Gardening gloves protect from sharp objects, agricultural chemicals, and in some cases, diseases. To top it off, wearing gloves while gardening is the only way to keep your hands and fingernails clean and blister-free.
When buying your first pair of gardening gloves, you must know how to pick the right pair. The two most important considerations are size and material, but there are a few more things you should think about before selecting a pair of gardening gloves.
The Risks of Gardening without Gloves
Cuts and pricks
The main reason people wear gloves while gardening is to protect their hands from cuts and scratches. They offer a layer of protection from thorns, glass, and other sharp objects hidden in the soil.
Blisters
Any seasoned gardener understands how easy it is to blister when handling tools all day. One of the main reasons to get gloves is to improve your grip on tools and to stay comfortable when working for long hours.
Dirt and germs
It’s such a headache to have to clean under your fingernails every time you leave the garden. You can avoid this rigorous process by investing in some hand protection. Gardening gloves keep your hands protected from chemicals, dirt, and germs in soil, mud, and fertilizer.
Diseases
You can actually get a fungal infection from some plants and soils. For example, infected rose thorns can cause sporotrichosis (rose picker’s disease), which causes painful skin ulcers and lesions.
Buying Guide for Women’s Gardening Gloves
Get the right size
The best way to get gloves that fit is to visit the gardening store and try them on. However, if you are purchasing a pair online, you can measure the circumference of your hand using a tape measure to measure your knuckles. The size chart looks something like this:
6.5 – 7.25 inches – S
7.5 – 7.75 inches – M
8 – 8.75 inches – L
9 – 9.75 inches – XL
10 – 10.75 inches – XXL
11 – 12 inches - XXXL
To test out a pair of gardening gloves in person, make a fist while wearing them. The fabric shouldn’t be tight enough to feel restrictive, but it should be close to your skin. Also, there shouldn’t be any space between your fingertips and the inside of the glove.
Types of gardening gloves
Different gardening gloves have additional attributes because they’re made of materials that perform better in certain situations than others.
Traditional gloves are specially made for general gardening, usually from a waterproof material laced with rubber around the fingertips and palms. You can call them gripping gloves because that’s what they do best, even though they also protect from dirt and cuts to some degree.
Rubber gloves protect dirt and debris and extra gripping abilities on metal and wood. They’re also the best type to wear when using gardening chemicals like herbicides and pesticides.
Cloth gloves are inexpensive, easy to wash, and breathable. However, they don’t provide much protection from anything except dirt and germs.
Leather gloves offer the best protection from cuts, pricks, and scratches. They’re the most durable gardening gloves you can get, plus they also have a good grip on tools.
Neoprene (nitrile) gloves come from synthetic rubber that’s resilient enough to withstand harsh chemicals and sharp objects even though it is breathable and flexible.
Fit the purpose
Choose a pair according to the nature of your gardening. If you’re doing some light gardening, you’re better off with cotton (cloth) gloves since you won’t need much protection.
Wet gardening demands rubber gloves, especially if you’re also handling pesticides and herbicides. Heavy or dangerous gardening tasks such as those that involve thorns require tough leather gloves that will keep your hands safe.
If you don’t require specialized gloves, any pair of traditional gardening gloves should do the trick.
Cleaning and maintenance
Some gardening gloves are easy to clean. Others, like leather gloves, have a rigorous maintenance ritual that involves washing and oiling with the proper chemicals. You can’t machine-wash leather gloves, but you can most traditional and cloth gloves.
Rubber gloves are the easiest to clean. Just run them under some water after use. Hang up your gloves with pegs next to your tools to make them easier to find.
Best Gardening Gloves for Women
COOLJOB Rubber Gardening Gloves (6 Pairs)
COOLJOB offers six pairs of protective rubber gardening gloves for one low price, so it’s a good option for anyone that takes up gardening. They are reusable, have thickened fingertips, and have an extended cuff to protect the whole hand from dirt.
The foamed latex palms are non-slip, which is suitable for grabbing a proper hold of your tools. The gloves are super-easy to clean using a hose or running water in a rarely used sink. They’re ideal for weeding, planting, seeding, and more.
Supersfel Thorn Proof Leather Gloves
These long-sleeved leather gloves provide adequate thorn protection, making them ideal for planting, pruning, and weeding rose bushes. They’re made from durable goatskin leather, which is impervious to thorny plants such as roses, cacti, and more.
The gloves provide arm protection, too, since they extend nearly to the elbows. The sleeve material is thick cowhide, and it ends in elastic cuffs that keep the gloves firmly in place. These gloves are also good at protecting hands from dirt, bugs, and pesticides.
PROMEDIX P Nitrile-Coated Gardening Gloves (3 Pairs)
You can get these multiple pairs of neoprene gloves if you prefer light and breathable designs. These have a 100 % polyester base, so they’re extra flexible, breathable, and comfortable. They have reinforced fingertips to protect your nails while you work.
The gloves offer a snug fit that feels almost like a second skin. The nitrile coating provides enough water resistance to keep you comfortable when working with wet soil.
G & F Products Cotton Gardening Gloves (3 Pairs)
These comfortable cloth gloves are ideal for light gardening tasks. They’re very easy to clean, fit snugly, and feature bright designs that look good and feel great on your hands.
The gloves are 100 % cotton, although they feature PVC dots on the palms for enhanced grip. They’re reusable, comfortable, durable, and very easy to take care of.