There’s a new major player in the baseball and softball glove market with 44 Pro Gloves. Coaching High School and Little League Baseball has allowed me to see many gloves. There is no doubt that 44 Pro Gloves are one of the most popular baseball gloves right now. Many players on the teams that I coach have a 44 Pro Glove. I wanted to see for myself, so here is my 44 Pro Gloves Review.
For several years, even decades, the best baseball gloves in my opinion have been Rawlings Pro Preferred, Rawlings Heart of the Hide, and Wilson A2000. Those gloves are still some of the best gloves on the market and will last players many years. The quality of those gloves are top notch and second to none.
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However, those glove models can cost anywhere from $300-$400, which is a high price tag especially for young players and young families to afford, while the 44 gloves come in at a very affordable price.
After seeing all these 44 gloves around multiple baseball teams, and seeing them being used by player in MLB, I wanted to check them out. My glove for the last 20 years has been a Rawlings Heart of the Hide 11.5 inch with a laced web design. This glove has been my baby. Same glove I used through 4 years of college then for several years after that playing Men’s League Baseball and playing catch with my son. I’m sure you can understand that it was hard for me to move on to another glove. But it was time, my Rawlings lasted 20+ years but has tears, has unfixable rips and leather scratches, and has been re-laced and re-repaired several times.
I was very excited to start the process of buying a new glove with custom features. Especially with the option of 44 Pro Gloves to build your own glove with their awesome “Glove Builder” option!
The Glove Building Process
The first step is to head over to 44progloves.com and get started on your customization options. Right away on their home page you will see pictures of MLB players with their custom 44 Pro Glove. Also, be sure to look at the very top of their current promotion! Usually, they offer 25% off or free shipping. I highly suggest signing up for their email newsletter as well so you can be sent offers and deals right away.
If you scroll down, you are immediately sent to their Build Your Ultimate Glove section. Here you have two options:
1) Custom Gloves with the Glove Builder tool
2) Custom Batting Gloves section with the Glove Batting Builder tool.
If you scroll down even more, you will get a list of all Major League Baseball and Professional Softball Players who use 44 Pro Gloves along with a picture of their custom glove. This is a very cool section as it helps see all the various custom styles players have made. What’s even greater about this section is that it has “Customize” buttons under each glove. That way you can use a pro players custom glove as a starting point in building your own customized glove, rather than starting from scratch.
Glove Builder
When you are ready to start the process of building your own glove, click “Glove Builder” button either at the very top of the home page or in the “Build Your Ultimate Glove” section.
It’s that easy! Build your own on our glove builder today. pic.twitter.com/uojhmIVh76
From here, you will arrive at a page to choose either Baseball, Softball, or Batting.
I chose Baseball, since I was building a Baseball Glove. You are then brought to a page to narrow down what type of fielding models to choose from; Infield, Outfield, First Base, Catcher.
Glove Types
Narrow down what position you will play most when starting your Glove Building process. 44 Pro Gloves makes it easy by giving you the 4 main types of baseball gloves:
- Infield
- Outfield
- First Base
- Catcher
When I play baseball, I mostly play pitcher and sometimes outfield. So I chose the Infield option but am picking a slightly larger infield glove. Choose whatever position you plan on playing with this glove.
The next section has a bunch of different types of gloves, 44 Pro Gloves various models. Each one has a different style and some more or less customizable options. From here, you are choosing a style of glove based on your personal preference. The “Highlights” section of each in the description is very helpful in narrowing down what you are looking for in your new glove. For more information on choosing the correct size glove, see our chart for what size baseball glove by age and position.
I checked out the style of several of them but ultimately chose the first option, the “Pro 44” because it’s the Most Customizable Model. From here, just click on the “Customize” button once you’ve decided which Glove base model you want to go with.
Base/Colors/Personalize
This next section is the true Glove Builder process. This is where you can spend a lot of time on customization options. I spent so much time in this section going back and forth on colors and variations. It’s very fun and exciting to do, so take your time! What’s also so great about this process is the picture of the glove updates simultaneously as you are choosing different options.
Base
In the Base tab, you get to choose what size glove, wrist type, and some personalization.
I went with a 11.75” glove and Traditional Wrist Type. There are two options for Wrist Type, and it explains each.
