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There is nothing more crucial than safety when it comes to delivering heavy-duty mechanical work. The tools you choose for your job could be the thin line between life and death, and welding is no exception. Welding gloves are vital to protect yourself from dangerous burns.
The best MIG welding gloves should be able to protect you from extreme temperatures up to 932°F or 500°C.
These gloves allow your fingers to move freely without restricting blood circulation. They also provide protection to your hands from high temperatures and electric shock, as well as ultraviolet radiation and infrared. These gloves also offer an enhanced resistance to abrasion and greater grip to make sure that the wedding torch does not slip from your grasp.
Welding gloves can also be used in other day-to-day situations that require hand protection. In this article, we will review the best MIG and Stick welding gloves to help you decide which one is right for you.
Lincoln Electric has been a reputed brand when it comes to arc welding solutions and robotic welding systems since 1895. Their company is also the leading provider of brazing and soldering alloys in the market today. The Lincoln traditional welding gloves are made from split leather that’s capable of enduring flame and heat.
The gloves’ insides are made of a full cotton liner that provides added heat resistance. Cotton can absorb excess moisture that improves comfort and reduces slipping. These welding gloves are also sewn with a strong Kevlar thread to improve durability, and their seams are reinforced with leather to avoid tears or rips.
The gloves’ outside material is leather so you can have the peace of mind that they will be enough to not only protect your hands, but also your wrist from sparks, splatters, and flame. This outer part of the gloves also provide outstanding heat resistance. Their seams are reinforced with welts that prevent them from ripping or tearing open. While its superb heat protection might sound uncomfortable to wear -- that isn’t the case. The Lincoln brand ensures that their products are also comfortable to wear with a liner that can absorb moisture to increase the level of comfort.
Also, it is more affordable than any other Lincoln product, but the usability and quality, gives it a really good value for your money.
Like the Lincoln Traditional Gloves, the DynaMIG welder gloves also offer high-quality safety and protection. The materials used to make these gloves are white, top grain cowhide leather and black split cowhide. With its additional 3 to 2 layer liner, you can get some gloves that offer both dexterity and strategic heat resistance. They also deliver dynamic protection as they can protect your hands from both low and high amperages.
They come with a seamless index finger, twin seat absorption cuff, kevlar thread, and multiple layers and types of leather making them a great pair of gloves.
Despite its multi-layers of heat-resistant leather, the leather is really comfortable on your hand because it has a foam padded cotton liner to cushion the knuckles. They feature a seamless trigger finger that allows greater movability. These welding gloves also offer industrial durability due to their different types of layers and protection added.
However, these gloves don’t come cheap. They are one of the most expensive and the best Stick welding gloves in the market because of the quality it can deliver. It is perfect for both DIY welding and professional use.
KIM YUAN is renowned for being a very responsible company in the industry. They provide gloves for arm protection with increased safety features. Thus, their KIM YUAN extreme heat resistant oven mitts provide a great choice for any welding professionals. These gloves are entirely made from cow leather with a thickness depth of 1.2 mm. These gloves are lined with cotton material that provide heat insulation, sweat absorption and are lifeproof. They can provide good heat protection up to 662 °F(350°C).
These MIG gloves are not only safe, but also extremely soft making them very comfortable to wear, thanks to being constructed from cowhide. Their kevlar quality lining makes it more durable while the wool lining helps you have a comfortable finger alignment. This is perfect for heavy-duty welding as it is possible to safely grip any materials you might be working on.
It is also worth mentioning that this pair of gloves is not only good for welding but also perfect for household use such as grill, wood stove, oven, fireplace, cutting, gardening, animal handling and so much more.
These are good welding gloves that are perfect for all types of usages. These leather gloves are ideal for baking and welding. They are made using premium materials and feature a full cow split leather surface with a thickness depth of about 1.2 mm. This allows the gloves to adequately protect the thumb area. The gloves also have palm reinforcements and provide protection up to your elbow.
These welding gloves are heat resistant and are designed to withstand temperatures over 500 degrees Fahrenheit. These gloves are also made to withstand wear and tear and last longer than other brands available in the market today. They are versatile and can be used for any kind of work where you need protection from heat, cuts and punctures, as well as oil resistance.
