Gardening Glove Choices for Men (UK)
Thanks for taking your time to read our information on the best gardening gloves for men. There are a few different types of gloves available on the UK market, and they vary depending on what task you need to do in the garden. Those tasks range from simply mowing the lawn, to sowing and planting, weeding etc and right through to heavier jobs like working with fences, decks and moving rubble.
Some people prefer not to wear gloves at all, but many prefer to protect their hands with some type of gloves. We have listed the various types of gardening gloves just below and what purpose they serve.
Types of Gloves
Glove Type | Gardening Use |
|---|---|
General Purpose | These are usually made from polyester and are breathable with some type of rubber coating. They are comfortable to wear and have good dexterity and ideal for general planting, sowing and other light general gardening jobs |
Thorn Proof | Typically these are made from reinforced leather which stops thorns, brambles and thistles from getting into your fingers and hands. They tend to be large and don't have as much dexterity as general gardening gloves. |
Heavy Duty | As the name would suggest these are made for the rougher gardening work and are usually made from leather with toughened knuckle areas and palms. |
Rigger | These are popular as they are used for gardening tasks such as moving rubble, working on decks or fences |
Long Sleeve/Gauntlet | Most gardening gloves cover to around the wrist area. You can buy longer gloves that also offer protection to some of the arm length. These are a good choice if you happen to be wearing a t-shirt or a short sleeved shirt when gardening. |
In reality the majority of people will mainly use some type of general gardening gloves and also own a heavier duty pair of gloves for the tougher jobs around the yard and gardens.
How to Choose?
There are various types of gardening gloves available on the UK market.
- General Purpose gardening gloves - these are comfortable to wear and offer you lots of dexterity. They are ideal for potting, planting, general weeding any any other type of lightweight gardening activities
- Heavy duty gardening gloves - there are some tasks such as removing brambles, building work, heavy weeding etc where you will be much better using heavy duty gardening gloves. Almost always these are made of leather, more expensive but last longer than the lightweight type of gloves.
- Thorn proof gardening gloves - If you have ever had a thorn lodged in your finger, then you should consider buying thorn proof gloves. These are also usually made of leather, but slightly thicker leather to stop the thorns from penetrating them.
- Rigger Gloves - Many gardeners use what are called "rigger gloves" which also work well for heavier types of gardening work.
- Gauntlet gardening gloves - this type of glove also offers protection to the arms as well as the hands. If you tend to wear T-shirts or short sleeved shirts then the arms can be exposed. Gauntlet style gardening gloves help protect the hands and forearms when working in the garden
How to Pick the Right Size?
If you were being professionally fitted for any type of gloves then there are two key measurements that are taken.
- Measure the length of the hand - from the wrist to the top of your middle finger
- Measure the circumference of your hand - the fullest part of the hand around the knuckles and excluding the thumb.
Men's Glove Sizing Chart
S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Length of hand | 16.5-18 cms | 19-20 cms | 21.5-23 cms | 23-24 cms |
Circumference of hand | 18-19 cms | 20-21.5 cms | 23-24 cms | 24-25.5 cms |
Best General Purpose
In this section we check out what the best general purpose gardening gloves for men.
The gardening gloves to the right appear to be the most popular online choice for men who enjoy their gardening. They have certainly sold the most online. They are made from a combination of leather for protection and spandex for flexibility and comfort and the wrist strap allows for a good fit. They are smart looking and do exactly what they are supposed to do.
These gloves are a good choice to help protect the hands from most harden plants and debris. They are also light and can be machine washed. Overall we think they are very good value for money and the majority of buyers say they are very comfortable to wear, even for long periods of time. Buyers also say they last for a long time.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £9.99 - 90% customer satisfaction based on 6,000+ buyers
Best Heavy Duty
In this section we check out what the best heavy duty gardening gloves for men. Standard gardening gloves are the best choice for general gardening but sometimes you need to do heavier types of work such as pruning, building work, fencing, working with flames etc
That is when you will need to give your hands more protection. The gloves need to be thicker and heavier and give some more protection to your forearms. The gloves shown to the right are about as a good choice as you can get. More protection is added to the gloves and additional protection to the fingers and knuckles. The downside is they will not be as comfortable as standard gloves.