Then you get to choose how you want the 44 logo to appear on your wrist:
I liked the Embroidered Style 44 Logo. I have seen a lot of the Embroidered Flag Logo’s as well, and they are very cool. As you can see, some personalized options come at a slightly additional cost.
You can then outline the 44 Logo if you wish:
And then you can add a Finger Hood or Pad if you like. I added a pad, since I like to use my glove with my index finger out.
You then get to pick where you want the Pad located. I went with Index Finger since that’s the finger that sticks out of my glove.
After that, you can choose to have an Inlay on your Glove or not by browsing the inlay options. It’s not my preference, but here is a look at the difference. You can also see the Index Finger Pad added.
No Inlay:
Inlay:
Next you get to choose your Lace Length, Normal or Long. I went with Normal as I do not anticipate needing to tighten or re-lace my glove anytime soon.
Followed by getting to choose a Kip Palm Liner. I didn’t think it was necessary for me for the additional $15. If I was using the glove daily like a high school or college player, for multiple hours per day, I’d probably add this to add life to the leather where my palm will sweat.
Next, we get to a Wrist Lining option, which I think is a very cool option. Traditionally, most gloves have fur along the wrist to help with sweat and moisture. 44 Pro Gloves offers a Moisture Wicking Performance Wrist Pad. I decided to go with that pad over the fur since I’ve always had fur and want to try something different. Plus, I sweat a lot and maybe this will eliminate the need for a wrist band. And it comes at no extra cost!
Then we are offered Tricolor Lacing for an additional $10. I almost went with this option but after playing with the color options, I didn’t love how my glove looked with 3 different lace colors. But I do think it would look very cool with certain styles.
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Next we are offered Gill Lacing, for the thumb and pinky. It’s to have the laces on the thumb and pinky look like fish gills rather than traditional lacing. I’ve never had this, and personally, I love the look. So I went with it.
Here’s a great video that also does a great job breaking down the unboxing process of these epic custom made gloves:
Web Design
Now we get to arguably the most important part of the glove to decide on; the web. There are 34 different glove web designs! This part of my glove build took a very long time. It’s a big decision! See below for a quick scroll through each design and what each looks like. 44 Pro Gloves has some impressive and unique options for your baseball gloves web design.
🚨 8 NEW WEB OPTIONS ARE NOW ON https://t.co/XeHK7YcgJn!!🚨 Which is your favorite? pic.twitter.com/5IzYLUQlHT
Ultimately, I went with the Mod Loop Web. I’ve always enjoyed laces on the web but also wanted something still closed, so the baseball is not visible when I’m pitching. I also like the laced web when playing outfield.
Next you pick which hand you throw with, Left or Right. Followed by Glove Stiffness. For Glove Stiffness, they offer Pro Stiff: 90-95% player break in. Or Standard 55-60% player break in. This is where you decide how well you want the glove broken in when you receive it.
I wanted to do most of my glove break in, so I chose Pro Stiff.
That completes the first tab in the Glove Builder process, “Base”.
Colors
Now that you have the base of your glove set, it’s time to choose your gloves colors. You can go back to the Base options at any time to see how different designs look with different colors added.
The Colors portion of the Glove Build process is also a long process. There are a ton of options! You get to choose colors for these pieces of your glove:
- Binding
- Finger Pad
- Gill Laces
- Home Plate
- Laces
- Leather 1 through 8
- Logo
- Palm
- Stitching
- Web
- Welting
- Wrist
As you can imagine, and try for yourself, there are hundreds of varieties you can make your glove. I think I made at least 5 different gloves and saved them to my cart to go back later and fine tune until I finally narrowed it down to the ultimate glove for me.
After much back and forth and dozens of color variations, I purchased my 44 Pro Glove! My gloves final colors:
- Binding: Black
- Finger Pad: Black
- Gill Laces: Black
- Home Plate: Black
- Laces: Black
- Leather 1 through 8: Blonde
- Logo Color: Blonde
- Palm: Blonde
- Stitching: Black
- Web: Blonde
- Welting: Blonde
- Wrist: Blonde
A very simple color scheme but I think it’s beautiful!
Personalize
The final part of the 44 Pro Glove Builder process is the Personalize option. First, you get to choose if you want a Thumb Log/Graphic and the type and size of it.
