Curling Gear: Shoes, Sliders, Brooms, Stabilizers and Helmets

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A curler’s bag tells you how long they’ve been at it. First season: borrowed club broom, a step-on slider, a rubber gripper that keeps slipping off a sneaker. A couple of years in: real curling shoes with a slider on one foot, a light carbon broom with a fresh pad, a protective headband, gloves, a fleece and a pack of hand warmers for the bonspiel. The right curling gear is mostly about two things: sliding when you mean to and not slipping when you don’t. This guide covers curling shoes, sliders and grippers, brooms, stabilizers and delivery sticks, head protection for falls, warm layers, and the recovery gear many curlers keep for after the game.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy. Most curling-specific gear isn’t sold on Amazon, so we link to Broomfitters, a US curling shop, or to the maker.

Our top picks

Curling shoes, sliders and grippers

Footwear is the most important safety gear in curling. In a Canadian study of curling injuries treated in emergency rooms, over 90% came from falls, and 41.3% of the injured curlers surveyed blamed their fall on not having proper footwear; most of them supported requiring sport-specific shoes. Here’s how the pieces fit together:

• Slider: USA Curling describes it as the sliding sole that touches the ice during the delivery, made of Teflon or stainless steel, either built into curling shoes or as a step-on piece for regular shoes. A right-handed curler slides on the left foot; a left-hander on the right.
• Gripper: a rubber sole for the other foot, plus a slip-on gripper that goes over the slider whenever you walk or sweep. It also protects the slider.
• Slider thickness: sliders come in different thicknesses, and makers rate some by speed. Beginner step-on sliders are thin (1/16 inch on the Asham step-on), many club shoes come with 3/32 inch, and a pro shop can help you pick when you upgrade.

For your first season, the Asham Full Step-On Slider (about $46) and an Asham Rotator slip-on gripper (about $24) turn clean sneakers into curling shoes: step on to slide, step off for grip. When you’re hooked, the Asham Club Ultra Lite (about $205, men’s and women’s versions) comes with 3/32-inch Teflon slider disks, gripper disks and a slip-on gripper, and because the disks swap, it works for right- or left-handed curlers. Have your club’s pro shop or a curling retailer check the fit.

If you don’t slide, because you deliver with a stick, coach or just want safe footing, skip the slider entirely. The Goldline Swagger Gen 2 (about $180) has grippers on both feet, and on Amazon the ACACIA Stick Curling Shoes (about $80) are grip-soled shoes the maker says are made for curlers who don’t slide.

Check the ACACIA Stick Curling Shoes price on Amazon

Brooms (brushes)

The broom does two jobs: sweeping, and balance during the delivery for curlers who slide with it. Modern brooms have a light handle and a replaceable head with a synthetic pad. In competition, World Curling requires each player to declare one approved sweeping device and forbids changing brush heads during a game; USA Curling notes that these equipment limits generally apply to competitive play, not weekly leagues. If you plan to play in sanctioned events, check that your pad is an approved model.

The Asham V2 Fiberglass broom is an affordable, durable recreational broom at about $90, with a handle of about 280 grams. A step up, the BalancePlus Comp-Lite is a carbon-fiber broom of 365 grams that the maker pitches to once-a-week curlers, about C$120 at BalancePlus. Replace the pad when it’s worn or dirty, and keep a padded broom bag for travel.

Stabilizers and delivery sticks

A stabilizer is a delivery aid you hold in your free hand for balance during the slide. USA Curling notes that the ones clubs lend are usually made of PVC pipe, and curling makers sell sturdier versions. Many new curlers learn with one, and plenty of experienced curlers never give it up. The Olson Dynaglide (about $100) has spring-loaded legs that fold flat for travel.

A delivery stick lets you throw standing up, pushing the stone with a stick that clips onto the handle. It’s the standard in wheelchair curling and the choice for standing curlers who prefer or need to throw without sliding; under World Curling rules a stick may only act as an extension of the arm, and in World Curling events it’s allowed only in wheelchair competition, while many clubs allow it in leagues. The BalancePlus Extender telescopes from 2.5 to 4 feet and weighs under 400 grams (about C$70 at the maker).

