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9 best gardening gloves for sprucing up your green spaces
Keep those green fingers and thumbs protected with our experts' best gardening gloves
Here at Good Housekeeping, it’s no secret that we like to look after our homes. And it should come as no surprise that our love of tidying, sprucing and cleaning extends to the garden too.
Often brushed off as something done idly or reserved for people to enjoy in retirement, those who enjoy gardening know it’s dirty, sweaty, and a real workout. While the Chelsea Flower Show, Kew Gardens and the Eden Project present polished landscapes, the reality is that getting to that point requires plenty of mud, thorns and back-breaking work.
This all takes its toll on your hands. That's where the best gardening gloves come in, helping to protect your mitts from the elements. So, to make sure you’re kitted out for tackling the garden this spring, the GHI set out to find the best gloves on the market.
We tested 41 different pairs, looking for styles that fit snugly, resist wear and tear, and provide protection. In a rush to get planting? These are our top picks at a glance, but read on for our detailed reviews.
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What are the best gardening gloves to buy?
There’s a lot more to a gardening glove than you may think. In fact, there’s a whole range of factors to consider.
To start, you need to make sure the gloves you buy suit the type of gardening work you generally do.
- Light duty gloves are for non-intensive work like sowing seeds, weeding and general gardening tasks
- Medium duty gloves are for slightly hardier work such as potting, pruning or clearing
- Heavy duty gloves are for intensive jobs including landscaping, digging and mowing
Once you’ve narrowed down what you’re looking for, here are the other factors to consider.
Material
Gardening gloves are made in an array of fabrics – and each offers different benefits.
- Bamboo fibre is environmentally-friendly, soft and flexible, but isn’t waterproof.
- Elastane is stretchy, abrasion-resistant, strong and durable.
- Latex is wear-and-tear-resistant and has a strong grip. It’s a good alternative to animal products but avoid if you’re allergic.
- Leather is resistant to punctures and tears and becomes more flexible after prolonged use.
- Linen is strong, dries quickly and stays cool in hot weather, but it isn’t waterproof.
- Polyester is strong, durable and quick to dry, but it isn’t waterproof.
- Nylon is strong, stretchy, lightweight and less absorbent than polyester.
- PU, or artificial leather, has good tensile strength, meaning it doesn't is tear easily and its puncture-resistant.
- Suede is durable, pliable and offers a good grip, but it’s thin and permeable.
- TPR is a water-resistant material that has both the characteristics of rubber and plastic, making it abrasion resistant and flexible.
Waterproofing
Gardening can be wet work, so if you venture outside whatever the weather, then you’ll need a pair of waterproof gloves. These are great for heavy-duty tasks, but are often thicker than general purpose designs, so aren’t as suited to more delicate jobs – for those tasks, opt for some water-resistant ones instead. These will keep you relatively dry when doing damp work – like potting or clearing handfuls of damp leaves – without being too bulky.
Additional protection
While all gloves provide a good layer between you and the soil, you can opt for more protection depending on the jobs on your list.
Arm protection: Most gardening gloves finish at the wrists, but some extend further or have a gauntlet (a long cuff). This is particularly helpful if your garden has lots of prickly plants (hello, roses) or tangled brambles.
Knuckle and vein guards: Some gardening gloves have protective reinforcements across the knuckles and wrists. While this tends to reduce flexibility, if you’re undertaking particularly heavy duty work, they’re a must.
Reinforced fingertip protection: Padded fingertips protect against thorns and digging. They’ll make things more difficult during more delicate jobs, so keep them for heavy duty work.
Can you wash gardening gloves?
You’ve done the digging and the planting, and your gloves are covered in dirt. But before throwing them into the washing machine, there are a few things to think about.
The bottom line is that it depends on the material and features of each particular pair of gloves. Most manufacturers provide care instructions, so always check the label first. However, if you’re still stuck, there are a few ways to clean them.
Cotton or woven fabrics can be soaked in warm water to loosen any dirt and even popped into the washing machine on a gentle cycle if there are some stubborn stains.
For leather or suede gloves, it is recommended to work dry dirt off with a brush or use saddle soap, while gently massaging the gloves, to clean off any wet mud.
Why are there so many Clip Gloves gloves in this round-up?
Clip Gloves creates a comprehensive range of gardening gloves, which is why you’ll find so many below. There are light, medium and heavy-duty options with three-to-six different pairs in each category. As it's such a prominent brand, we wanted to get a comprehensive picture of its products, so we tried six different styles.
How we test gardening gloves
At the GHI, we test gardening gloves on a range of light to heavy duty tasks, including digging and pruning, plus more delicate work such as potting small plants.
We try them out on prickly and thorny plants, and check their water resistance by picking up damp debris. We even submerge them in water to check how waterproof they are.
Throughout our gardening tests, we also assess how comfortable they are and whether they feel secure and mould well to the hands.
So grab your garden kneeler, it's time to dig into the results!
Score: 93/100
These are designed for medium to heavy-duty work and, like all Clip Gloves designs, come with a handy carabiner clip for easy storage when not in use. They cover the wrist well and moulded nicely to our expert’s hands.
On test, they were hard to fault; the latex coating on the palm meant testers found their grip sturdy yet flexible when cleaning damp leaves, digging, and holding small tools. But, this didn’t fully protect against our thorny rose bushes, so be vigilant when handling any holly or roses.
