Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
violet_z6

On Gardening Gloves

Violet_Z6
20 years ago

All my life I've been a person who never wears gloves. Every once in a while, I'll find a pair of winter gloves or gardening gloves that I think I'll wear. I'll bring them home and put them on, only to take them off within a few minutes. I finally gave up and told myself I wasn't going to waste the money any more.

This spring I was at a plant sale with many "hard core" gardeners in attendance. About five totally separate people I knew, asked if I "had the gloves?" As in, did I already own them or was I going to get them? And if not, then I should get them. To each I responded, I don't buy gloves because I never wear them and always end up taking them off. They each said they were the same way too until they found "those gloves". So I asked, ok - show me and tell me why you like them. They were light, thin, flexible, and comfortable but of course I had not "put them to the test". Their responses were, "mud doesn't cake up on them because of the texture of the latex", "my hands sweat a lot and these are cotton and they breathe so well", "they're really light", "they're so thin, I can feel what I'm doing", "feel how flexible they are", "you can wash them"...

Ok, so I tried some on. Humm.... not too bad, they fit, they're light. What about the price? They were selling for $5.00 and one of the gardeners had told me they had bought theirs for over $9.00 just a month ago. Well, I'm a skeptic and I hadn't planned on spending hardly any money. I did notice that a lot of people had purchasing the gloves so I asked some other long time gardeners I knew about them. They all said those were the best gloves.

Ok, I'll give them a try. They're on sale and every long time gardener is telling me that they never wore gloves until they found those and they sure aren't getting anything for telling me.

Well, I have to say... I absolutely love them. I can transplant seedlings with them they're so thin. And at the same time they're durable enough to withstand moving rocks and thorny blackberry bushes, and slimy mud and gripping garden spades. Everyone was right. Mud doesn't cake on, they're breathable, they're amazingly flexible and comfortable. They don't have those annoying seams that are so uncomfortable with other gloves. It's official - I'm a convert. In fact, one day I couldn't find them and spent a half hour just looking for them because I'd become so accustomed to using them I missed them! That was the first time I realized how much I really did appreciate them. Found them the next day... whew! Told myself I should get another pair just in case! LOL!

So what are they?

I guess the most common generic term for them is 'grip garden gloves'. Different companies make them from what I can tell. The front is a thin, flexible, textured, latex coating which goes just over the fingertips on the back just enough to keep your fingers dry even if you're picking up something muddy. Pretty cool. The glove itself is a very flexible, stretchy, extremely breathable cotton material. And there's a bit of elastic at the top, not too tight to hurt but just enough to prevent things from falling into your glove while your using them. The latex really does "grip" tools really well, so much so, you'll notice when you don't have them on.

I've seen them in different colors. The cotton is usually off white or some other variation on ivory. The latex comes is a lighter green, grey, blue, and any other number of colors. In fact, I was looking for pictures and found a purple one I'm going to have to keep an eye out for - my goal for my future second pair. LOL!

I saw the same gloves at my local grocery store in the "hardware" section being sold for about $6.00 by Stanley. So there are obviously many uses and many makers and suppliers.

For what it's worth, I highly recommend them - as you can tell.

Here are pictures of what they look like. If the latex comes up higher on any gloves you see on the back - than those are not what I'm talking about. I am only referring to those which resemble the gloves in the following pictures and mine do not have anything printed on the back side.

{{gwi:292244}}

{{gwi:292246}}

{{gwi:292248}}

{{gwi:292249}}

Close up of the texture of the latex from my own gloves:



{{gwi:292250}}

{{gwi:292251}}




Hope this helps someone out there...

:)

Violet


Comments (11)

  • jakkom
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Glad you found a pair of gloves you enjoy gardening in! I do think it's important, because along with getting a tetanus shot, it's a good safety precaution.

    I use one of the Lee Valley Tools gloves -- I have very small hands and many gloves don't fit well.

  • dawnstorm
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I found some long-cuffed, leather tipped gloves in a local hardware store earlier this year. Hallelujah! I'd been looking for some 'rose gloves' for some time and these fill the bill. I use 'em for everything; they were a little pricey, but well worth it. They are very well made and comfy too.

  • valeriegail
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I agree, best darn gloves around. I have at least 2 extra pairs at all times, just in case I forget where the others are! When I think of all the money I wasted on other types it makes me sick. Now I can dig and play in the mud to my heart's content.

    Valerie

  • LindaPNW
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Violet,

    The pictures are wonderful!!! I've been intending to write about my favorite garden gloves, too, so I'll just add that I purchased the GREEN gloves that say GRIP on them (your pictures 4, 5, and 6). I have 5 pairs and wash them at the laundry mat when they get dirty. I LOVE them. I'm not a glove person, but I wear them for hours and appreciate their flexibility and durability.

    I heard there is a difference between the blue colored and the green colored gloves in your pictures - I don't believe they are simply the same glove in a different color. Does anyone know how they differ?

  • jules7ky
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love those gloves! Use them every day, at home and at work. And I haven't heard of any difference between the colors (although that doesn't mean there isn't one)...

    However! There is another glove that I love just as much for different reasons. They're called Foxgloves, and they're patterned after ladies' evening gloves from the 1950's. Cotton/Lycra blend, tapered fingers, more flexible than anything else I've tried. No, they won't keep your hands dry or protect you from thorns, BUT they'll keep dirt from under your nails. And for transplanting tender babies or pulling teeny weeds, they're superb.

    They're a bit pricey, somewhere near $25.00, but they go in the washer and air dry quickly. Hold up beautifully. Come in all kinds of colors like Fuchsia, Iris, Moss, Compost... even a Tulip Red so you'll never lose them in the garden. You can also get them with little rubbery dots all over the palm for increased traction.

    I use my green "Tool Grip" gloves for watering, heavy mud-moving, and carrying plastic pots or trays, and the "Foxgloves" for everything else. I keep both pairs on a glove "leash" - one end clips onto a belt loop, the other end onto the gloves. I got that little gem from the A. M. Leonard catalog.

    Happiness is having toys that work well!

  • mobius
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I also love these gloves, they protect my hands from everything. The ones I have are called MUD GLOVES. Well, worth the money. However I did find out that they don't protect you completely from rose thorns but otherwise I wear them whenever I garden.
    Tina

  • sandra_NY
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I discovered the Grip Garden Gloves a few years ago and they are great. Everyone must think so because not a pair is to be found at the local stores anymore. I hope I never lose my only pair!

  • Roberta_z5
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I also absolutely love those "grip" gloves. I have several pairs and wear them all the time. I am gardening at our farm and because of snakes, and multaflora rosa, I have to wear gloves for just about everything. I keep several pair at the farm and bring dirty ones home to throw in the washer each week.

    Just don't put them in the dryer. They will last a long time and the price is right!!!

  • LindaPNW
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just noticed that the "FOXGLOVES" are sold through White Flower Farms, too, for $25. S, M, L. whiteflowerfarm.com

  • SnowOwlMoon
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes, those are the same gloves I use! I volunteer at the local Aquarium, and we have exhibits with native plants, so I do quite a bit of gardening there, as well as at home. The biologist I work for had found those gloves, and I liked them so much, I bought a pair for at home. They are the most comfortable and durable gardening gloves I've ever found!

  • claudia27
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Anyone found some TRULY THORN-PROOF gloves, especially need ones long enough to give arm protection. Lee Valley has some called ROSE GLOVES that look tempting. has anyone tried them?

Sponsored
Grow Landscapes
Average rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars8 Reviews
Planning Your Outdoor Space in Loundon County?