Head protection for falls

In the same Canadian study, 31.7% of curling injuries treated in emergency departments were head impacts. Curling Canada strongly suggests helmets for all curlers under 12 and in beginner programs, and many US clubs require them for juniors. Your options:

• Curling helmets: the BalancePlus Curling Helmet is a hard-shell helmet designed with backward falls in mind, with a dial fit, chin strap and EN 1077 certification (about C$90 at the maker). The Asham Universal Curling Helmet (about $110) also has a dial-adjust back and chin strap.
• Protective headgear: Goldline’s Head First toque (about $75) hides an EPS foam plate, the material in bike helmets, at the back of the head. Goldline notes there’s no test standard yet for headgear that protects only the back of the head, so it’s lighter protection than a helmet.
• Helmets you already own: clubs commonly accept properly fitting bike, skate, ski, snowboard and hockey helmets for kids. A snow-sport helmet such as the Smith Mission MIPS (about $118) is warm and has the MIPS system for angled impacts.

No helmet prevents every concussion. Anyone who hits their head should stop for the day and see a healthcare provider; the CDC’s HEADS UP signs are on our curling injuries page.

Check the Smith Mission MIPS helmet price on Amazon

Warm layers and gloves

USA Curling’s advice is to wear comfortable clothes you can stretch in (the delivery is a lunge), dress in layers because you’ll be cold during demonstrations and warm once you sweep, and avoid jeans. A merino base layer such as the Smartwool Classic Thermal crew (about $100 to $125) under a fleece or vest works well. Wear gloves rather than mittens so you can grip the broom and the stone, and keep HotHands hand warmers (about $25 for 40 pairs) in your pocket for cold rinks and long bonspiel days.

Check the Smartwool base layer price on Amazon

Recovery gear

Curlers’ most common aches are in the knee, back and shoulder, according to a survey of competitive US curlers. After a long day of sweeping, many curlers like a foam roller such as the TriggerPoint GRID 1.0 (about $40) for quads, hips and upper back, a compression knee support such as the Bauerfeind GenuTrain for a knee that complains during the slide, and the OOFOS OOahh Slide once the curling shoes come off. These are for comfort, not treatment; knee pain that keeps coming back needs a sports medicine doctor or physical therapist. More in our knee sleeves guide, recovery tools guide and curling recovery page.

How to choose curling gear

• Borrow first. Clubs lend brooms, sliders, grippers and stabilizers to new curlers. Buy once you know you’ll keep playing.
• Buy grip before speed. A good slip-on gripper and shoes that fit matter more than a fast slider.
• Set up for your hand. Right-handed curlers slide on the left foot. Shoes with removable disks can be set up either way.
• Protect your head while learning. A curling helmet or certified sports helmet for kids and beginners; protective headgear if you want something lower-profile later.
• Check the rules if you compete. Sanctioned events have approved-equipment lists for brush heads; weekly leagues usually don’t.

For the game itself, see our curling rules and youth curling guide, and for more after the game, browse Recovery & Regeneration. Back to the curling hub.

Curling gear questions

Do I need curling shoes to start?

No. Clean, flat-soled sneakers with a step-on slider and a slip-on gripper are enough for Learn to Curl and your first leagues, and clubs usually lend them.

Which foot does the slider go on?

The foot you slide on: the left for right-handed curlers, the right for left-handers. Right-handers push off the hack with the right foot.

How much does a curling broom cost?

Recreational fiberglass brooms start around $90; light carbon-fiber brooms run from about $120 to well over $200. Replacement pads cost about $25 to $35, so a good handle lasts.

Is a curling headband as good as a helmet?

No. Protective toques and headbands cover the back of the head, but even their maker says there’s no test standard for that kind of headgear yet. Kids and beginners are better off in a full helmet.

What should I wear to curling?

Stretchy pants (not jeans), warm layers, gloves and clean flat-soled shoes. Add a helmet or protective headgear if you’re new or your club requires it.