Best Oil for Baseball Gloves

Last updated on June 21st, 2023 at 11:00 am

This product list contains affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may earn a commission if you use one of these links to make a purchase.

Have you ever experienced stiffness even using a new baseball glove? Well, It’s the biggest problem people usually face after wearing a baseball glove. You cannot hit your bat effectively with a stiff glove. Not only are new baseball gloves stiff, but old gloves can also be turned stiff after remaining inactive for years.

Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on potential baseball gloves, you should pay heed to break in the baseball gloves. There are two basic reasons for which you need to break in your baseball glove. One is to make it usable and moveable by softening its leather. The other goal is to mold or pocket the area of the palm glove to catch the ball firmly.

After knowing the importance of breaking-in gloves, you will be looking for high-quality breaking-in ingredients. There are many ways of molding or breaking in a baseball glove, such as using moisturizer, conditioner, and natural oil. No need to worry about which ingredient is most suitable to soften your baseball leather gloves. It’s because we have listed the ten best oils for baseball gloves to break in your gloves.

10 Best Oil for Baseball Gloves 

1- Wilson Pro-Stock Glove Conditioner

If you are looking for a glove conditioner that can help you restore the shine of your old gloves or even condition your new ones, this one is the best option. Wilson pro-stock glove conditioner not only cleans your gloves but also restores and conditions them all at once. It is undoubtedly one of the best oil for leather baseball gloves as it has proven to revitalize leather without leaving any greasy residue. Moreover, the vitamin E in this conditioner works efficiently to restore the leather’s classy and nostalgic natural scent.

best base ball oil conditioner

Along with being the best leather conditioner for baseball gloves, it is pretty economical as well.  It is because you don’t have to put on a large amount of product in a single sitting that makes it last for a very long time. However, you should make sure that you are using a small amount to prevent leather discoloration. In addition to all these features, this glove conditioner is also very convenient and can be used on other leather products.

Pros
  • Ideal for old as well as new leather.
  • Restores the natural leather scent and makes it shiny
  • Effective in breaking in the stiff gloves

Cons
  • Can darken the leather when used frequently.
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2- Hot Glove Cream Conditioner Treatment

Hot glove conditioner treatment has been effectively used by a lot of players to break in their gloves. This cream formula made out of natural ingredients makes your glove more flexible and provides a conditioner that helps maintain the moisture. It is one of the best glove conditioners available in the market with its highly functional ingredients. It contains vitamin E and Lanolin, both of these ingredients have proven to soften the leather and preserve it.

hot glove cream conditioner treatment

Moreover, this conditioner treatment is non-flammable and non-toxic and doesn’t add additional weight to your gloves. This feature makes it better than the oils as they tend to add weight to your gloves. It also plays a significant role in maintaining your leather gloves as it revitalizes leather while cleaning it and providing it with moisture. One of this cream’s most prominent and distinct features is that it effectively repels rain, thus providing the necessary protection to your leather gloves. Also, it is an effortless and straightforward way to maintain and break in your baseball gloves.

Pros
  • Restores the old gloves
  • Efficient and convenient to use
  • It also helps in restoring the scent
Cons
  • Discoloration can occur as a result of excessive use.
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3-  Nokona NLT Classic Leather Glove Conditioner

While browsing through the best oil for baseball gloves, you might surely come across the Nokona NLT classic leather glove conditioner. This conditioner formula is one of the best ones that help in cleaning and preserving your special baseball gloves. Moreover, it is one of the best break-in oil for baseball gloves breaking in and efficiently adds the desired flexibility to your gloves. Therefore, it not only improves and maintains the appearance of your baseball glove but also makes it more comfortable for you.

nokona nlt classic leather glove conditioner

This Nokona glove conditioner is one of the best glove oils made out of a unique oil formula. With its exceptional jelly-like consistency, it conditions your glove efficiently and also helps avoid mess. Being of remarkable petroleum jelly-like consistency, it is used sparingly, making it last longer. It can even last for the whole life of your favorite baseball glove. This leather glove conditioner is one of the safest and most efficient glove oil available on the market.

