Protect your hands from scrapes and chemicals with our picks for best mechanic gloves.
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Mechanic gloves can often help you avoid — or at least minimize — the sort of minor hand injuries that seem to come with turning wrenches. Working on cars ups the ante and even makes it nearly a guarantee you’ll be giving blood if you’re using your bare hands. That’s where a pair of decent mechanic gloves come in.
Some of these have impact-resistant rubber on the backs but they’ll go a long way towards protecting you from the minor cuts common to the hobby, and profession, of working on cars. Then, if you stray into disposable glove territory, you can keep grease and oil off of your hands, which helps you avoid having to scrub up as much as working without gloves. Check out this guide to find the best mechanic gloves on the market.
Custom Leathercraft Handyman Flex Grip Work Gloves
Finish Line Mechanic Grip Gloves
Mechanix Wear Original Covert Tactical Work Gloves
To find the absolute best mechanic gloves I employed The Drive’s comprehensive research methodology, paired with my own experiences using work gloves. I’ve used a bunch of different gloves as a hobby mechanic, but I really got serious when I spent five years working in a heavy industry job, where I repaired equipment and sprayed commercial coatings. I wore out a lot of gloves, and that experience has informed the choices here, too. Mechanic gloves are tools, and they will eventually wear out doing the job of protecting your mitts. That’s OK, and I’ve selected gloves that balance the wide range of situations you might encounter working on vehicles.
Great balance of protection and dexterity
Variety of materials, and stitching, means it’ll eventually fail
Breathable fabric keeps hands less sweaty
Coating protects from automotive fluids
Won’t stand up to heavy duty use for long
Wrist strap keeps them on
Available in multiple colors/patterns
Sweat cloth on the thumb is a nice touch
Impact protection only over knuckles
Long glove covers to sleeve easily
More expensive than thinner disposable options
Mechanic gloves are a helpful tool to have in your garage, and the Custom Leathercraft Handyman Flex Grip Work Gloves are some of the best you can get. They’re not the right pick for some fringe cases, but for most of the work that goes on in the garage, they’re the right combination. If you’re looking to save some money, consider the Finish Line Mechanic Grip gloves. These are solid, reliable, and affordable alternative.
Mechanic gloves all serve the same basic purpose when working on cars: keeping your hands free of grease, grime, or hazardous chemicals, and protecting you from the nicks, cuts, and bruises common to wrenching. Some are designed to protect more against one kind than the other, and for the most versatile mechanics, you may need different gloves for different types of work. I like having general use work gloves on hand that are easy to pull on when tackling a light project, and some that are resistant to chemicals and liquids when the projects turn messy. As you select the gloves that are right for you, consider what type of work you do, and what combination of protection is likely to help you the most.
Disposable gloves typically protect from fluids such as oil, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, etc. Disposable gloves obviously won’t last as long as reusable gloves, but they will typically hold up against most commercial chemicals. Depending on the brand and material of the gloves, the ability to withstand continued exposure to chemicals may increase or decrease accordingly. Most disposable gloves are made of nitrile, while some are made from latex.
If you wear reusable gloves, you can easily invest in better gloves and spend less in the long run. Reusable gloves are made from stronger materials than nitrile, such as synthetic or real leather. You can often wash reusable gloves, but depending on how much you use them, they will likely need replacing after some time.
Longevity can mean a lot of things when it comes to mechanic gloves. When it comes to disposable gloves, the material shouldn’t tear easily. The best disposable mechanic gloves should withstand extended exposure to chemicals, and some reusable gloves share this characteristic.
Gloves are most effective if they cover a large part of your hand. Tears greatly decrease a glove’s effectiveness, even if the glove is disposable. The best mechanic gloves, if they are reusable, are woven in such a way as to strengthen the glove itself to prevent tears. Even disposable gloves are designed to prolong tearing for extended use.
The ability to grip is a critical characteristic of mechanic gloves. Mechanics work with objects as large as an entire engine and as small as nuts and bolts. Being able to grip and maintain that grip plays a large part in how effective mechanic gloves are. Whether it’s padded on each fingertip or just raised ridges along the inside of the fingers, having a strong gripping surface can make or break a pair of mechanic gloves.
Whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional mechanic, the best mechanic gloves will stay comfortable even after the first few hours of the project have passed. Comfort can mean a lot of things to different people, but generally speaking, a soft, flexible material and breathable fabric are desirable.
Gloves aren’t the most expensive thing in the world, so you’re looking at dropping between $5 and $30. The closer you get to that high-end, however, the more protection they offer your hands. So if you enjoy scar-free fingers and knuckles, pony up the cash.
You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers.
A: No, not necessarily. Sizes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and even from one glove type to another. People with the same hand size may prefer different glove sizes. Materials make a difference as well.
A: This varies from glove to glove. Nitrile and other types of disposable gloves are designed to protect your hands from harsh chemicals but not for extended periods of time. Intense heat is not conducive to disposable gloves, and in some cases, the same goes for reusable gloves.
A: Disposable gloves can be water-resistant as long as the water doesn’t reach the wrist opening. Reusable gloves often have ways of wicking away moisture but aren’t necessarily waterproof. There are, however, ways you can waterproof your gloves if you so choose.
Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.
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