FYI: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we earn a commission if you click through and purchase. See our Affiliate Disclosure for more info.
My neighbor plans to start welding, and he asked me over to check out his equipment. So far, he bought a welding machine, helmet, and a spool of MIG wire. He wanted to know if he needed anything else. I told him personal protective equipment was essential, and I didn’t see any gloves. He asked me to recommend the best welding gloves.
In general, the best welding gloves are flame-resistant, comfortable, and protect welders from electric shock. In addition, it’s critical to match your gloves with the type of welding being done. Some processes require higher levels of protection than others.
Many beginner welders think they can use any pair of work gloves they have lying around to protect their hands when welding, but this isn’t true. Welding gloves are essential to protect your hands from extreme heat and electrical shock created by welders.
Proper welding gloves serve several purposes, but most importantly, they keep your hands safe. There are many welding gloves on the market, with each one claiming to be the best. Choosing from the plethora of welding gloves can be difficult.
To assist you, we have considered hundreds of gloves and hundreds of reviews to bring you this list of the best welding gloves available on the market. By reading this review, you will be able to narrow your choices to the best welding gloves.
Contents
Welding Gloves Reviews
1. Lincoln Electric Traditional MIG/Stick Welding Gloves – Top Pick
The Lincoln Electric welding gloves are made from cowhide leather. They look good, and many users have praised the physical appearance of these gloves. The gloves are very comfortable to wear, and it is pretty durable as well.
Regarding appearance, these gloves easily outdo the other gloves we reviewed and most gloves on the market. They come in black and have orange linings to deliver a pleasant aesthetic form.
Many other gloves come with one tone, which is frankly dull, but the Lincoln welding gloves switch things up by featuring a two-tone aesthetic. The back of the gloves comes with imprinted flames that make them unique and stylish.
The performance of these gloves makes them an excellent choice for welders and makes them deservedly take the top spot on this list. It features industrial durability and can be used in professional applications. The design of the glove is made of high-grade cowhide leather.
Aside from the leather, the Kevlar threading in the gloves and the reinforced stress points make it super-durable. You can rest assured that heat, spatter, or flames will not destroy the gloves during use.
Aside from the durability, the gloves are very comfortable. It features a cotton liner that is soft and comfortable. The gloves are also functional. They do not feel like wearing baking mittens, and they offer adequate dexterity. Furthermore, the inside cuff of the gloves has twill cotton to absorb moisture.
The gloves offer finger sensitivity and are versatile. You can use it for different tasks, from welding to yard work. Despite all the positives, they do have some flaws. For example, they do not offer sufficient protection from extremely high temperatures. Click here to see the best price.
Features
- Split leather outside material
- Internal cotton liner
- 25-300 A amperage range
- Kevlar stitching
- It is a durable glove
- It is designed for MIG welding
- The design is highly attractive
- It is a comfortable glove
- It doesn’t protect very well against intense heat
- The lengths of the fingers are almost the same
2. RAPICCA Leather Forge Welding Gloves – Most Durable Welding Gloves
The Rappicca Leather gloves are a quality set of gloves that deliver satisfactory performance no matter what you use them for. The gloves come with different features that enhance durability and safety.
Although they are good-looking gloves, they do not look as good as the Lincoln Electric Traditional MIG/Stick Welding Gloves. You can get them in either blue or yellow.
The gloves are made from split natural cowhide leather. This material is quite durable and provides relatively impressive safety from flames and heat. While it is soft, it is also thick and protects rather sufficiently.
The gloves are convenient and comfortable to wear. Rappicca welding gloves have an inner lining that absorbs moisture. I like this feature because my hands tend to sweat a lot and the lining absorption helps me keep a firm grip on my work product and welding equipment.
The interior is padded and makes it safe to handle even hot stuff without my hands getting hot. They come with forearm protection. Forearm protection ensures that splatter, flying debris, and other stuff do not touch your skin but are repelled by the gloves.
The Kevlar stitching enhances the durability of these gloves on gloves. The Kevlar padding on the fingers, palms and backs are doubly reinforced. Furthermore, it is resistant to abrasion, puncture-resistant, thickly padded, and will last for a relatively long time. Click here to see the best price.
