It depends on what kind of gardening you like to do. I prefer leather gloves but I move rocks around a lot and have found that other gloves are not up to that. I also have some viscious weeds. I would try different types to see what you like. One thing with the leather gloves, I try to spray them waterproofing spray and that makes them work better for me. There are different leathers too that are worth trying and some come in lovely colors (although none in sizes for my big hands, alas). I wanted pink leather/suede so that the men in the family would stop taking mine.

I tried the nitrile dipped gloves but they were not good all purpose, my hands would sweat or moisture would stay in and that would lead to fungal conditions on my skin. Cotton gloves are just too flimsy for what I do. If your hands are hard to fit, go to a good garden store/nursery, the gloves will be more expensive but may be worth it.

I like the Wells Lamont leather gloves from Costco. They're comfy and they last. I do a lot of gardening in damp clay, so I need leather to keep my hands warm and dry. Best of all, they're only $20 for a package of three pairs.

Most popular among gardeners and the men that work with their hands ( masons) that I know, are Atlas Nitrile Garden Gloves.

They make them in colors now for gardens, but I still buy mine at my contractors supply house. The gray ones are good most of the year, but they also make one for freezing weather. It's a lime green color.

I buy half a dozen at a time, and throw the days gloves in the wash, always having a clean pair to start the day with. They go through the washer and dryer beautifully. Eventually spots wear out since I do lots with concrete and rocks, but anything would.

Here is a link that might be useful: Atlas Nitrile Garden Gloves

I also use leather gloves. Try putting them on and washing them as if you were washing your hands. A lot of the stiffness may be due to dirt. That always helps mine. Once you clean them well, if you want to, you could use a little leather conditioner, but I don't usually do that. My leather ones last about two years-I am a heavy-duty gardener!

I also love the Atlas gloves, esp because they come in a small size that fits...like a glove (sorry). They are good for fine work - I can grab small weeds with the fingertips and not disturb nearby plants, but the are really tough, too. I also find they wash very well. Love the bright colors, too.

Good question! I've gone through two pairs of gloves in 2 days ~right hand only, as my left is in a cast and wrapped in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and rubber banded on. My problem is that my nails wear through the fingertips! I need to go back to leather gloves, but finding a size to fit my hand and fit my nails as well has been tough. And, no, I do not have long nails, just medium-length. Gloves with the finger length I need are usually too big in the hand area. I'll be reading this thread with great interest in hopes of finding a recommendation that works for me. Good luck finding gloves that work for you, Violet.
Lynn
P.S. Did you get those days of strong winds down there? Today has been the first decent, albeit still very hot, day in almost a week!

olychick,

If your not putting yours in the dryer, do !
It makes a difference. I used to lay mine flat to dry, but one winter night, looking around the internet, I found they are dryer safe. I think it was the Atlas site where I read it.

To the others...
These gloves were the first ones in a few decades of glove buying, that I finally can leave on the whole time I'm in the garden. All the others ended up off and my hands dirty and had things poke me unexpectedly. It's probably because like olychick said, you have the use of your finger tips for smaller work.

Once you start having a clean pair to start the day, you'll wonder why you used to put dirty gloves on. I still keep some leather gloves around thinking to use them for the roses, but I never use them. Dirty.. ick. I'm just careful to grab the right, not sticker spots now.

Below is the link to the gloves I have. Since they're leather (lots of Roses to cut) I would get a size large.

Notice the length of the glove, they protect your arms from thorns, branches, etc.

They're a snug fit but only takes a few seconds to get on and off. I keep them inside when I'm not using them.

Very happy!

Here is a link that might be useful: Angela's Garden

I use the nitrile coated with the cloth backing...they really protect and give me good grip. When DH and I do wood, I used to use leather, but find as they get worn, the palms get polished and I lose grip...not with the nitrile ones.

wow, lots of interesting advice. I will have to do some experimenting. I guess . . . one size doesn't fit all, eh?

