Best Electric Unicycle Gloves and Wrist Guards (in 2023)

If you have ever ridden an electric unicycle, you understand that falling is inevitable. If we fly off our e-cycles one of the first things we do by instinct is to stretch out our arms. We try to absorb the impact and protect our heads, which causes our hands to be hurt. Having hurt hands sucks. We need our hands in everyday life; we use them while scrolling on our smartphone, cooking, cleaning, brushing our teeth, and many other activities that would simply suck with hurt hands. Therefore, we should protect our hands when going out for a ride. The best way to do this is with gloves or wrists guards. As such, I have researched the best gloves and wrist guards for e-unicycling and outlines the most important equipment in this article. I don’t want to keep you waiting, so let’s get started. What are the best gloves for electric unicycling?

Best pick:
Original and Pro E-Skate Gloves from flatland3d and Knox
Check them out on Flatland 3Ds Website.

flatland 3d eskate gloves

Why Do We Need Gloves and Wrist Guards?

Most Common Injuries

To understand why we need gloves and wrist guards when going out for a ride we should look into the most common injuries that occur from such a task. One issue here is that e-unicycling is a fairly new activity as a whole. Therefore, we do not have a lot of empirical data to nail down what the most common types of injuries are. However, cycling, skating, and longboarding are all seniors within their respective industries by comparison and are pretty comparable activities. Let’s take a look at the most common injuries among these non-electric sports as well as electric riders. These are: 

  • Abrasions and bruises
  • Hand, wrist, or shoulder injuries
  • Head injuries
  • Ankle and knee injuries

The second item on the list of most common injuries are hand, wrist, or shoulder injuries. When we take a fall while e-unicycling it is likely we fall on our hands as we instinctively stretch out our arms to control the landing. If unprotected, our hands will likely get damaged or our bones may break. After all, we normally tumble at high speeds onto the hard asphalt. As such, we get hurt. It’s natural. Palm cuts are seriously irritating, but we can protect ourselves and as such, our hands. All we need is to wear proper protection! Hence the second most common injuries (scrapes and bruises) can likely be easily avoided by wearing proper knee and elbow pads.

Crashes

We need gloves or wrist guards if we take a spill, but when do these crashes occur? What can we do to avoid these in the first place? The most common accidents happen when electric unicyclists:

  • Ride beyond their skill level (lose control and fall)
  • Skate on improper or irregular surfaces (rails, curbstone, cracks in pavement)
  • Ride in rainy conditions (wet and slippery surfaces)
  • Go too fast (downhill or too much throttle)
  • Run into cars, bikes, pedestrians, skaters, or other e-cyclists (if you can find one)
  • Fully charge their battery on some boards causing regenerative braking to stop

The Best Electric Unicycle Gloves

We should keep in mind that electric unicycles are fairly new. There aren’t yet a lot of electric unicycle accessories on the market, but some companies still seriously work on building the perfect gloves for electric unicycling. It seems that the perfect solution is not yet available, although there is one which is close enough. Flatland has made gloves especially for e-cyclers and e-skaters in cooperation with Knox. Flatland is a company that is dedicated to electric skateboard accessories, while Knox is a company that has a long history in designing and manufacturing protective motorcycle and bicycle gloves. Presently these two companies have teamed up together to design a glove especially made for e-skateboarders and e-unicyclists.
Knox Patented Scaphoid – wrist bone which breaks most of the time – Protection System (SPS) works to protect your palm and wrist by adding two sliders to the palm of the glove.

Pro E-Skate Gloves from Flatland and Knox (The Whole Hand is Protected)

Like the Original E-skate gloves, the Pro E-skate gloves made from flatland in cooperation with Knox provide more protection for your whole hand. The fingers are covered in a protective material, and the thumb, index, and forefinger all have silicone grips. Similarly to the fingerless gloves, Flatland has also built in a new one-directional flexible wrist plate. It is palpable in the forward direction for comfort, but still rigid in the other direction to prevent hyperextension. The wrist plate is designed to not be a hindrance when holding items, but if it does still happen to interfere you can remove it. Check out our comprehensive Longterm Review here.

Price: $64.99

flatland 3d eskate gloves

Pros:

  • Has SPS (only Knox gloves have this)
  • Specially designed wrist plate to prevent hyperextension (removable)
  • The palm material is made out of Clarino – very durable and flexible
  • Silicone grips on the thumb and two fingers for sensitivity and control of held objects
  • A webbing loop on the thumb and first two fingers – for sensitivity and control of your remote
  • A webbing loop at wrist makes it easy to pull the glove on and secure a tight fit
  • Terry cloth thumb panel to use as a wipe

Cons:

  • High price
  • Gets in the way of watches due to long design
  • Some users have reported that the silicone grips on the thumb and first two fingers have no use and do not work well with touch screens. It has also been reported that they fall off quickly

Sizing: If you receive your gloves and the size doesn’t seem just right, you can send them back. Flatland3d will send you a prepaid return shipping label, and exchange for the proper size, at no cost to you.
Link to Website: flatland3d.com
Use the coupon code “E-SKATEBOARDER” to get 10% off flatland3d products!

