This is where things get a little tricky. While you what to make sure that they have enough padding to keep your hands protected, you don’t want so much that they limit your range of motion in your hands. If you don’t have a full range of motion, you are going to be prone to making clumsy mistakes. And clumsy mistakes on the top of a mountain can break bones. A lot of users prefer to use leather options that virtually have zero padding. The leather is great because inhibits rope burns and minor scrapes. However, padding in the knuckles and on the palms will keep you from dunking your hands in a cold bucket of ice water at the end of the day.