In this post we wanted to discuss what is the difference between the grips. We get a lot of questions about Mega Grip vs. Giga Grip vs. what kind of grip should I get? We rank them in our experience from our Pro's feedback and durability testing and Contact and West Coast's Exclusive Supreme is the best of the lot!
There are many different types of Glove latex, but the 4 most common are Super Soft, Mega Grip and Giga Grip. Also it is important to note the THICKNESSof the latex. Many companies will use a particular latex, however the thickness will vary. 4mm Latex is generally ideal, while 6mm Latex is often perceived as too thick and gives the feeling of pillows on the hand. As a general note many cheap gloves contain 2mm latex - its important to check the thickness, as this is directly tied to how the gloves will wear and how long they last! West Coast also works with our German Partner to develop new latex's, that are All-Weather, Durable and incredibly Sticky. Remember not all Latex is the same- don't be fooled by something because it looks similar.
Super Soft: Are generally the standard latex used in most gloves, the thickness varies greatly. Its a good latex and has less chemical treatment than others. It is made from a harder compound and can stand up well, even though it is called 'super soft', but does lack stickiness of other latex gloves. It also does well without needing to be dampened, thus making it a good middle of summer latex.
Mega Grip: This is the most common 'high performance' glove latex. It performs well when lightly wet and is a bit harder than Giga Grip. It is a good latex, and performs well and is usually easier to find and more cost effective than Giga Grip. It does well with a bit of dampening and does undergo a chemical treatment. This is the most common Colored Latex you will see in the world today, aside from West Coast. This is a decent training latex, but is not game worthy.
Giga Grip:This offers good gripping properties due to a combination of natural softness along with its chemically enhanced treatment. It must be kept slightly damp to provides the good performance. It is a good all-around latex, it is a great entry level pro latex, years ago it was a Pro Latex, however with advances in Latex Technology it is not up to Pro Standards today.
Supreme Latex: Supreme Latex and its cousin Contact Latex are essentially Race Cars of Latex. They are High Performance, High Quality and usually very High Price compared to other latex. They are good in Wet or Dry, need to be washed more frequently as they are sticky and can get dirty faster. It ALWAYS comes with a Plastic Protective covering on the latex, if it doesn't have plastic on the palm it is not a premium latex. It can now come in colors, though it is rare and more expensive (and the palms again must have protective film on them.) It is good on Turf and Grass, in both rain and dry. Supreme and Contact will give you an edge in your game.
Supreme Latex traditionally has been used only in VERY HIGH END $150+top of the line gloves by companies that do use it. West Coast GK currently uses this as our standard Latex.