Features
- MIG/TIG Welding gloves
- Genuine cowhide split leather
- Hydroscopic interior lining
- Blue/Yellow colors
- It is a multi-purpose glove
- It is abrasive and puncture-resistant
- It provides admirable safety
- It comes in just two sizes: XL and XXL
- It is stiff and doesn’t offer good dexterity
3. OLSON DEEPAK Welding Gloves Cow Split Leather – Best Heat Resistant Gloves
If you are looking for versatile welding gloves that are relatively cheap, then one of the best welding gloves to look at is the Olson Deepak welding gloves.
Despite the price, these gloves remain quite durable and safe to use. If you are a DIYer or a hobbyist without a lot of money to spend, these might be the ideal gloves for you.
Olsen Deepak is a brand known for the high quality of its products. They have made high-quality gloves for more than 30 years, and these cow split leather gloves are one of the best cheap gloves from the brand.
The wing thumb design of the gloves makes them flexible and easy to work with. The gloves are made of full cow split leather.
The cowhide leather is comfortable, durable, and safe to use when handling hot objects. The glove’s interior features a cotton lining that absorbs moisture and sweat, which makes the glove very convenient to use even after prolonged usage.
One of the features that make these gloves so good is the heavy-duty stitching on them. Therefore, even under heavy use, the gloves retain their structure and remain functional. There are also specially constructed to resist high temperatures.
During testing, we observe that the gloves are very comfortable to use and offer decent dexterity.
You can use the gloves for other things aside from welding. Some of the users claim they are ideal for use while camping, grilling, handling animals, and so on. Click here to see the best price.
Features
- Cow split leather material
- Weight: 7 ounces
- Black color
- Puncture/Heat resistant
- It is affordable
- The gloves are versatile
- Heavy-duty stitching makes the gloves very durable
- They are ideal for DIYers
- They lack sufficient protection in high-temperature conditions
- They are rather small sized
4. US Forge 400 Welding Gloves Lined Leather – Best MIG Welding Gloves
The US Forge 400 welding gloves are good middle-of-the-pack welding gloves with an excellent price. These are perfect for professional welders that tend to go through gloves fast.
They come in a bright blue color. Many users have praised the comfort, durability, and dexterity offered.
In our testing, we observe the gloves to satisfy these factors as well. The gloves are made of top-grain leather that is supple and nice to touch.
The gloves are specially designed to protect the hands from UV rays and hot metal; however, they don’t have a heat shield. The length of these gloves ensures protection from sparks, spatter, and burning debris.
They are quite durable gloves. The lock-stitching design on these gloves ensures that they are durable and, despite heavy use, retain their form. These gloves are also very comfortable.
During testing, we observe that the cotton lining makes them feel great to wear. Furthermore, the lining absorbs sweat and moisture, leaving the interior of the gloves dry and comfortable at all times.
As a MIG welding glove, it offers decent protection. However, if you will be handling high temperatures, these gloves might not be sufficient. They lack adequate padding or insulation to prevent the heat from reaching your hands.
Nevertheless, the lack of extra padding makes them one of the friendliest gloves to use. The design offers dexterity, which is essential in welding work. Click here to see the best price.
Features
- MIG welding gloves
- Blue color
- Top-grain leather material
- They are very comfortable gloves
- They are easily replaceable because they are cheap
- The lock-stitching design makes them very durable
- They have a longer length than regular gloves
- They come in a large size for big hands
- They lack sufficient insulation from heat
- It comes in just one size
- It isn’t suitable for stick welding
5. KIM YUAN Heat & Fire Resistant Welding Leather Gloves – Best Value
The Kim Yuan welding leather gloves are high-quality gloves that provide excellent value for the price. They are primarily made of cowhide leather, which makes them supple yet sturdy. To add durability, the gloves have Kevlar stitching all around.
The palm of the glove comes with extra padding, which improves versatility and aids with weight distribution.
As with the other gloves on this list, it has a cotton liner interior that makes wearing the gloves very comfortable. The cotton liner also absorbs moisture and sweat to keep your hands dry during use.
It is ideal for MIG welding but doesn’t fare well when used in TIG welding. The gloves lack the required flexibility for TIG welding. Nevertheless, they are some of the most versatile gloves available on the market today.
They have a finger design that aids dexterity. You can use them for barbecuing, camping, animal handling, and so on. Kevlar thread used on the gloves makes them highly resistant to temperature. Unlike some others on this list, high temperatures do not affect their performance. You can wear them without fear of the heat being transmitted to your hands. Click here to see the best price.