These are good for heavier work but not for brambles or thorns. See below for the best gloves for those issues. These are ideal for jobs like building walls, decks to avoid splinters, and general heavier gardening work.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £10.99 - 88% customer satisfaction based on 700+ buyers
Best Gauntlet
In this section we check out what the best gauntlet gardening gloves are for men. As the name would suggest gauntlet gloves cover the forearms up to around the elbow. Below we have shown the highest rated gauntlet style gardening gloves, and just below these, we have shown the best thorn proof gloves which are also known as gauntlet gloves.
The gauntlet style glove is longer and as such offers a good degree of protection to the hands and forearms. These are made from pig skin which allows much better air circulation around the hands that normal cow leather.
The cuffs and arms are made from cow leather which offers better protection and as those are wider air can flow in. Cow leather is tougher and gives better protection.
They come in small, medium, large and large sizes. Gauntlet gloves tend to be more expensive as they are usually made from leather and are larger and tougher than standard gardening gloves.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £18.99 - 92% customer satisfaction based on 1,000+ buyers
Best Thorn Proof
In this section we check out what the best thorn proof gardening gloves. We noticed during our research that lots of brands claim their gloves are effective to stop you getting your hands damaged from thorns. The reality is they are not. For thorns from rose bushes, holly, thistles etc you need gloves that are heavy duty.
We checked very closely what was available and the gloves shown to the right are the best sellers on Amazon UK for good reasons. With any heavy duty gardening gloves they initially may seem a little heavier and more awkward to wear, but that is what you need to avoid getting a thorn stuck in your finger.
These provide forearm protection which is really important and they do go right up to your elbow which is also important.
They are available in a couple of colours, have knuckle guards and good padding on the palms that won't puncture. They are an ideal choice if you are trying to get rid of brambles or nettles or pruning roses.
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £7.99 - 92% customer satisfaction based on 3,000+ buyers
Why You Should Buy & Use Gardening Gloves?
Here are the major reasons why one should consider getting a pair of trusty gardening gloves:
- Gloves protect your hands from blisters, thorns and cuts while doing rough work like digging or pruning in the garden. Investing in one or more pairs of quality gloves is a good decision.
- They protect the hands from animal waste and the risks associated with that. As an example cat poop carries a parasite called Toxoplasmosis which is very dangerous, especially for people who are pregnant or have a weakened immune system
- Another medical risk is roundworm and tapeworm from infected cats and even rats
- The other issue is just simply keeping your hands clean
Buying Guide
Just below we have completed a buying guide for men's gardening gloves. There are many different types of gloves to pick from and most men who garden will need some general purpose gloves and heavy duty gloves for heavier landscaping work. If you need to deal with nettles, brambles or rose bushes then we would also highly recommend gauntlet style gloves to protect your forearms.
- The best type of garden gloves is either quality leather gloves with a cloth back - these allow the gloves to breathe and keep your hands dry, cool and comfortable
- If mud bothers you or there are a lot of cats living in your area, pick rubber gloves with cotton lining
- We are not fans of spraying pesticides or chemicals. However if you are using those then pick gloves that are made from neoprene. Some gardeners prefer lighter latex or plastic gloves but they do not offer the best protection
- When pruning roses, use gloves that reach up to the arms, to avoid thorns scraping your arms
- Light cotton or even finger less gloves may be useful for transplanting seedlings. They will allow more dexterity and so help to prevent the tiny roots from being crushed. You will still need to wash your hands thoroughly after finishing this process, and also avoid touching your mouth during the process
- Make sure that the gloves you buy actually fit your hands. Most men will need a medium sized glove. Large tends to suit men with big hands. Just be wary of extra large gloves as these are really big and will feel loose.