They can resist heat up to 662 °F(350°C) while maintaining its comfortability for use. These gloves have high dexterity since the seam is set in a way that combines with the padding. The price point is also worth mentioning as they are not too expensive when compared to other brands of welding gloves. .
The Steiner 21923-L Welding gloves have superb durability. These gloves are meticulously designed to fit the needs of the pros. Steiner is renowned for its quality products and aims to create 1st-grade products. These gloves are capable of providing superb quality work and protection for long hours.
The Burnt orange Y-series are made from top-quality leather material. They are designed with select shoulder split cowhide and have a foam insulated back. They also sport a reinforced thumb strap, full cotton lining, and being fully welted makes these gloves even more perfect for handling hot metal or any type of welding work.
Also, it is worth mentioning that these gloves feature a wing thumb design that allows you to move the welding torch more naturally. They are flame resistant and feature Kevlar stitching for added strength. The gloves’ length is 23 inches -- which makes their forearm protection quite reliable. These high quality welding gloves are also available in 18-inch for people who are not comfortable with long gloves.
If you are planning on doing both welding and rigging work there’s no need to purchase two welding gloves when you can buy one. The Lincoln Electric Roll Cage welding gloves are designed for that purpose. These welding gloves are durable as they are made from cowhide and sewn together with Kevlar stitching.
These gloves are designed to withstand industrial durability and offer cut protection and impact protection. The silicon knuckle protection will protect your hands from any possible injuries even during MIG welding. Their extra palm padding reinforces the high wear areas of the palm. The inside lining offers cut protection while the Kevlar stitching adds maximum safety. These gloves are also comfortable to wear because of its wrist guard and fasteners.
When it comes to choosing welding gloves for MIG and STICK processes, flexibility and dexterity should be your top priority. Protection and flexibility are crucial in welding, which means specialized gloves are needed.
It is of utmost importance to make sure that your hands fit the gloves comfortably. Using oversized gloves can put your safety at risk since they’ll get easily caught in a weld and catch hot slag. On the other hand, using undersized gloves can restrict your movement and cause you to sweat. So, check your size before buying one.
Sleeves are important for MIG,Stick and Flux Core welding due to its high hand coverage. Unlike MIG, TIG welders may not need sleeved gloves unless doing an overhead weld. Regardless of the welding process you are using, gloves are always recommended.
Cowhide, Elkskin, Deerskin, and Pigskin are the most-preferred materials for leather welding gloves because of their durability. However, if you wish more comfortable welding gloves, choose gloves that were made from goatskin or kidskin. They are soft and smoother, and best for TIG welding.
There are various types of gloves welders can use depending on the type of work and welding process they are using. However, automated welding, for instance, does not require gloves at all. Most welding processes create lots of spatter so it will require the use of thicker gloves for added protection. The more heat exposure in the job, the more durable gloves a welder should wear.
Most welding gloves would last between 1 to 8 weeks. It is expected for gloves not to last long since they are exposed to all kinds of harm during work. Expensive gloves with heat resistance and heat shields should last longer than the normal ones.
MIG and TIG welding are different processes that require different kinds of gloves. MIG welding professionals usually rest their non-dominant hand while welding. MIG gloves are designed in such a way that a welder may use that hand to easily take off the glove if needed. Also, due to more heat exposure, MIG gloves offer extra protection for the whole hand. On the other hand, TIG welding gloves used thinner and softer materials. TIG welding requires movability so thick leather gloves won’t work. The dangerous part in TIG welding is not really due to spatter and heat exposure but the blinding light.
Welding gloves are designed for protection. So when it comes to choosing the best MIG welding gloves, safety should be your main concern. Burns are common accidents that happen when welding so you really have to choose the right welding equipment that can protect you. Performance comes second. While considering safety, it is also important to choose the gloves you are comfortable to work with. It is hard to weld when your gloves feel too restrictive. So, find the right balance of comfort and safety when choosing the right MIG welding gloves.