From trimming the spiniest shrub to planting the tiniest seed, gardening can take its toll on our hands. (We swear, even gardening in fresh, soft compost, we manage to get a cracked cuticle or one of those microscopic, invisible splinters that repeatedly pokes a single nerve ending.) Thankfully, there’s a garden glove for every job and every type of gardener, and the editors at Sunset magazine have ranked their favorites.
For Fashionable Gardeners
For thorny garden tasks, the Womanswork Garden of Paradise Arm Saver Gloves ($34) offer comfort and protection beyond the palm. The extra-long cuff with pull cord will guard against light scratches, insects, and sun exposure. Plus, the palms are padded with synthetic leather. Best of all, they’re really pretty.
For Gardeners Who Always Lose Their Gloves
Like many of our favorite beverages, Showa Atlas Nitrile Garden Gloves come in six-packs ($18.70) —if you lose a pair in the bushes or forget them out in the rain, you’ve always got a fresh pair to spare. But despite their affordable price point, they’re actually pretty durable.
For Doing Battle With a Briar Patch
No task is too rough, no shrub too thorny for the heavy-duty, elbow-length gloves from Exemplary. The Thorn-Proof Goatskin Gauntlet Gloves ($25.79) are crafted from suede goatskin, these gloves get the job done, and you’ll feel like a warrior wearing them. It’s time to tackle that blackberry bramble for once and for all!
For Gardeners Who Want to Do Wolverine Cosplay
If you’ve always preferred using your hands for digging instead of a tool, the Garden Genie Claw Glove ($7.99) might be your new favorites. The diggers are built into the fingertips! Plus, they make you look really badass, like Wolverine or a Thundercat.
For Smaller Hands
The TougHer Leather Work Gloves ($59) Oregon-made deerskin work gloves are equally as helpful in the garden as in the mechanic shop, and they’re sexy as h*ck, too. With a mission of crafting the best, longest-lasting gear for hard-working folx with smaller hands, the team at TougHer is so sure of their products that they offer a lifetime guarantee.
For Houseplant Parents
No garden bed? No problem—even houseplant parents need gloves! The delicate tasks of indoor gardening are still better performed with the appropriate gear, and these slim, Anthropologie Terrain Second Skin Garden Gloves ($30) are stretchy and won’t compromise the fine motor skills required for polishing your Monstera babies or repotting your cuttings.
For Gardeners Who Hate Wearing Gloves
Face it, it’s more fun to get your hands in the dirt. It’s not great for the skin, though! For those of us who prefer the manual dexterity of our bare hands but know we should put a barrier between our skin and the soil, the Wonder Grip Nearly Naked Gloves ($8.77) are delicate-task garden gloves, and as close as you can get (besides an exam glove).
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