Best Glove Mallet Of 2023 Break In You Glove In Style

Doesn’t matter if you are a pro athlete or a beginner; you will need to break in your baseball gloves at some point. You will need the best glove mallet to properly break in a baseball/softball glove. Some of the best players in MLB use a glove mallet since they work so well. However finding a good glove mallet can be difficult, but we are here to help you.

Firstly we will take you in-depth on why you might need a glove mallet and how to use them. Afterward, you will find reviews on the best glove mallets on the current in the new year. Our reviews will examine the pros and cons of these glove mallets and why you should pick them.

This article is meant to be the best glove mallets review you can find online and answer all your related questions. So let’s first answer why a baseball player will need one of the best softball and baseball glove mallets.

Why do I need the best glove mallet?

If you didn’t know, a baseball/softball player would need glove mallets for one reason; to break in their gloves. A glove mallet isn’t like your traditional mallet used for construction or DIY. Sports mallets, like baseball mallets, are made to be rounder and lighter than traditional mallets. Also, most brands make glove mallets with lightweight wood to make them easier to use.

Using these glove mallets can help break in a glove much easier and get it done quickly. You might have to spend days, maybe even a week or so, to break in a glove. But with glove mallets, you can cut down the breaking in time by a few days. So you decide if you want to save time and buy a glove mallet or take your time to break in a glove.

How to break in a glove with the best glove mallet?

Now that you know the importance of buying the best baseball glove mallet, you will need to know how to use it. To break in a glove requires some particular stuff, but all of them should be easy to gather if you already have the glove mallet. So here is what you will need to break in a glove with a mallet:

• Warm water
• Cup
• Glove mallet/hammer
• Rubber bands

See! Easy to get materials. Once you have gathered everything, take them someplace flat, dry, cool, and away from harsh sunlight. Are you ready? Let’s break in your new baseball/softball glove with the best glove hammer if yes.

Dampen the glove leather

Before you use the best glove hammer you just got, you must prep the glove for the break in. However, it needs to be done correctly so the leather isn’t damaged. We recommend using warm water (around 150 – 170 Fahrenheit). Pour some warm/hot water over the glove areas you want to soften.

We don’t recommend using detergent or the microwave to soften the glove as that has a high chance of ruining the leather. If you wanted to, you could also use the best baseball glove conditioner or oil to soften the glove. But when using the best baseball glove oil, remember to use a cloth when applying it. Glove oils can greatly damage or discolor gloves when too much is applied.

Work the ridges

After you have poured warm water or applied the glove oil, you need to bend the glove’s thumb and pinky back and forth to break it in. The more you do this, the softer these areas will become, and the easier it will be to catch those baseballs. Along with the bending motion, you should also squeeze these areas. You can also stretch the web of the glove to make them looser.

Overall, do these steps five to eight times but do them all before the water or oil dries out. If you need to, you could add and apply some oil but use as little as possible.

Soften with mallet

The time has come to bust out that new baseball glove mallet you just bought. However, the “best” way to soften glove leather is with time and practice, but sometimes you can’t wait so long. So you can use the best baseball glove mallet we suggest below to speed up the break in process. There are alternatives, but none will work as well as the best glove mallets.

Just pound the glove on a flat and dry surface to soften the glove. Please pay special attention to the palm and web to soften them properly. Making the palm softer and creating a deeper pocket by pounding it with a mallet will aid a lot when catching baseballs. Using a glove mallet on the web will make a valley on it and helps to keep the ball in the glove.

Shape the glove

Once you have fun using our recommended glove mallets, you will need to shape the glove. To do so, you will need some rubber bands. Use these rubber bands to create an “X” shape that overlaps one another. Use a baseball to help with this step. It would be best if you kept the glove in this position for as long as possible. We recommend five to six hours.

The ball will help shape the glove so you can easily catch them when playing. After five to six hours, you will need to pound it again with your baseball glove mallet.

