When working on a range of home repair jobs, work gloves shield your hands from blisters, puncture wounds, and soreness. However, not every pair of gloves is appropriate for every task, and each pair has a different construction material and intended application.
The This Old House Reviews team looked up some of the top work gloves on Amazon and tested them for things like comfort, dexterity, protection, and durability to help you decide what kind of gloves you need. Learn more by reading on.
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List of The Top 9 Best Work Gloves in 2023 on Amazon.com
1. Ranchworx Work Gloves in Ironclad
Right out of the box, the Ironclad Ranchworx Work Gloves were amazing. Many small extras are included, such as overstitching in multiple rows for longevity. The Ironclad gloves suited us well, however compared to other gloves of the same size, the fingers felt a little bit narrower. Because they don’t have inside seams like some gloves do, they were generally comfortable, especially at the tips of the fingers. There were no seams to bother our fingertips as a result.
Between the index finger and the thumb, a stress point on work gloves, especially when they are used for grasping and pulling, is where the Kevlar strip was sewed into the web. Neither the Ranchworx gloves stretched nor tore. We particularly valued the rubber-reinforced fingertip and knuckle insets, which protected our knuckles from impact and scrapes. The gloves worked great while we used them for a range of outside farm and construction chores. As we completed our testing in temperatures greater than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the black terry-cloth strips on the back of the thumbs proved in helpful for wiping away forehead sweat.
2. dependable tough chix work gloves
Many of the same features are included in the women’s version of our top selection, although Ironclad Tuff Chix gloves lack Kevlar strips and knuckle protection because they are made for smaller hands. On hot days, they do have a padded leather palm and an absorbent terry-cloth thumb band to help you wipe the sweat off your forehead. In addition, the nylon fabric on the back of the gloves prevented our hands from perspiring.
The Tuff Chix were generally comfy and ran quite true to size, although we weren’t crazy about the inside finger seams, which were a little grating. We discovered that the gloves worked effectively for a range of outdoor activities, such as raking, mowing, digging with a shovel, and hammering. Although they are not suited for trimming plants like roses since the backs of the gloves (and side finger gussets) are made of fabric, which allows the thorns to pierce right through, they held up nicely and didn’t stretch out or tear. They qualify as medium-duty work gloves.
3. Wells Lamont 3 pack of PU-Coated Gripper Gloves
Wells Lamont’s Gripper work gloves are an option for those looking for inexpensive, light-duty gloves that increase grip. These gloves (which are sold in sets of three) seemed to be almost as light as air at first glance. They are comprised of a stretchy polyester fabric, and a small layer of nonslip polyurethane has been applied to the palms and sides of the fingers.
The gloves were really cozy and little large, but not so much that we felt they were too big, so we put them on. We were able to hold onto poles, bars, and rods without slipping thanks to their polyurethane-coated palms. Although the gloves are not waterproof, we dampened them down to see if the palms would still have good traction after being damp. It was. The fingertips of these gloves don’t have seams. Even though these aren’t heavy-duty gloves, they work nicely for simple gardening and cleaning jobs. What’s more, they’re reasonably priced.
4. Carhartt Fencer Work Glove in Synthetic Suede
A company renowned for its tough workwear is the source of Carhartt’s Fencer work gloves. These gloves are of excellent quality; the leather is thick but flexible. We did not locate any snags in the overstitching, which strengthens the palm and joins the fingers.
We flexed our hands as we put on the Carhartt gloves. The gloves were true to size, but at first they were a little stiff. The fingertips had some minor irritants in their seams. The palm of the glove and the inside of the thumb include reinforced panels, which are located in the web where gloves can deteriorate with frequent use.
The Carhartt gloves shielded our hands from the barbs while we worked around the farm, fixing broken barbed wire fencing among other jobs. No thorns pierced through the stems of the thorny roses that we picked. In addition to preventing blisters, the gloves also softened and conformed to the contour of our hands after a few hours. These gloves are excellent for shielding hands from thorns, scrapes, and scuffs.
5. Winter work gloves by Wells Lamont in deerskin full leather
The Wells Lamont Deerskin Full Leather Winter Work Gloves are the warmest work gloves on our list because they are made of traditional materials and have a classic appearance. They also offer abrasion resistance and numerous layers of protection from the cold. Compared to rawhide gloves, the deerskin exterior is durable yet flexible and comparatively light.
Because of its plush interior lining, which is intended to keep hands warm in the winter, we found these gloves to be incredibly comfortable to wear. We had to figure out a technique to evaluate whether these gloves would keep our hands warm because we tested all of the gloves in warm temperatures. We put flexible, gel-filled ice packs around the gloves after they had been frozen. We put our hands inside the gloves every 15 minutes to check if the interior was cooling down. We did three checks.
