They will make your chores so much easier!
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Whether you’re repotting houseplants or planting annuals and perennials, there are many different types of gardening gloves to protect your hands and keep them clean. But when you're looking for the best gardening gloves to buy, you'll realize, after some trial and error, that many styles just don’t cut it in the real world. They fit poorly, make it impossible to maneuver your plants with any dexterity, or allow dirt and debris into the cuffs that then wind up inside your gloves. And that, well, just sucks the joy right out of gardening.
As a garden writer and plant lover, I work in my garden every week during the growing season, including testing out new varieties and products. I personally grow over 60+ houseplants, so I always have my hands in the dirt! Whether I’m potting up houseplants, edging beds, pruning shrubs, dividing and transplanting perennials, or installing pickup truck loads of mulch, I’m wearing gloves, and I have a lot to say about finding the perfect ones.
Ahead, I tested several pairs in my own garden to see if they stood up to the challenges of repotting, weeding, pruning, and digging. Plus, for some non-biased reporting, I spoke with several garden experts, from flower farmers to landscape designers to horticulturalists, who wear gloves on a regular basis, to get their take on their favorites for every gardening task. As a result, we have 10 pairs of gardening gloves vetted by our real-world gardening experts that you should buy.
With a spandex back and a hook-and-loop closure around the wrists to keep out dirt, these work gloves are a good choice for most garden chores. They’re also made from recycled plastic beverage bottles, which gives them a nice sustainability edge, and are my overall pick for the best gardening gloves to buy.
“They’ve got the right balance for thickness,” says Justin Hancock, horticulturalist with Costa Farms. “The gloves are durable and protective without being unwieldy. The padding in the palm makes activities like pruning easier, and the fabric along the knuckles adds protection where you usually don’t find it.”
| Sizes | M, L, XL, XXL |
|---|---|
| Materials | Faux leather, spandex recycled from plastic beverage bottles |
| Water resistant | Yes |
| Washable | Yes |
You don’t need to spend a ton to find functional gloves. “For 95 percent of my day-to-day gardening activities, I go super-basic and buy a pack of these every spring,” says Katherine Aul Cervoni, landscape designer and founder of Staghorn NYC and The Cultivation by Kat. “I like that they’re very fitted and not too thick, so I can maintain good dexterity and still be surgical with weeding, seeding, and so on. I can throw them in the washing machine on cold for a quick wash, and then air dry, and they’re like new afterward.” The bright colors are easy to spot in the garden, too.
| Sizes | M |
|---|---|
| Materials | Polyester, polyurethane |
| Water resistant | Yes |
| Washable | Yes |
These gloves can stand up to wear and tear—trust me. “For heavier work, like a ton of digging where blisters come into play, I go with a heavier, nicer leather glove from Duluth,” says Cervoni. “Spoiler alert: You can still get blisters with these, but they help!”
I’ve also tested these gloves and agree they have a solid feel. The leather is soft and supple, right out of the package. There’s leather over the knuckles, too, for better durability. I'd choose these for heavy chores that require more substantial protection, such as dividing and transplanting perennials or digging out dead shrubs.
| Sizes | 6 to 11 |
|---|---|
| Materials | Goatskin leather body, split cowhide leather cuffs, cotton/elastane denim back |
| Water resistant | No |
| Washable | No |
If you want a stylish pair that actually holds up, try these. "I’m not partial to any particular brand, but I’m absolutely devoted to a style: Knit gloves with the polyurethane-dipped palms and fingertips," says Stacey Hirvela, horticulturalist with Spring Meadow Nursery and Proven Winners. "I love them because they do everything I need a glove to do without being overkill, they let your hands breathe, and they stay flexible."
"The polyurethane coating is nice and grippy for moving around pots or grabbing tools and tough weeds. They’re also super-easy to stick in your pocket if you need to take a break or do a bare-handed task," says Hirvela.
| Sizes | One size |
|---|---|
| Materials | Polyester shell, polyurethane coated palms and fingertips |
| Water resistant | Yes |
| Washable | Yes |
For a pair of gloves that feel like a second skin, we have just the recommendation for you. “I have worn gloves all day, five days a week as a flower farmer for the past two decades,” says Lisa Ziegler, of The Gardener’s Workshop and author of The Cut Flower Handbook. “Hands down, these gloves feel like you don’t have gloves on. They hold up for a season or more, and I absolutely love them.”
I’ve also tested these gloves and agree that they’re an excellent choice for dexterity. You can do everything you need to do without fumbling, and the elastic cuff keeps them snug to your wrist. They wash up nicely in the machine on cold, or you can rinse them off with the hose. Let them air dry, and they're ready for the next round in the garden.
| Sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL |
|---|---|
| Materials | Nylon, nitrile palm coating |
| Water resistant | Yes |
| Washable | Yes |
Sometimes you need a sturdy glove with a good grip for messier jobs, like putting down fertilizer. “If you choose to use pesticides and lawn products on your garden, you should wear gloves, even to apply organic products,” says landscape designer Kristian Thiem, owner of Tidal Creek Designs. “I love the cheapest ‘nothing-special’ gloves. They keep your hands dry when working in wet soil or watering.” These have chemical-resistant palms, too, to protect your hands when applying fertilizers or weed killers.
| Sizes | L |
|---|---|
| Materials | Polyester, nitrile-dipped palm |
| Water resistant | Yes |
| Washable | Yes |
These pretty gloves are a good choice for occasional yard work, such as repotting plants, light raking, and spring cleanup. They come in a ton of pretty designs, so they’re also a nice gift idea for your favorite gardener.
