I've always believed that leather gloves were for construction type projects and have always saved my good leathers for diy projects or shoveling dirt type stuff, not digging or planting. Those I used fabric or the latex covered gloves.

Recently my cheap gloves bit the dust and all I have left are the leathers. While I do have some shoveling to do I also need to do some planting and transplanting.

Last night I was reading an article about the 10 best garden gloves and most of them were leather. So now I'm questioning what I thought I knew!

Is it bad for the leather gloves to get down and dirty in the dirt? Planting a plant you can't help but get your hands in the dirt.

Meri - I only use leather gloves for gardening unless I'm working with transplanting seedlings. I get them for about $5 a pair at Menard's. I throw them in the washer when needed and let them air dry. I actually wear out some of the fingertips on the leather gloves over time. Gosh knows what I'd do to non-leather gloves.

Throwing them in the washer? Does 't that dry them out? Do you oil them at all?

They are a little stiff after washing but they soften after a few wearings. You could rub them with some "mink" oil or saddle soap if you wanted them softer. I started out wearing goat skin gloves (which are thinner and more supple) but they didn't hold up well to active gardening.

Meri, I'm in the other camp, used to wear leather but found them too hot, stiff after being wet and they wore through the ends of the fingers too fast.

I now wear the nitrile gloves with the mesh backs. They wash very nicely, breathe well and don't wear through the fingers nearly as fast as leather. (for me, in Florida that is)

If you have average to big hands, you can get them in a one-size 6-pack at the big box stores but if you want small ones that fit, Gardener's Supply has them in sizes Xsmall to Large.

I too abandoned leather for everyday gardening and switched to the nitrile gloves. They are wonderful.
However, for really rough work like laying stone leather gloves are better; they give more protection.

I use both types, for thorny work, leather is better also. My hands sweat a lot with the nitrile gloves, that is the one other thing I do not like about them.

I wear the nitrile gloves for all but heavy work and wash them in the washer. I have about 15 pairs I rotate (bought them in bulk). Leather for heavier stuff and long leather for roses. I have mom's soft leather gloves but trying to keep those nice as a memory of our gardening together

Thank you all ! I find that I'm like most of you. I too like the nitrile gloves for getting my hands dirty in the garden. My hands sweat also but I just dip them in the watering can or under the hose for a quick cool down. It rinses the dirt or mud off at the same time!

So I'll just keep going along as before; saving my good leathers for non dirt related chores.

Menards had nitrile gloves on sale 3 pair for $1.00 so I got 6 pair then ended up giving away 4 pair to needy friends! I should have bought a dozen pair! darn darn darn!!!

Some really cheap nitrile gloves from China left me with a lasting problem--hand eczema. So now I wear Ringer gloves that I buy on Amazon. The gloves are pricy, but they work. They are like mechanics gloves. They take a LONG time to wear out and they come in different sizes. Small hands here. Love them!!

A little late to the party, but I've used those nitrile gloves, and sweating in them was all I did, and the nasty stank that resulted wasn't my idea of "Fresh as a Daisy"! All I wear is leather gloves, and even though I wear the fingers out, bc for some reason, the manufacturers think that only men wear leather gloves, so my fingers are too short for them, they work the best for me! Also, speaking from the point of view where a 40lb patio block "fell" on top of my hand, earlier in the season (don't ask ), leather gloves are all I wear! I wound up with bruises and contusions to the ligaments on the top of my hand, but those gloves, and the fact that my hand was on a surface of pea gravel that absorbed the shock, saved my hands from a worse fate! Now if I could find leather gloves that have a warm lining of some sort for the colder Spring and Fall months! Any recommendations, gang?