How to Choose Gardening Gloves

One of the most important tools you can have in the garden are your gardening gloves. Made to protect your hands, keep them clean and allow you to jump into hard work without any fear, gardening gloves are an essential part of outdoor work for most gardeners. Though some people may prefer to work without them, gardening gloves save your fingers from thorns, splinters, and blisters. Read on to learn how to choose your gardening gloves.

Why Use Gloves

Though you may not realize it, landscaping can bring you into contact with some unpleasant dangers. Gloves are used to protect your hands from all of the potential hazards you can encounter while pruning and working in the garden. Protecting against cuts and scrapes as well as covering existing ones prevents fungal or bacterial infections that could come from soils and plants. Gloves also create a barrier to harmful pesticides, herbicides and fungicides as well as limit insect bites and stings.

How To Choose Gloves

Before making any decisions, it's important to consider durability, quality of materials and whether they can handle the tough jobs you need them to. Fun patterns are simply icing on the cake. Don't get into a situation where you choose your gloves based on the printed floral arrangement instead of whether they can actually get the job done.

Fit is a very important part of deciding on your gloves. If possible, be sure to try them on before buying. In order to buy gloves online, you may consider buying more than one size and returning the pair that doesn't fit. Find a pair that fit snugly so they won't fall off, but that aren't so tight, they restrict your movements.

Cotton and nylon gloves are typically going to be the least expensive. They are designed to keep your hands clean while doing simple garden tasks, but don't offer much protection against thorns. They are light-weight and breathable, which makes them suitable for working in hot weather. Bamboo gloves are a step up in protection but are still a breathable and lightweight option. Leather gloves are thicker and more durable, and also tend to be a bit more expensive. They are better suited to protecting your hands from thorns and miscellaneous scrapes. There is a large range however, and leather gloves can be medium duty or heavy duty, depending on the construction of the gloves. Rubber-coated and neoprene gloves are best for protecting your hands from chemicals like herbicides and pesticides.

Types of Gloves

Different gloves are suited for different tasks in the garden. Keep in mind that materials matter. DripWorks offers a wide range of options, depending on your specific needs. For example, the Thorn Resistant Gauntlet Gloves are made from cowhide and are able to protect your hands and forearms from thorns and other spiky parts of the plants you work with. These gloves are well suited for pruning roses, gathering blackberries and hawthorn berries or even weeding in areas that may contain unexpected spikes or briars. If there is potential to encounter poison ivy or poison oak, it is important to keep your skin covered to prevent any exposure. These protective gloves are sure to be your best bet to stay safe.

The EcoMaster Gloves we offer have a protective coating of a water-based polyurethane polymer to ensure your hands stay safe out in the garden. These gloves are well-suited for weeding, using gardening tools and working with your hands outside. They are thin enough that you can still feel everything you're doing and work without restriction, while avoiding little cuts and scrapes.

The Women's Tuscany Performance Gloves are made from soft leather with a spandex backing to keep your hands comfortable the entire day. These gloves are excellent for performing everyday tasks in the garden in style while keeping your hands safe. The leather adds extra protection over thinner gloves so you can tackle your gardening chores without worry.

Our premium Goatskin Work Gloves are comfortable and resistant to abrasion. Perfect for more heavy duty jobs, these gloves have extended cuffs to protect your wrists and forearms while you're working. They are reinforced to withstand tough conditions while being lightweight enough for you to wear all day long.

Bamboo Gloves are made with a blend of bamboo and rayon fibers for a snug, breathable fit to keep your hands cool and dry while working in the garden. They have a nitrile coating for a non-slip grip on your garden tools and extra protection for your hands and palms.