Mario Bautista
Our pick
Resistant to punctures and moisture, these gloves’ snug, adjustable wrist straps and mesh backing allow them to fit a range of hand sizes while preventing debris from entering at the wrist.
The Husky Large Grain Cowhide Water Resistant Leather Performance Work Glove pair is a midpriced option that outperformed nearly all the other gloves we tested it against. The soft leather of these gloves combines comfort and durability, as we were able to move muddy rocks and pull briars without losing our grip or feeling thorns perforate the palms. When the gloves got filthy, a quick rinse returned them to like new. With a stretchy mesh backing, the standard sizes are likely to conform to your hands, and the gloves’ adjustable Velcro strap closes securely at the wrists without the excessive compression we felt from some competitors.
Runner-up
Tough, inexpensive, and similar in appearance to our top pick from Husky, these Firm Grip gloves performed well in testing but didn’t fit the wrist as securely as others we tried.
Similar to our top pick from Husky and usually available at a lower price, the Firm Grip Large Goatskin Leather Palm gloves passed our rose and rock tests with performance similar to that of the Husky gloves. Two design distinctions that held these gloves back were their denim back and their elastic cuff, which together left a gap open during our testing and affected their overall fit, in contrast to the adjustable, formfitting Husky pair.
Upgrade pick
It takes some work to break in these thick, high-quality gloves, which have the materials—and customer support—to ensure a long-lasting investment and great value in spite of the high up-front cost.
Handsewn at a US factory with a transparent supply chain, Vermont Glove’s The Vermonter might last you a lifetime. Even if you wear through these thick goatskin leather gloves, the company, which has been reassuringly reachable throughout our interactions with it, will repair them for you. If you lose one, you can buy a single glove. Suitable for anyone who regularly does heavy-duty yard work, operates equipment, or works in challenging weather, this pair was the highest-quality option we tried—and it comes at the premium price you probably expect.
Budget pick
Less slippery and tougher than other gloves at a similar price, these nylon-palm gloves stretch and breathe well thanks to their mesh back, and comfortable elastic around the wrist ensures a decent fit.
The inexpensive Amazing Stuff For You Garden Gloves have a fairly common nylon-palm design but performed better in our tests than similar models. They were less slippery than the other nylon gloves we tried, and with them we could grab a thorny rose stem or a craggy rock without any pain in the fingers. The fit was rarely perfect, but we found that the smooth elastic sat tightly enough on the wrist that we could effectively pull the cuff down or up to adjust the length of the fingers. The gloves’ mesh back made them more breathable than some of the other budget options we wore.
Budget pick
Available in bulk for a few bucks per pair, these popular, lightweight latex gloves breathe well, fit securely, and proved durable in testing. The palms are a nice alternative to nylon, but the snugness and texture of the elastic around the wrist was uncomfortable.
Roughly equal in protection and test performance to the Amazing Stuff For You gloves—and usually cheaper per pair—the latex-palm Cooljob Gardening Gloves breathe well on the back and offer an alternative to the more common nylon or nitrile synthetics in this price range. In testing, we consistently noticed these gloves’ snug, abrasive texture on the inside of the wrist. But if you’re looking for affordable gloves to hand out to, say, park volunteers, these are good candidates.
Also great
These long gloves, meant for florists, consist of soft goat leather that shielded our palms and forearms well against rose thorns. The palm material is thinner than that of some other gloves we tried, so in spite of their leather construction, they may have a shorter lifespan than some work-glove competitors.
Reaching in a rose bush didn’t destroy our hands and arms while we were wearing the Exemplary Gardens Rose Pruning Gloves, which were so sophisticated and soft that some of our testers said they felt nearly too fancy to wear. “If I’m shoveling some stuff in the barn, it’s going to give me protection,” said one. “And it’s going to make me feel elegant at the same time.”
Also great
Bright, colorful, and touchscreen-compatible, Mechanix’s Ethel gloves tested well and had a plush feel. Be sure to size up; they run small.
An affordable option with some aesthetic flair, the Mechanix Ethel gloves held up well as we gripped rose thorns and hauled heavy rocks. You might need to size up, however, as they were a snug but plush fit even on the smallest hands among our testers. This pair of gardening gloves from Mechanix, a brand we’ve turned to for other work-glove purposes over the years, is one of the rare touchscreen-compatible options we saw in this category.
