I spent hours weeding, digging and pruning in my garden to find the best gardening gloves for winter and summer, among thorns and in ponds
There’s really nothing better than getting your hands in the soil. Soil contains a bacterium (mycobacterium vaccae) which can stimulate the production of serotonin, a ‘natural antidepressant’ which improves mood. But while it feels good to get down and dirty, gardening can put our fingers and hands at risk – so it’s important to find the best gardening gloves to protect them. Insulated Work Gloves
“There are so many good reasons to wear gardening gloves,” says Alan Down, lifelong avid gardener and nurseryman with 35 years of retailing experience. “A good pair of thorn-proof gloves protects your hands from soil borne diseases, cuts and abrasions and even from damp, cold, nettles and thorns.
Gardening gloves have become so much more sophisticated, not just in terms of the materials that they are made from, but also regarding the risks that they protect from. I’ve tested dozens of the latest gloves from the most trusted brands and you can read my reviews of the top 12 below – but if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at my top five:
“It’s not one-size fits all,” Alan Down says. “Ideally you need a choice of gardening gloves to enable you to carry out specific garden tasks. You might choose a leather pair for extra protection, or a lighter pair for more dexterous jobs like sowing seeds. In fact, I use hard wearing and heavier weight gloves in autumn and winter but thinner ones in spring and summer, when I’m doing gardening tasks that need more sensitivity.”
Choosing the right gardening gloves could make a tangible difference to your gardening activities, allowing you to carry out specific gardening tasks more safely, comfortably and easily. They can also help with gripping machinery like leaf blowers and pressure washers, especially during the cooler months.
For this guide I tested a wide range of gloves from the main players in the garden industry including Ansell and Stonebreaker – some basic, some all-purpose and some with specific features that could improve your gardening experience (such as the ability to use your phone without taking them off). I wore each pair while carrying out a wide range of gardening tasks over the course of two or three days.
Apart from value for money I was looking for good grip and a good fit, especially at the fingers (I have long fingers) as well as long-term comfort and durability. Waterproofing is important, but I also took into account how breathable they were. With a mind to winter gardening, I noted how well they kept out the cold. The final factor was style: some are simply better-looking than others.
If you’re going to be busy in the garden, by the way, you may want to read our guides to the best secateurs, best strimmers and best lawnmowers next. (And don’t forget the wellington boots.)
We like: great all-rounder, sales support an animal sanctuary
We don’t like: the toughest thorns can make it through the finger webbing
These are the gloves that I always turn to when I need a little protection for my hands when I’m gardening. They’re a great all-rounder, ideal for simple garden tasks like weeding and pruning and they offer some protection from thorns and stings. They were designed for gardeners, by a gardener: horticulturalist and former Blue Peter gardener Clare Cooke.
I love the bright orange; I can always find them when I’ve put them down. The cuff is a decent length and while not adjustable, it is tailored and hugs below my wrist pretty well. These are well-made comfortable, quality gloves that last well. The palms are padded and the fingers reinforced. I can just about use my phone’s touch screen with these on.
The gauze finger panels allow flexibility and enable more dexterous tasks, but do leave fingers a tiny bit vulnerable to stings and thorns. Profit from the sale of these gloves help support an animal sanctuary that rescues donkeys and other creatures – hence the name.
We like: breathable, with very grippy palms
We don’t like: not fully waterproof
Gardena’s turquoise gloves are great for weeding, because the palms are non-slip nitrile coated and water-resistant, helping to grip the weeds as you pull. They are great for planting too, because they grip your trowel handle well and don’t get sodden straight away if the soil is wet.
I tested the Medium/8 and they are a great fit. The cuffs are generous and hug below the wrist, making them a snug fit and stopping soil getting inside as you garden. That’s a major plus for me, as I am a messy worker.
The polyester and elastane backs are breathable, making them a good choice in the summer. They’ll keep rain and dew off, but are not fully waterproof. The palms are resistant to nettles, though not for thorns.
The finger and thumb have a ‘mobile touch function’, which does allow you to use a touchscreen, though I did find that sometimes it was a bit hit and miss. These are smart, well-made and good quality offering medium protection when gardening.
Best men’s gardening gloves, 9/10
We like: excellent fit lets you do finer jobs
We don’t like: breathable mesh lets some stings through
These are smart, well-made and great quality. They’re good for light-to-medium gardening jobs and come in a choice of corduroy, denim or tweed. There are more feminine fabrics available in the similar Love The Glove range.
I trialed the M/L size and they fit me perfectly, a gentle but hugging fit that is not baggy. The cuff is adjustable via a Velcro strip, which gives a tight fit at the wrist. The padded palms are made from polyurethane and polyester and the backs are a very fine polyester/elastane cord.
