7 Best Welding Glove Reviews 2020

If you’re looking for a review of the best welding gloves, you’re in the right place.

You know how important it is to have a good pair of gloves to provide your hands with protection and comfort while you work.

But there are many options available on the market. So how can you find gloves for your welding application?

We’ve reviewed 8 top selling welding gloves, which have great design, material, heat resistance, protection, flexibility, and durability. In our tests, we found that while working with molten metal or high temperature flames, these gloves are comfortable and keep your hands extremely well-protected.

Without beating around the bush, let’s go straight to our reviews and find out why these gloves made our top picks.

In our review, we will be looking at the features of each type, and what makes them a great choice for your work flow. We will also mention here the pros and cons associated with the use of that particular product to help you to make a more informed decision.

Core Features

other notable features:

• Reinforced heat shield cuff, palm, lean-on patch.
• Large leather heat shield patch for protection of the vital wrist area, and leather palm reinforcements for durability.
• Sewn with Kevlar thread for extended glove life.
• Three-dimensional design, pre-curved fingers and cushioned interior to maximize comfort, dexterity, and fit.

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Core Features

Other notable features:

• Soft and supple leather for maximum comfort and pliability
• 1-inch in length help keeps sparks and slag off the forearms
• Fortified frictional areas and an internal liner - great for the perilous heat you’ll encounter when welding.
• Reinforced knuckle and palm areas with double padding that prevent damage to the gloves and enhance durability.

The next up on our list are the Miller Welding Gloves 263343, one of the top-rated cool welding gloves for stick and MIG welding. 

Core Features

Other notable features:

• Made from premium grade pigskin and cowhide leather
• Reinforced double-layered insulated patches on the palm and back for added protection, comfort and extended use.
• Increased interior for excellent feel and dexterity.
• Flame resistant Kevlar thread for maximum strength to protect the welder’s hands from hot steam and sparks.

Next up, we’re going to review the traditional Lincoln MIG/Stick welding gloves.

Core Features

Other notable features:

• Kevlar stitching for extra support and durability without sacrificing flexibility.
• Sweat absorbent soft cotton lining for improved fingertip sensitivity and more precise control.
• General purpose gloves for all types of welding.
• Thumb padding area for extended work life of the glove.

Now we're going to review another product from US Forge, and this time it’s the US Forge 400. You may be asking yourself why another product of US Forge has taken the position in our list. Read on to find out...

Core Features

Other notable features:

• Made from premium leather for extreme comfort.
• Internal cotton lining for more comfort and durability.
• Reinforced frictional areas in palms and finger for more comfort and a stronger grip.

Next we’d like to review the Steiner 21923-L 23-inch welding gloves, one of the most heavy-duty and stand-out gloves in terms of length.

Core Features

Other notable features:

• Full cotton lining for added comfort and dexterity.
• A reinforced extra padded thumb strap for versatile protection in high wear areas.
• Kevlar thread and fully welted seams for flame resistance.
• Durable lock stitching for added strength.
• Added leather stripping to prevent burned stitching.
• Less exposed stitching around the thumb for better dexterity.
• Great for home DIY projects.

The last product on our list is the Hobart 770440 Premium Welding Gloves.

Core Features

Other notable features:

• Made with premium natural grain leather with cowhide split
• Reinforced portions at the back, knuckle patches, and palm for proper insulation and protection from burns

Welders need to find the glove that fits their work style and welding process. We hope the below discussion will help you choose the best type of gloves for your needs.

The stick welding process produces the most heat, so stick welding gloves need to be the most heat protective. This process also creates a lot of sparks and spatter. The most suitable gloves for stick welding are top-grain elk-skin, cowhide or pigskin gloves.

However, it's always a good idea to go for the gloves that will ensure maximum protection for the fingers that are the most exposed to the heat. The Caiman 1878-5 is a good choice for stick welding that will give you the highest level of protection in your work.

Some common features of stick welding gloves are:

• Thickness
• Lack of flexibility

The TIG welding process is perfect for thin metals and precision work, and it produces the least heat. The best TIG gloves provide a great deal of flexibility. In general, goatskin welding gloves work better for TIG welding as they provide dexterity throughout the process. One of the essential features of TIG gloves is that they are stitched with Kevlar thread. This ensures additional heat resistance. Furthermore, wool or cotton-foam lined gloves provide more protection than only cotton-lined ones.

• Thinner, softer and more maneuverable
• Fit more snugly in hand and allow easy finger mobility
• Offer precise control of the filler and torch

MIG welding produces less heat than the stick welding process, but it creates a moderate amount of spatter and sparks. When buying gloves for MIG welding, give priority to heat protection and consider a thick layer with a thin lining. Top-grain goatskin, cowhide or deerskin gloves are ideal for this welding process. Goatskin gloves with fleece lining are the best type for MIG welding. However, top-grain deerskin gloves are incredibly comfortable and offer dexterity.