Pros
  • Ideal for effective breaking in
  • Has the ideal consistency
  • Made out of natural ingredients and work efficiently

Cons
  • Slowly works on the old leather gloves
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4- GRIFFIN Mink Oil – Leather Conditioner

This baseball glove leather conditioner is a premium quality product with its optimum ingredients and high performance. The Griffin mink oil leather conditioner is made out of natural and the most effective components in the market that ensure that your leather gloves are protected. It provides the smooth luster to your favorite leather gloves that add to the visual appearance and life span. Moreover, its ideal formula also helps in softening the stiff leather.

griffin mink oil leather conditioner

Various efficient features possessed by this leather conditioner make it a viable option. One of the most prominent features included by this conditioner is its waterproof and water guards quality. In case of rain, snow, mold, or mildew, this product makes sure to protect your leather gloves in all weather conditions by creating a weather-resistant barrier. Along with leather gloves, this formula can be used on all leather goods and is ideal for high-end leather products that require utmost care.

Pros
  • Water and weather resistant
  • Enhances the visual appearance of the leather
  • Protects against abrasion from salt and dirt
Cons
  • May darken the leather
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5- Rawlings Gold Glove Butter

Rawlings has contributed to the baseball industry with a variety of high-quality products. This Rawlings gold glove butter is one of the most considerable contributions to the industry due to its ideal functioning. Although this conditioner is specifically designed for high-end leather products, it can work efficiently for all leather baseball gloves. Being one of the best baseball glove conditioners, it works effectively to protect and moisturize the leather.

Rawlings gold glove butter

Rawlings gold glove butter conditioner, just like its name, provides a luscious buttery finish to your leather gloves. The premium quality conditioner also adds to the lifespan of the leather. Moreover, it is also known for softening the gloves, which can help you efficiently break in your stiff leather glove. Also, it helps restore the lost shine of your favorite leather glove, making it the best oil for old baseball gloves. Undoubtedly, this might be the product that you need to maintain your leather glove.

Pros
  • Efficiently moisturizes all types of leather.
  • Provides protection and adds to the lifespan of the leather
  • Restores the shine
Cons
  • It leaves a waxy residue.
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6- Rawlings Baseball Softball Glove Oil Conditioning Kit

As Rawlings is pretty popular among all baseball fans due to its high-quality products, you might also want to consider its glove oil conditioning kit. No doubt, the brand name speaks for its premium quality performance. It is one of the best oils for baseball gloves made with the finest ingredients to provide you with the ideal formula required to maintain your leather baseball gloves. Moreover, this oil conditioning kit surprisingly reduces the breaking in time of your glove, making it game-ready in a short time.

rawlings baseball softball glove oil conditioning kit

Rawlings baseball softball glove oil conditioning kit consists of a Glovolium bottle and a covey sports applicator cloth. This applicator cloth ensures a convenient application with high-quality results. As the microfiber cloth is 14 by 14 inches, the application process becomes more straightforward. Also, as you will need a small amount of oil in one go, your conditioning kit will go a long way with you, as will your dearest baseball glove.

Pros
  • Works efficiently to maintain the leather gloves
  • Surprisingly reduces the breaking in time
  • Convenient and simple application

Cons
  • Causes discoloration
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7- Obenauf’s Leather Oil

If you are looking for the best oil for old baseball gloves, Obnauf’s leather oil might be the one for you. This leather oil is made out of entirely natural materials that give old leather a new life. All the essential ingredients work together to make this product the best one you need while maintaining your baseball glove. This oil works efficiently to add a protective sheen to your old baseball glove and make it more shiny and lustrous. This factor contributes to the enhanced visual appearance of your favorite baseball glove.

obenauf's leather oil

In addition to all the qualities mentioned above, Obenauf’s leather oil also works great to reduce the cracks in the old gloves. As old gloves develop cracks over time, this is one of the best baseball gloves oils that promise to minimize damages and help heal. Moreover, this leather oil works fine while breaking in the stiff gloves making your glove game-ready. Also, it is very convenient to use and comes in a reasonable amount that will last you quite a time while maintaining all of your leather products.

Pros
  • Made out of natural ingredients
  • Ideal for old gloves and helps in the fading of cracks
  • Efficiently reduces the breaking in time
Cons
  • Produces odor when used excessively
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8- Pecard Baseball Glove Conditioner

Pecard baseball glove conditioner is undoubtedly one of the best ones in the market with its high-quality performance. Being one of the best oil for baseball gloves, this glove conditioner makes the leather gloves soft and supple. This oil doesn’t affect the quality of the leather and increases the lifespan efficiently. Moreover, it is also good at healing the cracks on the old gloves and prevents further cracking or hardening of your favorite leather baseball gloves.

obenauf's leather oil

Also, this glove conditioner has proved to work effectively on the old worn-out baseball gloves and helps in their restoration. It also softens the gloves that ensure your comfort while playing baseball. Pecard baseball glove conditioner also works fine on stubborn dust and stains that make your glove neat and clean. Along with being very convenient to use, this conditioner also ensures the long life of your leather products. On top of that, it not only improves the visual appearance of your baseball glove but also helps to restore the natural leather scent.

