If you get into the habit of this, this could be a problem as you will slow down dramatically without the gloves on, as swimming with spread fingers is not efficient. Resistance swim gloves, on the other hand, can promote poor swim technique as it forces you to spread your fingers when swimming in order to stretch the webbing and create drag. This is an advantage of swim paddles, as they will force you to think about how your hand enters and moves through the water. You must enter and exit your hand correctly when using swim paddles, otherwise, they will fall off and be miserable to swim with. Unlike resistance swim gloves, swim paddles are not forgiving when it comes to swimming technique. It is widely accepted that swim paddles are better than swim gloves when it comes to improving swim technique. Typically, when comparing swim paddles and resistance swim gloves, you should consider the following key areas when deciding which to choose: These are called swim paddles and, similarly to resistance swim gloves, their function is to increase resistance as you swim to increase swimming strength, power and endurance.īoth swim paddles and resistance swim gloves have their pros and cons. If you regularly swim, you may have seen other swimmers in the pool with plastic discs in their hands. Swim Paddles Vs Resistance Swim Gloves: Which Should I Choose? The webbing between the fingers creates a greater surface area, so you are catching and pulling more water as you swim. Sometimes the webbing is soft neoprene so you must keep your fingers open and stretched to feel the benefit and sometimes the webbing is rigid, which will hold your fingers apart.

Resistance swim gloves do work, as you will feel the extra resistance as you swim.

This will work your arms and shoulder muscles. Their primary function is to create greater resistance for your arms as you pull through the water. Typically, they are open fingered like mittens or closed fingered and are usually made from neoprene, which is a classic wetsuit material.Īlthough their neoprene material will naturally keep your hands warmer, this is not their primary function. Resistance swim gloves are a training aid designed for the pool. When should I use resistance swim gloves?.Swim Paddles Vs Resistance Swim Gloves: Which should I choose?.Swim resistance gloves are a lot less popular than swim paddles, but they do have their place and function. This creates a higher level of resistance per stroke, giving a swimmer a greater upper body and arm workout. Swim resistance gloves typically have webbed fingers, allowing the swimmer to pull more water when swimming.

Webbed swimming gloves