No matter what type of gardening you do your hands are going to be involved in a lot of work. It makes sense to give them all the protection you can when working. Here are some reasons why you should think about buying a pair of gardening gloves and some things to consider before making a purchase.
A good quality heavyweight leather is the best material when you are doing a lot of heavy work such as weeding or digging. They will help to prevent your hands from becoming sore from callouses or blisters as well as giving protection from knocks and bumps. The material is durable and strong and should last a long time.
Gloves with cotton backs are preferable when lighter jobs are being carried out as they allow the heat that is built up when working to escape. This stops the hands feeling sticky and uncomfortable. Leather backed versions will give greater protection but they are heavier in use.
The best quality pairs will have a lining of cotton or a synthetic material like acrylic. Unlined ones should be avoided as the stiff outer fabric can be uncomfortable if you have sensitive skin.
Leather is not the best type of material to use if you are going to work in wet conditions, such as pool maintenance or construction. For this a pair made from rubber would be better.
Although normal length ones are perfectly adequate for most tasks, pruning roses and other thorny plants is best done with gloves that have a longer length and offer some protection to the forearms.
You should try on several pairs before you make your choice of which ones to buy. Be especially careful to ensure that the fingers are not too big for you. If they are it will picking up smaller objects very difficult.
Test out excellent gardening gloves at the Atlas Glove Shop. The Atlas gardening gloves are a thin, snug fitting, open back nylon glove with a very strong nitrile (like latex however a thousand times better) coating on the palm and fingers.