Go out & play

You have successfully broken in your baseball glove, so you must play catch with your friends or practice on the field. The process above should get 80 to 90 percent of the job done. For the little details, play with the glove.

The more you play, the better the glove will shape around your hand. You can watch the video shared below if you need help breaking the glove in.

5+ Best glove mallet of 2023

Now that you know how to break in a brand new glove, you need a good mallet to achieve that feat. You need not go far to find the best baseball and softball glove mallet. I have compiled the list for you. These are the best glove mallets you can find in the market to break in your glove

Rawlings | Glove Mallet

Features:

• Made in China
• Dimensions: 7.62cm x 7.62cm x 30.48cm

This is the official baseball glove mallet from Rawlings that is well reviewed and well-liked by many baseball/softball players. This wooden glove mallet is made up of a blend of wood and can be used for baseball and softball break in. The wooden mallet is highly durable, so you can pound your glove as hard as you want without any issues. The glove’s coating keeps it from damaging or discoloring it. The glove’s design is simple and well-made for easy pounding and great power transfer.

Why pick this mallet?

This is an imported glove mallet from China. However, Rawlings is well known for making high-quality baseball products, so this mallet is easy to use. The handle was easy to grip, and you could really put some power when you swung it. The mallet’s round design helps to break in the glove rather well.

Mizuno Ball Glove Shaping Mallet

Features:

• Mizuno logo
• Dimensions: ‎12.5 x 2.75 x 2.55 inches

Along with Rawlings, Mizuno is another excellent choice for baseball players for all their baseball needs. From gloves to bats, Mizuno makes some of the best baseball gear on the market. Their glove shaping mallet is another great product that is very helpful for baseball players.

One of the reasons why this Mizuno glove hammer is on our list of the best glove mallets in 2023 is because of its size and shape. This glove mallet has a solid wooden body perfect for shaping glove pockets. Also, the handle allows for great grip and swing.

Using this mallet with some of the best glove conditioners or oil will make breaking in your glove easier than ever.

Why pick this mallet?

I have been using Mizuno baseball products for years and haven’t complained about them too much. So it was no surprise that their glove mallet works well for me. Using a glove mallet isn’t hard but shaping a pocket is. Yet this glove made the whole process really easy for me.

Lingee Baseball Hammer, Baseball Softball Glove Mallet

Features:

• One piece hammer
• Dimensions: ‎12 x 2.82 x 2.82 inches

When you think of baseball product manufacturers, you might not think about Lingee, but their glove mallet is extraordinary. This 12-inch baseball glove mallet uses beech wood for hard and heavy structure. Therefore, you can really swing it for better glove shaping results. The glove, in particular, provides high friction and wears out resistance.

In addition, the glove mallet is a single-piece body, so you won’t have to worry about breaking it while you break in a glove. So you can swing as hard as you need to shape your glove pocket for that perfect fit. The head of the glove hammer is made for the best impact while you use it. The mallet’s head is well polished wood, so the glove is protected and not damaged.

You can wrap the glove around the glove hammer’s head when you shape the glove. With its weight of 170 grams, you know you will be able to break in your glove well.

Why pick this mallet?

Using this glove mallet was an experience, even though it’s heavy. The weight was well-balanced for optimal swing speed and power. The hammer’s polish ensured there wasn’t any damage to the glove. And the head was designed perfectly to give my glove pocket the best shape.

TOFL’S Baseball Glove Mallet

Features:

• 2017 model
• Item Dimensions: ‎12 x 3 x 3 inches

One of the better suggestions from us for the best glove mallet for baseball and softball is the TOFL’s baseball glove mallet. This mallet is one of our top recommendations because of its quality and design, which are pretty excellent.

First, the wood used to make this glove has a five-star rating to give players and coaches a firm and heavy mallet. The handle is made longer than their competitors, so you can easily use this mallet. This hammer has been found to help a lot while breaking in and creating pockets for your baseball/softball gloves.

