect for my old eyes. I think larger images will make a big visual impact over-all.
I am getting older and my eyes are not the best. I could see the images very clearly on the shopping sites which you had links to.
This is only a suggestion but if your images were bigger, they would have more impact and there would be less white space which seems to dominate the images at the moment.
Overall your site is very professional and I enjoyed it very much.
Thank you for the opportunity to review your website.
Kind regards – Coucka
Hi Coucka,
Thanks for your comment and suggestions. Yes, most of the youth baseball glove suggestions are very reasonable. Thanks again for your suggestions. I will keep image size in mind on my next post.
Very informative article post with good tips on what to consider when choosing a baseball glove for your ten year old child. We most often do not consider the weight being a factor to cause our child more problems learning to catch with their new glove, I liked your recommendations very much.
One question I am seeing more girls this age playing baseball as well, I was wondering do they make baseball gloves for little girls?
Thanks Jeffrey. I’m glad you found this article useful. For girls around age 10, gloves will most likely be labeled as “softball” or “fastpitch”. They do, however, make t-ball gloves (fits ages 4-6) that are designed for girls, but the only difference in a boys or girls t-ball glove will be the color choices. If your daughter still plays baseball rather than softball at this age, one of these gloves in the article would be a great choice.