They are a great all-rounder, offering some protection against nettles and thorns though I did get stung through the thinner gauze material down the sides of the fingers. The palms are padded and the design allows you to move your fingers freely, so that you can carry out finer jobs.
I like the yellow leather detail, which makes them easy to find if you put them down. There is also a handy loop so you can hang them up or clip them together when not in use.
Best women’s gardening gloves, 8/10
We like: extremely wearable, even when not gardening
We don’t like: not very protective
Though fairly cheap, these are great quality and offer a good fit. The fingers are the right length for me, and the stretchy panel really does allow my fingers to bend. In fact, the overall stretchiness from the neoprene makes it fit more like a glove than a gardening glove - although the palm is slightly padded.
They’re good for general weeding, with a reasonable grip, but do not stop thorns or even nettle stings. They’re not waterproof either, but the fine stretchiness allows for finer activities like opening seed packets and sowing seeds.
Extremely comfortable and nice-looking (I love them in purple), the Town & Country gloves may not offer great protection, but they make a great extra layer in colder climes. I’d pop these in my coat pocket and use them as general gloves when out and about in the winter.
We don’t like: loose fit
The first thing you notice about the Mulch gloves is the creative branding. This style, the Thornstar, has an attractive foliage pattern in lavender and grey with soft grey suede. Mulch describes them as pretty. There is also a ‘Lady Chatterley’s Glover’ pattern and a leopard-skin one called Wild Thing.
I wanted something that would allow me to pull a few brambles and protect my hands in the process. The fingers are reinforced with suede leather and there is a knuckle strip to protect against knocks. They certainly lived up to their thornproof label and allowed me to safely clear a patch of old and very prickly brambles. (Don’t worry, I left any brambles with flowers for the wildlife.) The thick suede leather palm, thumb and fingers are lined, so that wearing them is a cosy experience. Not so great in a heatwave, but ideal for thorns.
I tried the Medium/Size 8 (the only size available right now) which was a bit baggy for me, especially around the extended cuff, which is not adjustable. There is an elasticated band to prevent soil falling inside, but that was somewhat loose too. On the plus side, they are easily taken off and on, which is useful when it’s hot or you are moving between jobs.
Price-wise they are very competitive, so you can garden more safely for little outlay. A pair to keep handy if your garden is prickly.
Best leather palmed gardening glove, 8 out of 10
We like: the luxury feel
We don’t like: the short cuff
You can see why these high-quality leather-palmed gloves are endorsed by the RHS. They’re really well made, comfortable and offer good protection for more robust garden tasks. The back is made from Lycra, nylon and foam, which combine to give the glove good elasticity, while the palm is made from a very soft, fine-grain deerskin leather – a little luxury that offers real practicality and durability.
The ladies-size gloves were a good fit for me, since the fingers were nice and long. They’re flexible and fitted with stretch panels to allow your fingers to bend, which is good for fairly dexterous jobs. The elasticated back enables you to flex your grip to hold tools and carry out finer work. The cuff is adjustable with a Velcro strip – although I found the glove a bit short at the wrist for me, so that the cuff wasn’t quite in the right place.
These gloves wouldn’t allow me to operate the touch screen on my phone and take a photo, but they were good against thorns and very effective protecting against nettles. Being leather, the gloves shouldn’t be immersed in water, but they do offer decent protection from moisture and would be a good choice in cooler weather.
Best gardening gloves for ponds, 8/10
We like: totally waterproof and puncture resistant
We don’t like: obviously not breathable
These are practical and functional with little finesse, but to be honest, when you’ve got a mucky wet job to do, looks aren’t important. They are basically a giant pair of extra-thick rubber gloves that reach your armpits.
The Briers are designed to keep you dry while working in a pond or even a drain, and they do. There’s only one size, large, but that does mean you can wear clothes and even other gloves underneath. In fact, don’t wear them without sleeves underneath, as the elasticated tops grip tight to stop them falling down.
They are surprisingly easy to put on and take off, which after a messy session is important. The label states hand-washable, though I’d risk putting them in the washing machine to make sure they were clean of pond gunk.
The PVC gives a good grip for weeding and also offers protection against nettles and some thorns, but they are not entirely thorn proof. They’re not only useful for ponds: you’ll find them useful if you’ve got to reach into an overgrown area as they cover all your arms.
Sadly there is no hanging loop. That would be really useful with these so you can hang them up to drip dry.
Best garden glove for weeding, 7/10
We like: very close fit for fine work
We don’t like: won’t protect against thorns
Designed for all sorts of manual labour, Ansell’s Hyflex are not waterproof, padded or reinforced, the cuffs are not adjustable and they do not have a hanging loop. But they are such a good fit, they verge on being a second skin.
