My 4 year old is playing tball this year. He already has a fall and spring season under his belt. He’s shows great interest and is really starting to excel.

He has one of those cheap tball bundle gloves we originally got from dicks and he still can’t close that synthetic BS material. I’ve poured oil in it, under mattresses etc with no go.

I’m ready to purchase him a nice glove. What would y’all recommend in the 10”-10.5” range that’ll actually break in?

GomerJr started with this one and had good luck with it. He got 7 seasons out of it. Basically broken in from the get go and softens up even more pretty quickly. You can also get it in black/tan. I’d probably start with 11 or 11.5 personally

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/...diyythtrplstrpbgld/20adiyythtrplstrpbgld

Don’t over oil or really use oil on a leather glove. The Nakona conditioner and probably others too does not make the glove heavy like oil will.

Nokona NLT Classic Leather Glove Conditioner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B84ZYM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_3R2GA9X968ETXD0X3TKF

Big fan of Nakona gloves but expensive. They are best purchased used and broke in some if not mistreated. They are stiff when new and need a ton of playing catch to break them in. Best for a player a few years older probably unless you can score a youth 9”. We used to trade with Play It Again Sports in Hoover quite a bit back in the day.

I'd buy a good used one n save the time of break in...I'm looking myself now

Mizuno power close. 10.5 inch Prospect.

Shoeless Joe gloves makes some small gloves designed for youth. Pretty reasonable and good
Leather. Would last a few years for sure.

Yep, buy a nice used one that’s broken in off of eBay. You can buy 2-3 for way less than a new one.
Nothing worse than a new glove.
The shoeless Joe ones I’ve seen DO seem to be very flexible and basically broken in “new” but dang they were high!

Look at Bradley gloves. They are designed for youth hands

Appreciate the help.

I just ordered a Mizuno power close. 10.5 inch used from eBay for $20.

I’m sure it’s better than the one he’s using, and if it gets lost at the park since he’s 4 it isn’t the end of the world.

I had an Akadema 2 tone trapeze that took 2 seasons to break in. It got me all the way through high school. Loved that glove.

Not to hijack this thread but any recommendations for a 7 year old? We’ve been in the same cheap dicks glove since he was 5. Would very much prefer to buy used.

May look at Bradley Gloves (Igniter Series), they are built specifically for a kid’s hand.

They make the gloves mention an many sizes. I just looked on eBay.

My sons have had them all. Best thing is to let your son try some on at the stores to see what he likes. nokona will last forever and the leather is like saddle leather, a bit heavier and stiffer than most, but excellent quality. Wilson makes good gloves, but neither of my boys likes the pocket or the palm. They both settled on Rawlings pro preferred gloves. They are very good quality, a bit lighter and feel very good on the hand. Mizuno makes a good glove, just don’t know about the long term durability of them. 44 pro is pretty new to the market, unsure of those.
We have only used nokona conditioner on any of them, best stuff made for keeping the glove conditioned.
You can buy whatever your budget allows, but a higher quality glove will last a long long time. I would go with all leather also.

My son is 8U and I bought him a 11.5” Wilson A900 Pedroia fit (fits small hands). He loves it. Great quality glove but doesn’t break the bank

Thanks Antler.

Great advice there. With him being 4 he really doesn’t understand all of that yet. I just know that he can get the ball in the pocket but drops it cause he can’t close it.

Maybe the mizuno can take him to be 6 or 7 and then we can go down that road.

I was fixing to pull the trigger last night on a really nice high dollar glove, but remembered all the times he left his stuff all over the dug out, field, etc.

So I think me buying a used mizuno from eBay will hopefully work out. If not, what the hell - I’m only out $20.

eBay is your friend. +1 on the dp15 for smaller hands. have prob bought a half dozen Rawlings hoh and a2000 over the years.
newer models have a super skin option that are even lighter.

imo for 4-5yos, I’d look for the lightest best made power close synthetic. they’re usually as much about the snacks at the end and as much about the parents!

Like others have mentioned, Bradley.

Get the glove steamed too. Most sporting goods places will do it and it will make a world of difference.

An oiled glove will hold the ball better too, especially for a kid.
Oil it regularly