Garden glove review: Womanswork Paisley Gauntlet

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September 28, 6:08 PM

by Robin Wedewer, Gardening Examiner

 

 

The Womanswork Paisley Gauntlet glove is just one
of more than a dozen styles and designs.

Womanswork specializes in a whole line of gloves for women as well as some token men's gloves and other gardening paraphernalia, including some fairly cheesy-looking gardening hats. I selected this glove to test for two reasons. First, my garden center, not known for its broad selection, carries a fairly wide line of these gloves. And second, I thought they were pretty.

Description: The Womanswork Paisley Gauntlet glove is a step up from your standard cotton garden glove. The uppers and gauntlet sleeve are made from cotton sateen with what the company calls a "touch of lycra." The lycra doesn't make the glove stretchy at all, so I'm not sure what function it serves.

The palm and fingers are made from a synthetic microsuede fabric, presumably to handle tough tasks and for durability. A three-hold buckle, while functional, is really more decorative than useful.

An elastic drawstring around the gauntlet is a nice touch for keeping out dirt and debris when you're working. I may be a bit challenged because I had to struggle to tighten it. The elastic kept stretching rather than gathering, making it difficult to tighten.

These gloves are lightweight and comfortable. I used them in the wretched heat of summer and was comfortable and reasonably non-sweaty.

Style: I give these gloves good marks on style. The fabric is not too over-the-top feminine and is a good example of the type of products Womanswork offers. It should be noted that the company also offers a leather gauntlet glove useful for working with roses, as well as other heavy duty gloves, nitrile gloves and other patterns such as the paisley.

Fit: As with most of the women's gloves that I tested, the Womanswork gloves come in small, medium and large. The large was, for me, just a bit short in the fingers. (But then, I had that complaint about most of the gloves tested.)

Best uses: These gloves are good general-use gloves for cleaning up debris, hauling and digging, particularly if it is quite hot or you don't like gloves that make your hands sweat. They don't have the fit that allows for sensitivity for chores such as seeding or weeding.

Disadvantages: As with all the fabric gloves tested, a wet fabric feels like a wet fabric. You won't want to wear them for long because they are loose and will chafe your hands.

Washability: These gloves hold up well after multiple washings. The buckle part gets a bit twisted, but it doesn't interfere with the usability of the gloves.

Durability: Very good.

Price: $26.

Overall rating: Good. For the price, there are probably better gloves on the market that will do a wider variety of tasks.

How we tested: All gloves in this review series were tested in the author's real-world garden with her very own real-world hands. Activities the gloves were subjected to included weeding, pruning, digging, hauling, planting, watering, deadheading, scratching (bugs, you know), wiping sweat from brow and hoisting multiple glasses of iced tea.

You can reach Robin, the Gardening Examiner, at gardeningexaminer@gmail.com.  Get notice of new garden columns by clicking on SUBSCRIBE below.

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