The best gardening gloves, tried and tested by a professional gardener
I spent hours weeding, digging and pruning in my garden to find the best gardening gloves for all seasons
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There’s nothing better than getting your hands in the soil. It contains a bacterium (mycobacterium vaccae) which can stimulate the production of serotonin, a ‘natural antidepressant’ that improves mood. But gardening can put our hands at risk, so it’s important to find the best gardening gloves to protect them.
“There are so many good reasons to wear gardening gloves,” says Alan Down, lifelong avid gardener and nurseryman with more than 35 years of retailing experience. “A good pair of thorn-proof gloves protect your hands from soil borne diseases, cuts and abrasions, and even from damp, cold, nettles and thorns,” he says.
Over the years, gardening gloves have become much more sophisticated, available in a range of materials, styles and sizes, with some offering specialised features. I’ve tested 16 gloves from the most trusted brands below, as well as answered some frequently asked questions. But if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at my top five:
The best gardening gloves: At a glance
- Best Buy gardening gloves: Donkey Gloves
- Best Value gardening gloves: Gardena Planting & Soil Glove
- Best ladies gardening gloves: Feverfew Women’s Gardening Gloves
- Best gardening gloves for men: Burgon & Ball Dig The Glove
- Best gardening gloves for winter: Stihl Dynamic ThermoVent
How to choose the best gardening gloves
“It’s not one-size fits all,” Alan Down says. “Ideally you need a choice of gardening gloves to enable you to carry out specific garden tasks. You might choose a leather pair for extra protection, or a lighter pair for more dexterous jobs like sowing seeds. In fact, I use hard wearing and heavier weight gloves in autumn and winter but thinner ones in spring and summer, when I’m doing gardening tasks that need more sensitivity.”
Choosing the right gardening gloves could make a tangible difference to your gardening activities, allowing you to carry out specific gardening tasks more safely, comfortably and easily. They can also help with gripping machinery like leaf blowers and pressure washers, especially during the cooler months.
How we test gardening gloves
For this guide, I tested a wide range of gardening gloves from the main players in the garden industry including Ansell, Stonebreaker and Briers. I reviewed some basic styles, some all-purpose designs and some gardening gloves with specific features that could improve your gardening experience (such as the ability to use your phone without taking them off). I wore each pair while carrying out a wide range of gardening tasks over the course of two or three days.
Apart from value for money, I was looking for good grip and a suitable fit, especially at the fingers (mine are long,) as well as long-term comfort and durability. Waterproofing is important, but I also took into account how breathable they were. With a mind to winter gardening, I noted how well they kept out the cold. The final factor was style: some are clearly far better-looking than others.
If you’re going to be busy in the garden, by the way, you may want to read our guides to the best secateurs, best strimmers and best lawn mowers next. Don’t forget the wellington boots or gardening shoes either.
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The best gardening gloves of 2025
1. Best Buy Gardening Gloves: Donkey Gloves
Score: 9/10
We like: Great all-rounder gloves, sales support an animal sanctuary, comfortable and well-made
We don’t like: Limited protection against tough thorns and stings
These are the gloves that I always turn to when I need a little protection for my hands while gardening. They’re a great all-rounder, suited to simple garden tasks like weeding and pruning and they offer some protection from thorns and stings. They were designed for gardeners, by a gardener: horticulturalist and former Blue Peter gardener Clare Cooke.
I love the bright orange; I can always find them when I’ve put them down. The cuff is a decent length and, while not adjustable, it is tailored and hugs below my wrist pretty well. These are well-made, comfortable gloves that last well with padded palms and reinforced fingers. I can just about use my phone’s touchscreen with these on, too.
The gauze finger panels allow flexibility and enable more dexterous tasks, but I did find they left my fingers a little vulnerable to stings and thorns. Profit from the sale of these gloves help support an animal sanctuary that rescues donkeys and other creatures as well – hence the name.
