The Five Most Affordable Karting Gloves
Non-FIA karting gloves from £28.80
The most common question when someone is kitting out for outdoor karting is whether the cheapest gloves are worth it. We get it at the counter every spring, and the honest answer is yes, with one condition: how often you kart matters more than the price does.
The five gloves on this page span £28.80 to £50.40. None of them carry CIK or FIA 8877-2022 approval. That is not a criticism, it is a fact that is useful to know before you buy. The Nomex construction is consistent across all five of them. What the extra £21.60 buys you is better palm grip, a more supportive cuff, and a glove that holds its shape through a full outdoor season rather than one that bags out by July.
Garreth's view: if you kart twice a year, start with the K-Rookie at £28.80 and see how you get on. If you are past your first season and already buying your second pair, the OMP KS-3 at £50.40 is where most people end up, and the page will explain why.
- The cheapest genuine karting glove on the site is £28.80, the Sparco K-Rookie, available from XXS to XXL
- None of the five cheapest karting gloves carry CIK or FIA 8877-2022 approval
- The Nomex fire resistance is consistent across all five; what changes is palm quality and construction
- The Alpinestars Tech 1-K Race V2 at £43.20 starts at size S, not XXS, worth confirming before ordering
- The OMP KS-3 2026 at £50.40 is the step Garreth would recommend for anyone past their first season
What is on this list and what is not
The five picks here are the five cheapest karting gloves in the Karting Gloves category on the site, all available to order. Unlike the Racing Gloves category, where a mechanics glove sits ahead of any approved race glove on a price sort, the karting category is clean. Every product here is a genuine karting glove.
None of the five hold CIK or FIA 8877-2022 homologation. That standard appears at £79.20, with the Sparco K-Arrow+, and the question of whether you need it comes down to your series regs or club rules. For arrive-and-drive days, most outdoor club sessions and track days, non-approved gloves are fine and these five are the right starting point.
If your regulations specifically require FIA 8877-2022, the separate guide to the most affordable approved karting gloves covers that range from £79.20 upward.
Five gloves from £28.80 to £50.40
| Glove | Price | Approval | Sizes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco K-Rookie | £28.80 | Non-FIA | XXS to XXL | Entry point, full size range |
| OMP KS-4 Art | £33 | Non-CIK/Non-FIA | XXS to XL | Multiple colourways, up to XL only |
| Sparco K-Attack | £38.40 | Non-CIK/Non-FIA | XXS to XXL | Improved palm grip over K-Rookie |
| Alpinestars Tech 1-K Race V2 | £43.20 | Non-CIK/Non-FIA | S to XXL | No XXS, note size range starts at S |
| OMP KS-3 Kart Gloves 2026 | £50.40 | Non-CIK/Non-FIA | XXS to XL | Current-season OMP mid-tier |
Prices inc VAT, verified on the site 21 September 2026. All five available to order.
Sparco K-Rookie, £28.80. This is Sparco’s genuine entry-level kart glove, not a budget cut-down of something else. The Nomex shell gives it the same basic fire resistance as the pricier options on this list. The palm is a single-layer construction with basic grip printing. It runs XXS to XXL, which is the widest size range on the page, and it comes in four colourways. For a first pair or an occasional-use glove it does the job. The palm will show wear faster than the K-Attack above it, but at £28.80 that is an honest trade-off.
OMP KS-4 Art, £33. £4.20 more than the K-Rookie, and at that price it is essentially a different brand at the same level. OMP’s entry kart glove. The “Art” refers to the graphic colourway options on the back panel. The construction is similar to the K-Rookie tier, single-layer Nomex, basic palm surface. Size runs to XL only, not XXL, which is the one thing to check before ordering.
Sparco K-Attack, £38.40. The first step in this list that earns its money. £9.60 over the K-Rookie and the palm construction is a clear step forward. Sparco uses a more substantial grip surface on the K-Attack and the cuff closure is better designed, which matters for keeping the glove in place through a longer stint. Still non-FIA and still a recreational glove, but built for someone who karts regularly, not occasionally. Same XXS to XXL size range as the K-Rookie.