"Lynn
P.S. Did you get those days of strong winds down there? Today has been the first decent, albeit still very hot, day in almost a week!"

-- Very hot, dusty, strong winds. Strange weather. We got thunder and dust "blobs" (as stated by the NWS guy a the weather station close to me) and 40 mile an hour winds with little rain.

I hope we get more rain soon rather than the spitting we've been getting so far. Here's to monsoon season! Although once the rainwater starts ponding in ditches, I'll have to watch for mosquitos. Good thing I have my screen porch now!

Water ponding? I am trying to remember what that looks like! DH, who works in water, was telling me that the models are definitely looking good for El Nino but, that does not necessarily mean I will see rain falling at my house. I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard rain falling on my neighbor's metal roof (about 300 feet away) and been dry on my porch. So heartbreaking.

or see the rain falling from the sky in the distance . . . but it never hits the ground because it evaporates too fast

Same here with the rain . . . or lack of!
It "rained" 3 times yesterday. Big thumping drops on my skylights . . . for about 25 seconds each time! So frustrating! I am praying for a good El Niño season this year. My gardens look pitiful and everything seems dry and dusty now. I want to smell damp pinons again soon. Gosh, I love that smell!
Lynn

Here in Oklahoma where I dread spring rains for obvious reasons, we didn't get one thunderstorm at our house this spring! We're now getting the nice June storms though, but nothing severe.

The wheat harvest was awful because of lack of rain.

Violet, don't get one size fits all gloves unless you try them on first.

I do a lot of gardening so I have multiple types of garden gloves. My favorites are by 'Mechanix'. They are really work gloves but are flexible and heavily lined in the palm. Love them for pulling weeds and the fingertips last longer than most. I probably go through a pair a year but these last longer. My fingers are long so I usually buy a man's size small. The fingers are longer than women's sizes. I also have a pair of leather gloves I sometimes use for some chores (handling wood if I'm trimming shrubs or helping DH with hauling wood or something) and a pair of nitrile gloves for some light garden chores. My nitrile gloves have a cotton like fabric on the back of the hand so they don't make your hand sweat as much.

My nails are fairly short but I used to wear a pair of thin polypro glove liners under heavier gloves and that really helped with protecting the gloves from getting holes. I still do this in the winter sometimes.

Those Mechanix gloves sound like something I'd like to try, Outsideplaying. Did you get them online someplace or can I find them at HD or Lowes? I'd also like to see the polypro glove liners you've mentioned. Any idea where can I find those? The garden gloves I've been using this season are nitrile with the cotton backs. I love that my hands don't sweat as much in them, but my fingernails went through the gloves in just a day, both yesterday and the day before. With my left hand in a cast and not able to fit into a garden glove, I now have two brand new left garden gloves . . . with their right counterparts ruined.
Lynn

I have found mine at both Lowe's and at Tractor Supply I think. Pretty sure the last pair was at Lowe's.

The glove liners were from old days when I used to wear them skiing, lol! Don't use them for skiing anymore but they sure have been useful in the garden. I even repaired the middle finger when it started getting a hole. You might find some online somewhere. I really do like using them as it keeps down both the sweating, keeps my fingernails cleaner because dirt doesn't creep into the gloves, and prevents holes from occurring so soon. Can you tell we dig more with our hands than with our tools, lol! I have tried to be more diligent about using my tools and it does help.

I'll be heading to Lowes today or tomorrow so I'll look for them there. Thanks! As for the glove liners, I used to have a pair of them, too, for skiing. Long gone now, but I'll look for some on Amazon. Yes, I've noticed how much I tend to use my hands instead of my (glut of ) garden tools for digging (LOL)!
Lynn

Glut of gardening tools....I can definitely relate. All very specialized, of course!

After getting stabbed by a rose thorn and requiring surgery, I wear leather gloves. My favorites are by Martha Stewart. Much softer and more pliable than others I've tried.