Can American Ninja Warrior Competitors Wear Gloves? What's Allowed on Their Hands

Quick answer: no gloves on American Ninja Warrior. An NBC spokesperson confirmed the ban to Reality Blurred in 2018, and the reason is simple: most obstacles are held with bare fingers. What competitors can do is use chalk, and the sport's amateur league also allows athletic tape over rips and tears. Everything else on the body, from costumes to boots, is up to the competitor.

That split is the whole trick to dressing for a ninja course. The hands are regulated. The feet and torso are free. So every dollar of grip advice goes into the two things you are allowed to change.

Can American Ninja Warrior competitors wear gloves?

No. Reality Blurred asked NBC in 2018 and was told contestants cannot wear gloves in competition. The logic is that obstacles like bars, ledges and rings are meant to be held with fingers and upper-body strength alone, and a glove would change how hard that is. The same article noted the flip side: apart from gloves, there is no clothing restriction, and one competitor wore white rubber boots in the Dallas finals that year.

What can competitors use on their hands instead?

One caution on sources. The chalk, tape and chalk-bag lines above come from the UNAA rulebook, which governs that league's events, not the NBC show. NBC has said publicly only that gloves are out. The two rulebooks agree on gloves, and a ninja gym will apply the UNAA version, so it is the useful one for anyone training.

Why do ninjas tape their hands if gloves are banned?

Because skin is the limiting part. Repeated grip on metal and rope tears calluses and blisters, and tape covers the tear so the next run is possible. The UNAA rulebook lists athletic tape for exactly that: covering rips. It is a repair, not a grip aid, which is why it passes where a glove does not.

What does a ninja hand kit cost?

These are similar products, not what any competitor is known to use; NBC publishes no gear credits. Prices were read on each brand's own site, Sept. 29, 11:55 p.m. ET.

Prices checked on blackdiamondequipment.com and metoliusclimbing.com. Athletic tape, the other allowed item, is a few dollars a roll at any pharmacy; we did not price a specific roll from a brand site.

What do ninjas wear on the rest of their body?

Whatever works, since the rules are silent. In practice that means fitted, stretchy tops that will not snag on an obstacle, and shorts or pants that do not catch on a bar mid-swing. Shoes are the free choice where the sport gets creative; our American Ninja Warrior shoes guide covers the thin-soled picks, and the what ninjas wear overview covers the tops and bottoms.

Do other competition shows ban gear the same way?

Not really. Survivor controls wardrobe from the top, which we cover in what shoes Survivor contestants wear. Amazing Race lets racers pack what they like within a one-bag limit; see what shoes Amazing Race racers wear. Ninja Warrior is unusual in regulating one body part and leaving the rest alone. For muddy, wet courses where grip is a different problem, read what to wear for a mud run, or see what The Challenge competitors wear on their feet.

To work out what someone is wearing on any show, start with how to find workout clothes you see on TV, or browse all competition shows.

FAQ

Can you wear grip gloves on Ninja Warrior? No. NBC has said gloves are not allowed in competition.

Is chalk allowed on American Ninja Warrior? Chalk is allowed under the UNAA rulebook, which covers the sport's amateur events. We did not find an NBC statement on chalk specifically.

Can competitors wear costumes? Yes. NBC has said there is no clothing restriction beyond gloves, and past competitors have worn costumes and boots.

Is there a sticky grip product that works legally? The UNAA rulebook bans sticky finger products, so the answer there is no.

Sources

• NBC gloves ruling, costumes and boots: Reality Blurred, Aug. 2018.
• Chalk, chalk bag and tape rules: UNAA rulebook, read Sept. 29, 2026.
• Season 18 finish and renewal for seasons 19 and 20: NBC Insider and Deadline, as cited in our shoes guide, read Sept. 29, 2026.
• Product prices: blackdiamondequipment.com and metoliusclimbing.com, checked Sept. 29, 2026, 11:55 p.m. ET.
• Video: American Ninja Warrior on YouTube.