Key specifications
- Material: Nylon and polyester
- Features: Elastic breathable back, anti-slip padded palm, reinforced thumb gussets
- Sizes available: S, M, L and XL
- Care instructions: Machine washable in cold water
2. Best Value Gardening Gloves: Gardena Planting and Soil Gloves
Score: 9/10
We like: Breathable, grippy palms, smart looking
We don’t like: Not fully waterproof, limited protection against nettles and thorns, phone control hit and miss
Gardena’s turquoise gloves are great for weeding because the palms are non-slip nitrile coated and water-resistant, helping to grip the weeds as you pull. They are great for planting too because they grip your trowel handle well and don’t get sodden straight away if the soil is wet.
I tested the Medium (size eight) and I found them to be a great fit. The cuffs are generous and hug below the wrist, making them snug enough that soil doesn’t get inside as you garden. That’s a major plus for me, as I am a messy worker.
The polyester and elastane backs are breathable so I found these gloves a good choice in the summer. They’ll keep rain and dew off, but are not fully waterproof so keep that in mind. The palms meanwhile, are resistant to nettles, though not thorns.
The finger and thumb have a ‘mobile touch function’, which does allow you to use a touchscreen, though I did find that it was sometimes a bit hit and miss. Overall, these gloves are smart, well-made and good quality, offering medium protection when gardening.
Key specifications
- Material: Polyester, nitrile and elastane
- Features: Waterproof palm, breathable back, touchscreen-compatible fingertips
- Sizes available: S, M, L and XL
- Care instructions: Machine washable at 30C
3. Best Gardening Gloves for Men: Burgon & Ball Dig the Gloves
Score: 9/10
We like: Excellent fit lets you do finer jobs, loop for attaching together, choice of materials
We don’t like: Breathable mesh lets some stings through
These are smart, well-made and great quality gloves. They’re good for light-to-medium gardening jobs and come in a choice of corduroy, denim or tweed material options. There are more feminine fabrics available in the similar Love The Glove range.
I trialled the M/L size and they fit me nicely, a gentle but hugging fit that is not baggy. The cuff is adjustable via a Velcro strip, which gives a tight fit at the wrist. The padded palms are made from polyurethane and polyester and the backs are a fine polyester/elastane cord.
They are a great all-rounder, offering some protection against nettles and thorns, though I did get stung through the thinner gauze material down the sides of the fingers. The palms are padded and the design allows you to move your fingers freely, so that you can carry out finer jobs.
I like the yellow leather detail, which makes them easy to find if you put them down. There is also a handy loop so you can hang them up or clip them together when not in use.
Key specifications
- Material: Tweed, denim or corduroy with leather trim and polyester details
- Features: Padded palm, Velcro wrist strap
- Sizes available: S, M, L, M/L and L/XL
- Care instructions: Machine washable at 30C
4. Best Gardening Gloves for Winter: Stihl Dynamic ThermoVent
Score: 9/10
We like: Warm lining, breathable, orange design makes them easy to find
We don’t like: No padding or grip-enhancement, not waterproof
These gloves offer robust protection for most tough gardening tasks, including digging, weeding, pulling thorny shrubs and operating garden machinery (although you should use Stihl’s cut-protection range for chainsaws). They are well-made in Germany, breathable and lined with a soft fleecy polyester layer that provides comfort during use, especially in colder weather. They’re also bright orange, so difficult to lose.
The palm is leather and the backs are a polyester textile, making them flexible and allowing you to grip tool handles in comfort, though there is no padding or grip enhancement. I found them to be a good fit though, with generous elasticated and adjustable cuffs and decent finger length (I tried the Medium).
The Stihl gloves give some protection against water ingress, but they are not deemed to be waterproof. They do offer good wind protection and are thermally insulated, however, so I found them great for winter gardening. They aren’t washable, but they can be maintained using a leather feed/cleaner and a cleaning cloth to extend their life.
