How to choose gardening gloves

Features, types and materials: here is a practical buying guide on how to choose gardening gloves. If this is your first time, also find out how to find the most suitable size.

Approaching the world of gardening means first of all having the necessary equipment to avoid getting hurt.

Water, soil, thorns, insects: these are just some of the agents that your hands will come into contact with. As much as the satisfaction of seeing your garden or your flowers grow, so are the hassles, blisters and cuts that the skin of your hands will have to endure.

In reality, there is a fairly obvious solution and that is to wear gloves. Yes, but how to buy them? It is clear that there are no absolute rules, a lot depends on your skin sensitivity, the work you will have to undertake and the budget available, but certainly we can recommend guidelines on how to choose your gardening gloves.

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Remember that protecting your hands is also important to avoid injuries: depending on what you are going to plant or prune, you could use more or less sharp scissors so it will be essential to protect yourself adequately.

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Characteristics and types

On the market you will find gardening gloves already divided by type. If you need them for a simple garden cleaning, you could opt for common gloves for shrubs; if, on the other hand, you consider working with the soil for a long time, those will be more suitable from transplant. Attention, for the pruning of thorny plants there are directly those anti-thorn.

Finally, if you intend to use them also for the irrigation phases it is appropriate that they are waterproof.

Among the features to be evaluated during the purchase phase, keep in mind that what you just can’t miss is the reinforced palm and finger protection. This not only improves the resistance of the glove in the points that are then the most stressed, but it will also allow you to have better dexterity.

The seams must also be properly reinforced: this increases the life cycle of the product while preserving its quality intact.

In the end, you would do well to also look for the closure on the wrist so that adherence and fit are optimal, especially if the size is not perfect. However, consider that it is a soft material otherwise you will easily get irritated because the skin on the inside of the wrist is very delicate. This specific lacing also serves to reduce the entry of any debris that otherwise will have to be removed every time.

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Materials to choose from

Both online and in DIY and gardening stores you can choose between different materials. Much depends on the activities you want to undertake, but in general the more resistant you choose them, the less risks your hands will run.

Let’s start with those heavier, leather gardening gloves. Contrary to what you might think, they offer excellent flexibility of the fingers and fingertips, despite being very thick. They are the best when it comes to protection from scratches, abrasions and blisters, but consider that their maintenance is not exactly easy and above all they cannot be put in the washing machine.

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An interesting alternative are those in imitation leather, cheaper, but less resistant.

If you think you can settle for something less robust, but just as waterproof and protective, then you can consider rubber gloves. Be careful because there is a risk that they are easily pierced.

Those might be more suitable for that in neoprene, especially if you know you will come across brambles and deadwood.

In the end, the thinnest and equally comfortable, those in cotton. These gloves protect against scratches and abrasions and are recommended for small daily chores like watering. They also exist in children’s version, you can find a photo in the final gallery.

How to understand what size you wear

If it’s the first time you buy gardening gloves, the most “thorny” question is certainly the choice of size. Especially if you buy them online and therefore you will not have the opportunity to try them personally, it will be appropriate to follow some standard rules.

Obviously this does not guarantee you a perfect fit because each manufacturer has its dimensions; very varies depending on the material (for example, leather gloves do not have the same fit as cotton ones), but by following these guidelines you will avoid making a completely blind purchase.

First of all measure the circumference of your hand. Using a tape measure all you have to do is wrap your hand at its widest point, from the base of the little finger to the area between index and thumb (the latter must remain outside).

Once this length has been established, help yourself with this table:

XS: 17.8cm;
S: 19-20.5cm;
M: 21.5–23cm;
L: 24-25.5cm;
XL: 26.5–30cm;
XXL: 29-30.5cm.