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Top 9 Best Baseball Glove Oils and Conditioners You Need For This Upcoming Season
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Buy a new baseball glove and you will find it is quite stiff, making it difficult to catch pop flies, ground balls, line drives and relays. Even some baseball gloves that are several years old have the potential to stiffen after periods of inactivity. There is no sense spending $100+ or even several hundred dollars on a baseball glove if you aren’t going to break it in properly and maintain it as the seasons pass.
Nor does it make sense to buy a new baseball glove as soon as your current glove becomes rigid. It merely takes a season or two away from the diamond for a baseball glove to stiffen to the point that it is no longer effective.
Baseball glove oils ensure the leather of your baseball glove retains its moisture, proves capable of catching baseballs and stands the test of time. The challenge lies in pinpointing the perfect baseball glove oil that brings out the best in your glove. Let’s take a look at the top baseball glove oils on the market along with the most important factors to consider when shopping for oils and conditioners.
| Image | Glove Oil | Details | Popularity | Price |
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Sarna Glove Leather Conditioner | Conditioner |
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Hot Glove Cream Conditioner Treatment | Conditioner |
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Nokona NLT Classic Leather | Conditioner |
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Pecard Glove Conditioning Kit | Conditioner |
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Obenauf’s Leather Oil | Oil |
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Wilson Pro Stock Glove Conditioner | Oil |
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Rawlings Gold Butter | Oil/Conditioner |
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Griffin Mink Oil Leather Conditioner | Oil/Conditioner |
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Rawlings Glove Conditioning Kit | Conditioner |
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The Top 9 Baseball Glove Oils and Conditioners
1. Sarna Glove Leather Conditioner
Many ball players put lots of time and effort into preserving their glove. The Sarna Baseball Glove Leather Conditioner was designed by college and professional athletes to make this process easier. This leather conditioner will prolong the life of your glove and keep it in tip-top shape. Sarna uses a premium blend of high-quality ingredients that will not dye or darken your glove. Both softball and baseball players at the professional and collegiate level can be found using this conditioner in the dugouts. It also has been designed with all types of gloves in mind, softball, baseball, catcher's mitts, and other leather equipment.
Features include:
- Keeps your glove soft and conditioned
- Designed by players for players
- Increases the longevity of your leather glove and equipment
- Safe to use on all leather baseball and softball equipment
- Moisturizes, conditions and restores your leather gloves and mitts
2. Hot Glove Cream Conditioner
When it comes to baseball glove maintenance and care, few products are as good as the Hot Glove Cream Conditioner. This conditioner is easy to apply, completely safe and highly effective for glove preservation and protection.
Features include:
- Superior water resistance ensures rain is repelled
- Revitalizes leather gloves after several seasons of play
- Non-flammable
- Non-toxic
- Does not add weight to the glove as sometimes occurs with other glove oils
- Restores, cleans and conditions in a single step
- Made right here in the United States
It must be noted the Hot Glove Cream Conditioner is meant for use with softball gloves. Take a look at the ingredients for this glove oil and you will find it is made with lanolin and vitamin E, both of which are revered by baseball industry veterans as the best ingredients for softening and preserving glove leather.
In short, you can feel good about using this all-natural conditioner as it does not have any toxic or flammable components. Nor does the Hot Glove Cream Conditioner have the potential to weigh down your glove as sometimes occurs with other inferior oils and conditioners. This conditioner breaks in the glove pockets and finger sockets to perfection.
3. Treatment Nokona NLT Classic Leather
If you want to keep your glove looking its best and functioning exactly as designed, give this conditioner a try. From breaking in new baseball gloves to preserving older glove leather and even enhancing glove aesthetics, this conditioner does it all. In fact, baseball players have been using this conditioner for more than half a century.
Features include:
- Does not soak into the glove as often occurs with liquefied oils
- Safe and highly efficient
- 3.5 ounce size
- Maintains and cleans glove leather
- Proven oil formula
- Non-toxic so it can be applied with the hands
Take a close look at the reviews of this baseball glove conditioner and you will be impressed with the feedback. Just about everyone who has tried it sings its praises. This conditioner’s specialized formula even has the potential to bring old baseball gloves back to life. Instead of overpowering baseball lovers with a strong scent as often occurs with other conditioners and oils, this conditioner somehow brings out the natural leather scent of gloves.