Key specifications
- Material: Goat skin leather palm, polyester back, fleece lining
- Features: Thermally insulated, adjustable cuff, ergonomic curved design
- Sizes available: S, M, L and XL
- Care instructions: Not machine washable
5. Best Ladies Gardening Gloves: Feverfew Women’s Gardening Gloves
Score: 9/10
We like: Adjustable wrist strap, secure and comfortable fit, good protection
We don’t like: Don’t fully protect against thorns and nettles
In the gardening glove world, these are fairly new kids on the block. The design team at Feverfew has done its research, creating a gardening glove that encompasses many of the positive features from other gloves. Available in a fairly drab Plum or Original green, as well as a choice of sizes, these gloves look smart and fit well, with an elasticated wrist and a useful adjustable strap that closes with a Velcro fastener.
They offer good protection despite being a little bulky in use, the fingers are toughened for longevity and the palms padded for comfort and protection. There’s also a knuckle protector and they come with handy clips so you don’t lose one when not in use.
These gloves enable you to handle young/softer thorns and nettles but take care of the finger edges. While breathable, they are made with finer fabric panels that allow nettle stings and harder thorns through. On the whole, these gloves are well-made with a nice design, and you can use your phone while wearing them. I trialled the medium size which I found to be a good fit for me.
Key specifications
- Material: Microfibre palm and stretchy spandex back
- Features: Knuckle protector, clips to keep them together, toughened fingers
- Sizes available: XS, S, M and L
- Care instructions: Machine washable at 30C
6. Best Gardening Gloves for Nettles: Coopers of Stortford Long Scratch-Proof Gardening Gloves
Score: 8/10
We like: Good protection in the garden, modern design, great fit
We don’t like: Not thorn proof, one size only, can’t use phone with them on
These gloves remind me of David Bowie’s Starman song, probably because of the spandex-like, metallic finish of the fabric. That finish provides an armoured-feel however, allowing me to truly grasp nettles and giving me confidence tackling some of the less enjoyable garden tasks.
Getting these gloves on was a bit of a struggle initially, but once on, they were a good fit. The arms are long and fairly thin, while the fingers are long and slender, resulting in better dexterity for the finer garden jobs. They are slightly stretchy too so I could pull them up to my elbows, offering good protection when working in dense and overgrown areas. They also gave me good protection against nettle stings and young/softer thorns, though not with established bramble stems or thorny roses.
They are wipe-clean only, need to be removed for operating a phone and they only come in one size, so they may not fit larger hands or arms. For those they do fit however, the elasticated cuff keeps them securely fitted while working.
Key specifications
- Material: Mix of woven polyester
- Features: Virtual hand and arm armour
- Sizes available: One size
- Care instructions: Wipe clean only
7. Best Gardening Gloves for Thorns: Briers Premium Suede Thorn-Resistant Gauntlet Gardening Gloves
Score: 8/10
We like: Great protection against thorns and nettles, comfortable, well-made, good value for money
We don’t like: Big and bulky, one size
I felt pretty invincible wearing the Premium Suede Thorn-Resistant Gauntlet Gardening Gloves from Briers. I found them to be great for the tougher gardening tasks, with the long gauntlets protecting my forearms and the thick suede material making handling brambles and nettles a doddle.
The seams are strong and welted, while the back of these gloves is made of just one piece of suede that acts as a shield against stings and thorns so I found these to be useful for dealing with overgrown areas. There’s a full and soft lining too that not only makes these easy to put on, but comfortable to wear.
They are one size (large,) so better suited to those with larger hands. Smaller users would potentially find them too big and baggy. I also found that while they reached my elbow, they gaped, allowing debris to fall inside. I didn’t find them suitable for finer work, either. Operating the lock on my secateurs wearing these was tricky, and you can’t operate the screen on a phone. All that said, these gloves are well-made and good value for money.
Key specifications
- Material: Black Suede
- Features: Back made from one piece of suede, long gauntlets to protect arms, fully lined
- Sizes available: One size
- Care instructions: Machine washable at low temperatures
8. Best Gauntlet Gardening Gloves for Women: Town & Country Dragonfly Lux-Fit Gauntlet
Score: 8/10
We like: Good fit, protects lower arm, washable and lightweight design
We don’t like: The gauntlet is a bit short
These gardening gloves are a new design from glove manufacturer Town & Country. Designed with a feminine touch, they are comfortable to wear and they look good with their soft green colourway and attractive dragonfly pattern. If a straw hat and trug full of flowers is your gardening style, these are best gardening gloves to complete the look.