Key specifications
| Type of work | Medium duty |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Women’s: Small/Medium. Men’s: Medium/Large |
| Material | Polyester, latex |
| Waterproof | No |
| Arm protection | No |
Score: 92/100
Another Clip Gloves pair, these light-duty gloves are designed to offer the same secure grip and comfort as our winner. They aren’t waterproof but they kept moisture at bay when clearing damp leaves, and the bamboo fibre fabric meant they were breathable, moisture wicking and insulating.
Again, these gloves were very flexible, moulding easily to the hand and providing a good grip for small tools and plants. However, it was a similar story with thorns and prickles from rose bushes – the only real area that these gloves lost marks.
Key specifications
| Type of work | Light duty |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Women’s: Small/Medium. Men’s: Medium/Large |
| Material | Latex, Bamboo fibre, Nylon, TPR |
| Waterproof | No |
| Arm protection | No |
Score: 91/100
There's a theme here. Once again proving that Clip Gloves is worth the consideration, these medium-duty gloves are totally waterproof, making them ideal for wet weather gardening, potting and weeding.
These gloves were responsive to our testers' movement and gripped any secateurs or trowels securely, while the soft lining made them comfortable too. However, we did get a few grazes from thorns and our hands felt a little cold after prolonged wear. For fair weather gardening, this shouldn’t be a bother, but when you're working in winter, maybe keep a hand warmer close by!
Key specifications
| Type of work | Medium duty |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Women’s: Small/Medium. Men’s: Medium/Large |
| Material | Latex, polyester, TPR |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Arm protection | No |
Score: 91/100
Our testers loved the tapered cuffs on these unisex gloves, which help them stay securely on your hands. The latex moulds well, and during our digging and pruning tests, they were pleasingly grippy and flexible.
They have no inner seam, which our testers said makes them feel a little like washing-up gloves. But that’s not a judgement on their comfort levels, which they were impressed with. They are water-resistant but watch out for the fabric cuffs, which prevent them from being fully waterproof. You’ll be fine picking up damp leaves, but otherwise they’re best suited to spring and summer jobs.
Key specifications
| Type of work | Medium duty |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Medium, large |
| Material | Latex |
| Waterproof | No |
| Arm protection | No |
Gold Leaf Malvern Deerskin Leather Gardening Gloves
Score: 91/100
We loved the design of these gloves with the purple flower-detailing, while the elasticated wrists and padded palms provided extra comfort when tackling a variety of tasks. They gripped everything from delicate plants to large handfuls of debris excellently too.
Due to the deerskin leather, these are the first gloves on the list that actually protected our hands against brambles, so you’ll be safe when pruning thorny bushes and prickly plants. Unfortunately, moisture seeped through the leather quickly, so avoid using them for damp tasks like potting or weeding. Note that they’re one-size only, so they probably won’t fit everyone perfectly.
Key specifications
| Type of work | Medium duty |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | One size |
| Material | Deerskin leather, nylon |
| Waterproof | No |
| Arm protection | No |
Score: 91/100
The thin fabric and flexible design of these gloves makes them an excellent pick for dry gardening jobs and general tidying, especially in the summer months. They fit our testers' hands like, well, a glove, and offered great grip – you can properly feel what you’re picking up through the material.
Testers found there was good palm protection when handling prickly items too, just not on the back of the hands. And moisture seeped through quickly when picking up damp leaves, so you may want to invest in another pair you can turn to for autumn and winter tasks.
Key specifications
| Type of work | Light duty |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Women’s: Small/Medium. Men’s: Medium/Large |
| Material | Elastane, nylon, PU, TPR |
| Waterproof | No |
| Arm protection | No |
Score: 90/100
The gauntlet-style design of these gloves, complete with a suede cuff, offers plenty of protection for your wrists and arms. The supple leather made picking up delicate plants easy and no moisture seeped through when handling damp foliage and debris either.
The leather also protects against thorns and thistles, so these are a good option for heavy duty tasks. They tended to slip down during wear though, and our testers found their hands got hot. But all in all, they’re a great choice for those difficult chores.
Key specifications
| Type of work | Heavy duty |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | Medium, large |
| Material | Leather, suede |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Arm protection | Yes |
Score: 90/100
With the bonus of a leather palm and a suede gauntlet, these gloves provide serious protection when handling weeds and trimmings. They’re grippy and flexible when clearing damp leaves and pruning with small tools too.
Testers found them difficult to clean, however, as there are no clear washing instructions. We also would have liked more sizes, but that’s being picky – they're comfortable, soft, warm and secure.
Key specifications
| Type of work | Medium duty |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | One size for women and one size for men |
| Material | Deerskin leather, suede |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Arm protection | Yes |
Score: 90/100
There’s no gauntlet on these gloves but our testers still loved the overall design; an elasticated wrist keeps them secure while a fleece lining ensures comfort and cosiness.
During heavy-duty work, our hands were totally protected, and they were completely waterproof too. Just note that, again, these gloves have no cleaning instructions and come in a limited range of sizes, so they won’t suit everyone.
Key specifications
| Type of work | Heavy duty |
|---|---|
| Sizes available | One size for women and one size for men |
| Material | Deerskin leather, fleece |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Arm protection | No |
7 April 2025: Headlines and introduction have been revised, and all stock levels and prices have been updated to reflect the most accurate and competitive deals.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
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