Alright, so I finally got around to really putting these waterproof gardening gloves, the ones specifically for ladies, through their paces. For ages, I’d been struggling with my old pair. You know the type, they say ‘water-resistant’ but five minutes in damp soil and my fingers would be freezing and soggy. Absolutely useless, made me grumpy every time.
Putting Them to the Test
So, I decided to get a new pair, specifically looking for something properly waterproof. These ones I picked up looked promising. The real test, though, was going to be a proper mucky job. We’d had a ton of rain last week, so the conditions were perfect – or perfectly awful, depending on how you look at it.
First thing, I slipped them on. The fit was pretty good, actually. Sometimes “ladies” gloves are just smaller and pink, but these felt like they were actually shaped for a slightly less bulky hand, which was nice. Didn’t feel like I was wearing massive clown gloves.
I got stuck into a few tasks I’d been putting off:
- Clearing out a load of wet, decaying leaves from under the big rhododendron. That’s normally a guaranteed wet-hand job.
- Weeding a particularly stubborn patch in the flowerbed where the soil was basically mud.
- And then I did some repotting, which always involves handling damp compost and sometimes rinsing pots.
The Big Question: Did they stay dry?
This was the moment of truth. I was digging my hands into wet earth, grabbing slimy leaves, splashing water around. And you know what? My hands stayed completely dry. I mean, bone dry. I kept wiggling my fingers inside, expecting that horrible cold, damp feeling to start creeping in, but nothing. It was brilliant!
I spent a good hour or so out there, and honestly, it made such a difference. I wasn’t rushing to finish because my hands were uncomfortable. I could actually feel what I was doing pretty well too; they weren’t so thick that I lost all dexterity, which is a big plus when you’re handling delicate seedlings or trying to get a good grip on a stubborn weed root.
My Final Thoughts
When I was done, I just rinsed the mud off the outside of the gloves under the tap, and they cleaned up super easily. Took them off, and my hands were just… normal. No wrinkly, cold fingers. It’s a small thing, a decent pair of gloves, but it genuinely made a messy, wet gardening session so much more bearable, almost enjoyable!
I remember one time last autumn, with my old rubbish gloves, I was trying to plant some bulbs in damp soil. My hands got so cold and wet, I just gave up half way through, feeling totally miserable. These new ones? I reckon they’ll see me through many more mucky jobs without the drama. Definitely a good find.
