Gardening is a fantastic passion for any person. Whether you have a small gardening bed or a lush backyard, there’s no feeling like getting your hands in the foliage and dirt.
But to keep you and your hands safe while caring for your plants, you want to use good gear – and that includes gloves.
Gardening gloves offer excellent protection, whether you’re pruning plants or digging up weeds.
We’ve rounded up our picks for the best gardening gloves in Australia, from leather pairs to ones for kids.
Also, sharing is caring – besides getting a pair of gloves for yourself, they’re a good gift, too!
Why You Should Wear Gardening Gloves
There’s certainly something satisfying about getting your hands dirty and feeling the soil as you work in your garden.
Some research even suggests that getting down and dirty with your plants is beneficial to your mental and physical health!
But in many cases, it’s still important for you to wear gloves while gardening.
Gloves offer good protection from plants that can cause adverse reactions or injury, like poison ivy or bougainvillaea. Contact with these plants can cause allergies or scratches.
They’re also a must if you’re working with products like pesticides, herbicides, and other chemical treatments.
Moreover, gloves help prevent splinters, blisters, and injuries from using gardening tools like wheelbarrows and rakes.
And of course, if you’ve got a cut on your hand or skin sensitivities, gloves can help provide protection.
This is especially true if you have pets or if you know there’s plenty of local wildlife around – you don’t want to risk infection!
What to Look For in Gardening Gloves
When choosing the right gardening gloves, you’ll need to consider several factors. These will help ensure maximum comfort and ease of use while you’re working on your plants!
When picking gardening gloves, look at:
Size: This is a big one! Well-fitted gloves ensure comfort and protection during use. Check if the pair you’re looking at is available in multiple sizes, and check the size charts as well for measurements.
Material: There’s no “best” material for gardening gloves, since each has its pros and cons. Leather gloves are great for protection against thorns, for example, while rubber is exceptionally water-resistant. Pure cotton gloves are generally not recommended as they’re not as durable or protective.
Use: There are three general “types” of garden gloves: light (for simple gardening tasks like weeding), everyday (all-purpose and general use), and heavy-duty (intensive work or extra protection).
Coating or padding: Some gloves feature additional coating or padding in some areas, such as coated palms. These can offer more protection, grip, or water resistance.
Water resistance: Not all glove materials are water-resistant or waterproof. Rubber, nylon, and nitrile gloves have high water resistance, and gloves made of these materials are often waterproof. However, gloves with water-resistant coating will still allow some moisture through..
Care instructions: Some gloves are machine washable, while others may be hand wash only. Check the package or manufacturer’s website for care instructions.
It’s important that you wash gardening gloves, no matter their material. Washing helps clean off dirt and organic matter, which could lead to mould or degrade the material over time.
Cleaning your gloves also removes any chemicals from gardening products, and minimises the risk of transferring diseases or pests from plant to plant.
Best Gardening Gloves in Australia
Whether you’re buying a pair for yourself or the plant enthusiast in your life, we’ve rounded up our top picks for gardening gloves – of all types.
Best Rated Gloves for Gardening: HANDLANDY Thorn-Proof Gardening Gloves
HANDLANDY’s Thorn-Proof Gardening Gloves are perfect for all sorts of gardening tasks. The 100% pigskin leather will offer excellent thorn protection, while remaining breathable and soft.
These gauntlet gloves feature extended cuffs, extra padding on the palm, and reinforced fingertips. You can use them in any weather and any situation – even the pouring rain if you want!
Despite the thick material, the gloves are still pliable, so you can perform even delicate jobs like handling seedlings.
Many customers rate these gloves highly, particularly for their durability and comfortable fit.
Best All-Purpose Gloves: If You Care FSC-Certified Rubber Gloves (Medium | Large)
If You Care has designed all-purpose gloves made from FSC-certified, ethically sourced latex. That outer rubber coating ensures water resistance while being sturdy and durable.
The inside is lined with 100% natural cotton for additional comfort. They’re not just for gardening – these gloves are great for use in the kitchen and general home cleaning as well.
The recyclable cardboard package contains full care instructions, but yes, these gloves are reusable!
Watch as these gloves become your go-to pair for a wide range of tasks, whether indoors or outdoors.
Best Leather Gloves: SKYDEER Deerskin Leather Work Gloves
When it comes to leather gardening gloves, you should look for premium materials that are long-wearing, durable, and comfortable.