I liked the original Home Plate Logo, so I went with that.
Next, you get to choose the palm stamp. I also went original here and kept the 44 Logo. If I was on a high school or college team, I’d probably go with the custom number. If you choose the Graphic option, the next step will bring you to a list of picture options, in the Palm Graphic section. I think this is a very cool feature, especially for youth gloves!
After this, you get to choose text you would like on the thumb and the color of the text. I went with my name and colored it white.
Next you can choose if you also want custom text on the palm of the glove. I decided not to.
After this, you choose the text font. Either Script or Block. I chose script, as you can see in the picture above. Below is an example of block text.
The next feature to personalize is if you want a flag. Dozens of States and Country Flags. I’ve seen this on many 44 Pro Gloves and it looks really cool. I decided no though.
Finally, the last part of the 44 Pro Glove Building process is if you want to make a note to them of any special instructions.
Add to Cart!
Cart
Once your Glove is added to your cart, you get a chance to review all the options one last time before you get to the order summary.
If everything looks good, Proceed to Checkout to then enter your promo code, contact and shipping information, and payment
Order Confirmed
After you pay, 44 Pro Gloves does an incredible job of keeping you up to date with the status of your Glove Build and where it’s at in the Glove Building process. I was very excited whenever I received the email update regarding the status of my 44 Pro Glove being made.
The status of my glove and where it was at in the glove building process was sent to me weekly by email. Once your order is placed, 44 Pro Gloves gives you an outline of the timing of the glove building process. You receive a weekly email telling you exactly where your glove is at in the glove building process.
Stages of Production for Custom Gloves
Payment received
Order details are sent to the production team.
Stage 1: Mold Cut ~7 days
Your order is assigned to a craftsman who will gather the materials and will then cut the glove leather parts from the hide. Once cut leather stampings will be applied.
Stage 2: Embroidery ~7 days
All custom text, logos, additional graphics, and flags are stitched into the glove.
Stage 3: Stitching ~7 days
All the individual parts are stitched together to form your glove.
Stage 4: Forming ~7 days
The glove is laced and then shaped and formed to pro spec.
Stage 5: QC Check ~7 days
Glove is reviewed for quality and order accuracy by our QC team.
Stage 6: Shipping Department ~7 days
Glove is transferred to our shipping team to be prepped and packed for shipment. Once your order is shipped you will be emailed a tracking number
44 Pro Gloves stayed true to their word with the timing of each stage. My order was placed on 11/01/2022. I received an update on 11/02/2022 that my glove was in Stage 1. On 11/08/2022, my glove moved to Stage 2. On 11/15/2022, my glove moved to Stage 3. Followed by Stage 4 on 11/22/2022, Stage 5 on 11/29/2022, and then quickly to Stage 6 on 12/01/2022. My glove was shipped on 12/02/2022 and an email with tracking was received from Fed Ex. My glove arrived in all it’s glory on 12/04/2022.
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From time of order and payment, to my glove being received took just over one month total. Which I found to be very quick for a custom-made baseball glove.
My 44 Pro Glove-Reviewed
I was so excited to open to box when my 44 Pro Glove arrived at my doorstep. I didn’t realize at the time that it would come in its own carrying bag that says “Custom Handcrafted for CJ Prutch”. It’s a very nice black cinch bag with gold writing and a huge gold 44 logo. My glove was wrapped in plastic and was so shiny, clean, and stiff! The smell and look of fresh leather when I took it out of the plastic was just magnificent.
The cinch bag came with my name embroidered on it. It’s made of a cloth fabric and rubberized or synthetic leather bottom. The writing throughout the cinch bag is stitched on.
I immediately fell in love with my 44 Pro Glove. Everything it looked like online when building it was exactly what it looks like in person.
Leather
The leather of my glove feels and smells like high quality leather. It’s strong, thick, and tough. It’s only been a couple months of use, so we’ll have to wait and see how it holds up in the long run. However, I put the glove on my hand, play catch with it, or pat it to break it in, I can tell the Leather is high quality.
My glove leather felt as brand new as possible when I opened it. So, the 90-95% glove stiffness option is true. It felt as though it had zero break in.