The ‘leather’ is synthetic, making these gloves washable, lightweight and supple. The medium size was a good fit for my hands and allowed me to do some more nimble tasks like dead heading and sowing seeds. They give a good grip on tools in use too and offer a little protection from moisture. There is also a knuckle protector and reinforced finger tips, though they don’t have a ‘smartphone’ coating, which is a shame as I like to take photos in my garden.
When I used these gloves to handle nettles and some brambles, I found the longer sleeves offered extra protection and were resistant to nettles and some prickles, but not so good on bramble stems. I’d prefer a longer gauntlet to protect more of my arms and some clips to hold them together would be useful. Overall however, these gloves are well-made, with an elasticated wrist to stop debris getting inside.
Key specifications
- Material: Synthetic Microfibre Leather and Spandex
- Features: Arm protection, reinforced fingertips and knuckles
- Sizes available: S and M
- Care instructions: Hand wash in warm water and drip dry
9. Best Dual-Purpose Gardening Gloves: Town & Country Ultimax
Score: 8/10
We like: Wearable even when not gardening, stretchy for snug fit, good value
We don’t like: Limited protective, not waterproof
Though fairly cheap, these gloves are great quality and offer a good fit. The fingers are the right length for me and the stretchy panel does allow my fingers to bend. In fact, the overall stretchiness from the neoprene makes them fit more like a glove than a gardening glove – although the palm is slightly padded.
They’re good for general weeding, with a reasonable grip, but they do not stop thorns or even nettle stings. They’re not waterproof either, but the stretchiness allows for finer activities like opening seed packets and sowing seeds.
Extremely comfortable and attractive (I love them in green), the Town & Country gloves may not offer great protection, but they make a great extra layer in colder climes. I’d pop these in my coat pocket and use them as general gloves when out and about in the winter.
Key specifications
- Material: Neoprene and synthetic leather
- Features: Reinforced and textured finger pads for extra grip, brow wipe, shock absorbing knuckle wrap
- Sizes available: S, M
- Care instructions: Machine washable
10. Best Leather Gardening Gloves: Gold Leaf Soft Touch
Score: 8/10
We like: Luxurious feel, comfortable fit, good protection
We don’t like: The short cuff, can’t operate a phone when on
You can see why these high-quality leather-palmed gloves are endorsed by the RHS. They’re well made, comfortable and offer good protection for more robust garden tasks. The back is made from Lycra, nylon and foam, which combine to give the glove good elasticity. The palm is made from a soft, fine-grain deerskin leather – a feature that offers real practicality and durability.
The S/M gloves were a good fit for me, since the fingers were nice and long. They’re flexible and fitted with stretch panels to allow your fingers to bend, which is good for fairly dexterous jobs. The elasticated back enables you to flex your grip to hold tools and carry out finer work. The cuff is adjustable with a Velcro strip – although I found the glove a bit short at the wrist for me, meaning the cuff wasn’t quite in the right place.
These gloves wouldn’t allow me to operate the touchscreen on my phone and take a photo, but they were good against thorns and effective in protecting against nettles. Being leather, the gloves shouldn’t be immersed in water, but they do offer decent protection from moisture and would be a good choice in cooler weather.
Key specifications
- Material: Deerskin leather, Lycra, nylon and foam
- Features: Velcro wrist cinch
- Sizes available: S/M, M/L
- Care instructions: Not machine washable
11. Best Gardening Gloves for Ponds: Briers Drain, Tank and Pond
Score: 8/10
We like: Totally waterproof and puncture resistant, protect entire arm, good grip for weeding
We don’t like: Not breathable, limited thorn protection
These are functional with little finesse, but to be honest, when you’ve got a mucky wet job to do, looks aren’t important. They are basically a giant pair of extra-thick rubber gloves that reach your armpits. They aren’t just useful for ponds - you’ll find the whole arm protection useful if you’ve got to reach into an overgrown area too.
