Grip and Gloves for HYROX: What Helps and What Is Allowed

Grip matters at three HYROX stations: the sled pull (rope), the farmers carry (kettlebell handles) and, to a lesser degree, the sandbag lunges. Gloves protect skin and can improve rope grip, but they can also reduce feel and slip on smooth handles, and whether you may wear them, use chalk or use grips is governed by the rulebook. The sensible approach is to decide station by station, test every option in training on the actual equipment, and confirm the current kit rules before race day. This guide covers where grip fails, the options, what to look for, and how to test.

Independent guide; not affiliated with HYROX, DEKA or Spartan.

Where grip fails in the race

Sled pull. A thick rope pulled hand over hand with a heavy sled on the end. Rope burn and raw palms are common. Wet hands slip. See sled pull.

Farmers carry. Two heavy kettlebells over a set distance. Grip endurance, not skin, is the limiter. Sweaty hands on smooth handles are the usual failure. See farmers carry.

Sandbag lunges. The hands hold the bag ends on the shoulders. A minor grip demand but tired hands drop bags. See sandbag lunges.

SkiErg and rowing. Handles are grippy and the demand is low.

Everything else is grip-neutral.

The options

No gloves

Many athletes race bare-handed. Advantages: full feel on handles and rope, nothing to adjust, no rule questions. Disadvantages: rope burn on the sled pull and blisters if your hands are not conditioned. If you train regularly on rope and kettlebells, your skin adapts.

Light training gloves

Thin, full-finger or fingerless gloves with a textured palm. Protect skin on the rope and give a grippier surface on some handles. Can reduce feel and, if the palm material is slick or bunches, can slip on kettlebell handles.

Look for: a thin, grippy palm (silicone or textured synthetic), minimal padding, a snug fit with no bunching, breathable back, secure wrist closure.

Well-known brands, by name only: Bear KompleX, Reebok, Nike, Harbinger, Fit Active Sports. Confirm current products.

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Rope-specific or work gloves

Heavier gloves with reinforced palms designed for rope work. Excellent on the sled pull, clumsy on kettlebells. Some athletes carry them only for the pull and remove them after, which costs seconds in the Roxzone. Check whether changing kit mid-race is allowed.

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Hand grips (gymnastics style)

Leather or synthetic palm grips with finger holes and a wrist strap. Protect the palm on the rope and some handles without covering the fingers. Common among athletes from functional fitness. Check that they are permitted.

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Chalk

Liquid or block chalk dries the hands and improves grip on smooth handles. Often permitted; sometimes restricted at venues for cleanliness. Liquid chalk applied before the race lasts a while; block chalk needs reapplying. Check the rulebook and event information.

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Tape

Athletic tape on fingers or palms protects hot spots. Low cost, no grip benefit, usually permitted. Apply before the race and test in training.

Straps

Lifting straps that wrap the handle are generally not permitted for the farmers carry because they remove the grip demand. Confirm in the rulebook; assume not.

What the rulebook may restrict

Rules on hand protection and grip aids change between seasons. Before the race, confirm:

• whether gloves are permitted and of what type
• whether grips are permitted
• whether chalk is permitted and in what form
• whether straps or any device that wraps the handle are prohibited
• whether you may change gloves or kit mid-race

Do not rely on what was allowed last season.

Deciding station by station

A practical approach:

• Sled pull: gloves or grips if your skin needs protection and you have tested them on a rope; bare hands otherwise.
• Farmers carry: bare hands with chalk if permitted, or thin gloves that you have tested on kettlebells. Avoid thick gloves.
• Everything else: whatever you are already wearing.

Many athletes settle on one thin pair of gloves for the whole race or no gloves at all, because mid-race changes waste time. See the Roxzone explained.

Testing

1. Do a sled pull at race load in your chosen option. Check for slipping and for skin damage.
2. Do a farmers carry at race weight. Check whether the gloves slip or bunch and whether grip lasts.
3. Do both in one session, with a run between, to see how sweat affects the option.
4. Decide and stop changing. Train in the final choice for several weeks.

Grip training

Better grip reduces the need for aids. Dead hangs, heavy farmers carries, plate pinches, towel hangs, rope pulls. Short, frequent sessions work well. The sled pull and farmers carry stations in training are themselves grip work.

Care of hands

Keep calluses filed smooth; thick calluses tear. Moisturise after training, not before. A torn palm in the week before a race is an avoidable problem; manage volume on rope and carries in the final week.

A simple decision tree

1. Do your hands tear on rope in training? If no, race bare-handed and use chalk if permitted. If yes, continue.
2. Have you tested thin gloves on both the rope and the kettlebells? If they slip on the kettlebells, use grips (palm-only) instead of full gloves, or tape the hot spots and race bare-handed.
3. Does the rulebook for this season permit your chosen option? If not, go back a step.
4. Have you trained in the final choice for at least three weeks? If not, do that before the race.

Most athletes end up at one of two places: bare hands with chalk, or thin gloves worn for the whole race. Both are fine. The errors are racing in something untested, or stopping to put gloves on and take them off at every station.

Training the stations with and without aids

If you plan to race with gloves, do most of your sled pull and farmers carry training in them so your grip adapts to the reduced feel. If you plan to race bare-handed, train bare-handed and let the skin thicken gradually. Switching between the two in the final weeks confuses the adaptation. For the sled pull, the rope diameter matters more than most people expect: a thin gym rope is easier to grip than a thick race rope, so find a thick rope for at least some sessions. See sleds for home training for rope options.

Related gear

• What to wear for HYROX
• Race-day kit
• Best shoes for HYROX

FAQ

Are gloves allowed in HYROX?

Usually, within limits set by the rulebook. Confirm the current rules before the race.

Should I wear gloves for the sled pull?

If your hands need protection from rope burn and you have tested the gloves on a rope, yes. Many athletes go bare-handed.

Can I use chalk in HYROX?

Often permitted, sometimes restricted at specific venues. Check the rulebook and event information.

Are lifting straps allowed for the farmers carry?

Generally not, since they remove the grip demand. Confirm in the rulebook.

What gloves are best for HYROX?

Thin, grippy-palmed training gloves with no bulk, tested on both rope and kettlebell handles. The exact model matters less than the fit and the palm material.