Alright folks, today I wanna talk about something that bit me – literally – last pruning season: rose gloves. Man, those thorns are no joke! So I decided enough was enough, I needed gloves that actually lasted. Saw a bunch of “top-rated” pairs online and thought, “Right, let’s put these to the test myself.” Grabbed four pairs that everyone seems to rave about.
Setting Up The Battlefield
First thing, I needed my test subjects: my rambling, thorny monsters. Think thick canes, old wood, new shoots, the whole messy lot. I made sure each chore was gonna be tough: heavy pruning deadheading those stubborn spent blooms, digging in to fertilize near the base (because roots have thorns too!), and wrestling with some runners trying to escape.
My mission? Wear each pair through identical tasks and see what gives first. Is it the fingertips? The palms? Do they just fall apart? And crucially, do they actually stop the thorns?
Glove #1: The Fancy Leather Palms
Started with these beauties. Looked professional, felt solid slipping them on. Good grip right away. Tackled some thick, old canes first. Crunch! Felt the pressure, but… no poke! Nice. Felt protected. But then, getting down and dirty digging near the base… oh boy. After maybe 30 minutes of pushing soil and hitting hidden roots, I felt it. A sharp little prick on my fingertip. Looked close – yep, a tiny puncture right through the pinky. Not catastrophic, but a warning shot. Took a lot of abuse though before that happened.
Glove #2: The Reinforced Synthetic Ones
These felt lighter, kinda flexible. Promised “thorn proof fingertips.” Okay, let’s see. Went straight for the dense thicket where tiny thorns hide. Started deadheading deep inside. Felt pretty good maneuvering! But then, yowch! Got snagged on a big thorn pulling my hand back. Tugged… and riiiip. Tore a big hole in the back of the hand! Useless. Back to the shed they went. Good riddance. Zero points for durability.
Glove #3: The Long Gauntlet Style
Ooh, these cover the forearm too – smart! Felt like armor. Absolutely brilliant for heavy pruning. Could just grab big bundles of canes, thorns scraping all over my wrist area, no problem. Felt invincible… until I needed dexterity. Trying to pick off small suckers or deadhead individual blooms? Felt like I was wearing oven mitts. Clumsy as heck. Ended up taking them off for anything fiddly, which kinda defeats the purpose. Plus, they got HOT fast. Protection: A+. Comfort for detailed work: F.
Glove #4: The Tough, Stiff Cowhide
These felt rugged out of the box. Stiff, almost like new boots. Took a minute to break them in bending the fingers. Once moving though? Solid as a rock. Pruning thick stuff? No sweat. Digging? Thorns bouncing off. Even accidentally dragged them across some chicken wire fencing – barely a scratch! The downside? The stiff cuffs dug into my wrists after a while, and zero breathability. Hands were swimming by the end. And that dexterity issue again? Still there, maybe worse than #3 initially.
So, Who Won? The Real Talk
Honestly? No perfect glove. Isn’t that always the way?
- The Punctured Fancy Pair (#1): Took the most abuse before failing. Great general protection for mixed jobs until that weak spot gave.
- The Torn Synthetic (#2): Total fail. Don’t waste your cash if you have serious thorns.
- The Bulky Gauntlets (#3): Awesome for heavy pruning wars where thorns are flying. Terrible for anything delicate.
- The Stiff Workhorses (#4): Felt nearly indestructible, super tough. Punishment for your hands in comfort and agility though.
My Takeaway: If I’m facing heavy duty pruning, Gauntlets (#3) are my shield. For everyday stuff mixing detail work and protection, even with the puncture risk, I’m leaning towards the Fancy Leather Palms (#1) for now. But that perfect blend of ultimate thorn proofing, flexibility, and breathability? Still hunting. Maybe next season… My hands paid the price for this test, so hopefully yours won’t have to!