• These gloves are thick.
• Have better heat, spatter and spark resistance
• They come with a thick pad at the back of the hand
• Have a loose fit

Next, we'd like to share with you some essential information that will help you determine the welding gloves that will be right for you.

This depends on the type of your welding process for which you’ll use the gloves.

Like the many types of welding processes, leather gloves also vary and different types are suitable for different processes. 

You already know that quality welding gloves are made of leather. In fact, leather is the most common raw material for welding gloves.

It can be hard to know what type of leather gloves are best suited for a particular application. The main types of leather in welding gloves are cow, pig, goat, deer or elk and they can be categorized as split- or top-grain leather.

• If you’re looking for the best heat resistant welding gloves, go for an elk skin product. But remember, these are expensive and rare.
• If you’re looking for the best MIG welding gloves, go for cowhide or pigskin product.
• If you’re looking for high quality welding gloves for TIG, go for goatskin or other thin material product.

Each type of glove will protect your hand during the welding process. But, to get the highest level of comfort, protection and dexterity, you should match the glove type with your welding process.

Yes. Heat-resistant gloves are essential safety gear for your welding process regardless of the welding type. Your welding gloves should also be fire and flame resistant. Cowhide gloves are best known for their heat-resistance properties.

For the comfort of your work, your gloves should be flexible. The more dexterity in your welding gloves, the more comfortable you will be. Welding gloves made from supple leather are well-known for giving maximum dexterity.

When choosing a welding glove, know your hand size.

• To find the length, measure from the top of the longest finger to the wrist and across the base of the knuckles on the palm side of your hand.
• To find the width, measure across the base of the knuckles on the palm side of your hand.

If you’re a metal welder, it’s wise to choose gloves that will cover your hands as well as the entire forearm. When selecting a size also consider how comfortable they are as the fit or size will have a big affect on your comfort levels while wearing them. Although most manufacturers offer one-size-fits-all, some brands offer their product in different sizes, small, medium, large or extra-large.

When buying welding gloves, you should definitely consider the length of the wrist of the product. Not all welding gloves will provide you with full coverage of your wrist and arms, but complete coverage is essential for the welding process, especially for metal welding as your wrist and arms are exposed to splatters. Always check the length of the arm of the gloves for extra protection.

It depends on personal preference. However, a Keystone or wing thumb style is best suited to most people. Because these types of gloves are ergonomically-shaped, we’ve found that most people find them comfortable when compared to straight thumb styles.

It all depends on your needs and budget. Welding gloves are available for as low as below 10 dollars, all the way up to 100 dollars for premium quality ones.

• What is so special about Top-Grain & Split-Leather gloves?

Top-grain leather is the most robust and the smoothest leather available. Gloves made from this type of leather are the most capable of withstanding wear and tear so they tend to be more durable. Gloves made from top-grain deerskin provide a high-level of comfort. These types of gloves also can mold to the shape of your hand.

Split leather comes from the shoulder or the side of the animal. There are also different grades within the shoulder such as standard, select and economy. Split leather gloves feature a rougher surface compared to top-grain leather, but they give excellent heat protection at a very reasonable price.

• Are there any differences between Cowhide, Goatskin and Deerskin gloves?

In general, deerskin gloves are best for flexibility while cowhide gloves are best for durability. However, a goatskin glove will work well as a general purpose welding glove.

• What type of gloves are best for dexterity?

Gloves featuring a cotton lining instead of foam or wool lining are better for dexterity. Although these won’t give you very high heat-resistance, they will provide you more mobility in the movement of your fingers while absorbing perspiration.

• What is special about Kevlar thread?

Gloves that are sewn with Kevlar stitch are heat-resistant and robust. When you get molten spatter or a small hot piece of metal in the seam, usually it sticks there and it can also burn out the cotton thread in your glove. However, stitching with Kevlar thread improves the seam strength and durability of your welding gloves over time.

• Does “one-size-fits-all” really fit all hand sizes?

The fit depends on the individual. The definition of “small”, "large” or “extra-large” varies from person to person. Therefore, it’s wise to read the product details carefully and find out what size is best for your hand.

Conclusion

This collection of the best welding gloves represents superior gloves available in the market. In our tests, we’ve found that these products best meet the spark, spatter, heat and arc flash protection that a welder needs during the welding process. They are also the best sellers based on ratings, popularity and high recommendations, thanks to their outstanding functionality and performance, and protection from welding hazards and environments.

Pick any of the welding gloves from our list and weld without worry of injury from flying hot metal spatters or welding sparks.

If you’ve any specific questions regarding welding gloves that aren’t covered here, please don’t hesitate to contact us about welding safety.