Pros
  • Restores the old gloves and increases the lifespan
  • Efficiently cleans and prevents cracking
  • Restore the scent and makes the glove-soft
Cons
  • Frequent use might result in color discoloration
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9- Fiebing’s Premium Baseball Glove Oil

Fiebing’s premium baseball glove oil is one of the finest formulas available in the market that contains ingredients required for the effective maintenance of leather products. Therefore, if you are worried about your leather baseball glove and its maintenance, this is not only one of the best baseball glove conditioning oils but also one of the best oils to break in a baseball glove.  Its effective formula helps provide the required conditioner to your old baseball glove and helps break in the stiff one.

fiebing's premium baseball glove oil

In addition to all these qualities, Fiebing’s premium baseball glove oil is very convenient to use due to its handy packaging. This glove oil comes in a spray bottle; it makes it very easy to use and prevents any messes or excessive wastage. It also helps to restore the shine of your baseball glove, along with adding to its lifespan. When used regularly, this glove oil also creates a water-resistant layer on top of the glove. This quality ensures the protection of the glove by making it weather resistant.

Pros
  • Easy-to-use packaging
  • Efficient and high performance
  • Softens the stiff leather

Cons
  • It might darken the leather
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10- Easton Professional Baseball/Softball Glove Oil

Easton professional baseball/softball glove oil is one of the best break-in oil for baseball gloves. Suppose you have tried various conditioners and oils to break in your new or stiff old baseball glove and haven’t succeeded; well, it’s time to try this one now. This glove is made specifically for the breaking in purpose, and it works efficiently to do the task in a single application. Also, it works fine on all types of leather. The oil will seep into the leather and make it soft in a single sitting with its effective formula.

easton professional baseball softball glove oil

Along with all the efficient qualities this glove oil possesses, it is also odorless, making it perfect for allergic people. Moreover, the odorless formula also doesn’t affect the coloration of the leather. The application of the Easton professional baseball glove oil is also effortless and convenient. So, this might be your only choice if you are looking for a glove oil that can soften your stiff new glove immediately.

Pros
  • Ideal for breaking in the leather
  • Convenient use
  • Odorless and stainless
Cons
  • A bit costly
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Guide for Buying the Best Oil for your Baseball Gloves 

Here we will discuss some of the main factors that you should consider while buying base gloves oil.

Ingredients of the Oil

Remember that a good baseball glove’s oil is the one that only includes natural ingredients. Commonly, synthetics, primary petroleum is added to the oils that are manufactured for baseball gloves. Adding this artificial ingredient to this oil may keep its price low but may also take a toll on its quality and impact on the applicant.

Whenever you decide to buy such an oil, always read the product’s label you are interested in. Ensure that it contains beeswax or Neatsfoot mink oil, or maybe a combination of all these natural leather conditioners. Along with it, Pintar is also an organic item used to make a good leather conditioner. The presence of all these natural ingredients makes the baseball glove’s oil effective and free of toxin materials. It means that you can use these oils without even worrying about your skin, allergies, and rashes.

Application of Oil 

Along with ingredients, you should also make sure that the oil you are going to buy is easy to apply on the baseball gloves. Bottles that come with spill-free edges or the ones that have applicators could be better options for you. Moreover, you may also go for the spray bottles where you do not need a piece of cloth to apply the oil on the gloves.

Water-Resistant 

While buying the oil for your baseball glove, do not focus only on an item that may come up with breaking in its leather. A good product not only adds breaks in gloves but also adds a water-resistant layer to it. This waterproof layer comes with the oil and can prevent the cracks that gloves usually develop with time. Oils with mink oils and beeswax are considered good in providing that water-resistant layer to the baseball gloves

Regular Effectiveness 

The product you may choose for your baseball gloves will not instantly show you noticeable effects on the leather. Usually, the cheap products often show products that have a lot of synthetic in them. Such products may help you break in the new glove but may fail to keep the regular condition of the glove’s leather.

So, we recommend oil products that are made up of natural ingredients on a very serious note. Neatsfoot oils are proven very effective for offering regular good conditioning results. It is also why most people 100% neatsfoot oil as their top pick among all the best oils for baseball gloves.

