I’m in the market for another pair of work gloves, and just found out that Mechanix no longer makes my favorite style. Well, that’s not exactly accurate, as the model number is still available (H30-05), but the glove style has changed.
When I ordered these gloves years ago, they were Mechanix’s Pro-Fit Series 3.0 Impact Protection Gloves. Now, the model number refers to Mechanix’ Impact Pro gloves. The newer gloves look similar, but have subtle differences, such as an elastic cuff instead of hook-and-loop.
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I will likely order a pair of Mechanix’s Impact Pro and M-Pact 2 gloves, but figured now would be a great time to see if there are any styles you guys deem worthy to recommend.
Which work gloves do you recommend, and why?
It will be interesting to see if the same brands or styles keep coming up, but there are so many different gloves out in the wild that I don’t really expect this to happen.
Mike
Take a look at the Schmitz Mittz Utility Armor glove. They offer some awesome strong protection. I have been wearing their Extrication gloves for firefighters for a while and have just recently tried these out while doing fall chores around the yard. Definitely the strongest gloves I have bought.
For any doubt check out their youtube videos on destroying the glove. It is designed for the fire glove but many of the same features are int he utility glove.
http://www.schmitzmittz.com/products/utilityarmor-gloves
Corey
I swear by Setwear EZ Fit gloves. I’ve got great feel with these gloves and can actually feel washers, screws, etc while wearing them and they are comfortable. They’re my go-to gloves.
They aren’t heavy duty gloves, so once I’m away from basic jobs, moving lumber, general yardwork and the like, they tend not to work quite as well. So, for the money, they’re great general purpose gloves.
Jeth
For me the best glove are by far the Miller metal working gloves they are cut and heat resistant and last a long time !
Stan
I highly recommend Knoxville gloves as not only are they 100% MADE IN USA which most gloves these days aren’t, but you would be supporting Harry J Epstein and buying a quality set of gloves that likely last a lifetime.
I’ve used the cheap gloves before and some of them have only lasted a couple of times before ripping beyond repair.
Essie
http://www.atg-glovesolutions.com/en/maxiflex-3/maxiflex-ultimate™-8/34-874-34/
For general shop work, I really love these Maxiflex Ultimate gloves, on Tom Lipton’s (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab fabricator extraordinaire & author or 2 metal fabrication books) recommendation.
– The vibration reduction while angle grinding steel is a godsend, in addition to positive grip, and therefore more confidence picking up heavy pieces of iron.
– *Anything* that unscrews, that requires a chuck key/wrench, etc., these gloves make these repetitive tasks more forgiving on your palms and digits.
My concentration is more on my work than on my aches and pains. I don’t wear gloves, however, using buffers, bench grinders, and my lathe. I don’t use them when handling anything hotter than my coffee cup. My local welding supplier gets these for me at <$4/pr.
Clayton
I recently purchased these Custom Leathercraft ones after being very disappointed in how quickly my pair of Mechanix gloves just kind of fell apart. I am very pleased so far, they seem to be made the way that Mechanix gloves SHOULD have been. They are more of a ‘base model’ sort of glove, but they do have some slight padding and reinforcement, as well as hook & loop wrists: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002YPZKY
Hang Fire
Your favorite gloves are mine. I’ve moved my old Mechanix impact resistant gloves to emergency duty only, in hopes that they will last longer.
It’s probably not what you had in mind, but my most-used gloves (if not “favorite”) are Harbor Freight’s Heavy Duty Large gloves in some kind of dark blue rubber or nitrile. If needed I throw a big heavy leather glove over top, but the two things that triumph and makes them most-used is a.) completely oil proof and b.) great tactile feel.
fred
The last batch of gloves that I bought were Ansell-Edmont Carpenter’s gloves (97-006) which I recall were bought in a mixed (size) case lot for about $12 per pair. Many of the guys liked them (as I did) – but I recall that others brought their own gloves – so they probably did not like the feel or fit of these. One admonition about gloves is that they do not last forever and we regularly bought new supplies (typically 100 or more at a time) to replace gloves that were no longer useable.