The stretchy spandex material is thin and breathable, giving excellent dexterity. I could write and use the phone touchscreen and take a photo without taking them off, which is ideal when you spot something you want to photograph while gardening (usually bees!) They were nettle proof but, as expected, not thornproof. I found them good for light weeding and light gardening jobs, where the grip from the ‘Fortix’-coated abrasion-resistant palms really helped.
There’s also a long elasticated cuff, which stops soil and debris getting inside as you work. Overall, a useful addition to the gardening kit: a quick-fit glove that allows you to carry out finer tasks like seed sowing, labelling and light weeding.
Best gardening gloves for digging, 8/10
We like: PVC nodules for extra grip and protection
We don’t like: not suitable for delicate jobs
There are dozens of options in the Clip-Glove range. The unique selling point is that every pair comes with a carabiner clip and loops to make sure you keep your gloves together when not in use. You can use it to hang them from your belt or on the washing line.
This is perfect for those of us who tend to throw the gloves into the trug at the end of the day. It even stops the dogs taking one for a comfort blanket. But what I really like about these Gripper gloves are the extensive PVC nodules on the palm that have a noticeable grip-enhancing effect (look closely and you can see little T for Treadstone). It makes them especially good for weeding and digging and for using gardening tools like loppers, secateurs, strimmers and even leaf blowers.
There’s further attention to detail, including a terry towelling thumb pad to mop your brow when gardening and a neoprene cuff for comfort and protection. The fingertips are PVC too, but surprisingly I couldn’t open my phone to take a photo. The synthetic-leather palm offers medium protection, which is beefed up by the PVC nodules.
With these on, you’re good to go against nettles and the majority of thorns and will have a better, safer grip on garden tools while working.
Best gardening gloves for versatility, 7/10
We like: good balance of protection and breathability
We don’t like: initially baggy fit
These are quality garden work gloves with double stitched seams, a synthetic back (Polyurethane, polyester and elastane) and a goat leather palm. I trailed size Medium and, though the finger length was good, the overall fit was a bit baggy. The idea is that the leather conforms to the shape of your hand with use.
The Stonebreakers are soft and supple, so you can start work straight away. The cuff is not adjustable, increasing the loose-fit feeling. These gloves offered medium protection and were comfortable to wear and use. While weeding, they gave a good grip and good defence against nettles and thorns. They’re also suitable for tougher tasks that require more robust protection, making them a very versatile choice.
The Stonebreakers wouldn’t allow me to activate the touch screen on my phone, but they are dextrous enough to enable me to take notes while wearing them. Loops inside each glove allows them to be hung up or tethered together. There are several Stonebreaker styles available in men’s and women’s designs.
Best gardening gloves for winter, 9/10
We don’t like: no padding or grip-enhancement
These gloves offer robust protection for most tough gardening tasks, including digging, weeding, pulling thorny shrubs and operating garden machinery (although you should use Stihl’s cut-protection range for chainsaws). They are well-made in Germany and lined with a soft fleecy polyester layer that provides comfort during use, especially in colder weather.
The palm is leather and the backs are a polyester textile. They are a good fit, with generous elasticated and adjustable cuff and decent finger length (I tried the Medium). They are very flexible and allow you to grip tool handles in comfort.
The Stihls give some protection against water ingress, but are not deemed to be waterproof. They do offer good wind protection and are thermally insulated, so great for winter gardening, while also being breathable.
They’re also bright orange, so difficult to lose. They aren’t washable, but can be maintained using a leather feed/cleaner and a cleaning cloth to extend their life.
We like: very practical given the low price
We don’t like: the fit isn’t so good if you have long fingers
A pair of builder’s gloves is a great bonus for many garden tasks, especially for weeding, because they offer great grip and good protection from thorns and nettles. These from Showa are strong, well-made and easy to use.
They’re made from a breathable cotton-polyester blend with the palms coated in natural rubber (latex) for grip and water resistance. The cuff is elasticated and generous, though not adjustable. I tried the Medium/Size 8 which are a good fit, but the fingers are a bit short for me.
I thought the rubberised finish would allow me to use my phone’s touchscreen but it doesn’t. In use, the Showas were resistant to nettles and most thorns. I’d say they’re an ideal cheap choice for weeding and medium garden tasks.
Natural fabrics are breathable, but modern materials offer other benefits. For good grip choose gloves with rubber, latex or nitrile coatings. For a good fit, look for elasticated cuffs. Some gloves are made from more sustainable fabrics like bamboo. Sometimes it’s good to have a choice of gloves for different uses.
Most dirt can be removed with a soft cloth or some gentle brushing with a soft brush, when dry. If they need washing then follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Most can be carefully hand-washed. Wash them with your hands inside and gently rub with leather soap (saddle soap) with luke-warm water. Rinse and repeat. Hang them on the line and allow them to dry slowly.
Once clean, apply a leather conditioner and follow the instructions carefully.
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