The Best Work Gloves of 2025, Tested and Reviewed
The Best Work Gloves of 2025, Tested and Reviewed
By Drew Conover for Outdoor Life
Work gloves only have one purpose: to protect your hands. And, as someone who has been an aircraft and diesel mechanic, a construction worker, cleaned power plants, and procures their own firewood to heat their home, I have gone through my share of work gloves. Work gloves come in many forms and can be designed to protect your hands from cuts, chemicals, splinters, cold or heat, and some even absorb shock from impacts. I tested out the best work gloves to find out which offers superior protection while maintaining dexterity.
Best Overall: Wells Lamont HydraHyde Leather Work Glove
Best for Cold Weather: Ironclad Tundra Work Glove
Best for Hot Weather: Mechanix Wear Original Glove
Best Budget: G&F Products All Purpose Textured Latex Coated Work Gloves
Best Features: Ironclad General Utility Work Gloves
Best for Detail Work: Dex Fit FN330 Work Gloves
How I Tested the Best Work Gloves
To test these gloves, I simply put them to work. I hand split and stacked firewood to evaluate their grip and splinter protection. I had to do some digging in partially frozen dirt, which wasn’t fun, but a good test. After that, I spent a few days snowshoeing with poles in the Adirondack High Peaks to check for blister protection, which can happen fast on the steep descents. I shoveled plenty of snow, did some work on my wife’s SUV, and tested the best folding saws until I thought my arm would fall off. A friend and I did some winter deer scouting and serviced treestands. I also did a bunch of smaller tasks, like cutting up fallen limbs at a neighbor’s house and dragging brush. After a few months of use, I’m ready to share my experiences with these gloves.
Pros
Water resistant
Comfortable with no break-in needed
Leather is more durable than synthetic materials
Very good grip
Cons
Leather gloves can be too hot in the summer
Water resistant treatment used makes them less puncture resistant than untreated leather
Key Features
Material: HydraHyde leather
Fit: True to size
Slip-on, no closure
General purpose glove
Price: $18
The Wells Lamont HydraHyde gloves impressed me the moment I put them on. The leather is soft and pliable and not stiff like others, which made them very comfortable. The water-resistant treatment does its job, and I didn’t get wet despite working in rainy and snowy conditions. Leather is more durable and longer lasting than synthetic materials, and that is part of the reason I chose the Wells Lamont as the best work glove.
They will last a long time, and work well in a wide range of uses. The only reinforcement is in the palm, and the split side is faced out for better grip. The Wells Lamont gloves worked well for every task. The only issue I had was a large thorn piercing one thumb as I walked through some briars. It barely got through, and I didn’t bleed.
The Wells Lamont gloves were my favorite, and the ones I wanted to grab most often. I had to restrain myself to make sure all gloves got equal testing time. For a comfortable, durable, general-purpose work glove, the Wells Lamont HydraHydes are my top choice.
Pros
Fully waterproof
Touchscreen-compatible fingertips that actually work
Padded knuckles and extra grippy reinforcements
Reflective stripes for safety
Cons
Insulated gloves will always lose dexterity for detail work
Key Features
Materials: Mixed synthetics including Cryoflex insulation and Duraclad reinforcements
Fit: True to size
Slip-on gauntlet style with hook and loop closure
Extreme cold weather work glove
Price: $38-$43 depending on size
The Ironclad Tundra gloves were awesome for shoveling and plowing with my ancient ATV. I was out in single-digit weather and was toasty warm with them on. Although they were a little stiff at first, they broke in after an hour or so, and have been great since. The touch screen fingertips are actually accurate enough to put in my phone’s passcode on the first try, and easily swipe through texts or answer calls. It’s so nice to not have to remove your gloves in cold weather and freeze just to answer a call.
The Ironclad Tundra work gloves are great for any outside work in the coldest months. I couldn’t help but think how handy they would have been back when I plowed taxiways for six hours with no heat in the loader. I took these on a backpacking trip in the Adirondacks, but it wasn’t cold enough to wear them. They were in the bottom of my pack when I ended up sliding on my rear end for hundreds of yards in wet snow because it was too slippery for my snowshoes. The pack was soaked, and I figured the gloves would be after 6 hours of being wet. But, to my surprise, the inside of the gloves stayed bone dry. For cold weather, it would be tough to beat the Ironclad Tundra Gloves.
Pros
Water and oil resistant nitrile coating
Snug fit for best feel
Nitrile provides excellent grip
Light and thin for tight spaces
Cons
Least durable gloves tested
Key Features
Material: Nylon and spandex glove with Nitrile coating
Fit: Slightly small
Slip-on, no closure
Light duty, detailed tasks
Price: $14 for three pairs
When I was an aircraft mechanic, I was frequently reaching into blind areas trying to get a bolt, nut, or screw started. Many times, I was dealing with hydraulic fluid, jet fuel, or solvents, and I wore latex gloves to keep that stuff out of cuts and cracks in my fingers. If only I had these gloves back then.
Latex and nitrile gloves tear easily, but I like their feel and dexterity over most work gloves. The Dex Fit FN330s are a perfect marriage of a thin nitrile glove with great feel, and a much tougher work glove. I changed the brakes and lower control arm in my wife’s car while wearing them, and they were great. When things are oily and greasy, and fine motor skills are needed, the Dex Fit FN330 will keep you from having to scrub your hands raw to get them clean again. They won’t hold up to heavy-duty work like firewood or construction for very long, and they don’t offer much at all in terms of protection, but they are the perfect light-duty work glove.
How to Chose the Right Work Glove
Purpose
Your first consideration for choosing a work glove should be what you plan to use it for: chopping firewood, construction, demolition, storm clean up, car work, etc.
The reality is that a general-purpose glove will be good for the majority of jobs that you would want a glove for. But you may want a glove for a more specific task, such as a thin glove for feeling something in a blind spot, or working with small, slippery parts. In that case go with something like the Dex Fit. If you’re working outside and if it’s below freezing, grab a pair of the Tundra gloves.
Price
None of these gloves were very expensive, but price is still a factor when buying. For me, I like to buy one nice thing and keep it for as long as I can. It tends to be less expensive in the long run that way. But if things are tight, or you need more than one pair, the G&F 12 pack is a great option.
Materials
Part of the reason I chose the Wells Lamont as the overall best was the fact that they are leather, and in my experience, leather lasts longer. I have leather work gloves that are pushing 10 years old. With a light coat of leather conditioner once a year, they just keep going. Synthetic gloves have their own benefits, but they just won’t last as long as a pair of leather gloves will. But if touchscreen compatibility and armored knuckles are needed (or just desired) then a synthetic glove might be best for your use.
Now go do great work
While there isn’t a need to wear work gloves for every job, there are certainly times when it just makes sense. As I get older, and all the scars and bumps, skinned knuckles, and broken bones pile up, I find myself appreciating a good work glove that much more, knowing that it might save me from some future aches and pains, even if my hands don’t “need” gloves in the moment. There are times, though, when you plain need a good work glove, and the good news is there are a number of good choices. So, pick a glove and get to work.