LORDDiESEL
I can’t wear work gloves. Not in carpentry, or automotive. My hands are tough as nails and my wife never asks for 4play.
JG
Well I have a bitter-sweet relationship with Mechanix. I love how they all fit me, the dexterity when worn etc. but bloody hell they don’t last long. The original is always tearing on the wery tips of the finger seam, switched to the CG heavy duty and damn, I massacred them within a month, those rubber bumpers are very badly stitched to the leather. I just want those gloves to be more resilient, but I am slowly giving up hope.
Daniel Davis
I really like the grease monkey gloves,able to feel with them and not binding or stiff feeling
Dave
I like Ironclad gloves, the fit is great but they do an OK job on the wear and tear. I really abuse my gloves. My older pairs would get tears but the newest pair seems to be lasting longer. Not sure if I would highly recommend but its the only brand that I have found to really offer protection during demo and heavy construction.
Scott
Youngstown Gloves Anti-Vibe XT are my favorite. I have two of them, one of which I cut the finger tips off for when working with small nuts and bolts.
http://www.ytgloves.com/products.asp?productId=273&categoryId=42&subCategoryId=0&subCategory2Id=0
For metal grinding my favorite are Kobalt Black and White Welding Gloves
http://www.lowes.com/pd_12040-47120-SGY-G7_0__?Ntt=kobalt+welding+glove&UserSearch=kobalt+welding+glove&productId=4307503&rpp=32
Porphyre
In my opinion, general work gloves are a consumable and specialized work gloves are not. I use Harbor Freight split leather work gloves for general stuff. Often free w/ a coupon or 5-pair for $8, I don’t mind if they get dirty or torn up, plus they protect me just fine. Mechanic work is done in HF nitrile gloves, again, disposable.
Specialty gloves, on the other hand, should be cared for and last. I’ve got a pair of quality welding gloves and some $30 anti-vibration gloves for running various hand-held tools.
That’s why I don’t buy Mechanix brand anymore. $15+ for gloves that seem to split seams and dissolve when exposed to normal automotive chemicals and wear and tear? No thanks. After my second pair that lasted less than 2 months (and I am NOT a pro mechanic, so that’s probably like 20-30 hrs of wear time) I swore off the brand.
Joshua Latham
I just like me some plain old pigskin gloves. They last for a few months and I go buy another pair for $10. They are way tougher than those split leather and fabric mechanic type gloves.
Garrick
I ‘m partial to the Custom Leathercrafts (CLC). The thin ones I prefer for their dexterity don’t last long, but are less noticeable when picking up small things. The thicker varieties are great for the lumberyard.
Mechanix gloves do not fit me well, and seem very restrictive. The one pair I have has lasted a lot longer than most of my CLCs… which is an indicator of how much I use them.
I can’t seem to find the CLCs with the open fingers anymore, so I now custom make my own now. (Customized Custom Leathercrafts)
Toolfreak
The ones I use the most are the Mechanix Fastfit gloves, since they are super thin but very comfortable, and provide all the protection I need without being too bulky. Unfortunately they stretch after awhile and so a medium glove now fits like a large and isn’t as good for precise work as they once were, but I know I have another pair or two around here somewhere.
When I need more protection, I just use the cheap leather gloves with a reinforced palm that are $5 a pair at Lowe’s, but I bought a ton on clearance for less than a buck a pair so I should be good for a few decades.
I also have a stash of the older, higher quality Mechanix gloves and a few pairs of insulated Wells Lamont leather work gloves, but so far haven’t needed to break ’em out yet.
I’ve tried the “work” gloves that are styled after the motocross / bicycle racing gloves, but they are pretty steep and almost always too bulky. If I were going to buy some, I’d just get the real thing and buy some racing gloves.
Galadriel
When I want to use my fingertips or I’m really torquing my wrists, I wear those fingerless weight-lifting gloves with the wrist support straps. I’ve also got separate wrist support straps, but they don’t stay in place as well.
