Why Do Sim Racers Wear Gloves? Explained!
When you watch professional Sim racers, they always wear gloves.
I get asked all the time why I or others wear them, what’s the point and where to get them. So I decided to make this post to answer this common question.
Why do Sim racers use gloves?
Well, there are 2 main reasons: Comfort and performance.
Comfort
This is for some Sim racers the primary reason to wear gloves. If you’ve ever raced several hours at a time in quite intense battles for the top positions, you will know that it can become very uncomfortable on your hands and fingers.
Sim racing puts a rather big strain on both hands and fingers, and wearing racing gloves alleviates a lot of that discomfort. You will notice a big difference when wearing gloves and racing in games like Assetto Corsa Competizione for hours on end.
Performance
Another big factor for wearing gloves when Sim racing is the performance upgrade they provide.
If you have a more expensive steering wheel setup or even the entry-level G29, you will experience the force feedback from entering corners. If you are wearing racing gloves you will have a much better grip and this can help you shave precious seconds off your lap times.
Do you need to use gloves on an Alcantara wheel?
If you want to preserve your Alcantara Sim steering wheel, then YES you should use gloves.
The reason is that the oil and sweat on your hands (especially during intense races) will cause your Alcantara wheel to wear a lot faster. And because gloves are a lot cheaper than an Alcantara wheel, it’s better to just use gloves. Also for the 2 reasons mentioned above.
If you don’t want or like to use gloves when racing you can put tennis racket tape or bicycle tape on your wheel, but that kinda defeats the purpose of having a beautiful Alcantara wheel.
FAQ
Are gloves worth it for Sim Racing?
Yes, gloves are definitely worth it for Sim Racing, they provide a lot more comfort during longer races, they help preserve your (Alcantara) steering wheel and they add more performance.
Do you need gloves for drifting in Sim Racing?
Gloves aren’t needed but they provide a better grip when the wheel goes from lock to lock.