SKYDEER’s Deerskin Leather Gloves are made of genuine deerskin. The material is tough and durable but soft on your skin.
These leather gardening gloves maximise flexibility and comfort while still protecting your hands from abrasions and other injuries. They feature a full leather palm with suede backing, combining protection with breathability.
However, note that these are handwash only – leather generally doesn’t do well in washing machines!
Best Lightweight Gloves: Hoselink Lightweight Bamboo Garden Gloves
Hoselink offers many quality gardening accessories, including their lightweight garden gloves made of knitted bamboo.
These bamboo gloves are soft, lightweight, and eco-friendly. The fibre knit fits comfortably and is naturally anti-odour, while the latex dip on the palm offers a better grip.
Moreover, the breathable bamboo fabric keeps your hands cool and dry during work.
Hoselink’s garden gloves are machine washable, so you can toss them in the laundry to clean. They come in 3 sizes (S/M/L) and many reviews say they’re suitable even for heavy-duty tasks in the garden.
Best for Thorns: Magid Thorn-Resistant Gardening Gloves
If you’re working among thorny plants (like roses, wallaby apples, or bougainvillaeas), you’ll want to protect yourself from any scratches.
Elbow-length gloves protect your arms as well as your hands, so you can reach into shrubs, bushes, and garden beds without worry.
These Magid Glove & Safety Thorn-Resistant gloves feature a puncture-resistant design to keep you safe, whether you’re pruning roses or picking blackberries.
They have extra-long forearm protection and reinforced knuckles, perfect for working on prickly plants!
Plus, the form-fitting spandex backing ensures comfort and flexibility – the gloves feel like a second skin.
Best Gloves for Weeding: Bionic Rose Gloves (Women’s | Men’s)
When tackling weeds in the garden, you want gloves that are long, flexible, and puncture-proof. This ensures maximum safety when you’re digging around to uproot unwanted plants.
Bionic’s Rose Gloves are perfect for weeding. The motion and web zones promote natural movement, while the anatomical relief pads allow for a light but secure grip.
Moreover, there’s additional padding on the thumb for extra protection when doing gardening tasks like pruning or raking. The padding doesn’t compromise your ability to hold tools like trowels when weeding.
Best Gloves for Landscaping: WZQH Leather Work Gloves
Landscaping often requires heavy-duty work, such as transporting pavers or stacking rock walls. And for that, you’ll need heavy-duty gloves – like the WZQH Leather Work Gloves.
These durable, thick gloves are made of 100% split leather with a full cotton lining. They offer resistance to abrasions, punctures, high temperatures, and cuts.
(In fact, the brand advertises that you can use them around a barbie, too!)
The double-skinned reinforced palm lets you use equipment such as wheelbarrows without risking blisters or splinters.
Moreover, they feature a drawstring wrist closure so you can adjust the fit to your size and comfort.
Best Gardening Gloves for Women: SKYDEER Deerskin Gardening Gloves
These SKYDEER gloves are made of genuine deerskin suede, so they’re naturally soft and flexible while still durable.
They have a stretchable waterproof coating of nylon on the back to keep your hands dry in light rain and damp soil. Moreover, the moisture-wicking layers absorb sweat and prevent discomfort during yard work.
And of course, SKYDEER’s gloves have protective padding on the palms to prevent punctures and abrasions, while providing a good grip.
Best of all, these gloves are designed to slip on and slip off with ease, letting you smoothly transition from gardening chores to other tasks.
Best Gardening Gloves for Men: Ironclad Ranchworx Leather Work Gloves
These leather work gloves are great for use in many situations – including the garden! They’re made of genuine leather that conforms to your hand for maximum comfort and dexterity.
The Rolltop fingertips, Kevlar reinforcement, and pattern-stitched palm offer additional protection and support while working. Plus, the gloves have terrycloth backing to wipe away sweat and ensure breathability.
Best of all, at the end of the day, you can toss these into the washing machine as they don’t shrink or dry out when laundered.
Best Gardening Gloves for Kids: Vgo Kids Gardening Gloves
It can be great to involve your kids in the garden – they’ll learn so many valuable lessons and have a lot of fun! Of course, that means you’ll also have to give them their own gloves for protection.
The Vgo Kids Gardening Gloves are great for light gardening and other outdoor activities. They feature a soft synthetic leather palm and a stretchy fabric back for comfort and ergonomics.