The Briers are designed to keep you dry while working in a pond or even a drain, and they do. There’s only one size, large, but that does mean you can wear clothes and even other gloves underneath. In fact, don’t wear them without sleeves underneath, as the elasticated tops grip tight to stop them falling down.
They are surprisingly easy to put on and take off, which after a messy session is important. The label states that they’re hand-washable, though sadly there is no hanging loop, which would be useful so you could hang them up to drip dry. Elsewhere, the PVC gives a good grip for weeding and also offers protection against nettles and some thorns, but these gloves are not entirely thorn proof so keep that in mind.
Key specifications
- Material: PVC
- Features: 63cm length, elasticated top, anti-slip design
- Sizes available: One size
- Care instructions: Hand wash
12. Best Gardening Gloves for Digging: Treadstone Clip Glove – Gripper
Score: 8/10
We like: PVC nodules for extra grip and protection, carabiner clips to keep them together, comfortable cuff
We don’t like: Not suitable for delicate jobs, can’t use phone with them on
There are dozens of options in Treadstone’s Clip-Glove range. The selling point is that every pair comes with a carabiner clip and loops to make sure you keep your gloves together when not in use. You can use it to hang them from your belt or on the washing line.
This is great for those of us who tend to throw the gloves into the trug at the end of the day. It even stops the dogs taking one for a comfort blanket. But what I like about these Gripper gloves are the extensive PVC nodules on the palm that have a noticeable grip-enhancing effect (look closely and you can see little Ts for Treadstone.) It makes them especially good for weeding and digging and for using gardening tools like loppers, secateurs, strimmers and even leaf blowers.
There’s further attention to detail, including a terry towelling thumb pad to mop your brow when gardening and a neoprene cuff for comfort and protection. The fingertips are PVC too, but surprisingly, I couldn’t open my phone. The synthetic-leather palm offers medium protection, which is beefed up by the PVC nodules.
With these on, you’re good to go against nettles and the majority of thorns and will have a better, safer grip on garden tools while working.
Key specifications
- Material: Synthetic leather, PVC, neoprene
- Features: PVC nodules for extra grip, towelling thumb pad for brow-mopping, neoprene cuff, hook and loop wrist strap
- Sizes available: M and L
- Care instructions: Machine washable in cool water
13. Best Gardening Gloves for Visibility: Burgon & Ball FloraBrite Gloves
Score: 8/10
We like: Grippy, glow in the dark for visibility, good grip
We don’t like: Don’t work with a touchscreen phone
These gardening gloves glow in the dark, so they will make you feel a little radioactive wearing them. But if you are prone to misplacing things, they are a great option. They also boast a reflective logo that glows under torchlight to help you find them in the dark.
I loved the high-vis yellow and pink colour options available. As far as gardening gloves go, these did a sterling job of bringing the fun-factor. I trialled the M/L size option, which was a good fit for me. The elasticated cuff did a great job of keeping the soil out while gardening.
Meanwhile, their Nitrile coating affords a good grip on hand tools and offers some protection against the wet, as well as nettles and young, softer bramble stems. Their cotton back is breathable and they are suited to most planting and weeding tasks. You will need to take them off to operate a phone, however, but these are brilliant value gloves.
Key specifications
- Material: Stretch fit elasticated cotton with a nitrile coating
- Features: Grippy nitrile coating, extremely visible
- Sizes available: S/M and M/L
- Care instructions: Machine washable at 40C
14. Best Gardening Gloves for Weeding: Ansell Hyflex 11-840
Score: 7/10
We like: Close fit for fine work, breathable, protection against nettles
We don’t like: Won’t protect against thorns, not waterproof, no adjustable cuffs
Designed for all sorts of manual labour, Ansell’s Hyflex gloves are not waterproof, padded or reinforced, the cuffs are not adjustable and they do not have a hanging loop. But they are so good a fit that they verge on being a second skin.