I keep looking for weight-lifting gloves that don’t have thick pads on the palms for…well…weight-lifting. I can’t find any that will fit my tiny hands. I *have* purchased the ones with padding, then removed the leather on the palm, pulled out the sandwiched padding, and sewed the leather back on directly to the glove palm. But that’s a lot of work that could better be resolved by just buying gloves without uncomfortably thick palm padding in the first place.
For general labor I like horseback riding gloves with Aquasuede. I’ve used these for everything from manually digging ditches to loading hay bales to grinding metal with lots of sparks to heavy lifting. It’s thin enough to feel through, but surprisingly durable and protective for the things I do.
rick
when mecanix gloves get wet there done because of this I won’t buy them
Phil
I, like LORDDiESEL – also have tough hands, but they are no match for the various types of rough-cut woods and sheet and other metals I work with. I’ve just been using the big box ‘glove that fits.’ I have unusually large hands, so those with the non-adjustable cuffs don’t fit my oversized heel of my hand. The glove manufacturers should use my hands as a fit model. XL size barely go on, but I’m left with almost an inch of finger space at the end of my gloves. The finger length of a large pair fits my fingers, but the heel of my hands are HUGE, sort of like Popeye’s forearms! I have to try on and try on. When I find a glove that does fit, I usually buy the whole row at a time.
Dan
I like Hexarmor cut resistant gloves. The whole reason I wear gloves more due to cuts and splinters than blisters and abrasion, so these give me a bit more peace of mind. For some jobs though I use different gloves, lots of concrete or bricks get some cheap leather gardening gloves, dexterity jobs get some nitrile coated polyester gloves from home depot, there’s a few styles that fit my hands really well and breath properly. Both of the latter are way cheaper than Mechanix gloves, and most of the hexarmor gloves that are similar to the mechanix ones can be had for around 30-40 dollars if you shop around online.
joe
I just recently learned about memphis red ram goatskin mig/tig and I like them a lot. They have a very comfortable feel. Although technically they are for welding, they are holding pretty good for various things for example replacing all shocks in my truck. Replacing truck bed. Renovating a storage. Ect..
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0091A76XY/ref=asc_df_B0091A76XY2790093?smid=A5GQB66B192OE&tag=pgmp-899-95-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395109&creativeASIN=B0091A76XY
joe
Looks like they make a bunch of gloves….will try some others. My craftsman for 20 buxs didn’t last me that long.
http://www.mcrsafety.com/index.php/gloves/
Mark
Have been using various nitrile gloves for years for anything that required good dexterity and the ability to pick up small objects, then I found out that polyester dipped gloves are much more robust and longer wearing.
Found these online – fantastic value for the $$$. Buy ’em by the dozen, it will last you a looong time.
http://www.gloves-online.com/proddetail.php?prod=WK-CGT-125
FWIW, their sizes run on the small side, so if you’re a large in most gloves, you’d probably like a XL in these – I did anyway.
For mechanics and general purpose chore gloves, the three pack of utility gloves at HD for 9.99 can’t be beat. You’ll find them in the huge bins that crowd the aisles these days usually in three colors, red/yellow/grey. Quite durable – easily outlasts the Mechanics brand in my experience.
CPreusser
I would recommend mechanic latex free gloves which is very good to feel and use. This was recommended by my friend and he has been using it for years. I bought it. Good quality and fit me well!
Galadriel
Phil said: “The glove manufacturers should use my hands as a fit model.”
Oh, MAN, I feel you. I have these narrow hands with lo-o-ong fingers that don’t fit any standard sizes–part of why I like fingerless gloves, if I can find the darn things with small enough palms.
For some reason gloves made for horseback riding seem to be designed with longer fingers than other types of gloves, so that’s been a big help; I’ve been riding horses most of my life, and using my riding gloves for just about everything else too. I actually didn’t realize my hands were so unusually shaped until the first time I tried to find non-riding gloves, and couldn’t… find… ANY! that fit. Mechanics gloves, welding gloves, gardening gloves, the aforementioned weightlifting gloves, even winter gloves; they just don’t fit.
I wonder if there’s a sport that designs sturdy gloves for typical players with extra-extra-large hands, that would be useful–or could be altered, maybe coating with something–for whatever you need.