Pro E-Skate Gloves Fingerless from flatland3d and Knox

Yep, you guessed it. Same thing but only Fingerless. The Fingerless Pro E-skate gloves have free fingertips and, they have a terry cloth thumb panel to wipe your helmet visor! They have the same features and same sizing as the other ones. You can get them on flatland3d’s website.

The Best Electric Skateboard Wrist Guards

Demon Flexmeter Wrist Guard

Rated four stars on Amazon, the Demon Flex M Wrist Guard is a great starting point for safety gear for anyone just starting out or even experienced riders. It is lightweight and flexible, unlike other rigid designs, and it fits comfortably under the glove. There is a moderate level of protection, and the reviews mostly state successful protection during falls. It is reported to be comfortable, flexible, and protective.

demon flexmeter wrist guards

Pros:

  • Flexible to allow for more movement
  • Fairly priced
  • Comfortable
  • Protective
  • Good website support (I was able to talk to a support person in seconds)

Cons:

  • Cannot be worn above the glove
  • No safety certifications

Triple 8 Hired Hands

The Hired Hands are wrist guards that fit like a glove. This model is Triple 8’s burliest glove, with complete wrist protection coupled with the secure fit and coverage of a glove. Hired Hands feature top grain leather and full padding for good protection and durability. The top and bottom have replaceable impact-resistant ABS splints. The Hired Hands come with EVA shock absorbing foam layers and a thick neoprene support strap ensures a secure fit. 

triple 8 hired hands

Price: $40-$50
Check out the current price on Amazon.

Pros:

  • Made out of real leather, both durable and flexible
  • Rubber pull tabs make it easy to take the glove off or put it back on

Cons:

  • Holding things can be challenging
  • No fingertip protection
  • Stitching is not the best quality

HillyBilly Wrist Guard Gloves – Half Finger (Fingerless)

Hillbilly wrist guards are fingerless gloves. Users love them for their durability and comfort. Made from tough goatskin, they are double stitched for durability and riders love the partial finger coverage for added protection from the elements. At the same time, they lend the freedom to use a remote control or send a message with your phone without having to take off your phone.

Price: $20-$30
Check out the current price on Amazon

hillybilly wrist guards

Sizing and fit tips: Measure your middle finger from the webbing between the adjacent finger to the tip of the finger

Pros:

  • Made out of real goat leather – very durable and flexible
  • Good value for the price

Cons:

  • Holding things may be challenging
  • No fingertip protection
  • Gets in the way of watches due to long design
  • Stitching is not the best quality
  • Often stains with heavy sweat or water

HillyBilly Wrist Guard Gloves – Full Finger

Users love these gloves’ durability and comfort. Like the fingerless gloves, they are made from tough goatskin and are double stitched for constancy. Many riders love the partial finger coverage for added protection against the elements. They provide excellent protection for your fingers, palm, and wrist!

The leather on the fingertips is quite thick and as a result, you may lose some finger dexterity. This can cause difficulty when handling objects with fingers. Further, the plate that protects your wrist may also get in the way.

Price: $23-$27

hillybilly wrist guards fullfinger

Sizing and fit tips: Measure your middle finger from the webbing between the adjacent finger to the top of the finger.

Pros:

  • Great protection for wrist and fingers
  • Made out of real goat leather, both flexible and durable
  • Good value for the price

Cons:

  • Holding things may be challenging
  • Gets in the way of watches due to long design
  • Stitching is not the best quality
  • Will stain if wet or sweaty

Things You Need to Consider Before Buying Electric Skateboard Gloves

Gloves or Wrist Guards?

The advantage of gloves is that your fingertips are protected, as opposed to wrist guards which typically end mid-palm. However, with gloves, your wrist is not usually protected against hard impacts. Wrist bones, such as your scaphoid bone, break easier when wearing gloves compared to a pair of wrist guards, which ensure that the wrist bones are well-protected. If one takes a hard fall on the pavement, then it’s more common for the forearm bones to break before the wrist bones break.

Protection

As I mentioned earlier, the second most common injuries are wrist and arm fractures. That’s why proper wrist protection is generally very valuable. The wrist bone which breaks the most frequently is called the Scaphoid. Remember this bone and learn how to protect it.

Comfort

E-unicycle gloves have to be comfortable. If you’re not comfortable wearing your gloves, you’ll find yourself riding without them. They should be flexible and have a nice fit. The gloves benefit from being made of light comfortable materials that are soft against your skin and allow you to move your hands freely. Some riders don’t enjoy wearing fingered gloves, but others see the protection as crucial because compound dust is deemed an issue. Some people prefer fingerless gloves for aesthetic or availability reasons. As such, opinions will be different depending on who you ask.