The Blonde colors of the leather is very appealing. It’s a nice soft blonde color that looks so clean and pretty. The leather welting, binding, and laces all just popped too. each thick and sturdy and all have a high quality feel. Honestly, the best way to describe how I felt about the look of my glove is “sexy”.
The index finger pad on the 44 Pro Glove is thick leather that covers a large area in case your finger moves around and while most of my use is when I pitch this model could be perfect for other infielders.
Having a medium or deep pocket is common in a baseball glove because it’s the normal depth for infielder and outfield gloves. The pocket on my 44 Pro Gloves feel medium as expected but most importantly, it feels strong and durable. It’s a perfect size pocket for a me as a pitcher and will work well enough in the outfield if needed.
You can see the inside of the glove, the palm, has the 44 Logo and “fourty four” in cursive along the inside part of the wrist.
Laces
The Laces of a glove are one of the most important pieces of a quality glove. That’s because the laces are a crucial part of your gloves look. More importantly, the laces are what keeps your glove together. So you need high quality laces that also look good. 44 Pro Gloves hit it out of the park here. The laces on my 44 Pro Glove stand out. They are thick, deep color, and feel extremely durable. The Gill Lacing on the thumb and pinky looks cool to me. It’s a different design that works well with the style of the glove.
Here we have a look at the thick laces and how well the web is laces. You can also see home plate that I colored black with the “44”in blonde. And you can also see how thick the embroidered “44” Logo is along the wrist. The 44 Logo really stands out. It’s raised stitching that really pops.
Web
I absolutely love the Mod Loop Web I picked. It’s closed enough for a pitcher but deep enough for an outfielder. I just love the design of the laces and how tightly wrapped they are.
View from the outside of the web.
And a view of the web from the inside pocket part of my glove.
Embroidering and Stitching
What also stands out on my 44 Pro Glove is the embroidering. The 44 logo on the wrist is huge and raised up high. I like the soft feel of it and that it’s also bold. The stitching around the glove is also nice and seems durable so far. I really like how my name looks embroidered onto the thumb of my glove. It’s subtle and clean, and doesn’t stand out too much.
A view of the finger pad in use along with another view of the embroidered 44 Logo on my wrist.
View of my name stitched in white script along the thumb. You can also see the gill lacing on the thumb and more views of the intricate web lacing.
Moisture Wicking Performance Wrist Pad
I’m really happy I went with the Moisture Wicking Performance Pad instead of the traditional fur. I do like the fur, but I’ve had it with every glove I’ve owned. I switched to the moisture wicking performance wrist pad just to try something new. it’s very comfortable and soft. And so far, it hasn’t felt wet from sweating.
FAQ’s
What glove care products should you use?
44 Pro Gloves does not recommend using any products besides their 44 Pro Glove Rub. They believe other products may damage the leather or dye color of your glove.
Which glove series is best for you?
44 Pro Gloves recommends the Signature Series for all pro, college, and high school players. Or anyone who takes baseball very seriously. Their Classic Series is great for entry level and casual baseball players. For youth, they recommend the Youth 44 Signature Series that still offers the same high quality leather but more suited to fit younger players.
What age is best for Youth 44 Pro Gloves?
They recommend the Youth 44 Pro Glove models for played aged 8-12.
How do you break in your new 44 Pro Glove?
There are a ton of videos and articles around to help break in your new glove. As I stated earlier with my preference, 44 Pro Gloves feels the same. The best way to break in your new glove is lots of good old fashioned catch. After catch, apply 44 Pro Glove Rub to the pockets and outer leather then place a baseball inside the glove. Then wrap it with an Ace bandage or bungee cord. Never place your glove inside an oven or microwave as this can severely damage the leather of your glove.
Once my glove is ordered, how long does it take to ship?
As mentioned earlier, it takes about 6 weeks from time of order to receiving your 44 Pro Glove. Please review the “Stages of Production for Custom Gloves” section in this article.
Once my glove is shipped, how long will it take to arrive?
Shipping in the USA takes anywhere from 2-5 business days. International shipping takes about 7 business days.