Features
- MIG Welding gloves
- Cowhide leather gloves
- Puncture/Cut resistant
- Hook design
- They are highly resistant to temperature
- They feel comfortable to wear
- The cotton liner absorbs sweat and moisture
- They cannot be used for TIG welding
What To Look For In The Best Welding Gloves
Every welder worth their salt recognizes the importance of welding gloves. Welding gloves are part of the vital Personal Protective Equipment that every welder must wear to protect their hands. I suggest you check the American Welding Society ANSI Standards for up-to-date safety recommendations.
Welding gloves protect the welder from flames, electrical shock, high temperatures, UV rays, and so much more. Furthermore, these gloves provide better grip and are resistant to puncture and abrasion.
Welding gloves are a must-have while working. In choosing the best welding gloves, there are various factors that you have to consider. In this section, we will consider the most crucial of these factors.
Protection
Protection is the primary reason for wearing welding gloves. Protection includes consideration of different related factors. Let us see these factors.
- Heat protection
In most cases, the aim of wearing a welding glove is to protect the hands from the effects of intense heat. Thus, in choosing suitable gloves, you need to consider the level of heat protection it provides—the better the heat resistance, the better the welding glove.
Different factors come into play when considering heat protection. Some of the vital elements that affect the heat resistance of the gloves are; material the gloves are made of, the thickness of the material, and the padding.
Before choosing a pair of gloves, check the packaging and the specifications. The best welding gloves come with a temperature rating. The rating shows just how much temperature the gloves are capable of withstanding. And if you are in doubt, you can read reviews such as these that highlight the heat resistance of the featured products.
- Puncture resistance
Puncture resistance refers to the ability of your gloves to protect the skin when it comes in contact with a sharp object. Although many do not consider it an essential factor, experienced welders know the dangers of sharp corners in the workshop.
Puncture resistance is affected by the thickness of the glove.
Material
The materials a pair of gloves is made of are vital to the performance and safety it offers. As seen in the section above, a factor that affects the protection provided by a pair of gloves is the material it is made of. There are different materials available. Let us consider some of them.
- Leather material
The best leather gloves are often made of leather. This material is superior to other materials and often provides the best protection and performance. Leather gloves are highly resistant to heat, which is the primary reason for wearing gloves. Leather gloves are also very durable. When splattered with hot debris or even molten steel, they protect the skin efficiently.
There are two main types of leather gloves.
- Split leather material
- Top grain leather material
- Split Leather
Leather hides are usually too thick to use for gloves; hence, they need to be divided. The first type of division is split leather. Some folks refer to split leather as suede, and it is from the bottom part of the hide. It is a high-quality material and offers advantages like abrasion resistance, proportionate water resistance, puncture resistance, and flexibility.
- Top-grain Leather
This leather is derived from the upper part of the hide. It is more expensive than split leather and looks better.
However, it is not as durable as split leather.
If you are out for great looks and price is not an issue, then this is the ideal leather material. However, if you are after functionality and practical value, split leather is better.
Leather is obtained from the hide of different animals, and each hide has specific advantages and features.
- Elk Skin
Elkskin is the best option for folks who require durable and comfortable leather gloves. It is very durable and resistant to damage. Because of its general thickness and high quality, it is often used for gloves used in stick welding.
- Cowhide
Similar to elk skin, cowhide is a common type of leather. It is one of the most versatile leather skins and can be used across a variety of applications. It is heat-resistant, durable, and is generally found in MIG welding leather gloves.
- Pigskin
Pigskin is another type of leather used in making gloves. Although it is durable and resistant to moisture and oil, the heat resistance is low. Thus, it is not used for heavy-duty welding.
- Deerskin
This beautiful skin is the most comfortable type of leather. It feels supple and pleasant to touch. It isn’t by any means delicate as it displays impressive heat resistance. Unlike other gloves, deerskin feels better with time and even molds itself to fit your hand perfectly.
- Cotton material
Although referred to as cotton material gloves, cotton material gloves are not entirely made of cotton. Instead, a large portion of these gloves contains polyester.
They are not as durable as leather welding gloves, but they are super-flexible and offer more dexterity.
Unlike leather gloves that have a high level of heat resistance, these gloves display low heat resistance. They are suitable for MIG welding and not TIG welding.
The Type of Welding
The type of welding to be done will affect the choice of welding gloves. There are three main types of welding. These are:
- Metal inert gas welding (MIG)
- Stick welding
- Tungsten Inert Gas welding (TIG)
Metal Inert Gas (MIG)
MIG welding involves using electricity to join the metal. It requires using an electrode that forms an arc with the metal to be welded—this type of welding results in many sparks flying around.
