How Long Do Baseball & Softball Gloves Last?

Here comes a hard grounder! You bend over, scoop it up, and fire a strike over to first base just in time to beat the runner and record the third out of the inning. As you are running into the dugout, you take a quick glance at your glove. This beautiful piece of leather has done you well for many games and practices but you can’t help but wonder, “How long is my glove going to last?”

Lifespan of a Baseball or Softball Glove

Many of you may have faced the question posed above during the most recent summer season. We hate to counter your extremely important question with an ambiguous answer, but... we must. If you are asking how long a glove lasts, we have to answer with “It Depends.”

There are a number of factors that go into determining how long a baseball or softball glove will last. A few of the biggest factors will be (1) The quality of leather & craftsmanship used to build the glove originally (2) The amount of use it will endure (3) The level of care it will receive.

When purchasing a glove, the Quality of Leather & Craftsmanship can typically be determined by the price tag of the product you are considering. In nearly every case, the higher the price tag, the higher the glove’s leather quality & craftsmanship. If you pay for one that is a couple hundred dollars, you can usually count on getting multiple seasons of use out of the glove. However, if you buy a glove under the one hundred dollar price point and plan to use it extensively, you will usually be getting a glove that receives more cost-efficient leather material and it may not last more than a single season. When it comes to glove leather, you get what you pay for. 

If you are trying to determine how long your glove will last, it is also good to think about The Amount of Use It Will Endure. If you are playing on a travel ball team that competes every weekend of the spring, summer, and fall plus you also attend extensive baseball workouts in the offseason; you will be putting lots of miles on your glove. It would be best (and potentially more cost effective) for you to invest in a glove that has better leather quality in order to offset the increased wear and tear. That improved leather will have more ability to stand up to the rainy spring days and also the hot summer season. If you are a player that has a grueling schedule like the one described above, buying a lower quality glove might force you to turn around next season and buy another one all over again.

You can always increase the chances of your glove lasting a longer period of time by ensuring The Level of Care It Receives is superb. When you care for your glove properly, you will be amazed by how much better the glove looks, how much longer it will last, and how it will allow you to make highlight reel plays on the diamond.

Tips to Increase Lifespan of Your Glove

• After each time using the glove, clean dust and dirt off of it with a small brush.
• Keep a baseball or softball in the glove’s pocket when it isn’t being used (or consider buying a JustGloves Glove Care Kit to get our oversized shaping ball).
• If the glove starts to show signs of dryness, rub some conditioner into the leather but make sure to use the smallest amount possible to cover the entire surface of the glove.
• If your glove ever absorbs a large amount of water, cover the entire surface with conditioner. As the water evaporates from the leather, the conditioner will fill the empty spaces left by the water.
• Always store the glove in a climate-controlled environment (i.e. not your garage or the trunk of your car).
• If you are storing it during the offseason, pull the glove out every week or so and throw a ball into the glove a few times to shake off the dust plus keep the leather pliable. 

Glove Relacing & Repair

Does your glove need a little love? It’s the moment you dread, but you know it is inevitable after years of use - glove repair or relacing. Lucky for you, we’ve written a blog post on How To Relace & Repair a Baseball Glove.

Ready for a New Glove?

If your glove is beyond repair and unable to be relaced, let the Glove Experts at JustGloves help you find a new glove! We have baseball gloves, fastpitch gloves, and slow pitch gloves for every player and position. You name it, we’ve got it. To get in contact with a Glove Expert, reach out at 866-321-4568, experts@justgloves.com, or live chat! Don’t forget, we’re here for you from Click To Catch!