The Best Welding Gloves
If you're a welder, no one needs to tell you that welding gloves are just as important as your mask when it comes to personal protective equipment. The ideal set of gloves will allow you a lot of mobility while also guaranteeing protection from extreme heat, cuts, and bruises. Good welding gloves will last for a long time and can be used for many things aside from their intended purpose, so investing in a great pair will serve you well in the long run.
What to Look For
We looked for three major attributes when selecting the best welding gloves for this list. Do they protect the wearer? Are they comfortable to wear? Do they allow you to move your hands and arms around freely? For lightweight but thorough protection, we found the Rapicca gloves to be the best in class. WZHQ’s fire-resistant mitts offer the best choice for dealing with extreme temperatures. Read on and discover the right pair of gloves for you.
Rapicca Leather Forge Welding Gloves
Lend yourself a helping hand
Rapicca welding gloves are made from carefully-selected, soft shoulder, split-natural cowhide leather with Kevlar stitching. With that kind of construction, they’re capable of withstanding extreme temperatures up to 662 degrees Fahrenheit. The inside of the gloves feature an absorbent cotton lining for added softness, and, with a 5.5-inch-long sleeve, they protect your forearms, too. They also provide some protection against hot steam. Welders will especially appreciate the Kevlar-reinforced wing thumb, which provides added dexterity under extreme heat conditions.
Pros:
- The leather and cotton combo allows for greater arm mobility than many comparative gloves offer.
- Their flexibility makes them particularly ideal for working around hot foods and ovens.
- The thick insulation gives you a lot of breathing room before the sensation of heat can penetrate the gloves.
Cons:
- These gloves are only available in one size.
WZQH Fire Resistant Mitts
Beat the heat
It’s the layers that make the difference with WZQH welding gloves. They start with a 1.2mm-thick outer layer of cowhide leather, followed by an air-isolated aluminum foil for heat and fire protection. Under this layer is flame-retarding cotton, followed by a second layer of insulated cotton for comfort. These four layers combined create insulation that allows these welding gloves to withstand temperatures up to 932 degrees Fahrenheit. Reinforced double-leather stitching and high-strength Kevlar on the palm create both protection and durability where it’s needed the most.
Pros:
- It’s easy to move your fingers around in these gloves, making them suited for more tactile tasks.
- For quick touch and release jobs, these will allow you to hold almost any hot object while feeling no heat whatsoever.
- Their durability and flexibility mean they can be used for non-heat-related tasks as well, such as gardening.
Cons:
- While these will fit most sizes, they’re not intended for XXL hands.
Revco GM1611 Welding Gloves
Just enough protection
You don’t have to sacrifice weight for protection in your welding gloves, as Revco beautifully demonstrates with their GM1611 gloves. Featuring a soft cotton lining and seamless index finger with a grain cowhide leather palm, these dexterous gloves are noticeably less bulky than you typically find in the welding glove market. The reinforcement patches are where you need them the most: in the palm, thumb, and index finger. Revco uses their trademarked DragPatch for side padding and RestPatch for wrist padding, providing both comfort and extra strength, while Kevlar is stitched throughout the gloves for maximum durability and resistance from heat, sparks, and slag.
Pros:
- These gloves have a stylish design sensibility that many comparable products lack.
- They can be used for hours at a time with the utmost comfort.
- Their relatively miniature build makes them particularly suited for women’s hands.
Cons:
- Less index padding would be more suitable for MIG welding.
Hersent Long Sleeve Welding Safety Gloves
A call to arms
If you’re a stick welder or work in any situation where sparks fly, you need full arm protection as well. The Hersent long-sleeve welding gloves extend a full 23.6 inches, creating protection from the tip of the fingers to the elbow. Made of split cow leather and featuring a reinforced wing thumb design, the gloves are both flexible and rugged. And with a soft cotton liner that absorbs sweat while creating heat insulation, Hersent welding gloves are comfortable enough to wear all day.
Pros:
- These gloves are strong enough to protect against direct contact with extremely hot objects.
- Their length allows them to fit extra large hands, whereas many other gloves might be too tight of a fit.
- They are phenomenally suited for dealing with animals and gardening as well as extreme heat.
Cons:
- The liner is not sewn into the glove.
Eletecpro Leather Welding Apron & Gloves
Don't call it a bib
Considering your chest is only a few inches further from the heat source than your hands, a welding apron is a great idea for added protection. With Eletecpro, you can get both the gloves and the matching apron. The gloves are made from thick, shoulder-split cowhide with double-layer reinforced palms. They’re also double-stitched for extra strength and fully welted with Kevlar-sewn seams. The apron is made from the same materials, but with 2mm-thick leather, and features six pockets for storage and work accessories. The Eletecpro is a great combo for both pro and DIY welders alike.
Pros:
- The inclusion of both gloves and an apron makes this one of the best values we’ve seen thus far.
- The dark color and fabric density mean less dirt and grime will show up.
- The gloves are flexible enough to fit a wide variety of hand sizes, large and small.
Cons:
- These gloves are neither waterproof nor water-resistant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a pair of welding gloves last?
It all depends on three different factors. The first one is the quality of gloves. Obviously, the better grade of leather used, the longer they’re going to last. Then there’s the frequency of use. After all, everyday welders will go through gloves faster than hobbyists. Finally, there’s the temperature of the heat you work at. Hotter temperatures will wear out gloves faster.
My new welding gloves are super stiff. How do I break them in?
A new set of welding gloves can be a lot like a baseball mitt: really stiff at first and needing to be broken in. Try putting a MIG welder or other heat-resistant device in the hand, then stick it in the oven for a couple of hours at 250 degrees.
Can’t I just use my MIG gloves for stick welding?
We don’t advise it. While some welding gloves can be used for multiple welding processes, TIG gloves are typically quite thin and therefore unsuitable for stick welding. Conversely, the thickness of some MIG gloves may hinder the kind of flexibility you need to do TIG welding effectively.
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