The stretchy spandex material is thin and breathable, giving excellent dexterity. I could write, use my phone’s touchscreen and take a photo of some visiting bees without taking them off. They were nettle proof but, as expected, not thornproof. I found them good for light weeding and light gardening jobs, where the grip from the ‘Fortix’-coated abrasion-resistant palms helped.
There’s also a long elasticated cuff, which stops soil and debris getting inside as you work. Overall, these are a useful addition to the gardening kit: a quick-fit glove that allows you to carry out finer tasks like seed sowing, labelling and light weeding.
Key specifications
- Material: Nylon, spandex, nitrile
- Features: Highly abrasion resistant
- Sizes available: XS, S, M, L and XL
- Care instructions: Machine washable
15. Best Gardening Gloves for Versatility: Stonebreaker Women’s Work Gloves
Score: 7/10
We like: Good balance of protection and breathability, comfortable to wear, loop for tethering together
We don’t like: Initially baggy fit, no adjustable cuff, can’t use phone
These are quality garden work gloves with double stitched seams, a synthetic back (Polyurethane, polyester and elastane) and a goat leather palm. I trialled the medium size (which is now out of stock) and, though the finger length was good, the overall fit was a bit baggy. The idea is that the leather conforms to the shape of your hand with use.
The Stonebreakers are soft and supple, so you can start work straight away but the cuff is not adjustable, increasing the loose-fit feeling. These gloves offered medium protection and were comfortable to wear and use. While weeding, they gave a solid grip and good defence against nettles and thorns. They’re also suitable for tougher tasks that require more robust protection, making them a versatile choice.
These gloves wouldn’t allow me to activate the touchscreen on my phone, but they are dextrous enough to enable me to take notes while wearing them. Loops inside each glove allows them to be hung up or tethered together and there are several styles available in men’s and women’s designs.
Key specifications
- Material: Goat skin leather palm, synthetic suede back
- Features: Double-sewn seams for durability
- Sizes available: S
- Care instructions: Machine washable at 30C
16. Best Budget Gardening Gloves: Showa 310 Builders Gloves
Score: 7/10
We like: Great functionality given the low price, excellent grip, good protection against nettles and thorns
We don’t like: Not good for long fingers, can’t use phone
A pair of builder’s gloves is a great bonus for many garden tasks, especially for weeding. They offer great grip and good protection from thorns and nettles. These from Showa are strong, well-made and easy to use.
They’re made from a breathable cotton-polyester blend with the palms coated in natural rubber (latex) for grip and water resistance. The cuff is elasticated and generous, though not adjustable. I tried the Medium/Size 8 which are a good fit, but the fingers were a bit short for me.
I thought the rubberised finish would allow me to use my phone’s touchscreen but it doesn’t. In use, the Showas were resistant to nettles and most thorns and I’d say they’re a great cheap choice for weeding and medium garden tasks.
Key specifications
- Material: Cotton and polyester with latex-coated palm
- Features: Seamless liner, elasticated tear-resistant cuffs
- Sizes available: Eight/M, nine/L, 10/XL
- Care instructions: Machine washable
Gardening gloves FAQs
Natural fabrics are breathable, but modern materials offer other benefits. For good grip choose gloves with rubber, latex or nitrile coatings. For a good fit, look for elasticated cuffs. Some gloves are made from more sustainable fabrics like bamboo. Sometimes it’s good to have a choice of gloves for different uses.
Most dirt can be removed with a soft cloth or some gentle brushing with a soft brush, when dry. If they need washing then follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Most can be carefully hand-washed. Wash them with your hands inside and gently rub with leather soap (saddle soap) with lukewarm water. Rinse and repeat. Hang them on the line and allow them to dry slowly.
Once clean, apply a leather conditioner and follow the instructions carefully.
In the UK, the gardening season starts in spring as the soil starts to warm up. Most seeds can be started in spring and it’s also a good time to prepare the soil and start planting. Once the last frost has passed, you can start gardening in earnest. If you are planning any landscape projects like a new patio or pond, these are better tackled in autumn and winter. The best time to plant new trees and shrubs is in the autumn.