Vgo offers sizes for a range of ages, and the gloves are machine washable – so don’t be afraid to let your kids get down in the dirt.
These gloves also come in cute colours and patterns, meaning the kids can pick their favourite!
Best Waterproof Garden Gloves: COOLJOB Waterproof Gardening Gloves
No more worrying about wet gloves while gardening. These COOLJOB waterproof gloves feature a latex coating with additional padding on the palms and fingers for extra protection.
COOLJOB’s multi-layer design offers a non-slip grip on the outside and a soft, breathable base fabric on the inside. The long elastic cuff keeps out dirt and mud – so go ahead and dig into that wet soil.
And yes, after all the dirt and digging, they’re very easy to clean as these gloves are machine washable!
Best Long Gloves for Gardening: GLOSAV Long Leather Gardening Gloves
These long gardening gloves are great for all gardeners. They feature thorn-proof pigskin cuffs with full-grain cowhide palms, so you do anything from pruning rose bushes to digging up the soil.
(That also makes them one of the best gloves for blackberries, thanks to the thick material.)
GLOSAV’s Long Leather Gardening Gloves feature an adjustable strap to tighten the cuff, preventing insects and dirt from getting inside.
They’re also flexible and comfortable, so you maintain dexterity while working around the yard.
Best Garden Gloves for Arthritis: Bionic ReliefGrip Gardening Gloves (Women’s | Men’s)
Having arthritis and a green thumb can make a complicated relationship. But with the right garden gear, you can care for your plants to your heart’s content – without worrying about pain or fatigue.
The Bionic ReliefGrip gloves are designed in partnership with an orthopaedic hand specialist. They’re made for long-term wear for anyone with arthritis or other forms of hand pain.
Unlike other gloves, they provide ultimate support and reduce hand pain thanks to the patented pad system and LightPrene expanded wristbands.
These gloves feature silicone fingertips for added grip strength, strategic relief pads to even out pressure, and terrycloth micro-pads to keep your hands cool and dry.
Moreover, the adjustable wrist strap lets you choose your level of tightness to keep out debris while offering adequate wrist support.
Best Budget Gardening Gloves: OZERO Utility Work Gloves
You don’t need to break your budget for good gardening gloves! OZERO offers comfortable and durable gloves made with deerskin palms and stretchy nylon backing.
More affordable options are great if you don’t spend too much time gardening or you’re still learning the ropes.
These work gloves feature breathable fabric, zigzag wrist stitches, and touchscreen-compatible fingertips. If you’re the type to garden while listening to background music or videos, this is a great perk.
OZERO’s work gloves are great for light gardening work, including weeding and planting. They also offer a level of wear and puncture resistance to keep your hands safe.
Best High-End Gardening Gloves: Bamllum Leather Gardening Gloves
Looking for stylish gloves that are high-quality and high-performance? Bamllum’s Leather Gardening Gloves offer the best of all worlds.
They’re made of high-quality leather that’s wear-resistant, with breathable and sweat-absorbing material on the back for improved comfort.
The close-fitting structure and ergonomic design also ensure long-term use, whether you’re pruning or planting. Plus, the stitching on the palm allows easy gripping.
Best of all, the cute design lets you match your garden!
How to Clean Gardening Gloves
Many gloves are machine washable, which makes cleaning and maintaining them easy! Just be sure to rinse off any clumps of dirt and organic matter, as that could clog your machine.
Cotton, synthetic materials, and nylon gloves are typically fine in a washer.
On the other hand, leather gloves may require more specialised care. These tend to be hand wash only, with either Castile or saddle soap and warm water.
You can also use special lubricants (such as work vaseline or coconut oil) to soften leather and prevent cracking.
Meanwhile, nitrile usually needs antibacterial soap for cleaning.
Always let your gardening gloves air dry out of the sun, as a dryer could warp or damage the material.
(G)Love Your Hands AND Your Garden
Even professional gardeners use gloves to protect their hands while they work. And while there’s no one-glove-fits-all, you’re sure to find a pair that fits you and your gardening needs.
Keep your hands safe while out in the yard, whether it’s for repetitive tasks like weeding or more intensive tasks like landscaping.
Then keep your gloves safe with regular washing, thorough drying, and proper care.
Don’t sacrifice comfort and protection while out in the yard. Garden gloves let you spend more time in your happy place – among your plants, hands in the dirt.