The gloves felt somewhat cooler each time we tested them, but they were never uncomfortable chilly. We believed they would keep our hands warm enough to carry out the majority of outdoor activities in chilly weather.
We also put them to the test for sturdiness while raking, digging with a spade, and trimming roses. These gloves are better suited to light- to moderate-duty winter jobs because they are not as durable as rawhide or suede. The buttery-soft leather held up nicely to grasping and pulling tasks, but a thorn poked through when we were pruning.
6. Winter Grip Gloves with Waterproof Coating by Wells Lamont
The Wells Lamont Winter Grip Gloves had a luxuriously plush lining inside, and while they fit reasonably well, they were a little on the snug side. They weren’t unpleasant, but if we were to get them again, we’d order a size larger.
We wrapped the HydraHyde gloves in frozen, gel-type ice packs, much like we did with the other gloves we tested for cold resistance, and checked them three times, with 15 minutes between checks, to see how they felt on the inside. Each time we checked, they did seem cooler, but not to the point of discomfort.
The HydraHyde gloves are among the warmest work gloves we tested and are made primarily to protect hands from wet environments. We placed the gloves on and submerged the fingers in ice water to test their water resistance. To avoid dipping them past the gray latex layer, we took care. We removed our hands from the water after a full minute to check for leaks inside the gloves, but there were none. The inside stayed dry. Since the latex covering is somewhat thin, heavy-duty use that could tear it is not recommended for the gloves.
We also put the gloves to the test for grip, and we discovered that the latex coating gave us a firm grasp on shovel and rake handles. The HydraHyde gloves, in our opinion, would be the best option for jobs like scraping ice off car windows or the occasional snowball fight.
7. Flexible work gloves for handymen made to order
The Custom Leathercraft Flex Grip Handyman Labor Gloves are ideal for a variety of yard work, carpentry, and automotive projects because they provide protection, comfort, and flexibility. We thought the design of these gloves was fairly beautiful, however for longevity we wished the leather had been real rather than synthetic. Even so, these gloves had a lot to offer, and this particular pair was the only one whose thumb, index, and middle finger touch-screen tips consistently functioned when we swiped our cellphones.
The smooth faux leather palms offer good protection without stiffening or contracting when wet. These premium gloves have extra padding across the knuckles and a spandex back. The wing-strap cuff closures, which let us alter the fit to meet our wrist size, were appealing.
The inside of the fingers has seams, although they are minor and not too bothersome. We scarcely noticed them after a few minutes of wearing them. We found the padded palm to be useful for activities like mowing and shoveling because it added protection. The synthetic leather of these light-to-medium-duty gloves was easily penetrated by a nail, despite its construction. They are nevertheless appealing to anyone who wants to answer a smartphone call without taking off their gloves thanks to their touch-screen functionality.
8. Mechanix Work Gloves M-Pact Gray
Mechanical work frequently calls for excellent protection against cuts, abrasions, vibration, impact, and pinching. The Mechanix Wear M-Pact Gray Work Gloves are a good choice for working on cars, lawnmowers, and other machinery since they are comfortable and well made. Our hands were shielded from the types of scratches that can happen when working in confined spaces on engines by the rubber pads on the gloves’ knuckles.
Vibration-absorbing pads are one of the many security features on these mechanics gloves that serve to protect hands. Velcro straps on the gloves allow them to be customized to fit different wrist sizes. It frequently required 4-5 swipes to activate the screens when we tried the index and thumb tips, which are meant to be sensitive to touch screens. We found that using our naked fingers instead of the gloves was easier.
We could feel a few tiny seams inside the fingertips, but since the fingers are long enough, we weren’t too bothered by them. We put the gloves through their paces by turning bars, tightening and loosening knobs, and even wearing them while changing oil. We like them for mechanic work, but they’re not great for shoveling, raking, and other outdoor chores because they don’t have a nonslip grip.
9. Skydeer Gardening Gloves for Women in Deerskin Suede
Who said safety work gloves had to be drab in appearance? The Skydeer gardening gloves come in a variety of attractive patterns while yet providing excellent hand protection. We tried on the Skydeer gloves, which are composed of soft deerskin and flexible nylon, and they suited us nicely. Although there are seams inside the fingers, they are so soft that you hardly detect them. They have reinforced stitching for longevity.
We used the gloves to plant and weed the flower gardens because they are touted for gardening use. Additionally, it is claimed that they have a waterproof back, although they do not. While wearing the gloves, we dripped a small amount of water on their backs; while some of it ran off, the majority seeped through to our hands.
We loved how the gloves felt light and how the padded palms made it more comfortable to hold hand trowels and rakes. They are extremely flexible and don’t restrict motion. They are only light-duty gloves, therefore they won’t protect you from thorn pricks.