MIG welding gloves often are bigger and have more padding on the back of the hand. They are easy to pull on and off. The design protects the hand since you will often rest your hands on the work surface while welding.
Stick Welding
Stick welding is similar to MIG welding in the sense that it creates extremely high heat and can be used to weld heavy steel structures. It produces a lot of sparks and a lot of heat.
Tungsten Inert Gas welding (TIG)
TIG welding is the most complicated yet effective type of welding. It produces a far lesser amount of sparks and heat than the other two methods.
TIG welding gloves are smaller and fit snugly. They are not as easy to pull off. These gloves afford greater flexibility and dexterity. They are not as heavily padded as MIG welding gloves since heat is not a significant concern.
Therefore, the type of welding you do will affect the amount of heat produced. This, in turn, affects the level of heat resistance you will be looking for in a pair of gloves.
FAQs
What are the best stick welding gloves?
The best stick welding gloves are the thickest and most protective you can find. Stick welders deal with the highest heat levels, so it is essential to wear a glove made to protect against this.
Can you use TIG gloves for MIG welding?
In some instances, you can safely use TIG gloves during MIG welding, depending on the MIG settings. However, TIG gloves don’t protect you sufficiently for all MIG welding applications.
What are welding gloves made of?
Leather is the best material used to make welding gloves since it is more durable and offers greater protection than many other materials.
Are welding gloves heat resistant?
Welding gloves have to be heat resistant to protect against the heat produced during the welding process. The resistance depends on the material of the glove and its thickness.
Conclusion
Choosing the right welding gloves is a challenge. There are many factors to consider before deciding which one to buy. By reading this review and guide, as well as some of the frequently asked questions about welding gloves, you can make the right choice. Let this guide help you to choose the best welding gloves!
Best Selling Welding Gloves
- 【REINFORCED DOUBLE LAYER KEVLAER PADDING ON FINGER,PALM,ELBOW & BACK】:RAPICCA is the only brand which offer Double Reinforced Kevlar Layer Pading on both Fingers, Palms, Elbow& Backs on our welding gloves, this excellent design make RAPICCA welding gloves being the most extreme heat resistant gloves on the market.
- 【EXTREME FOUR LAYER HEAT RESISTANT PROTECTION】 Outermost layer: Double layer kevlar padding leather. Intermediate layer: a composite product by laminating a kind of high temperature resistant Air-isolated Aluminum Foil and a flame retardant cotton cloth . Inner layer:a 100% soft insulated cotton lining. Flame retardant thread stitching for advanced heat and cold resistance, sweat absorbent, breathable, allergy free. These gloves are guaranteed to withstand extreme temperatures up to 932°F(500℃)
- Cloth lined leather and fully Welted seams
- Superior heat and flame resistance
- 【EXTREME HEAT RESISTANT PROTECTION】- Outermost layer:Genuine Cowhide Split Leather . ntermediate layer:a composite product by laminating a kind of high temperature resistant Air-isolated Aluminum Foil and a flame retardant cotton cloth . Inner layer:a 100% soft insulated cotton lining.flame retardant thread stitching.for advanced heat and cold resistance,sweat absorbent,breathable,allergy free.They are guaranteed to withstand extreme temperatures up to 932°F(500℃).
- 【EXTREME WEAR RESISTANT PROTECTION】- The Gloves are made from 1.2mm thick and soft shoulder split natural cowhide leather which is heat resistant,wear-resistant,puncture resistant,cut resistant,oil resistant.Reinforced double leather stitching and high strength sewing on the palm of the hand,not easy to fall off.
- GREAT HEAT RESISTANCE – Made of a high grade leather and soft cotton liner which is designed to withstand and protect against high temperatures.
- INDUSTRIAL DURABILITY – The glove design features a high grade leather exterior, kevlar threading, leather reinforced stress points and a fully lined interior to withstand daily exposure to heat, flames, spatter or sparks.
- Mig welding gloves with soft cotton lining (not bulky) and seamless index finger
- Grain cowhide leather palm, Split cowhide leather back
Welding Gloves: What You Need To Know | USPS Houston
Monday 28th of October 2019
[…] October 21, 2019October 28, 2019 by Nina Holland 21 Oct If you’re looking for a review of the best welding gloves, you’re in the right place. You understand just how important it is to have an excellent set […]