Gloves for the Garden
There is a large variety of materials, styles, and added features for gardening gloves, ranging from Kevlar to padding. You can be looking for waterproof gloves or gloves with mesh panels to help regulate hand temperature. You can have flowers or butterflies or strawberries as a pattern. You can opt for “claws” that will have you digging like a cat. The options seem endless.
Depending on the gardening tasks you plan to complete, you’ll need to decide on the design and features you want. For tasks like potting and planting, where dexterity and the ability to feel what you’re doing are essential, thin, lightweight gloves are optimal. When utilizing tools or performing landscaping tasks, heavy-duty gardening gloves are preferable for safety and support.
And for that reason, we will be looking at 3 different types of gloves. They are light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty gloves.
Choosing Your Gloves.
I can still picture myself helping my father in the garden. There was just one split leather/fabric glove option available to me. The fingers, knuckles, and palms were covered in cow leather. The “thin” fabric shielded the rest of my hand.
These days, deciding which gardening gloves would work best for you and your family will rely on the tasks you have planned. We’ll keep with the light, medium, or heavy-duty categories that gardening gloves normally fall under.
Light, Medium, or Heavy Duty Gloves?
Light duty gloves for light-duty tasks seem like the right way to go for those low-intensity jobs. Light-duty gloves allow you dexterity when sowing seeds and performing other simple, everyday tasks while keeping your hands clean during low-intensity jobs. Medium-duty gloves will work for planting, pruning, and border work, while heavy-duty gloves will protect your hands for more demanding tasks like landscaping or when you need extra defense against nettles or thorns.
There is a variety of materials available, such as leather, bamboo, latex, and nylon. One of the most environmentally friendly possibilities is bamboo fiber, which is often supple, flexible, and close-fitting.
Latex and leather are resistant to tearing and are frequently used to increase grip. Personally, though I’m not too much into rubber as it “sweats” and makes it uncomfortable to work in during hot weather. As I live in Vietnam this is pretty much all the time.
So here below are a couple of gloves I use. There are many different styles made from different materials, so select the style and material that is suitable for the job at hand.
Light-Duty Gloves.
Showa Atlas Natural Rubber Glove
Made from polyester, rubber, and cotton these gloves are ranked 5 out of 5 stars by other people who have purchased them. They are ergonomically designed to provide a lightweight breathable glove. The palm is coated in rubber which gives them excellent grip in both wet and dry conditions. They are seamless and the dark color helps hide the grime. Not that it matters too much as they are machine washable and you can hang them out to dry, obviously making them reusable.
Medium-Duty Gloves.
Amazon Basic Working Gloves.
These work gloves are designed to keep hands safe when gardening, fishing, or working on DIY projects. They are made of soft, lightweight, stay cool breathable bamboo material and have touchscreen sensitivity with a sleek fit for ultimate control and dexterity. The rubber coating helps ensure a secure grip, even with wet or slippery items and the wrist cuff provides added protection and helps keep out debris. It is machine washable and can be hung out on the line to dry.
Heavy-Duty Gloves.
Iron Clad Gloves.
You will appreciate the design of these gloves, which provide excellent fit and great dexterity. They are lightweight but heavy-duty, comfy, and strong. The palms of the gloves are padded for added safety, and there is a clip for attaching them to a belt. These are great gloves for any demanding job and come in different sizes and styles for both men and women.
These gloves have thermoplastic rubber knuckle protection which provides impact and abrasion protection across the knuckles. The hook and loop closure system provide a snug fit that is easily adjustable.
You can wipe your brow, which for someone who sweats profusely like me, is a real-time saver. They are also machine washable and it’s advised to dry anything on the line to stop shrinkage.
Final Thoughts.
While the more expensive gloves certainly look the part remember why you are buying them. Whether it is for a one-off “thorny” problem with overgrown rose bushes or a “leaky” pond that needs fixing, choosing the correct glove for the job will make your day in the garden a lot easier.
Gloves can be easily forgotten about when buying tools or anything for your garden but are arguably one of the most important. And the selection you have to choose from is vastly different from the days my father and I use to decide between the blue or green fabric.
Blisters and scratched knuckles not only are ugly but are also irritating when you have moved from outdoor chores to indoor fun. Do yourself a favor and invest in a few cheap pairs of Gardening Gloves. Your partner will thank you for taking care of yourself and your hands.
