Gloves are what teammates notice first when you inspect a knife. Spearmint with Tiger Tooth usually looks intentional; a strong blade with mismatched or heavily worn hands weakens the whole loadout.
This 2026 editorial gloves tier list ranks 28 CS2 glove finishes for in-game look, inspect wear, and knife pairing. Field-Tested reference prices are lowest Field-Tested listings on take.skin as of late August 2026 (rounded). Markets move — open the skin page for live offers. Tiers are editorial — not sorted by price.
CS2 Gloves Tier List Overview (2026)
Board rendered with the OBPAI Tier List API (custom mode, English labels, theme: paper, 16:9). Chinese and Russian editions of this article use locale-native boards (official finish names).
| Tier | Designation | Gloves Included |
|---|---|---|
| S | Iconic staples | Pandora's Box · Vice · Superconductor · Crimson Kimono · Spearmint · Fade |
| A | Elite pairings | Omega · Hedge Maze · Emerald Web · King Snake · Crimson Weave · Cool Mint · Arid |
| B | Solid daily drivers | Snow Leopard · Imperial Plaid · Polygon · Finish Line · Nocts · Amphibious · Marble Fade |
| C | Niche / theme-locked | Slingshot · Jade · Black Tie · Foundation · Case Hardened |
| D | Filler finishes | Transport · Lt. Commander · Blood Pressure |
Related tools on take.skin: Best CS2 Gloves · Cheap CS2 Gloves · Glove price tier list · CS2 Knife Finishes Tier List 2026.
How We Rank Gloves
| Factor | Rewards | Punishes |
|---|---|---|
| Lobby iconicity | Instant recognition on inspect (Vice, Spearmint, Pandora's Box) | Camo that reads as "default hands+" |
| Source 2 materials | Clean panels, clear contrast under map lighting | Muddy weave, low contrast, dull inspect |
| Knife synergy | Pairs with several common finishes (Fade, Doppler, Lore, Vanilla…) | Only one narrow color match |
| Wear / pattern depth | Mid Field-Tested still readable; Kimono / Case Hardened chase when screenshots pay off | Ugly abrasions early in FT; RNG that only frustrates |
| Liquidity | Steady Field-Tested / Minimal Wear interest on take.skin | Thin vanity-only day-to-day demand |
Tier S — Iconic Staples
The finishes most players recognize on inspect. Strong pairing range and steady demand — not automatically “best value.”
| Gloves | Field-Tested price | Look, pairing, and inspect notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pandora's Box | ~$3,520 | Purple Sport benchmark. Common with Doppler Phase 2 / Black Pearl and Ultraviolet. On FT listings we prefer under ~0.22 before thumb-mesh gray shows up clearly. |
| Vice | ~$410 | Magenta/cyan Sport panels. Default match for Fade / Marble Fade / many Dopplers. Strong color hold across bright maps. |
| Superconductor | ~$1,970 | Slate + cyan Sport. Standard Sapphire / blue Doppler pair. Palms often still look clean near mid FT. |
| Crimson Kimono | ~$1,710 | Pattern buy. reference price is a typical listing — fuller red on both hands trades higher. Match Ruby, Slaughter, Crimson Web. |
| Spearmint | ~$2,130 | White Moto with mint/red piping. Classic with Tiger Tooth, Gamma Doppler, Lore. Inspect knuckle shells for black scuffs. |
| Fade | ~$180 | Specialist gradient plates. Best S-Tier value if you want Fade language without Spearmint/Pandora money. |
Buy notes: Vice and Spearmint are the safest “known quantity” purchases. Kimono is screenshots-first. Pandora's Box and Superconductor are expensive flexes — do not force them onto a mid-budget knife.
Tier A — Elite Pairings
Strong theme anchors. Some cost more than S-Tier icons (Hedge Maze); tier here tracks look + pairing, not sticker price.
| Gloves | Field-Tested price | Look, pairing, and inspect notes |
|---|---|---|
| Omega | ~$180 | Black/yellow Sport geometry. Works with Tiger Tooth, Lore, Black Laminate. |
| Hedge Maze | ~$4,200 | Green maze Sport. Natural with Gamma Emerald / green Lore. Scarce — price reflects supply, not an automatic “above Vice” flex. |
| Emerald Web | ~$1,640 | Green Specialist webs. Confirm web placement on both hands via screenshots. |
| King Snake | ~$135 | White Driver. Vanilla / Damascus Steel. Prefer lower FT (~0.18 or better) — knuckles gray early. |
| Crimson Weave | ~$1,410 | Red woven Driver. Autotronic, Slaughter, Ruby. Leather hides light wear better than white Drivers. |
| Cool Mint | ~$1,320 | Mint/gray Moto. Spearmint-adjacent for blue/cyan or cleaner Vanilla themes. |
| Arid | ~$1,110 | Desert tan Sport. Source 2 warm contrast; Lore / Tiger Tooth workhorse. A-Tier utility — not S-Tier lobby fame. |
Buy notes: Cool Mint when you want Spearmint energy at a different price point. Emerald Web needs a green knife plan. Arid is the warm-palette daily pick — do not confuse its FT price with “filler camo” status from CS:GO habits.