Alpinestars Tech 1-K Race V2, £43.20. The Alpinestars entry in this range. The Tech 1-K series has been in their kart line for a while and the V2 is the current revision. The fit is close, there is micro-perforation across the back for ventilation, and it holds its shape well across a season. The one thing Cameron will ask about before confirming a size is whether you need XXS. This glove starts at S, not XXS, so anyone with smaller hands should measure before ordering. That is not a flaw, it is just what the sizing is, and it is better to know before the box arrives.
OMP KS-3 Kart Gloves 2026, £50.40. The 2026 update to OMP’s KS-3 line. This is the glove in the range that most regular karters end up buying for their second season. OMP’s KS numbering runs from KS-4 at the entry up through KS-3 and KS-2 to KS-1 at the top, and the KS-3 is the point where the palm and cuff construction become genuinely different from the entry tier, not just incrementally better. Garreth would spend the extra £7.20 over the Alpinestars on this one for anyone who karts more than a few times a year. It is the step that sticks.
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From £28.80 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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The step worth making
Two steps in this list are worth singling out. The first is the K-Rookie to the K-Attack, which costs £9.60 and buys you a better-built palm. If you kart more than three or four times a year, the K-Attack is the minimum that makes sense to run.
The second is the jump to the OMP KS-3 at £50.40. The £7.20 over the Alpinestars is a closer call, and both are good gloves at their price. The reason Garreth would put most people towards the KS-3 is the palm construction on the 2026 model. You notice it most at the end of a long session, when a cheaper glove has started to slip slightly and the KS-3 is still giving you the same feel it did at the start.
Above £50.40 the range moves into different territory. The Sparco K-Arrow+ at £79.20 is the first karting glove on the site with FIA 8877-2022 approval. If your series does not require approval, the extra £28.80 over the KS-3 is not buying you better protection. It is buying you the homologation label and the specific construction that earned it. For most outdoor club karting in the UK that is not a requirement, and this range covers what you actually need.
Getting the size right first time
Karting gloves fit close. The palm measurement is the one that matters: wrap a tape around the widest part of your hand, below the knuckle line, and note the figure in centimetres. OMP and Sparco both size from XXS and their charts are broadly similar at the lower end. The Alpinestars Tech 1-K Race V2 starts at S, so if your palm measurement puts you in XXS, the K-Rookie, KS-4, K-Attack or KS-3 are the right options.
Cameron has sample pairs of most of these in the showroom. If you are between sizes or unsure which brand fits your hand shape, come in and try them on before you order. You can also call 0115 647 8650 and he will walk you through the size charts against your palm measurement before anything is ordered.
Can I use non-FIA karting gloves in a competitive karting series?
It depends on your series rules. Many UK club karting series, outdoor arrive-and-drive events and track days have no specific glove approval requirement. Some national and championship series specify FIA 8877-2022 approved gloves. Check your series regulations or ask your club before buying. If approval is required, the Sparco K-Arrow+ at £79.20 is the entry point on the site.
What is the difference between FIA 8877-2022 and Non-CIK karting gloves?
FIA 8877-2022 is the current FIA homologation standard for karting gloves. Non-CIK means the product does not carry CIK-FIA homologation (the older designating body, now part of the FIA directly). Both mean the same thing in practice for approved series: if your regulations say FIA 8877-2022, you need a glove with that label. The five gloves on this page carry neither. They are built to a karting standard but have not been through the FIA homologation process.
How long should a karting glove last?
It depends on how often you use them. A pair used once or twice a year can last several seasons. A pair used every weekend through a full outdoor season will show palm wear by the end of it, particularly on the entry-level options. When the palm grip surface is worn through or the stitching is failing at the fingers, replace them. A glove that has lost its palm grip is giving you worse feedback at the wheel, not just looking tired.
We stock all five and have samples in the Nottingham Road showroom. Ring us on 0115 647 8650 and Cameron will confirm the right size against your palm measurement before you order, or come in on the day and try them on the counter.