Sizing and Fit

Make sure your gloves fit! The most important factor in finding the right glove specifically for you is to have the right fit. If your gloves are too small, you can’t get them on, but if they’re too wide they’ll probably restrict your touch-sensitivity and lower your protection.

Material

The material of the gloves is important. The material has to be durable but should also allow the skin to breathe comfortably.

  • Leather: Full-grain leather can resist almost all kinds of weather and conditions, be it sunshine or rain. Leather has a big edge on other materials because it tends to get more comfortable as you wear it and the leather conforms to the contours of our hands and body. However, do keep in mind that leather will display abrasions and high-class leather often comes with that high-class price tag.
  • Synthetic materials: Synthetic materials like Kevlar or Clarino are a common choice as of late. Kevlar, for example, is fairly cheap to produce but is also very durable as well as flexible. Therefore, it’s a very good material for electric riding gloves. In addition to this, Kevlar can be lighter and cheaper than leather.

Look

Here’s the honest take on the situation: most of us won’t wear ugly protective gear. As such, the look and style of our gear – in this case, gloves – is an important factor. In the list below, I’ve arranged the gloves which I personally would wear.

Quality – Brand Reputation

It is important to get gloves and wrist guards from a trustworthy brand. If you’re planning to protect yourself, plan to spend a bit of money. Your body can’t afford for you to be cheap on it. There are plenty of good companies with deep-rooted integrity and a great reputation in the industry. As such, we don’t need to buy gloves and wrist guards from unknown brands. These are gloves you don’t have to worry about if you’re planning on wearing them every day.

Care

Gloves and wrist guards are often exposed to the ground, so it is not uncommon for them to get covered in dirt from time to time. Additionally, you are probably going to sweat a whole lot when e-cycling. For the love of God, wash your equipment. It’ll get really stinky if you don’t, and no one wants that. Hand washing is typically recommended, but if you have a model with removable protectors then it should easily withstand a few cycles in the washing machine without a problem.

Which Gloves Should We Use?

Electric unicycles are relatively new on the market, meaning we don’t have a lot of companies dedicated to manufacturing protective gear specifically designed for e-cyclists. However, we can certainly take a look at related activities:

  • Motorcycle gloves
  • Bike gloves
  • Longboard gloves
  • Gym gloves
  • Tactical gloves
  • Skate gloves

There are many options for us on the market. Let’s go in-depth to these six options listed above:

  • Motorcycle gloves are generally too bulky and expensive. Low sensitivity for holding objects.
  • Bicycle gloves normally don’t protect our fingers and wrists from rapid falls where we should slide on the pavement to divert the impact energy
  • Longboard sliding gloves have half a big puck on the inside of the hand so that riders can perform slides without hurting their palms, but these sliding pucks cause low sensitivity for holding objects. Gym gloves are very similar to bicycle gloves, and they don’t offer enough protection for fast falls on the hard asphalt.
  • Tactical gloves are interesting. They normally offer protection and are designed for soldiers, though soldiers have to complete sensitive tasks with their fingers while enduring harsh or sudden impact. Therefore, you know you’ll be protected.

Skate gloves, however, offer our biggest hope. Skateboarding is very related to e-cycling and therefore the protective gear should work in most cases as well. In skateboarding, wrist guards are quite common. As you are surely aware, there are a lot of cases where wrist guards make it very difficult to hold items, but there are some options on the market that should negate this negative side effect. 

Price

The price will always be a significant factor for us, but trying to get the cheapest pads is a mistake. We only have one body, do whatever you can to protect it. The price for electric skateboarding and unicycling gloves and wrist guards may vary from several bucks all the way up to a hundred dollars.

$15-$100 price range.

Conclusion

Gloves are an essential part of your safety gear set. It is important to complete your due diligence when looking for your pair of riding gloves. There are many important factors to consider, you should cross balance all of them to find the perfect fit glove for you. Take into account size, price, look, protection, safety certifications, and reviews. You have one body, and if you want to partake in a dangerous sport you have to be prepared to take falls and deal with injuries without losing your life. Before every ride, make sure you go through a checklist of all your safety gear. Electric unicycling is a dangerous sport and as such, you should be properly prepared. As well as buying your gear, once you have it make sure to take care of it. I cannot stress this enough: wash your gear! If you don’t properly take care of your gear, you will be riding around in soggy, sweat-soaked pads and anyone you come across will be uncomfortable by proximity.

Take your time finding the right pair of gloves and/or wrist guards for you. Don’t rush the process, the cheapest ones aren’t the best and neither are the most expensive ones. You’ll benefit from some research.

Clean your equipment when you have it, otherwise, you’re gonna be gross.

Final Thoughts – Now it’s Your Turn

I hope you enjoyed reading this article about electric unicycle protective gloves and wrist guards. If you have any recommendations for other gloves or wrist guards I am happy to read them. If you think I’ve forgotten to include something, please send some feedback my way! It’s highly appreciated and helps me to become better!

Now it’s your turn!

Which gloves do you like most, and why? Let me know in the comments section below!

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