In my tests, the palms don't protect hands from thorns during heavy pruning or cleanup sessions. But they’re a solid all-purpose glove for light duty that looks good, too (because sometimes you just want cute gloves!).
| Sizes | M |
|---|---|
| Materials | Polyester, faux leather palms |
| Water resistant | No |
| Washable | Yes |
If you hate the feeling of wet hands or gloves while you work, you need this next pair. “I love these bright pink gloves. They’re flexible, easy to wash, and resistant to mud,” says Jenny Rose Carey, garden educator and historian and author of The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide. They also feature an entirely nitrile-dipped palm (not just the fingertips), making them water resistant for dewy mornings in the garden. The cuff fits snugly, too, with a hook and loop closure to keep dirt out. Bonus: They’re easy to spot in the garden if you take them off and set them aside.
| Sizes | XS/S, S/M, M/L |
|---|---|
| Materials | Polyester, nitrile-dipped |
| Water Resistant | Yes |
| Washable | Yes |
These all-leather gloves are indispensable for thorny jobs like pruning roses or trimming scratchy shrubs. I’ve tested many gloves with cotton or canvas gauntlets, which do not last. Thorns and sharp sticks usually poke through, leading to tears in the fabric and cuts on your arms.
However, these gloves are made from buttery-soft goat leather for the glove portion with sturdy cow leather for the elbow-length gauntlets. I’ve been using these for about 15 years, and each pair lasts three to four seasons under heavy use (three to four times per week). I’ve even used them when digging out stubborn shrubs to protect my forearms from scratches. They're excellent value, too.
| Sizes | S, M, L, XL, XXL |
|---|---|
| Materials | Goat leather body, cow leather gauntlets |
| Water resistant | No |
| Washable | No |
If you want to introduce gardening to kids (and you should!), these cute gloves are a great idea. I’ve tested the adult versions, which have lasted a full season and a half with heavy use. The breathable knit shell keeps hands cool, while the nitrile palms make them water resistant and grippy for little hands as they learn to plant seeds and harvest tomatoes.
| Size | Youth |
|---|---|
| Materials | Polyester, nitrile-dipped |
| Water resistant | Yes |
| Washable | Yes |
I'm passionate about gardening, so I had thoughts when I was tasked with finding the best. I've tested many gloves during the past 15+ years, so there are those I love and ones I don't: I've included the gloves I use in my day-to-day garden chores on this list. For anything I didn't test directly, I asked fellow professional gardeners across various fields, from landscape designers to horticulturalists in nurseries, to recommend their tried-and-true favorites. Their gloves have been used in gardens, job sites, growing fields, and nurseries, so you know they'll hold up to whatever task you'll tackle in your own garden. Consider what chores you'll be doing in your own garden, then choose one (or more!) of the expert-approved picks on our list.
The best way to tell if a pair of gardening gloves is right for you and the type of work you plan to do is to test them out yourself. That said, there are a few things to look out for when shopping for them.
Size
Some gloves are one-size-fits-all, which is fine for larger hands, but they typically don’t work well for small hands because they fit too loosely. Others come in sizes ranging from small to extra-large, which tend to provide a better fit.
A few go by more precise glove sizing, so you’ll need to measure your hands around the widest part of your knuckles and consult the manufacturer’s size chart to choose the correct size. “Gardening gloves should fit snugly,” says Thiem. “If they’re too loose, they can fall off, or you must constantly adjust them.” If they’re too tight, they’re restrictive and uncomfortable.
Materials
Gloves come in a range of materials, each of which has pros and cons. Know what tasks you’ll be tackling because some gloves are more suited to certain garden chores than others. For example, if you’re planting teeny-tiny lettuce seeds, you need dexterity. If you’re wrangling an invasive vine, pruning roses, or cleaning up brush, you need tough gloves that protect your fingers and forearms. Here are some common glove materials:
Water Resistant
Gloves with nitrile or polyurethane-dipped palms and fingertips keep hands dry, but only to a degree. If you sweat or weed in the morning, when the grass is damp, your hands will still end up getting wet.
If you want your hands to stay dry, look for gloves with the entire palm and fingertips encased in water-resistant materials, such as the brand recommended by Carey.
Maintenance and Care
Ideally, you want your gloves to last more than a season, so caring for them, no matter how affordable they may be, is part of the gardening routine. Read the manufacturer’s care instructions, though we’ve found that most gloves (except for leather gloves) can be machine washed on cold on gentle or hosed off, then air-dried.
Absolutely! Gloves not only protect your hands from scrapes and thorns, but they also keep dirt out from under your nails and prevent nails from breaking. It’s much more pleasant to wear gloves without worrying you’ll end up with a thorn or a splinter from tool handles in your palm.
Thiem also says gloves are essential when using fertilizer or pesticide products, even organic ones. Gloves also keep your hands away from other icky things, such as animal waste, poison ivy, and some stinging insects you inadvertently disturb—though be forewarned that some insects, such as yellow jackets, can sting through some types of gloves.
Leather gloves with gauntlets, which extend to your elbows, are the best choice for thorns or scratchy shrubs. (I recommend this Legacy Garden pair from our list.) Fabric gauntlets do not provide adequate protection because they tear and puncture easily.
Keep your gardening gloves somewhere convenient so you’ll remember to use them and don’t have to go hunting around. In season, I keep a pair by the back door, but I also have a pair or two in my gardening bag, which also contains my small trowels, weeders, sun hat, bug spray, and sunscreen—that way, I’m all ready for a day in the garden!
Arricca Elin SanSone is a garden writer with 15+ years of experience growing houseplants, herbs and edibles, and landscape plantings. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things.
Her houseplant collection includes more than 65 varieties, while her expansive garden includes annuals, perennials, and shrubs, including new cultivars, that she trials for performance and reliability. When she’s not digging in the dirt, she’s teaching people about garden maintenance and how to grow things, including edibles, perennials, tropical plants, houseplants, and lawns.
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