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Studies have shown that gardening has great benefits to those that engage in its beautiful adventure (Source).
The fun and soothing feelings it creates are next to none. Perhaps you have experienced it as many of us have- then you know working with the right set of gloves is a crucial part of your adventure working with the rich earth.
Different kinds of gloves serve specific functions. Gloves tend to protect your hands from scratches, cuts, stings and shield you from the risk of infection that could come as a result of soil-borne bacteria such as anthrax, tetanus, and botulism.
Gloves can serve as a nice gift for your gardening buddy, as gardeners do love to have varieties for different use cases. Also, there are various types of gloves to suit various budgets.
Cheap gloves are pocket-friendly, but they can’t withstand multiple seasons and will easily wear away, whereas high-quality leather gloves could cause sticker shock but will definitely last multiple growing seasons. They’re built to last, offering extra protection and resistance to common defects are some of the things you tend to enjoy with these sets.
How To Choose The Right Pair
Speaking to some gardeners, we learned that lighter gloves are preferred when work is done with crude tools such as shovels or rakes, while when dealing with thorny plants such as roses, longer and thicker gloves are preferred ( you definitely don’t want those pierce on your skin).
In this article, we have put together the very best gardening gloves you can pick from depending on the nature of your gardening spree; whether you are composting, dealing with prickly thorns, growing your veggies, planting a shade-loving plant, or landscaping, there is something just perfect for you.
Always keep in mind that when you are interested in getting new pair of gloves, there are some useful factors that should be worth considering. One major factor, which is an obvious one, will be ‘what purpose will the gloves be serving?’ considering this will help you make the right choice, and this will go further to determine what material would the gloves need to be made of, with goatskin (leather gloves) being among the thickest gloves less likely to get punctured.
In contrast, cotton material is more affordable and suitable for light tasks such as planting. Some other useful factors would be the size; you wouldn’t want to get a glove that is way bigger than your hands or too tight.
Enough said, let’s look at some of the various types of gardening gloves you could get for yourself or a loved one.
The best overall gardening gloves
The NoCry Long Leather Gardening Gloves
- PROTECT HANDS AND ARMS WITH THESE LONG GARDENING GLOVES. The reinforced leather makes these long garden gloves near puncture proof, keeping your fingers and palms safe and giving you 2x more protection than regular gardening or rose pruning gloves.
After being used by thousands of gardeners across the globe, NoCry pair of gloves have proven to be quite formidable and top of its class. Its fingertips are made of double-layered goatskin leather, and its extra-long gauntlet cuffs are also made of thick cow leather. Having these in place, you can almost handle anything with no fear or caution.
Though it has been said that extreme sharp tips such as the cactus spines (especially the very fine ones) can penetrate the layers and get to your skin, so you are advised to be careful when dealing with such plants, you shouldn’t grab them too quickly, and don’t apply too much pressure; other gardeners seem to enjoy the feel, durability, and being a goatskin glove, it brings a level of protection against thorns, berries and the likes of it.
It is perfect for heavy-duty jobs, it offers a secure grip, and can come in handy for other purposes, this is indeed an ideal gardening glove.
It’s also a great fit for both males and females, so you don’t have to buy a separate glove if you and your spouse take turns tending for your garden.
For women
The Cool Job Female Gardening Gloves
- GARDENING GLOVES SPECIALLY FOR WOMEN - Lightweight & breathable knitted base for a comfortable fit. Flexible rubber coating in mint green and bright red is designed to keep your hands cool & dry. Thicken fingertip will protect your hands and nails perfectly. Long and flexible cuff will keep dirt and debris out.
Due to the tender nature of their skin, women tend to be treated with care, and as a Gardner, this pair of gloves offer protection, comfort, and durability. Female gardeners tend to love the slickness of these gloves and the thickened layer at the tips that can protect their fingers. It is also stretchy and tends to fit your hands quite well, whether you have small-sized hands or a much larger one.
It is made of latex which could do some good against sharp edges, but care should be taken as you can get hurt when dealing with piercing plants with thick thorns. A Gardner also expressed displeasure when washing with a machine; it didn’t wash it clean, so you should consider finding a suitable way to wash it after use.
Since it comes with 6 pairs, you can have the perfect pair at all times; you can change it as much as you like during the day, and this is something a lot of gardeners love about it. It’s a breathable glove, so you shouldn’t worry about having sweaty palms after working in your gardening. Overall you could say that this is a quality glove.
Kids gardening gloves
The Vgo Kids Gardening Gloves
- MULTI-PURPOSE APPLICATIONS - Perfect for kids on types of light-duty work, outdoor activities(cycling, hiking, fishing, playing), seeding, digging, weeding, mowing, picking, gardening, camping, assembly, DIY light duty works,
Suitable for kids who love working in the garden with daddy and mummy, or perhaps on their tiny little vegetable garden. These kids’ gloves stand out because of their excellent grip, decent level of protection, and cool colors. Yeah, kids do love nice and bright colors, which keep them feeling happy, and keep their hands clean. Though some parents hinted that the size may not overall fit well for your kid but whether it’s too big or small, they could still make use of it. It’s also elastic so that it can fit larger hands.
It’s not breathable, so it may cause sweat for your kids when used over some time. You should also watch your kids and ensure they don’t play near sharp plants ( plants with very sharp thorns); they may end up with a really bad piercing.
Gardening gloves with claws
The Garden Genie Gloves with Claws
- ★Waterproof and Puncture Resistant: Using natural latex rubber coating material. Waterproof, puncture resistant and easy to clean, protects your hands from cuts and Broken nails!
This glove is designed to turn you into a wolverine Gardner (lol, just kidding); they would definitely help dig out that dirt in your yard. It’s meant to be a one-size-fits-all, though some gardeners do not agree with this description based on their own experiences, mostly with it being larger than their hands.
It also has some limitations due to the claws sometimes being up to your knuckles, so you may find it hard to open your doors while wearing it.
It’s effective when you want to dig shallow depths for planting or weeding. It’s also breathable, so you shouldn’t worry so much about sweaty palms.
If you are allergic to latex, then it’s advised you stay clear from these pairs of gloves, since they have a latex coating, and could cause some reactions to your skin. You may also consider not using a washing machine with this pair of gardening gloves because of its claws.
With this on, you should save up a significant amount of time and increase your productivity.
Best gardening gloves for light gardening
The Promedix Nitrile Garden Working Gloves
- OPTIMIZED GRIP & SNUG FIT- provides excellent abrasion resistance and excellent grip. Its form fit reduces hand fatigue and increases comfort. Suitable for wet and dry environments.
When doing light work in your garden, you don’t really need to suit up like Captain America; after all, you only want to carry out a small range of gardening tasks such as uproot some weed, make your garden beds, or water your plants. In such cases, using a nitrile glove for light gardening would do just fine, and you don’t have to bother about getting your hands dirty.
This glove is super light, beautiful to the eyes, and easy to wash. It is also breathable, i.e., seamlessly knitted, such that you are sure to keep your hands cool, and not worry about getting sweaty palms. Its good grip is something that others love about it.
Though the one size fits all may cause a problem for you just as it did for some other gardeners, with the fingers being too long and becoming out of shape for someone with smaller fingers. Though it’s stretchy, so if you have longer fingers, it should fit just fine. This glove may just be a perfect fit for you if you choose to use it aside from gardening, perhaps to keep your hands hydrated at night after applying a lotion, so you don’t longer have to worry about having your hands dry. Overall, many say it is a quality pair and a comfortable glove.