Quality and Expectations
Every last detail of my glove was exactly how I wanted it. The 44 Pro Glove itself was so much better than I expected. I could tell right when I took it out of the bag and put the glove on my hand that this glove was made of high-quality leather and had a lot of love and care put into making it. The leather is soft, yet strong and durable. The laces might be my favorite part, as they are thick and stand out. The laces give the glove such a great look. The other little things like the home plate and 44 Logo are also really nice, and the welting and binding are also very strong and high quality.
When I play catch with my glove, and work on breaking it in, it feels very durable. It hasn’t had any issues as far as quick scratching or color fading either. The laces still feel very strong and the leather, as it is getting softer, still feels durable. I can’t wait to put it on every day. One of the players on the team I coach has a 44 gloves catchers mitt and also loves it and also has one of the padded inner gloves for extra padding.
44 Pro Glove vs Wilson and Rawlings
How does the 44 Pro Glove hold up against a Wilson A2000 or Rawlings Pro Preferred? What about against a Wilson A2K or Rawlings Heart of the Hide? Each of the Wilson and Rawlings are the top two models for those brands. I have a Wilson A2K and have owned a Wilson A2000 in the past. My glove for the last 20 years was a Rawlings Heart of the Hide. Both gloves are top of the line, arguably the best glove on the market. So far, my 44 Pro Glove is holding up. But I need to play with me new glove for several seasons before making a true comparison. My Rawlings went through many season, hundreds of games and practices, yet still held up. That’s tough to beat.
Some things that 44 Pro Gloves already does very well compared to the Wilson and Rawlings are the amount of customizable options and value. You can’t really customize a Wilson A2K or A2000 but you can with every 44 Pro Glove Model. Also, Wilson A2K’s and Rawlings Heart of the Hide cost around $250-$300. While Wilson A2000’s and Rawlings Pro Preferred can cost anywhere between $300-$400. A 44 Pro Glove will cost you under $225.
I also like the stiffness of a brand new 44 Pro Glove compared to a Wilson A2K or A2000. Both Wilsons feel too soft brand new, while my 44 Pro Glove feels very stiff. The laces of my 44 Pro Glove also seems stronger than that of my Rawlings. My Rawlings had to be re-laced several times over the year. Which is common, but the laces on my new glove already feel more durable than any on my Rawlings ever did.
Final Review of my 44 Pro Review Glove
I could not wait to play with it and start breaking it in. Since my 44 Pro Glove arrival, I have been wearing it each day, throwing a ball into it to help break it in. Pounding it with a small bat to break in the leather, and following pro tips on the best way to break in my glove.
My favorite way to break in a glove is as natural as possible and the break in period for this glove was relatively short. To throw a baseball in it constantly and to play tons of catch with it. At night wrap a baseball in it and let it sit. I will eventually throw on some glove rub or conditioner to keep up the quality of the leather and to help break it in. That’s about as far as I will go with breaking in a new glove.
I’ve now had my 44 Pro Glove for about 3 months and couldn’t be happier. I play catch with it every day and have found myself just wearing it around the house a lot to get it fitted to my hand. I absolutely love the look and feel of my glove. I love the quality of the leather. And love the thickness and color of the laces along with the attention to detail in the lacing of the web. The stiffness of my glove is as stiff as it can get, and the embroidering and stitches really stands out.
I also think it’s a great touch by 44 Pro Gloves to send your custom glove in a custom bag with your name on it. It’s nice to have to carry around and to help preserve the life of the glove.
I was able to get this glove for 25% off at the time, bringing the total of my glove with shipping at under $200.00. To me, that’s a steal. Most high quality baseball gloves are over $300, some near $400. I spent half that on a glove that is just as good of quality as it’s competitors and was able to custom build it with dozens upon dozens of options. 44 Pro Gloves is constantly offering Promo Codes, so be sure to sign up for their email newsletter along with periodically checking their website or social media pages for promotions.
If you are in the market for a new baseball or softball glove, and quality plus value is a top priority for you, I urge you to give 44 Pro Gloves a try. It’s a very fun process to build your own custom glove and even more exciting when it arrives. Your 44 Glove will be better than you could’ve dreamed of. Plus, if you are trying to introduce baseball to young players, getting them a sweet glove is a great way to get them excited about the sport. We hope this 44 gloves review gives you a good overview of the entire process and if you have any questions feel free to shoot us an email.
Source: https://t-tees.com
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