Tier B — Solid Daily Drivers
Clear identity, slightly narrower pairing than A.
| Gloves | Field-Tested price | Look, pairing, and inspect notes |
|---|---|---|
| Snow Leopard | ~$270 | Soft white/gray Driver. Vanilla / Urban Masked. Check knuckles on inspect. |
| Imperial Plaid | ~$140 | Purple/blue tartan Driver. Ultraviolet / Freehand alternative to Pandora money. |
| Polygon | ~$105 | Blue geometric Moto. Tough wear; fits blue rifle themes. |
| Finish Line | ~$85 | Racing check Moto. Fun theme glove, not a universal pair. |
| Nocts | ~$590 | Near-black Sport so loud knives stay the focus. Prefer listings with quieter spotting. |
| Amphibious | ~$295 | Blue/green Sport. Doppler Phase 4 / Bright Water adjacent. |
| Marble Fade | ~$130 | Specialist fire-and-ice plates. Direct echo of knife Marble Fade at entry cost. |
Buy notes: Nocts when the knife is the star. Amphibious and Polygon are theme builders — check the full loadout in the generator, not only the knife slot.
Tier C — Niche / Theme-Locked
Fine gloves. The knife usually carries the screenshot.
| Gloves | Field-Tested price | Look, pairing, and inspect notes |
|---|---|---|
| Slingshot | ~$350 | Red mesh on tan Sport. Watch thumb fray at higher FT. |
| Jade | ~$65 | Green Broken Fang bridge for Gamma crafts without Emerald Web money. |
| Black Tie | ~$120 | Formal black/white Driver. Autotronic / Printstream-friendly. |
| Foundation | ~$1,110 | Utility white/gray/orange Specialist. Price ≠ tier: FT can sit near Arid while the look stays niche (Asiimov / industrial themes). |
| Case Hardened | ~$55 | Hydra pattern chase. Buy blue wrist/knuckle coverage from screenshots. |
Buy notes: Foundation is the clearest reminder that take.skin FT price is an anchor, not a grade. Case Hardened gloves follow the same rule as Case Hardened knives: pattern first.
Tier D — Filler Finishes
You have gloves. Screenshots rarely improve.
| Gloves | Field-Tested price | Look, pairing, and inspect notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transport | ~$35 | Yellow/gray utility Moto; low contrast in most knife plans. |
| Lt. Commander | ~$105 | Olive Specialist camo; limited synergy. |
| Blood Pressure | ~$115 | Burgundy Moto that often reads muddy in dark map lighting. |
Buy notes: Use D only for a cheap complete loadout or a joke craft. Common upgrades before S-Tier: Cool Mint, Slingshot, Nocts, or Specialist Fade.
Knife + Glove Synergy Cheat Sheet
Editorial pairing shortcuts — preview before you buy:
| Knife finish line | Higher-budget pair | Value / mid pair |
|---|---|---|
| Doppler (Sapphire / blue phases) | Sport Superconductor | Sport Amphibious · Moto Polygon |
| Doppler (Ruby / red phases) | Specialist Crimson Kimono | Driver Crimson Weave · Sport Slingshot |
| Gamma Doppler (Emerald / green) | Sport Hedge Maze | Specialist Emerald Web · Broken Fang Jade |
| Fade / Marble Fade | Sport Vice | Specialist Fade · Specialist Marble Fade |
| Tiger Tooth / Lore | Moto Spearmint | Sport Omega · Sport Arid |
| Vanilla / clean industrial | Driver King Snake | Sport Nocts · Driver Black Tie |
Buyer's Checklist (Practical)
- Inspect in 3D — Prefer in-game inspect or loadout preview over a single 2D thumbnail. Sport/Moto wear shows on finger ridges first.
- Left palm / right thumb — Those surfaces dominate idle and knife inspect angles.
- Pattern finishes — Kimono and Case Hardened: pay premiums only after you have compared real screenshots of both hands.
- Agent sleeves — Flared Moto/Specialist cuffs can clip bulky agent sleeves; check CT and T agents you actually use.
Editorial ranking by TakeSkin Editorial Team. Reference prices: take.skin Field-Tested listings, late August 2026. Not financial advice.