Additionally, you will find the glove hammer to easily stretch the glove’s finger holes while deepening the pocket. This can make catching baseballs much easier out in the field. Moreover, you will be getting a nylon mesh storage bag to keep your mallet clean and organized for free. Isn’t that great? I love getting free stuff doesn’t matter if I need it or not.

Why pick this mallet?

One of the primary things I loved about this glove hammer was that it worked remarkably well without hurting my hand. The longer handle of the mallet allowed me to hit harder and deeper without it hitting my knuckles.

Marucci Baseball Glove Mallet

Features:

• High-quality maple
• Dimensions: ‎14.09 x 2.64 x 2.52 inches

Alongside Mizuno and Rawling, Marucci makes some of the best baseball bats and gloves that players of all levels use and love. Marucci’s glove mallet is an excellent example of the best baseball glove mallet you can buy in 2023. Using the highest grade maple wood available allowed Marucci to make a durable and top-quality glove hammer.

This glove is extremely useful in making a perfect mallet for breaking into a glove and forming its pocket. More than a hundred people have reviewed this hammer favorably for its performance and design. Overall, we can say that this 14” inch glove mallet deserves to be one of the best glove hammers on the market.

Why pick this mallet?

When using this mallet, I felt that they could make it a bit shorter, but that’s just me. Since the glove didn’t have a ball shape at the top, it became slightly harder to shape the glove. But it can be done quickly by hitting the glove at an angle.

AliBall Baseball Glove Mallet

Features:

• Solid one piece construction
• Dimensions: ‎12.4 x 2.83 x 2.83 inches

Make the best pocket for your baseball glove with the AliBall mallet. This mallet is made of solid wood and will shape your glove to fit you perfectly.

All you need to do is wack your glove with it a few dozen times; that’s all. The shape of the glove hammer is also really good for stretching your glove fingers’ holes.

Due to its one-piece construction, the top of the hammer won’t ever pop off, regardless of how hard you wack it. AliBall has made the mallet work on both baseball and softball gloves equally well.

It is guaranteed to break into your glove in a matter of hours, not days. They are so sure that you will love it that they have a replacement guarantee for any reason whatsoever.

Why pick this mallet?

I wasn’t 100% sure that this mallet would work that well for breaking in a glove since it wasn’t from a brand that I had heard of before. But once I gave it a few hits with a brand new glove, I was pleasantly surprised.

The wood body was quite solid, and I could hit with a lot of power. Overall, it’s a cheap choice that anyone can work with.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

Does the best baseball glove mallet work?

Yes, they work well if you want to break in your glove correctly. These mallets also work really well if you want to maintain their shape. Buying the best mallet can be a good investment, mainly because these don’t cost that much.

Is the best glove hammer always wooden?

Yes, all glove hammers or mallets are made from wood. For the best hammers for gloves, you should buy one made from a high-quality wood such as maple. Our recommendations for glove mallets are made from the highest quality possible. Some do use a blend of wood for the best results.

Can I break in a glove without a suitable glove mallet?

There are methods for breaking in a glove, and all of them require you to hit them with something. Some options are available if you are looking for an alternative to a glove hammer. For example, you can use a ball peen hammer or a rubber mallet.

Is steaming a good way to break in a glove?

Some expert players will tell you that you can use a steamer to break in your glove, and there is some truth to it. However, we here at bestbaseballreviews won’t recommend it. This is because there is a good chance you will damage your glove leather if you aren’t careful or do it for the first time. If you steam your glove extra for a few minutes, it will get damaged. And if you do it for fewer minutes, you won’t get a good result.

Conclusion

Those looking for the best glove mallet should have seen one that matches your price or preference. Our unique method for breaking in a baseball or softball glove should also help you immensely now or in the future. Just remember to break in your glove only until it fits you correctly. Additionally, do maintenance with the mallet after a few seasons.