Best Welding Gloves for Stick Welding

A welder’s hands are nearest to the welding. Protecting a welder’s hands from heat, electricity, dust, fumes, ultraviolet rays, and molten metal is an essential part of welding safety. Selecting the best welding gloves for stick, MIG and TIG welding processes is important not only for the protection of welder. It is also essential for the completion of a welding task in an appropriate manner.

So, what is the best welding gloves for stick? The Lincoln Electric Traditional MIG/Stick Welding Gloves is the best for stick, MIG and TIG welding process should be efficient in heat resistance. They must protect the welder’s hands from cuts, burns, bruises and blisters. Welding gloves should be comfortable enough so the welder can comfortably wear them for 4-6 hours working period. They should also provide freedom of hand movement required to complete the welding project.

Top 07 Gloves for Stick Welding Comparison Table

What Are The Best Welding Gloves For Stick?

Here's a list of the best welding gloves for stick we found on the market:

This glove is made up of cowhide leather which makes it heat and flame resistant. Because of thick leather from outside and a cotton liner inside the gloves are comfortable to use during welding. Kevlar thread is used for stitching to prevent tears. The cuff consists of absorbent material for additional comfort.

• Heat Resistance: Designed especially for protection from high welding temperatures. The material used is top grade leather, and the liner is made of soft cotton.
• Durability: It can withstand daily exposure to high temperature, heat and sparks. The Kevlar seams protect them from burning.
• Comfort: The gloves are lined with a soft cotton liner to remain comfortable from the inside. The shape of the thumb is straight. The cuff is designed with soft cotton to absorb a high quantity of moisture.
• Professional Use: This glove is a choice of professional SMAW, FCAW and GMAW welders.

The gloves are made up of Black Stallion elkskin leather and lined with a Dupont Nomex liner. They provide resistance to heat and spark. Dupont Nomex is a soft, comfortable insulating material to give extra thickness resulting in more heat and flame resistance. The reversed grain palm and thumb straps add to the comfort and a better grip.

• Heat Resistance: Excellent protection from heat because of the natural insulating material Dupont Nomex lining at the back.
• Durability:  It has Kevlar stitching that makes it erosion resistant
• Comfort: Palm has a reversed grain, due to which it is comfortable for wearing.
• Professional Use: These gloves are ideal for 4 to 6 hours continuous welding, grinding and cutting.

The RAPPICA Leather Forge Gloves are padded with a double layer of Kevlar on fingers, palm, back and elbows. The outer layer is made up of Kevlar padding leather with a central Air-isolated Aluminum foil layer. Due to these heat and fire-resistant layers, they become an ideal choice for Stick Welders.

• Heat Resistance: They are incredibly resistant to flame and heat because of the double reinforced padded Kevlar on the elbow, back, fingers and palm. They can provide protection temperatures as high as up to 500 degrees Celsius.
• Durability: The shoulder split cowhide makes the gloves heat and wear-resistant. It seems on the finger, palms and elbows do not fall off even in extremely high temperature.
• Comfort: The gloves are soft from inside, fit well in hand and facilitate smooth hand movement.
• Professional Use: These gloves are highly recommended for professional use for all types of welding.

Specially designed for stick welding, they provide higher resistance to abrasion. They are made up of split leather, and they offer better flexibility.

• Heat Resistance: The extended cuffs, along with Climax Aerogel insulation, make these gloves a better choice for stick welding.
• Durability: The cow and goat grain leather makes the gloves resistant to abrasions.
• Comfort: Kevlar welding gloves consist of a Band Top cuff which makes it comfortable to wear. They also have bend fingers to match the natural shape of the fingers. Keystone thumb adds in comfort.
• Professional Use: Kevlar thread seams save the user’s hands from exposure to sparks. They are comfortable and flexible. These qualities allow their use in professional welding. They are most suitable for stick welding.

Excellent durability due to premium split cowhide leather. The layers include cowhide leather outer layer, flame retardant foam and cotton inner. This product is an excellent combination of safety, comfort and durability. It is highly recommended for professional welders working on Mig Welding (GMAW), Flux Core Welding (FCAW) or Stick Welding (SMAW).

• Heat Resistance: These gloves are highly resistant to heat due to thick leather material and multi-layers of insulators.
• Durability: They remain abrasion-free after months of exposure to heat, sparks and spatters.
• Comfort: The inner is made up of soft flame retardant fleece and foam liners to ensure comfortable feeling for the welders.
• Professional Use: This product is suitable for daily use in professional welding because of its high hear resistance, anti-abrasive materials and comfortable inner linings.

These Welding Gloves provide high insulation due to its premium elkskin leather. The back is lined with Dupont Nomex to provide extra fire resistance. On the palm, the reverse grain is used to make the gloves comfortable and soft. Kevlar thread is used in seams and stitches to ensure spark resistance. A thumb strap is given to support extra reinforcement where required by the welder.

