Work Glove Guide: String Knit, Dotted, Coated, Leather Palm, Driver and Cut-Resistant

Ask a room of people who work with their hands what the best work glove is and you will get a dozen answers, because the right glove depends on the task. A glove that is perfect for stacking lumber is wrong for handling sheet metal, and a glove built for sharp edges is overkill for sorting parts. This guide walks through the main types of work gloves, what each is good at, and how to buy them in bulk so you, your team or your household always have the right pair on hand.

String knit cotton gloves: the cheap, everyday glove

Plain string knit cotton gloves are the economy option. They keep hands clean, add a little protection against scrapes and are comfortable for long wear. They are a good fit for handling parts, light assembly, warehouse work and general cleanup. They do not offer much grip or cut protection, and they wear through quickly on rough materials.

Our string knit cotton work gloves are seamless and reversible, in a men's size, sold by the dozen or in a case of 30 dozen (360 pairs).

Dotted gloves: a little more grip

Dotted gloves add small PVC dots to a cotton knit glove for better grip on boxes, tools and smooth materials, without much added cost. They are popular for warehouse, shipping and general handling.

Latex-coated knit gloves: grip for wet and rough work

Palm-coated gloves dip a knit glove in a rubber coating across the palm and fingers. The coating gives a strong grip, including on wet or dusty materials, while the uncoated back lets hands breathe. They are a solid all-around choice for construction, masonry, landscaping and material handling. Because the coating is natural rubber latex, they are not a good pick for anyone with a latex allergy.

We carry red and blue latex palm-coated knit gloves in packs of 10 pairs or cases of 300.

Leather palm gloves: the tough all-rounder

Leather palm gloves pair a leather palm with a cloth back, usually with a cuff that protects the wrist. Leather holds up to abrasion and rough materials far better than cotton, which makes these a go-to for framing, demolition, carrying lumber and block, and general construction.

Cuff style matters:

  • Safety cuff: a short, stiff cuff that is easy to slip off quickly. The LK-220 has a 2-1/2 in safety cuff, a lined leather palm and thumb, and a leather knuckle strap.
  • Denim cuff: the LK-100 uses a denim cuff.
  • Gauntlet cuff: a longer cuff that covers more of the wrist and forearm. The LK-230 has a 4-1/2 in gauntlet cuff.

For the toughest work, a double leather palm glove adds a second layer of leather over the whole palm, which makes it the longest-wearing option in our leather line. The economy LK-120 uses shoulder leather for a lower price.

Leather palm vs. driver gloves

Driver gloves are made entirely of leather with no cloth back, cut for a closer fit. They are more flexible and give better feel than a leather palm glove, which suits operating equipment, driving, handling tools, and work where you need dexterity along with protection. Leather palm gloves are generally the more economical choice for heavy, rough material handling.

Our DGC-200 cowhide driver gloves are full premium-grain cowhide, unlined, with a keystone thumb and shirred elastic back, sold by the dozen or 10-dozen case.

Cut-resistant gloves for sharp materials

When you handle sheet metal, glass, ductwork, metal studs or anything with a sharp edge, a cut-resistant glove is the right tool. Cut resistance is rated on standard scales, so look for the rating printed on the glove or packaging. Our ComfiGrip cut-resistant gloves are listed at Level 5 (E) under EN 388 (4X43E), with a 13-gauge shell, a foam nitrile coating for grip, and touchscreen-compatible fingertips so you can use a phone without taking them off.

Cotton inspection gloves

Lightweight cotton inspection gloves are not for heavy work. They are for handling finished pieces, fixtures, glass and hardware without leaving fingerprints. Our reversible cotton inspection gloves come in men's and women's sizes.

Which work glove for which job?

  • Light handling and cleanup: string knit cotton
  • Boxes, tools and warehouse work: dotted gloves
  • Wet, dusty or rough material handling: latex palm-coated
  • Framing, demolition and heavy material: leather palm or double leather palm
  • Equipment operation and tool work: cowhide driver gloves
  • Sheet metal, glass and sharp edges: cut-resistant gloves
  • Finished surfaces and fixtures: cotton inspection gloves
  • Paint, grease and chemicals: disposable nitrile gloves

Buying work gloves in bulk

Work gloves wear out and walk away, so buying by the dozen or case almost always beats buying single pairs. A few current examples from our site:

  • String knit cotton: $4.99 per dozen, or $129.99 for 360 pairs (about $0.36 per pair)
  • LK-220 leather palm: $29.95 per dozen, or $129.99 for 6 dozen (about $1.81 per pair)
  • DGC-200 driver gloves: $65.00 per dozen, or $529.99 for 10 dozen (about $4.42 per pair)

Prices can change, so check each product page. Keeping a case of everyday gloves and a few dozen specialty pairs on hand means nobody works bare-handed because the supply ran out.

Browse all of our options in the work gloves and leather palm gloves collections, or contact us about bulk orders.

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