4. Pecard Glove Conditioning Kit
Not to be confused with Captain Picard of the Starship Enterprise, the Pecard Glove Conditioning Kit is a star in its own right. Pick up this 2.5 ounce baseball glove conditioner for yourself and you will be more than happy with its impact on your glove and your play on the diamond. Suitable for use with all oil tanned baseball gloves, this conditioner keeps leather supple, ultimately preventing cracking and hardening so you can fulfill your true potential while playing the field.
Glove Conditioning Features:
- Designed to prevent damage caused by inclement weather
- Does not pose a threat to glove stitching
- Ensures glove fibers remain flexible
Whether you want to break in a new glove or revitalize your old glove, this conditioner will do the trick. However, if your baseball glove is not made with oil tanned leather, this product will not work as expected. Gloves that are not of the oil tanned leather variety are better served with Pecard’s Leather Lotion.
5. Obenauf’s Leather Oil
Available in both 16 ounce and 8 ounce sizes, this baseball glove leather oil preserves dry leather. Comprised of a specialized blend of beeswax, propolis and natural oils, this product really does extend the useful life of baseball gloves. In fact, this solution even works on other types of leather used in footwear, car interiors, clothes, saddles and furniture.
Leather Glove Oil Features:
- Reduces the break-in period necessary for a new baseball glove
- Includes a dauber that facilitates application
- Made in the United States
It merely takes on application of this potent oil to significantly reduce the amount of time necessary to break in a new baseball glove. However, this solution has the potential to darken your glove’s leather so be sure to test it out prior to use if your glove is white, light brown or another light hue.
6. Wilson Pro Stock Glove Conditioner
If you want to get the most out of your game and your glove, then you need to take care of your equipment. This glove conditioner from Wilson will keep your glove feeling fresh and clean. It will soften, clean and restore your leather glove. It also enhances the natural color of your glove and enhances the leather scent that ball players love. It is a high-quality product, so you do not need to use it every week and occasional use will be sufficient to re-condition your glove. The conditioner is suitable for any leather product, and Wilson recommends applying lightly before adding additional conditioner to your glove. If you want to bring an old glove back to life or maintain your everyday leather glove, then this conditioner will do the trick.
Glove Conditioner Features include:
- Contains Lanolin and Vitamin E
- Suitable for softball and baseball leather gloves
- Easy to store canister
- Product dimensions: 3.6 x 3.6 x 1.3 inches
7. Rawlings Gold Butter
Rawlings, one of the top names in the baseball equipment industry, deserves props for its Gold Butter conditioner. However, this unique conditioner is not for every baseball glove. Rather, this specialized formula is specifically designed for use with high-end baseball gloves. This is not to say you can only use the conditioner on gloves that cost a lot. Rather, it means that it was designed with those gloves in mind.
Glove Butter Features include:
- Moisturizes leather to extend its useful life
- Provides protection for fine leather
- Ideal for softball gloves but is also applicable to baseball gloves
- Pro-quality, meaning it is used by actual MLB players, minor leaguers and college players
Revered throughout baseball circles as one of the top conditioners on the market, this product will bring out the best in your premium baseball glove. Rawlings’ proclamation that this conditioner sets the “standard of excellence for glove care” actually rings true. This conditioner is worthy of the hype and then some.
8. Griffin Mink Oil Leather Conditioner
This 2.8 ounce leather conditioner is not the largest on the market but it works like magic. It is not often that you find premium mink oil used in baseball glove products. You will be hard-pressed to find a baseball glove oil with higher quality ingredients than those used in the Griffin Mink Oil Leather Conditioner.
Features include:
- Waterproofs and water guards baseball gloves
- Enhances the look of your glove
- Prevents abrasion from salt, dirt and other particles
- Infuses hydration directly into your baseball glove
- Can also be used on leather boots and many other leather products
- USA made
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
Give this conditioner a try and you will be quick to testify to its advantages. The Griffin Mink Oil Leather Conditioner both softens and conditions baseball gloves, enhancing their flexibility while providing an eye-catching luster. The only caveat of note is this potent conditioner has the potential to darken your glove’s leather.
9. Rawlings Glove Conditioning Kit
Wouldn’t it be nice if your baseball glove conditioner was sold with an applicator microfiber cloth included? That is exactly what you get with the Rawlings Glove Conditioning Kit. This specially designed applicator microfiber cloth measures 14 inches by 14 inches, making it that much easier and convenient to prepare your glove for the rigors of the upcoming season.