• Heat Resistance: The elkskin leather provides heat resistance but the inner part is without pads with flame-retardant materials.
• Durability: Black Stallion Welding Gloves may last longer if used with caution. If they are exposed to extreme temperatures for more extended periods of time, they can lose their shape.
• Comfort: The thumb strap makes it easy to use where more exceptional quality work is required. The material is soft and handy.
• Professional Use: Black Stallion gloves are a choice of many professional welders.

The top grain leather is used to make blue-lined leather glove. It protects from the ultraviolet rays and particles of molten matter. Outer surface material is top grain leather while the inner lining is made up of soft insulating material.

• Heat Resistance: They are suitable for working with high temperatures in stick welding. But in processes, where the welder has to touch the metal, they are not recommended.
• Durability: The top grain leather and inner lining make the gloves durable.
• Comfort: The leather and inner lining are made of soft material. Welders prefer them for their comfortable fit.
• Professional Use: These welding gloves are a suitable choice for daily use in professional stick welding.

What Gloves Should I Use For Stick Welding?

Answer: Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) or Stick Welding is an ancient and basic type of metal welding process. Stick welding involves electricity to create an arc and produces high heating, sparks and spatter. It is essential to consider the following factors before selecting your gloves for stick welding.

Aluminized Backing:

Select gloves that provide an aluminized backing. It is essential to reflect most of the heat produced by the stick welding process.

Insulation:

The gloves selected for stick welding should be lined with insulating materials such as cotton and wool. It is crucial to save the welder’s hands from the heat produced in the process.

UV Radiation:

Heavy leather gloves are essential to protect the skin from exposure to ultraviolet rays produced during the arc welding.

Kevlar Stitching:

Before purchasing stick welding gloves, ensure that a Kevlar thread does the stitching. Cotton threads are unable to bear such high temperatures. The cotton stitches may burn and make the glove to fall apart.

Do the Gloves Have Enough Leather?

Good quality welding gloves are made up of premium grades of leather. Leather is a heat resistant material and provides adequate protection against burns. It is also necessary to save the hands from sparks and spatter produced during the welding process. This leather may be made up of cowhide, goatskin, elkskin or pigskin depending on the intended use. Leather lining consists of soft flame retardant materials like Kevlar. Sometimes the lining material is cotton or foam. In that case, all stitches are done by Kevlar thread to ensure the durability and safety of the product.

05 Basic Types of Leather Welding Gloves

01. Cowhide:

Cowhide is the most commonly used material in the gloves manufacture industry due to several reasons. It is readily available and welders use it for any type of welding process. Cowhide provides enough suppleness for comfort, but sometimes it becomes stiff when regularly exposed to extremely high temperatures. Cowhide is ideal for its spark and spatters resistant quality.

02. Pigskin:

Pigskin can be used in MIG, TIG and Stick welding because of its resilient nature. It works well in oily and wet places and doesn’t get stiff upon exposure to moisture. Pigskin is moderately supple and is relatively thinner than cowhide. Pigskin is durable and can withstand abrasion.

03. Goatskin:

The goatskin leather remains soft and supple, making it a better choice for TIG welding due to excellent tensile strength and abrasion resistance. It is reliable, economical, durable, flexible and water-resistant. The high lanolin content makes it supple, comfortable and lightweight that allows it for the skill essential for TIG welding.

04. Elkskin:

Elkskin is characterized for its comfort and feel. Elkskin is a premium grade leather that stays soft and supple. It is much thicker and durable than deerskin leather. It is suitable for stick and MIG welding because it is highly resistant to abrasions caused by heat, flames and spatter. It does not harden quickly like the cowskin and provides superior comfort to the professional and non-professional welders.

05. Deerskin:

Deerskin is one of the toughest yet softest leather for welding gloves. Elongated interwoven fibers characterize the physical structure of deerskin. It is resistant to abrasion due to its extremely high sheer strength. Most of the Deerskin leather is used in TIG welding due to its softness and dexterity. It is ultra-soft and supple and gives a spongy feeling. These gloves are lightweight and durable.

Which Properties Should Have For the Best Arc Welding Gloves? Buying Guide.

Heat Resistance: Gloves made up of Kevlar are considered to be most heat resistant. However, the gloves which combine Kevlar and leather also give good heat and spark resistance.

Hand Mobility: it is vital to move hand efficiently to perform a given welding task with precision and perfection. Top grain goatskin gloves are most flexible. They provide the best molding with the hand and are considered an ideal choice for MIG welding.

Durability: Most of the welding gloves can be used within 2 to 8 weeks. If the welders use the gloves in an extremely high temperature which makes their leather shrink and deteriorate. They can also get holes due to sparks and molten metal. Welders use the gloves for a more extended period that come with a heat shield. The most common damages that occur to a welding glove are:

• The pockets for placing fingers get shrunken due to exposure to high heat. It causes the glove to create creases and it remains no more comfortable to fit in hand.
• Sometimes the welding temperature gets so high that even the Kevlar stitches burn out. It results in the deformed gloves, which can’t be used anymore. It commonly occurs between the thumb and the pointer finger.

