People have been wearing leather gloves to protect their hands since ancient times. For many years, leather has played an important role in work gloves for professionals and non-professionals. The best leather work gloves are ideal for most exterior and interior maintenance tasks, including electrical work, home improvement, and general renovation.
Whether you’re looking for durable gloves or something more casual and wearable for your DIY activities, this guide will let you know the importance of leather work gloves and when and what type of leather gloves you should choose.
When to Choose Leather Work Gloves
There is no doubt that leather is an excellent material for work gloves. Leather has a few characteristics that make it a natural and durable choice for work gloves. The characteristics include:
- Resistant to cuts and punctures
- Grip control
- Impact protection
- Comfort
- Dexterity
This protection and dexterity make leather the best protective material for every type of task from concrete to welding. And high-tech manufacturing makes leather gloves easier to use. For example, improvements to leather tanning techniques have made it possible to manufacture gloves with improved protection against cuts, punctures, and impact.
Other materials such as rubber, Kevlar, and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) can also be used to complement many leather gloves (especially specialty leather gloves). It’s important to make sure your gloves have extra protection if the job calls for it. Some synthetic gloves may or may not be suitable for a specific task. Fire and rescue gloves are a good example.
What is the Best Leather for Gloves
While many types of leather gloves can be used for pleasure or fashion, work gloves should be durable, tough, and abrasion-resistant. Mentioned below are the common types of leather used for gloves and which one you should choose according to your requirements.
Goatskin Gloves
Goat skins are generally considered to be the toughest leather glove type. It is strong and durable, yet thin enough for dexterity. Additionally, the natural oils in goatskin are softer, more supple, and waterproof than many other types of leather.
Cowhide Work Gloves
Cowhide is another great choice that is strong and abrasion-resistant, making it the most durable glove on the market. They feel heavier and do not breathe as much as goatskins, but are warmer and heat resistant.
Faux Leather Work Gloves
Artificial leather is the best choice for cold, wet weather that requires extra grip control.
How to choose Leather Gloves for Work
Because leather is a durable and versatile material, many types of gloves are made from it. Here are some types of leather work gloves, listed according to the most common jobs and tasks used.
Leather Gloves for Gardening and Landscaping: When you need gloves for gardening, housekeeping, or landscaping, look for gloves that are lightweight, breathable, and without extra gear. But look for gloves that have extra padding on palms, fingers and knuckles, as it would be required for tasks like landscaping.
Leather gloves for electrical work, carpentry, home care: These must be versatile, well fitted, wear gloves with good dexterity. Choose gloves that have a goatskin palm, reinforced thumb, and snug spandex on the back.
Leather gloves for construction, rigging, mining: Some jobs require additional back protection. Look for gloves with high-performance thermoplastic rubber protection on the knuckles and back of the fingers for impact and tear protection. The little finger also has a touch screen surface which allows you to use the phone without removing your gloves.
Leather welding gloves: Welders typically need touch-sensitive, flame-resistant, and cut-resistant gloves, as well as attached wrist protection. When working with equipment other than welding, you also need gloves that are versatile enough for a variety of tasks.
Hand injuries in workplaces are common but they need not be like that. Wearing the best leather work gloves according to your requirements will surely work in protecting your hands from the hazardous elements at the workplace.