Take your time when you are Buying Baseball Glove’s Oil 

As your glove has to last for several seasons, choose the baseball glove oil very wisely. If you have to play baseball four to five times a week, it will require proper maintenance with the right and perfect baseball glove oil. This oil will set the stage for your baseball glove to feel like new, easily catch baseballs, and serve you well for multiple seasons. All you have to do is make sure to apply your baseball glove’s oil regularly to keep it soft and to keep a perfect level of flexibility, and prevent the glove from cracks.

Some Important Points to Consider 

  • Excessive amounts of oil can damage the life of your glove. It can also shorten the life period of your baseball glove.
  • After application, allow the oil to absorb into the glove’s leather in a warm area for at least 24 hours.
  • It is better to use the glove oil sparingly, as you can always add more.
  • Never apply the oil directly to the glove because it will be very concentrated at the time of application. It is better to apply it to clothes first.
  • Do not use an oven or a microwave to break in your baseball glove. It may damage your glove beyond repair.
  • At the end of the season, properly apply the oil on the glove to keep it away from becoming brittle.
  • Do not use linseed oil or silicon-type spray. These may close the pores of the leather, causing it to harden, dry, and become heavy.

How to Use Baseball Glove Oil

For years, pro baseball players have used baseball glove oil to help them break in their gloves. Brand new gloves and mitts are hard to work with because the leather is new and tough. The oil softens the leather and makes breaking in the glove much easier. Prior to 1980, ballplayers used Neatsfoot oil for their gloves. Over time, however, it was discovered that Neastfoot oil can cause the leather to crumble. After this discovery, a switch to Lanolin oil was made. Lanolin is able to lubricate baseball leather without darkening it or ruining it in the long run.

Most of the glove oil you will find in stores today is Lanolin-based and safe for use. When properly used, the oil will help maintain your glove for up to 15 years. By which time, your glove will still be okay, but it’s a good idea to buy a new one.

How to Apply Glove Oil:

To properly apply glove oil, wear your brand new glove on the hand you will use it on. Next, apply some oil on the main pocket of the glove and spread this oil onto the glove, trying to reach as many parts as possible. You may need to add a bit of oil here and there, but try to apply the oil evenly. Be sure to put some extra oil on the thumb and pinky ends of the glove.

When applying oil, always rub it till you can no longer see it, but be sure you don’t apply too much oil as this will make the leather deteriorate. You know you’ve applied too much oil when the leather is wet or doesn’t absorb the oil quickly. Just a drop or two of oil every couple of square inches is enough.

Oil your glove once a day for the first two weeks after purchase. This will help soften it as you break it in. After these two weeks have passed, you will only need to oil your glove when you see that the leather is getting too loose or is weakening.

Baseball glove oil can help break in your baseball glove as well as help maintain it for a very long time. It is one of the best ways to keep your glove in tip-top shape. Before buying any oil, however, ask your glove manufacturer or retailer which is the best oil to use for your glove.

FAQs

Q: What oil is best for baseball gloves?

The following are the best baseball gloves’ breaking-in oil to make your sports potential and attractive.

  1. Wilson Pro-Stock Glove Conditioner is excellent in breaking in and making your old stiff baseball gloves shiny and attractive.
  2. Hot Glove Cream Conditioner Treatment provides moisturized texture to your palm for catching the baseball effectively.
  3. The Nokona NLT Classic Leather Glove Conditioner is good in softening the baseball glove and cleansing it.

Q: What kind of oil is best for baseball gloves? 

Whenever you go to buy oil for a baseball glove, make sure that it’s water-resistant. Not only is breaking in a baseball glove important, but it also should be effective in preventing cracks. Because of this, oil having beeswax or mink oils is the best oil to break in a baseball glove.

Q: What kind of oil is best for baseball gloves recommended by experts?

Experts usually recommend using natural ingredients for breaking-in baseball gloves. According to experts’ advice, natural oil, conditioners, moisturizer, and vaseline are very effective in molding baseball gloves. Among natural oils, it is highly recommended to break in your baseball gloves with mink oil, tanner’s glove oil, and glove manufacturers oils.

Conclusion

It is essential to take care of your sports equipment, and you might need a glove oil if you haven’t had one yet. The market is full of various products, and undoubtedly you might want to choose the best oil for baseball gloves. Therefore, for your convenience, we have listed above some of the finest products that can help in the effective maintenance of your leather baseball gloves. Whether you want to break in your stiff new baseball glove or fade the cracking in your old one, we have covered all the products that might help you. Now, it is your turn to choose wisely according to your requirements.

This product list contains affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may earn a commission if you use one of these links to make a purchase.