Stitching: The biggest problem of welding gloves is that the seams rip apart. The gloves intended for welding are stitched with a Kevlar thread which is ideal due to its heat resistant properties. Yarns made from other materials cannot withstand exposure to extremely high welding arc temperatures.

Kind of Welding Project:

        1. MIG Welding:

Gloves made up of grain cowhide, deerskin or goatskin are considered better for MIG welding projects.  MIG welding requires high heat resistance; therefore, gloves with multiple layers of insulating materials are perfect.

         2. TIG Welding:

Gloves for TIG welding should provide extra padding, especially on palms. They should also provide the best touch sensitivity. Gloves with Kevlar are better for heat resistance. Gloves with Velcro straps aren’t recommended for TIG welding as they are difficult to remove upon heating. The TIG welding gloves must be comfortable to remove when needed. Dexterity is the most important characteristic when selecting gloves for TIG welding.

          3. Stick Welding:

Gloves for stick welding should be thick and highly resistant to heat. Split grains of goatskin, elkskin and pigskin are considered better for choosing the material for stick welding gloves. Flexibility is not as necessary in stick welding. You should review the thickness and size, which gives protection from sparks and metal pieces.

Material:

The kind of intended welding process will determine the type of leather used in the making of gloves. For comfort and dexterity, the goatskin gloves rank on the top. They are neither too thin nor too heavy for TIG welding. For high heat-producing welding processes, it is essential to choose thick abrasion-resistant leather gloves such as elkskin, cow grain or cow split. In operations that involve moisture or grease, gloves made of pigskin are a better choice.

Size and length:

It is advisable to measure your dominant hand to get an idea of the most suitable glove size. The gloves should be neither too tight to be uncomfortable nor too lose to slip from the hands. The gloves should be long enough to protect hands and arms from blisters, burns and cuts.

Price:

Some brands offer high-quality welding gloves at relatively higher prices. But in the long run, they prove to be more cost-effective as compared to cheaper ones. Welding gloves available at cheaper prices may deteriorate within one week of use. Therefore, spending money wisely is essential when selecting gloves for welding.

Care of hand gloves:

As welding gloves are made of varied materials, it is better to follow the instructions of the manufacturer when caring for your hand gloves. A product called oil eater can remove the splattered oil from the gloves. The material of oil eaters is biodegradable as well as non-inflammable. When washing the welding gloves, one should be conscious to prevent damage to the heat resistant or flame retardant properties of the gloves.

Conclusion

Factors that influence the selection of best welding gloves for stick include the suitability of material and construction of gloves for the intended purpose. The gloves must be highly resistant to extremely high temperatures. At the same time, they should be comfortable enough and fit well in the hands. Rightly selected gloves not only save money, but also protect the hands of the welder and help to complete the welding project efficiently.

Read More:

• What Kind Of Gloves Do Welders Wear?

FAQ

Q. Can you use MIG gloves for stick welding?

Some of the welding gloves are suitable for multiple welding tasks. MIG can be used for stick welding if they are made of extreme heat resistant and flame retardant materials. The gloves must provide full coverage from the sparks and spatter.

Q. Who makes the best welding gloves?

The most popular welding glove manufacturers are RAPICCA, Lincoln Electric and John Tillman.

Gloves from RAPICAA provide high heat resistance. They are also considered more durable because of the double layer of leather used in them.

Gloves from Lincoln Electric are more attractive and softer in feel. Another feature that makes them popular among welding glove users is their shock padding.

Gloves from John Tillman are relatively cheaper. They are not much heat resistant but are attractive to customers.

Q. What to look for in welding gloves?

When looking for welding gloves, you should look into the materials used in manufacturing. There are many products made of goatskin, cowhide, pigskin, elkskin and deerskin. It is essential to consider the purpose for which the gloves are intended. The inner lining material should be comfortable yet heat resistant to protect the welder’s hands. It is also essential to consider the dexterity for TIG and the extent of heat insulation provided by the gloves for MIG and stick welding.

Q. How long should welding gloves last?

The naturally occurring oils in the leather and the chemicals used in the manufacture easily get destroyed by the high heat involved in the welding process. It causes deterioration in the quality of gloves, and they start to harden. Good quality leathers produce long-lasting welding gloves.

Q. Can you use leather gloves for welding?

Leather is the prime material used in the manufacture of welding gloves. Leather from different animals has different properties. Therefore, the kind of welding determines the most suitable animal skin for that purpose. It also determines whether split or grain leather is ideal for the type of welding intended.

Q. Are welding gloves fire proof?

The welding gloves protect against sparks, spatter and heat. Therefore, they are manufactured fire and heat-resistant materials.

Q. How to clean and wash welding gloves?

The welding gloves can be washed with hands or in a washing machine. It is advisable to use cold water along with mild laundry detergent. Using of bleaches and solvents is not recommended. You should not dry welding gloves in a spin dryer. It is better to lay them on a flat surface for air-drying.