Taking the nudge created by significant developments in sports clothing, including gloves, garden and work glove manufacturers have revolutionized hand protection.
Of course, the old standbys are still around, the cotton work gloves commonly called "black dots" and leather working gloves are readiliy available. Here are some examples of designs and materials used in the newer generations of handwear.
Nitrille
- Nitrille, made from synthetic polymers, has a high degree of softness, flexibility and sensitivity. The material actually reacts to body temperature and conforms to the shape of the hand, making the gloves snug. The material is waterproof and tough, too. It’s a thin material, but exceptionally tough, resisting punctures and even small thorns. Nitrille gloves are relatively inexpensive as well, costing only a fraction of the cost of more conventional gloves.
Performance gloves
- These gloves are made with lycra and synthetic leathers. They offer ergonomic design. They allow for great dexterity and a wide range of motion. The fabrics also keep hands warm and dry.
Lycra and Leather
- Less expensive and perhaps easier to get dirty (because they look more rugged and cost substantially less), lycra/leather work gloves are quickly becoming popular among the gardening set. They provide protection from cuts and abrasions, dry out quickly and are washable. They also allow body moisture to escape. There are probably the best all around garden gloves.
Coated gloves
- These are gloves of any material, usually cotton, coated with latex. They provide protection from water and some protection from abrasions, cuts and punctures. Their best use, however, is to grip slippery tools in wet weather.
Rose Gauntlets
- The gloves have long gauntlets which extend almost to the elbow. They provide good protection from rose thorns, working with hedges, hauling brush, or workingwith other thorny materials.
Leather Gloves
- Many gardeners, as well as other laborers, still wear leather gloves. They last well, offer good protection against cuts and abrasions, and shed water well. However, they lack the flexibility of other gloves, and many leather gloves do not offer the flexibility and precision of action available in other types of gloves.
Canvas Black Dot Work Gloves
- An old standby, these inexpensive gloves have dots of latex on the palms and the underside of the fingers, helping the wearer grip easier. They are very inexpensive, and easy to obtain. However, they are heavy when wet, provide little protection from thorns or prickly brush, and are not at all durable.
History of Gloves
Gloves have been around for a long time. There are frescoes of Minoan wrestlers wearing gloves. Some translations of the Odyssey have Laertes wearing gloves as he tends his garden.
In the Middle Ages, gloves were worn by royalty and higher members of the clergy. By the 1200s, anyone who wanted to be fashionable wore them. By the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, commoners were wearing gloves.
By the middle of the 19th century, gloves were fairly commonplace, and work gloves were becoming necessities.
Now, there are numerous brands of gloves. Gloves costs vary. A fairly good pair of nitrille gloves costs about $6.00. A pair of lycra/leather gloves can run between $10 and $50, while a pair of performance gloves can run well above $100.
Gloves make great gifts for gardeners.
Related information:
Robert Dailey - Robert Dailey’s interests and abilities are wide-ranged and eclectic. As a master gardener and garden writer, both his garden and ...
