Having a large amount of rose bushes is wonderful and the blooms in Southern California are well enjoyed into December and even sometimes beyond, if the temperatures remain warmer. The one thing that always makes a task easier, is having the right tools to perform it. I have used many garden gloves and one thing many gloves do not provide, is enough support and protection where a thorn from a stem could penetrate. I end up getting stabbed and poked with even gloves on the first use. I have used all materials from the self-curing rubbers, to nylons that have extra thread support. Most I end up using for digging and planting when they fail against even protecting me when I trim the dwarf citrus trees. If they can’t protect me against those thin thorns, my roses are better trimmed bare handed than having to deal with ill forming gloves.
I was sent a pair of rose pruning garden gloves from Garden Products Direct. These are different to those I have found in the “big box stores”, which tends to think ladies just plant pansies and daisies, so we need zero protection from those thorn-less varieties. Most gloves in stores are thin with beautiful designs and colors, however they really just may keep your hands and nails clean when a manicure is not the only thing I am trying to save. I’m looking for overall protection and finally found a pair that may just be up for the tasks I complete. The premium gloves from Garden Products Direct have:
- Heavy-Duty but still remain soft so you can bend digits and be able to grasp everything from thorny stalks to soft blooms you want to save to create a vase arrangement.
- Made with 100% goat grain leather and extra long sleeves, which are made from cowhide. This sleeve/cuff provides extra protection when having to trim between branches.
- The gloves are designed for working hands, so they remain smaller along the fingers and wrist, but still provide enough dexterity to be able to grasp tools from shovels to clippers.
- The glove’s material also produces lanolin, which keeps hands hydrated and soft when worn and used.
Retail Price Point: $23.99 and that is the same price point for sizes small through large via Amazon. The gloves are Unisex and I found the size small fit my hands and arms perfectly. Due to having short and smaller arms, the glove is loose and longer (goes past my elbow), but I can easily fold the cuff at the end to provide a form fitting that is customized to my size.
Verdict:
The gloves being made from natural leathers/hides will have a odor but nothing out of the norm, and I pretty much associate it with the scents you get from leather-goods, like from wallets, purses, and jackets made of such materials. This is to be expected and it’s not a chemical laden scent, so that was welcoming and was easy to air out by leaving them out overnight in the garage. I ordered a size small because my biggest gripe with gloves has been fit. The fingers are always too long and wide with my former gloves and this ends up frustrating me when I am trying to grasp because I lose that “real feel” when it comes to gardening. I end up over manipulating plants when planting because I lose dexterity when fabrics remain stiff but too thin to even prevent dirt granules from entering and soiling both the inside of my glove and hands. The gloves from Garden Products Direct fit perfectly and allowed my fingers to bend with ease while still remaining protected from dirt and sand. Nothing seeps in because your hands and arms remain protected. I was able to trim bougainvilleas, that tend to be bushy and full of thorns with ease. When I removed the gloves, my hands were spotless and soft. No dirt under my nails and nothing even made it through where the stitching meets, because the gloves are well stitched and made with quality in mind. I shop many stores from nurseries to garden centers and have never been able to locate gloves of this kind. I have found many that look like these, but once you feel them and see how they are stitched to the materials used, they are just gloves that are not made with manual labor in mind. I don’t walk around with a basket filled with flowers to plant and just need protection from soft dirt. I’m the kind of girl that trims palm tree branches, fights with the seed pods Sago palms produce, trims back over 35 rose bushes every winter and the type that does not let rose blooms die on the branch. This means every 3 days, I am even out past sunset trimming roses because even though I love nature, I have the worst seasonal allergies, so I trim when the winds die down a bit. The last thing I need, is frustrations caused by the tools I use and this includes protection type products like gloves. The gloves from Garden Products Direct came with zero frustrations and I must admit that the perk of having zero thorn pokes, jabs, scratches, and punctures is a nice thing that I am not use to experiencing. I admit the gloves not only kept my digits clean from dirt but it was nice removing the gloves and not finding dirt under the fingernails of the fingers I use more when pruning. Even my palm had no abrasions from the clippers because when you start cutting branches, poor fitting gloves cause rubbing, which causes calluses and even blisters. I had none of that, so these work just like they should!
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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Garden Products Direct. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.
WOM-derful 