About a year and a half ago, I signed up for my first Hyrox race. Like most people new to the sport, I went straight to YouTube. I watched hours of footage, studying how elite athletes like Hunter McIntyre moved, how they paced themselves, and what gear they used. I noticed something odd. Some athletes wore gloves, but their use was inconsistent. Some would start with them on, only to rip them off a few stations later. Others would put them on for a single lift. Some wore none at all.
This seemed strange. A race with so much pulling, carrying, and gripping seems perfect for gloves. Your hands get sweaty. Thousands of other people have used the equipment over a race weekend. A secure grip on the sled rope, the farmer's carry handles, or the wall ball is not a small advantage. It is fundamental.
So I looked online for "Hyrox gloves." The search results were disappointing. All I found were bulky, heavy weightlifting gloves. It immediately became clear why athletes were taking them off mid-race.
A glove designed to protect your hand from a barbell is not the right tool for this sport. The padding gets in the way. They are too hot. They are not built for the endurance and variety of a Hyrox event. They solve one problem but create several others.
A Temporary Solution
You cannot buy what does not exist. So, I tried to make it. I went on Amazon and ordered different pairs of lightweight, full-finger gloves. When they arrived, I took a pair of scissors and started operating. I cut off the fingertips. I cut holes in the palms and on the back of the hand to let them breathe. Each cut was an experiment to solve a specific problem. It was a crude process, but it was my own form of research and development
The results were better than nothing, but they were not a real solution. The materials were cheap, and the gloves would fall apart after a few hard sessions. But the experiment taught me what was essential and what was not. I needed something better.
The Long Road of Design
That is when I decided to build my own. I already had the business set up from my first project. Now, it was time to design the product I had been trying to cobble together on my kitchen table. I worked with design partners to create a formal tech pack. We found a manufacturer willing to do complex, low-volume work.
Then came the slow process of iteration. It took over 20 different versions to get it right. A new sample would arrive, and I would immediately take it to the gym to test it. This fabric was light, but too slippery when wet. That stitch pattern was strong, but it chafed on the thumb during a long set. Every sample brought a new lesson. Every failure led to a refinement. The goal was simple: to create something functional, light, breathable, and designed specifically for the demands of Hyrox.
Chalk, Grip, and World Records
Hyrox is still a young sport. I think in a few years, we will look back and wonder why more athletes were not wearing gloves from the beginning. Small advantages can make a huge difference at the elite level.
Consider this. James Kelly missed the world record by a single second. During that race, he stopped multiple times to chalk his hands. You have to wonder. If he had not needed to pause, would he be the world record holder today? It is possible. When a race is won or lost by a second, every moment spent on the sideline matters.
Chalk is the common solution to grip problems, but it is not a reliable one. At the 2025 World Championships in Chicago, the event ran out of chalk. When thousands of athletes compete over a single weekend, supplies can run low. If your race strategy depends on something the event provides, your strategy has a point of failure. Gloves solve that. They are part of your own kit, completely within your control.
A Glove Built for a Purpose
I designed these gloves to be a solution to all of these problems. They are featherlight because the goal was to create a glove you could forget you were wearing. They have a specific grip pattern that works on the varied surfaces you find in a race. We added a small cushioned patch on the side of the hand, designed for the way you hold the SkiErg handles.
We also noticed that most gloves cover the wrist, which is a problem for anyone who uses a fitness tracker. We created a cutaway wrist so you can still see your watch and monitor your performance. And yes, we made them look good. This is not just vanity. When your gear looks and feels right, you perform with more confidence. You can focus entirely on the race.
Not everyone will want to wear gloves for the whole race, and that is fine. Some might put them on just for the sled pull. Others might use them only in training to save their hands. They were built for this kind of flexibility.
I made these gloves because nothing else on the market was right for the sport I love. They are functional, high-quality, and purpose-built. I hope you find they work for you, too.