Hyrox Rules: Are You Allowed to Wear Gloves?

The short answer is yes. Here's the full picture — what the official rulebook says, what's banned, and how to use that to your advantage on race day.

Hyrox is a sport with a reputation for being accessible. No qualifying times, no specialist equipment requirements, no barriers to entry beyond a race entry fee and the willingness to suffer for an hour or more. But that accessibility doesn't mean there are no rules. And when it comes to grip equipment — gloves, chalk, straps, and everything in between — the rulebook is more specific than most athletes realise.

Here's exactly what's permitted, what's banned, and why it matters for your race strategy.

What Does the Official Hyrox Rulebook Say About Gloves?

Gloves are explicitly permitted in Hyrox. The official 2026/27 rulebook confirms that athletes may wear gloves at any and every station throughout the race — SkiErg, Sled Pull, Farmers Carry, Wall Balls, and all others. There are no restrictions on when you wear them, no requirement to remove them between stations, and no rule limiting which type of glove you use.

The permitted equipment list for a Hyrox race includes:

• ✅ Gloves
• ✅ Chalk (event-provided only — see below)
• ✅ Knee sleeves
• ✅ Wristbands and headbands
• ✅ Weightlifting belts
• ✅ Hydration packs and soft flasks
• ✅ Waist belts
• ✅ Athletic tape
• ✅ Nasal strips

So gloves are firmly in the "yes" column. The question isn't whether you can wear them — it's whether you should, and which type to choose.

What Grip Equipment Is Banned in Hyrox?

While gloves are legal, not all grip aids are. The following are explicitly prohibited under the current rulebook:

• ❌ Lifting straps
• ❌ Hooks
• ❌ Figure-8s
• ❌ Tacky-coated palms (grip-enhancing coatings applied directly to the hand)
• ❌ Your own chalk (you may only use event-provided chalk, at designated stations)

The distinction matters. A glove that uses silicone grip zones on the palm — like the Gloovz Racer 1.0 — is fully legal. A lifting strap that wraps around the wrist and loops under a bar is not. The rulebook draws the line at equipment that mechanically assists the grip beyond what the athlete's own hand can provide.

The Chalk Rule — More Complicated Than You Think

Chalk deserves its own section because this is where athletes frequently get caught out.

Chalk is legal in Hyrox — but with strict conditions:

1. Only event-provided chalk is permitted. You cannot bring your own chalk to the race.
2. Chalk may only be used at the Sled Pull and Farmers Carry stations. Using chalk at any other station — including Wall Balls — results in a time penalty.
3. Carrying chalk between stations is prohibited. You cannot pocket chalk from one station and take it to the next.

The 2026/27 official singles rulebook is explicit: using chalk anywhere other than the designated stations results in a penalty added to your final race time.

Beyond the rules, there's a practical problem. At the 2025 World Championships in Chicago, the event-provided chalk ran out mid-race with thousands of athletes still competing. Athletes who had planned their grip strategy around chalk availability were left without it at critical stations. A glove removes this dependency entirely — your grip travels with you, works at every station, and doesn't rely on anything the event provides.

Can You Wear Gloves for the Entire Race?

Yes. There is no rule requiring you to remove gloves during the running sections. Many athletes choose to wear them throughout the entire race — from the start gun to the finish line — and never take them off. Others prefer to remove them during runs and put them back on at each station.

If you plan to manage your gloves between stations, the time cost matters. Removing and replacing gloves takes 20–40 seconds per transition in race conditions — sweaty hands, elevated heart rate, and the pressure of the clock make it slower than it sounds in training. A purpose-built Hyrox racing glove with a quick-release wrist strap can reduce this to a few seconds, but the simplest strategy is to leave them on throughout.

Which Stations Benefit Most From Gloves?

Gloves are legal at every station, but the performance benefit varies. Here's a station-by-station breakdown:

SkiErg — High benefit
1,000 metres of repeated pulling on a handle creates significant friction and fatigue across the palms. Gloves with targeted silicone grip allow each pull to be more efficient and protect skin over the full distance.

Sled Pull — Very high benefit
The thick rope used for the Sled Pull is abrasive and demanding on bare skin, particularly as sweat builds through the race. This is the station where bare-handed athletes most commonly lose grip and have to pause and reset — costing 5–10 seconds per incident.

Burpee Broad Jumps — Low benefit
Minimal grip requirement. Gloves neither help nor hinder significantly here.

Rowing — Moderate benefit
The rowing handle is smoother than the sled rope, but grip fatigue still accumulates over 1,000 metres. Gloves help maintain consistency, especially later in the race.

Farmers Carry — Very high benefit
Arguably the most grip-intensive station in the race, arriving late when forearm fatigue is highest. Gloves reduce slippage on the kettlebell handles and shift the limiting factor from grip to core and leg strength — where it should be.

Sandbag Lunges — Low to moderate benefit
Grip is less critical here than stability and leg strength, but gloves provide some benefit in keeping the sandbag positioned cleanly on the shoulders.

Wall Balls — Moderate benefit
At the final station, when fatigue is highest, a secure catch and clean release is critical to avoiding wasted reps. Gloves help maintain feel and consistency on the ball when hands are sweaty.

Do I Need to Train in Gloves Before Race Day?

Yes — and this is one of the most common mistakes first-time Hyrox athletes make.

If you plan to race in gloves, train in them. Your grip mechanics, finger positioning, and how you hold each piece of equipment all adapt to the feel of the glove. Arriving at race day with unfamiliar kit introduces an unnecessary variable. The recommendation from most coaches is to build raw grip strength with bare hands during the base training phase, then switch to racing gloves in the final four to six weeks before competition.

Do not arrive at a race with a brand-new pair of gloves you've never worn. New material behaves differently under sweat and fatigue — it can feel slippery in conditions that your training gloves handled fine.

What Type of Glove Is Best for Hyrox?

The rulebook permits any glove, but not all gloves are built for racing. Standard weightlifting gloves are designed for single, heavy lifts in a static gym — they tend to be heavily padded, restrictive, and warm. None of those properties work in a race lasting an hour or more with eight 1km runs between stations.

A purpose-built Hyrox racing glove is engineered around different priorities:

• Lightweight — every gram matters when you're running 8km
• Breathable — manages sweat rather than trapping heat
• Silicone palm grip — works dry or damp, unlike leather which degrades with moisture
• Minimal padding — protects without restricting feel or dexterity
• Watch-compatible — cutaway wrist design keeps your GPS visible throughout

The Gloovz Racer 1.0 is built specifically around these requirements. Featherlight construction, targeted silicone grip at the key contact points for Hyrox stations, and a design light enough to forget you're wearing it — so you can focus entirely on your race.

The Bottom Line

Gloves are fully legal in Hyrox. The official 2026/27 rulebook permits them at every station, throughout the entire race, with no restrictions on type or timing. The equipment that is banned — straps, hooks, figure-8s, and your own chalk — is banned because it provides mechanical assistance beyond what the athlete's hand can provide. A glove doesn't do that. It manages sweat, protects skin, and maintains a consistent grip surface across a race that lasts anywhere from 55 minutes to over two hours.

Whether you're racing for a podium or a personal best, grip management is a race strategy — not an afterthought. Knowing the rules is the first step. Choosing the right glove is the second.

Shop the Gloovz Hyrox racing glove range at gloovz.com/collections/all — the Racer 1.0, the Qualifier, and the complete race day bundle.