Our 5 Favourite Junior Goalkeeping Gloves

Sondico Match Junior Goalkeeping Gloves

These are the goalkeeping gloves every infant or junior goalkeeper seem to start off with. Your team manager will probably have a pair of these Sondico gloves knocking about in the spare kitbag somewhere! The reason they are such a popular goalkeeping glove is without doubt because of their price. The red, white and black version of the glove (pictured) is available in all junior sizes (2 through to 6) for a penny less than £10. Making these gloves great value, especially if you’re new to the position and not entirely sure if you’re going to stay there. There is no point in buying a £30 pair of gloves if you then decide you want to score goals and not save them. At this price they’re perfect for diving around the garden in and don’t have to be kept special for match-day.

Also, children grow incredibly fast. My lad has had two pairs of these gloves. A size 3 and a size 5 and grew out of both pairs before he could wreck them. The gloves lasted incredibly well, I was surprised how well the latex palms survived. One pair was handed down to a younger sibling and the other pair is amongst the spare kit at his football Club for others to use. So these goalkeeping gloves come highly recommended by us. They’re great quality for the money. The stitching around the fingers is strong and the palms take a lot of battering without crumbling. The strong velcro wrist strap provides a really snug fit too.

The perfect first pair of goalkeeping gloves.

uhlsport Children’s Tension Green Soft SF Goalkeeper Gloves

If your if you’re a young goalkeeper looking to make the step up and get a named goalie glove brand, then these are the gloves for you. Uhlsport, along with Reusch, are probably the biggest name in goalkeeping equipment across Europe. Some of the best shot-stoppers in the business put their trust in uhlsport.

The brand has been around for many years, they are leaders in glove design and manufacturing. We absolutely love the eye-catching design of these goalkeeping gloves. The Tension Green SF glove has a classic cut that provides maximum catch Area. It has a strong wrap-around velcro strap with space for your name. The gloves are made of soft leather-like material called polyurethane (PU) with perforations around the fingers for improved breathability. There is backhand embossing and a shock zone design. We found these gloves durable and particularly good in wet weather. Where they offered a far superior grip than our other gloves. The lime green colour of the gloves was also a big hit. These are available in sizes 4 through to 7 and come highly recommended by us.

The perfect choice for a young keeper looking to make the step up.

PUMA One Protect 3 Junior Goalkeeper Gloves

We have found the Puma Protect range of goalkeepers gloves to be some of the best gloves we tried for longevity. I didn’t know much about Puma gloves (having grown up on uhlsport and Reusch) but the lad needed a new pair, more specifically, a pair that had finger protection, having had his fingers bent back on a few occasions whilst playing. These gloves were a great purchase, the finger protection works a treat. Unlike some other gloves we’ve tried, the spines didn’t snap and offered great support. We found the design somewhat underwhelming compared to more colourful gloves like the uhlsport Tension Green glove above.

Despite the finger protection, the glove is really lightweight and very flexible. The spines lock at 180°, this prevents hyperextension of the fingers. This is so important for junior goalkeepers. You really don’t want them to damage their little digits. The glove has a multi-grip palm for excellent grip on any surface or in any weather condition. This means greater durability without sacrificing touch sensitivity. The cuff on this glove has a side port that allows easy access. Around the cuff is a full latex strap for a secure closure, and also the embossed latex backing for protection. Although not as colourful and garish as some gloves, the shocking orange detail is a nice touch. These gloves will last an age in our experience and are great value for the money.

A long-lasting glove with second to none finger protection.

NIKE Children’s Match Goalkeeper Gloves

We’ve actually got these Nike match goalkeeper gloves in junior and adult size. They come in two different colourways, but my son and I both have the black version. I liked these gloves so much I bought myself a pair for training. They are available in junior sizes, from size 4 through to 8. These are very minimalistic looking, but we love the simplicity of them. These goalie gloves do not have finger protection, this makes them a very lightweight and flexible glove. We found the smooth foam on the palm gives a good grip in all weather conditions. The palms aren’t as hard-wearing as some of the other gloves in this review, so it is important to dampen them before training or a match. Keeping the palms moist helps not only with grip but also prolongs the life of the glove.

The glove is very well-made though, stitching around the fingers is of high quality as you would expect from a Nike product. And because the webbing between fingers is made of synthetic fibre and not PU or similar, this really allows the hand to breathe. You’re not playing games with sweaty hands which can be very uncomfortable. These are very well made and offfer great value from a recognized brand.

Minimalist and classy, flexible and airy. Great for warmer days.

Just4Keeper Evo Negative Cut Goalkeepers Gloves

These junior goalkeeping gloves by Just 4 Keepers are the newest gloves in my son’s armoury. They have hugely impressed us both so far. Firstly the manufacturing quality of the glove is very good. They have a professional feel and look about them. They’re very well made and we’ve found no faults in them. The extended palm is a great touch. This gives the keeper more contact with the ball. If you’re a keeper who plays lots on astroturf or 3G pitches then these are ideal for you. The palm is super soft and thicker than most gloves, offering more padding and protection and also giving a good grip in both dry and wet weather. The backhand on these gloves is nice and thick. It’s made of PK latex and has a large punch zone. The body is made of neoprene which like the Nike glove above allows the hand to breathe which avoids sweaty hands.

These gloves have a slightly wider wrist strap than most gloves, this makes the glove feel more secure on the hand. We’ve found that the extra width of the cuff, coupled with the wrist pulls makes it easier for my son to get off and on. When buying these gloves there is also an option to personalize the wrist strap which is a great touch. Another option with these gloves is to turn them into a Finger Save Glove. To do this you can open the Velcro flap on the backhand and slide in finger spines. The finger spines are sold separately on the J4K website. This is a great feature as you can easily replace broken spines, instead of throwing away a pair of gloves when the spines break even though there is life left in the palms. You can also just protect certain fingers if you’re coming back from a hand injury and just want support in one or two fingers.

Overall this glove feels very professional and extremely well made, we’ve been very impressed by the durability of the gloves so far.

Your youngster will feel like a pro in these. Well built with great padding and protection.