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Protect your hands while prettying up your garden Padded Work Gloves
A good pair of gardening gloves is an important tool to keep in your arsenal when tending to your home’s outside space. They help to protect your fingers from insect bites, nasty scratches and bacteria in soil when you’re pruning, weeding and planting, so you can get stuck in without risk of hurting yourself.
There’s a huge range to choose from for outdoor jobs of all kinds. We’ve rounded up some of our favourites, plus everything you need to know, below.
It is a good idea. Gardening gloves provide protection from bacteria and fungi, as well as chemicals from weed killer and pesticides. They can also protect you from insects and small creatures, which may sting or bite in self-defence.
Not wearing gloves can leave you vulnerable to scratches and rashes – particularly if you’re handling poisonous or thorny plants.
You’re more at risk of catching an infection if you have any scratches or open wounds on your hands, so wearing a pair of gloves is the best way to prevent yourself from harm.
There are three main kinds of gardening gloves, used depending on the job at hand. Keen gardeners might need a pair of each!
These gloves are usually made from lightweight polyester and cotton. They’re ideal for non-intensive jobs, such as sowing seeds, as the thin fabric makes it easier to feel exactly what you’re doing.
Medium duty gloves are best for hardier tasks, such as pruning, potting and clearing weeds and debris. They’re usually made from nylon and suede, which is thick enough to offer protection, but still flexible enough for fine work.
Thicker gloves suit more strenuous outdoor work, such as landscaping, mowing and digging, as they offer better protection against thorns, nettles and blisters. They tend to be made from hard wearing materials like leather and latex.
Each pair of gloves below has been put to work on a mix of light and heavy duty gardening tasks, including digging, pruning and potting small plants. We’ve pitted them against prickly and thorny plants, and checked water resistance by picking up damp debris and submerging them in water. Finally, we assessed how comfortable and secure they feel to wear, and how well they mould to hands.
Here’s our picks of the best gardening gloves to buy this summer, so you can ensure your hands are protected at all times.
ClipGlove's gloves all have carabiner clips to stop them getting lost. The strong grip on these is ideal for harder graft but they’re flexible enough for lighter tasks, too. They mould to the shape of your hand and cover wrists well but they're not waterproof and thorns may pierce them. Still, for just over a tenner, they’re great all-rounders and as cosy as their name suggests.
Fed up of sore fingers? Us too. These leather and spandex gardening gloves have reinforced fingertips and leather palms to keep thorns out. They do so successfully but aren’t waterproof, so keep them for clearing and pruning when it’s dry. The adjustable velcro strap gives you the best fit.
These gloves are as comfortable and grippy as our winning pair, but are designed for lighter tasks like pruning and clearing leaves. They're highly flexible, keep damp out and are warm yet breathable thanks to the bamboo lining.
These leather and suede gloves keep forearms free from scratches. The palms grip tools well and the fingers move easily enough to manage fiddly tasks like sowing and pruning. Elastic keeps them securely fastened around the wrists and the lining is wonderfully soft, but they're a pain to clean if you get them muddy which, let’s face it, you probably will!
These unisex gloves have a sturdy grip thanks to their textured latex fabric. Elasticated cuffs give a snug, but not constricting, fit - they feel like a second skin. The downside is that anything prickly easily pierces them, but they're a spring/summer staple for everyday gardening jobs.
The name promises a lot, but these gloves live up to it. They’re fully waterproof - we submerged them in water to test this - so you can get stuck into some rainy gardening. The grip is as good as the other ClipGloves on this list and the lining is soft, but you’ll want something thicker for winter.
Similar to the Tough Touch, minus the gauntlet, these fleece-lined leather gloves are a solid buy for the chillier months. Their grip and pliability are excellent, making them go-tos for both heavy duty and lighter gardening jobs. They stay firmly put thanks to elasticated wrists and are fully waterproof for comfortable use in all conditions.
Let’s state the obvious: these illustrated RHS gloves are gorgeous. But they’re not all style and no substance. Cushioned palms make using heavy tools comfier and supple leather keeps the brambles at bay, though regrettably it does let in moisture. Tapered cuffs help mould them securely to your hands but they only come in one size.
If you want one pair of gloves to wear for all sorts of gardening jobs, this waterproof leather pair mould well to hands and offer robust protection from prickles. Straps keep them in place during hard graft and they’re fairly warm, but the suede is tough to clean and they do chafe a little in places.
The grip on these summer gloves is the best we’ve tried, so you can use gardening tools confidently without fear of slippage. They’re sturdy yet malleable, making them perfect for intricate tasks. They look pretty and come at a very fair price.
These oh-so-good-looking gloves are handmade in a Shropshire tannery. Long linen cuffs protect arms and the leather hands are waterproof, but they lose some grip when wet. They flex well but are on the bulky side, so we’ll be using them for bigger jobs. They come in pink, green and blue.
Gardeners with bigger hands will appreciate the room these non-slip gloves give you around the palm and fingers. The latex palms are waterproof so you can pick up wet leaves and the snug-fitting cuff stops soil getting in. They’re pliable enough for delicate tasks and great value at under £3.
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