Choosing the Best Winter Work Gloves for Comfort & Durability

Find the best gloves for the job

As you’re shopping Walmart’s ever-expanding assortment of must-have winter clothing, you might need help deciding on the right winter work gloves for your business. It’s not just about keeping warm—you also need to consider things like whether your worker will need to access a touchscreen, or if there are particular hazards they might encounter. Keep reading for helpful tips and insights.

Top features of winter work gloves

Winter gloves should always protect your hands and fingers, but in a work setting they may need to do much more. For instance, they must be flexible enough to allow necessary motion—if you have to take them off to complete key tasks, they’re probably not for you.

For this reason, business owners should be aware of beneficial key features before buying them for workers. Here are a few to keep in mind:

• Warmth: Heat is the number one reason for buying winter work gloves, although there’s more than one way to keep hands nice and toasty. Some gloves are made from naturally warm material; others include strategically placed insulation layers. Some modern gloves even include pockets for hand warmers or battery-powered heaters.

• Waterproof: There’s a big difference between wet and dry snow, and gloves aren’t necessarily prepared for both. Thankfully, waterproof winter work gloves can use resistant fabrics and treatments that keep your hands dry. If a glove isn’t waterproof, check to see how long it takes to dry before you buy.

• Breathability: Moisture doesn’t just come from the snow—in fact, most of it may come from your skin. Modern winter glove designs include breathable layers that dry sweat from your hands before they become cold and damp.

• Grip: If you’re wearing winter gloves on the job, then your hands probably aren’t idle. Gloves that include grips make it easier to pick up and handle objects of any size while completing work tasks. Many gloves also prioritize maneuverability and dexterity along with warmth.

• Touchscreen compatibility: Most modern touchscreens detect skin contact rather than just pressure. Since mobile devices are part of the modern workplace—especially for people traveling for work—specially made gloves make it easier to work from phones and tablets with conductive materials.

Winter work glove design

Winter gloves may look simple, but there’s typically a great deal of thought behind their design. Each version has a unique size, style and material type to ensure hands are warm and comfortable:

Materials

• Wool: Sheep wool has been one of the choice glove fabrics for generations, thanks to its natural warmth, insulation and breathability. What’s more, wool is naturally flame resistant, providing safety benefits as well.

• Leather: Leather is a popular glove material for many reasons—it’s inherently durable, easy to waterproof and has a strong grip. On the other hand, new leather gloves tend to be stiffer, lacking the maneuverability of other fabrics.

• Synthetic fabrics: There’s no shortage of artificial materials in modern gloves, including fleece, neoprene and even PVC. While temperature ratings can vary, most benefit from high resistance to abrasions and cuts. Some of the most popular winter work gloves use combinations of synthetic and non-synthetic materials, such as wool insulation with PVC grips.

Design

• Gauntlets and cuffs: The area where a glove meets the wrist is vital when choosing between warmth or maneuverability. A gauntlet design cut extends past the sleeve’s cuff, limiting motion while blocking cold air. Alternatively, an undercuff design ends at the base of the wrist, leaving space for motion at the risk of exposing skin or getting snow in your glove. In the latter case, you may want to pair the gloves with a winter work jacket.

• Replaceable liners: If the interior lining of a glove becomes soaked in water, you don’t always have to sideline the entire glove. Some include removable and replaceable liners that can be swapped out as needed to reduce overall drying time.

• Leashes: If you ever need to take off your work gloves, the last thing you need is to lose track of them. Leashes that wrap around the wrist can help ensure they’re always at hand when needed.

Safety

Many glove manufacturers follow trusted certification standards to quickly communicate their benefits to buyers. While specific methods will vary, the European glove fabric standard—EN 388–is one of the most comprehensive in the world. The American National Safety Institute (ANSI) has individual certifications that reflect the different conditions work gloves will experience.

Cut resistance

EN 388 measures glove resistance to cuts on a scale from one to five, often printed on a safety label. A glove with a cut resistance rating of 5 offers the highest protection.

Abrasion resistance

Manufacturers test winter work gloves by rubbing sandpaper on the fabric. EN 388 uses the length of time it takes to create a hole to rank resistance from one to four.

Wear & tear prevention

Any fabric will split apart with enough force, so workplaces need gloves that meet their overall activity level. EN 388 rates the weakest fabrics at level one and the strongest at level four.

Puncture resistance

Unlike sandpaper or a pulling force, gloves can be vulnerable to sharp objects that pierce the outer layers. EN 388 rates gloves’ ability to resist punctures on a one to four scale.

Impact resistance

If an object strikes your hand, a glove may be able to mitigate the impact. EN 388 uses “P” as a binary measure for impact—the fabric is either impact-resistant or it isn’t. ANSI, meanwhile, outlines three tiers of impact resistance that are suitable for different workplaces.

Keep warm this winter with Walmart Business

Once you’ve decided on the best winter work gloves for your purposes, Walmart Business makes it easy to get them. Our apparel and workwear selection will help you find the garments you need to get the work done, including coats, gloves and boots.

If you already have an account, you can level up your savings with a Walmart Business+ membership. You’ll get free shipping,¹ free delivery from local stores on orders over $35² and 2% back in Walmart Business Rewards on orders over $250.³ That could add up to savings of over $500 a year.⁴

¹ Excludes most Marketplace items, freight and certain location surcharges.

² Restrictions apply. 

³ Rewards can only be used toward future purchases on Walmart Business. Additional terms apply.

⁴ Savings based on 1 free $35+ delivery order vs. $9.95 fee and 1 free shipping order under $35 vs. $6.99 fee biweekly, plus 2% Walmart Business Rewards on monthly order >$250 (average value of $400).