Features include:
- Ideal for new gloves as well as older gloves
- 4 ounce size
- Oil is sold in a blister pack that provides additional protection
Give the Rawlings Glove Conditioning Kit a try and your baseball glove will be game ready in surprisingly little time. A dab will do. Rub a small amount of this specialized oil onto your glove and you will be more than happy with the results.
The Difference Between Glove Conditioner and Glove Oil
Baseball glove oils are primarily designed for breaking in baseball gloves. Alternatively, baseball glove conditioners are ideal for maintaining baseball gloves as the seasons pass. So be sure to add glove oil soon after buying a new glove.
Conditioners can also help break in the glove yet they will not make as much of an impact as oil. The conditioner plays more of an important role in preventing the baseball glove from becoming excessively heavy in certain parts.
How to Apply Glove Oil and Glove Conditioner
Regardless of whether you use oil, a balm-like conditioner or another creative means of moistening your baseball glove, your technique in applying the substance is particularly important. Use your hands to apply the substance or use a towel/cloth. Move the substance around the palm of the glove in a circular motion. Make your way to the fingers of the glove, guiding the substance between the fingers.
Continue applying the oil to the remainder of the glove. However, the primary points of focus are the pocket where the ball is caught and the spaces between the fingers. Once you have applied the oil, store the glove in a dry and cool place. If you dread the idea of getting oil on your hands and making a mess, consider using gloves or a spray applicator bottle.
Different Ways to Apply Glove Conditioner or Oil
The days of putting a baseball in a new glove and stretching a rubber band around it several times have given way to detailed glove treatments in which specialized oils and conditioners are applied. Though it still makes sense to break in a new glove with the combination of a ball and rubber bands and even use this approach in the offseason to ensure your glove is ready to go when spring rolls around, it is in your interest to use either glove oil or conditioner.
Oils and conditioners penetrate the leather’s surface, making it that much more supple with the overarching aim of improving your performance on the diamond. In particular, it is important that you apply the oil or conditioner to the glove’s pocket.
However, the rest of your glove can also benefit from the application of oil or conditioner for additional protection and also to prevent the absorption of moisture, dirt and other gunk. It must be noted certain glove conditioners are designed specifically for certain types of glove leather such as premium-grain cowhide, full-grain and top-grain.
Focus on the pocket area more than any other section as it reduces the impact of the ball as it smacks against the mitt. Progress to the areas between the fingers to ensure they are soft. Go easy with the application as a little bit of oil goes a long way. If you end up with streaks or globs, you can remove the excess with a cloth. Those who do not want to get their hands oily can perform the application with a small cloth or soft towel.
Is Your Glove Oil or Glove Conditioner Water Resistant?
Though baseball is not played during heavy downpours, there is the potential for your glove to get wet. The umpires probably won’t stop the game during a light sprinkle. Your baseball coach or team captain probably won’t halt practice if showers are merely passing through. Choose a baseball glove oil that provides water resistance and you will rest easy knowing it continues to maintain the integrity of your glove even when the skies open.
Checking the Ingredients
As is often said, the devil is in the details. There are some baseball glove oils in stores and on the web that do not provide extensive details about what, exactly , they consist of.
If the baseball glove oil you are considering does not have an ingredients label or if the language used to describe the ingredients is not specific, do not fork over your hard-earned money.
Baseball glove conditioners are unique in that they have extra ingredients not found in other oils. These additional ingredients soften the glove leather, clean the leather and even ward off the accumulation of dirt, moisture and other particles that could compromise your glove’s integrity.
Take Your Time When Selecting Baseball Glove Oils and Conditioners
Choose your baseball glove oil or conditioner wisely and your glove will last several seasons. Even if you play baseball four or five times per week, proper maintenance with the right baseball glove oil sets the stage for your glove to feel like new, easily catch baseballs and ultimately serve you well for multiple seasons. Just be sure to apply your selected baseball glove oil with regularity to keep it soft, maintain the right level of flexibility and prevent cracks.
Final Words
Above all, don’t choose a cheap product that allegedly conditions the leather of your baseball glove. These cheap options typically have labels with vague language that do not tell the truth about the ingredients or simply do not list the ingredients at all. The regular use of such a conditioner or even a low-quality oil has the potential to damage your baseball glove. When in doubt, opt for the cream of the crop such as the baseball glove oils features in this guide and you will be happy with your decision in the baseball seasons ahead.
