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At first glance, drawing gloves appear like something you might wear for treating hand pain. Instead, the best drawing gloves allow you to comfortably and naturally rest your hand without interfering with the project on your tablet’s screen.
With a glove on, you’re free to press down on the screen and use as much force as you’d like, freeing you up to use a stylus pen as intricately as if you were drawing on paper. If you’re searching for the best one to buy for your next project, here’s what you need to know.
Buying Guide: What Are the Best Drawing Gloves?
These simple drawing gloves are a game-changer for artists, illustrators, and designers, but work great for anyone using a tablet too. Here’s what to consider before getting yourself a pair.
Size and Fit: Most of these are “one-size-fits-all” and are labeled for right-handed people, but don’t let that deter you. Lefties can usually use these just as well when flipped around, and the fit can be easily tailored too. However, if you do want specific sizes, there are gloves available, but also keep in mind in how many fingers they cover. What’s going to be best for you depends on your natural drawing style and how you hold the stylus pen. Take a look at what your hand does when you’re working and go from there. For example, if your three fingers keep brushing up against the screen, a three-fingered glove is the best bet.
Material: The best gloves are designed to minimize friction, while still being stretchy and, of course, comfortable to wear for long periods. For users of newer iPads, keep in mind that Apple’s devices already have a built-in palm rejection feature, which needs to feel your whole hand on the screen in order to know which part to ignore. For artists working with non-digital materials like pens and markers, these gloves can still be a big help, preventing your palms from accidentally smudging things, and keeping your skin ink-free.
Movement: If you’re drawing on a screen or tablet that isn’t stationary (or heavy enough to hold itself in place), you may want to adjust your setup before buying one of these gloves. The added pressure of leaning your palm against the screen can push it backwards, or all around the table if it’s a tablet. Having a weighted stand will put a stop to this. You can also add a surface underneath like rubber, or mounting it on an adjustable stand.
What Are the Best Drawing Gloves for Tablets?
Like any new tech, there’s going to be a learning curve to getting used to drawing with these on. However, we found them easy to use during our testing. Here are our top picks, which will help make illustrating, creating, and touchscreen use feel more comfortable.
