The Best Gardening Gloves To Protect Your Hands From Dirt And Thorns (2024)

Camryn Rabideau

Contributor

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Sizes: Extra small, small/medium and large/extra-large | Material: Cowhide leather | Machine washable: No | Special features: Shirred elastic back

Leather gloves tend to be the most durable option for gardening and other yard work, and these ones from Barebones are especially well-made and comfortable. Available in three sizes and three colors, they’re crafted from premium grain leather that’s soft and breathable for summertime wear. Plus, they’re made with chemical-free natural dyes.

What’s more, you don’t have to worry about them slipping around during tougher chores, thanks to the shirred elastic on the wrist that helps keep them in place. A keystone thumb stitch, meanwhile, offers better dexterity. Lastly, the brand backs the gloves with a two-year warranty.

Pros:

• Premium cowhide leather with chemical-free coloring
• Shirred elastic wrist for a tighter fit
• Backed by a two-year warranty

Cons:

• Sizes run small

Sizes: Medium and large | Material: Polyester with latex coating | Machine washable: Yes | Special features: Textured palms for grip, multi-pack

The Workpro Garden Gloves are an inexpensive option that you can toss on for light-duty garden work. Sold in packs of six and available in two sizes, they’re made from a stretchy, lightweight polyester fabric, and the palms and fingers are coated in latex to make them water-resistant and more durable. The latex also has a textured pattern that makes it easier to grip tools. While they’re not the most durable option there, they’re a budget-friendly way to protect your hands in the garden.

Pros:

• Includes six pairs of gloves
• Lightweight and breathable fabric
• Textured palms provide better grip

Cons:

• Not the most durable
• Not suitable for those with latex allergies

Sizes: Medium and large | Material: Spandex with faux leather palms | Machine washable: Yes | Special features: Touchscreen compatible fingertips

These high-performance women’s gloves from Digz offer just the right combination of comfort and protection. While they’re made from a stretchy spandex that’s lightweight enough for summertime wear, the palms and fingers are layered with padded faux leather to protect against thorns and rocks as you work.

Sold in two sizes, they have an adjustable wrist strap for a more secure fit to keep out dirt and bugs. The tips of the fingertips are also touchscreen compatible, so you don’t have to take the gloves off to answer a text or look up a gardening question on your phone. Plus, when they get dirty, you can simply toss them in the washing machine, and they’ll come out looking as good as new.

Pros:

• Breathable with durable palms for protection
• Adjustable wrist strap for a secure fit
• Fingertips work on smartphone screens
• Machine washable for easy maintenance

Cons:

• Not available in small

Sizes: Extra small, small, medium, large and extra large | Material: Pigskin leather | Machine washable: No | Special features: Elbow-length gauntlet cuff, puncture-resistant palms

If you’re working with roses, berry bushes or another thorn-covered plant, you’re going to want a pair of thick gloves like these from Handlandy. They’re crafted with a double layer of pigskin leather on the palms and fingers, allowing you to handle prickly plants without getting poked. The cuffs also extend all the way to your elbow to provide protection for your forearms.

The gloves come in five sizes and a range of colors, and like many pairs on this list, they have an elasticised wrist to keep them in place as you work. Because they’re designed to have a looser fit, though, they’re not the best gloves for more detail-oriented tasks.

Pros:

• Wide range of sizes and colors
• Puncture-resistant palms and fingertips
• Extended cuffs protect forearms

Cons:

• Too bulky for more precise tasks

Sizes: Small, medium and large | Material: Goatskin and pigskin leather | Machine washable: No | Special features: Elbow-length gauntlet, puncture-resistant

Long-sleeve gardening gloves provide more coverage for your arms, keeping dirt, bugs and thorns away from your skin. These gauntlet-style gloves (which are available in three sizes) are made from soft goatskin with pigskin leather cuffs, and they extend all the way up to your elbow. They have padded palms for extra comfort and protection against punctures, and they’re held together with heavy-duty stitching.

Pros:

• Crafted from leather with extra padding on palms
• Extended cuffs offer protection for forearms
• Pigskin resists punctures and scratches

Cons:

• More expensive than other gardening gloves

Sizes: One size fits all | Material: Polyester and nitrile | Machine washable: Yes | Special features: Multi-pack

On hot summer days, these lightweight knit gloves are extra breathable and offer great dexterity. Made from stretchy polyester knit with a nitrile coating on the palms and fingers to offer abrasion- and water-resistance, they’re flexible enough for more precise tasks like sowing seeds. Sold in packs of three, these gloves are one-size-fits-all. (Plus, they’re latex-free, making them safe for those with allergies.)

Pros:

• Knit construction is lightweight and breathable
• Inexpensive for a pack of three pairs
• Latex-free

Cons:

• One-size-fits-all construction

Sizes: Small, medium, large and extra large | Material: Goat leather | Machine washable: No | Special features: Double-walled palm

If you tend to be hard on your gardening gloves, the Vermonter Work Gloves might be worth the splurge. While they are pricey, they’re are designed to stand up to tough yard work. They’re also high-quality: The gloves are hand-crafted in Vermont from goatskin leather and heavy-duty nylon thread, and each pair features a double-walled palm, double-stitched seams and additional points for reinforcement for unbeatable durability. They even have a two-inch cowhide cuff to protect your wrist, and come in a variety of sizes to fit both men and women.

What’s more, if you ever have a split seam or small tear, you can send the gloves back to the brand for repairs (for a fee, of course), helping to keep them out of the landfill for longer.

Pros:

• Crafted from thick goatskin leather with heavy-duty nylon thread
• Double-walled palm and reinforced construction
• The brand will repair gloves for a fee

Cons:

• Cost more than $100

Sizes: Small, medium and large | Material: Spandex with cowhide palm | Machine washable: No | Special features: Water- and puncture-resistant

The Wells Lamont Hydrahyde Gardening Gloves offer a variety of features that make them comfortable and convenient to use in the garden. They’re made from a combination of stretchy spandex and protective leather, offering protection against water and punctures. Adding to their durability, they have cowhide leather on the palms and fingertips, and there’s an adjustable strap on the wrist for a tight, secure fit.

Available in three sizes, this all-purpose pair offers enough dexterity for gardening, but they’re durable enough for yard work, too. There’s even a “sweat strip” on the thumb to soak up your perspiration when you’re weeding on hot summer days.

Pros:

• Water- and puncture-resistant design
• Adjustable strap for a more secure fit
• Sweat strip on the thumb

Cons:

• Sizes run small