Skyrim - Gauntlets
Gauntlets are the armor worn on the hands. Some sets call them bracers or gloves, but they fill the same slot. They are one of the four armor slots, next to the chest, the head and the feet.
Every armor material has a pair. Hide Bracers and Iron Gauntlets come early in the game. Dragonscale Gauntlets and Daedric Gauntlets come at the end. Light gauntlets train the Light Armor Skill, and heavy gauntlets train the Heavy Armor Skill.
Gauntlets add a modest amount of armor, but they matter in other ways. A full set needs gauntlets to unlock Custom Fit, Well Fitted and the Matching Set perks. The hand slot also takes many useful enchantments for weapons, crafting and theft.
Armor Categories
Best Gauntlets
Daedric Gauntlets are the strongest heavy gauntlets in the base game. Dragonplate Gauntlets and Ebony Gauntlets follow close behind. Dragonscale Gauntlets are the strongest light pair, with Glass Gauntlets just below.
The Dragonborn add-on adds Stalhrim gauntlets in both light and heavy forms. Both rank close to the best base game pairs, and both are forged with the Ebony Smithing perk.
Heavy gauntlets have one extra use. The Fists of Steel perk adds the armor rating of heavy gauntlets to every unarmed blow. A pair of Daedric Gauntlets makes a fist hit much harder.
Unique Gauntlets
The thieves' sets help with locks. The Thieves Guild Gloves and the Guild Master's Gloves make lockpicking easier. The Tumblerbane Gloves do the same, and they appear in the Dawnstar Sanctuary once it is bought. The Nightingale Gloves make lockpicking easier and one-handed attacks stronger.
The Dark Brotherhood sets help assassins. The Shrouded Gloves double the damage of backstabs. The Ancient Shrouded Gloves double sneak attack damage with one-handed weapons, and they lie in Hag's End during Locate the Assassin of Old.
Other gloves favour a fighting style. The Gloves of the Pugilist add damage to every unarmed strike, and Gian the Fist wears them in the Ratway beneath Riften. The Ironhand Gauntlets boost two-handed attacks. The Gauntlets of the Old Gods make bows hit harder, and they reward helping Madanach in No One Escapes Cidhna Mine.
A few more pairs stand out. The Forgemaster's Fingers improve smithing at the grindstone and workbench, and returning them to an Orc stronghold makes the character Blood-Kin. Ahzidal's Gauntlets of Warding change how wards work, and they lie in Kolbjorn Barrow during Unearthed. Ulfric's Bracers and the Fine Armguards weigh only half a unit.
Light or Heavy
Heavy gauntlets protect more, and only heavy gauntlets work with Fists of Steel. Light gauntlets weigh far less. A pair of Hide Bracers weighs a single unit, while Iron Gauntlets weigh five.
The set perks only count gauntlets of the same kind as the rest of the armor. A heavy fighter needs heavy gauntlets for Well Fitted and Matching Set. A light fighter needs light ones for Custom Fit and its own Matching Set. Choosing a unique pair from the other kind breaks those bonuses.
Enchanting
The hand slot takes many combat enchantments. Fortify One-Handed, Fortify Two-Handed and Fortify Archery each make weapon attacks stronger. Fortify Block makes blocking more effective. Fortify Unarmed adds damage to bare fists.
Crafters get a lot from gauntlets too. Fortify Smithing makes improvement at the grindstone and workbench stronger. Fortify Alchemy makes brewed potions stronger. Both effects can go on gauntlets, a ring and an amulet.
Thieves can use Fortify Lockpicking, Fortify Pickpocket and Fortify Sneak on gauntlets. Fortify Carry Weight, Fortify Magicka and Fortify Light Armor or Fortify Heavy Armor also fit this slot.
Smithing and Upgrades
Gauntlets are forged at a forge with the perk that forges the rest of their set. The Steel Smithing perk covers steel and Imperial gauntlets. The Glass Smithing perk covers Glass Gauntlets. The Dragon Armor perk covers Dragonscale and Dragonplate gauntlets.
Improving gauntlets at a workbench adds armor. A Legendary pair gains 10 points, half of what a chest piece gains. Improvement works twice as well with the Smithing perk for that material. Enchanted gauntlets also need the Arcane Blacksmith Perk.
A pair of Fortify Smithing gauntlets helps the smith improve the rest of the set. Put them on before improving the other pieces.
All Gauntlets
Light Armor
All light armor gauntlets are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
Heavy Armor
All heavy armor gauntlets are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
