7 Best Gardening Sleeves for Sun and Cut Protection
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Before I started using purpose-built gardening sleeves, I thought a long-sleeve shirt would protect me well enough. It was only after I ruined lots of different shirts, cut myself up innumerable times, and got a few nasty sunburns that I finally wised up and got myself some great garden sleeves. There’s no reason you should make the same mistake that I did.
The best gardening sleeves can help you stay safe while doing the toughest gardening jobs, whether that’s pruning or clearing thorny brambles from your property. They can also help protect you from the sun, especially when they’re made from high-UPF (i.e. highly UV protective) materials.
If you want to make your time outdoors in the garden more safe and comfortable, you need to check out this list of the 7 best gardening sleeves. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a product you love wearing whenever you’re out in the garden.
Let’s jump right into it!
Key Takeaways
Over the years, I’ve slowly amassed quite a collection of different gardening sleeves. I’ve also learnt a lot about how different types of products perform in different circumstances. Based on all this experience, I’ve decided to recommend the COOLJOB A6 Cut Resistant Sleeves with Thumb Hole for Gardening as the best gardening sleeves. They’re incredibly strong and cut-resistant, which makes them appropriate for even the toughest gardening jobs. The construction also includes silicon dots on the inside of the material, which prevents the sleeves from slipping around while you’re working. In addition to the best overall recommendation, I’ve also included a lighter gardening sleeve with provides less protection, but more comfort in hot conditions (SportsTrail Cooling Arm Sleeves for Men & Women), as well as an option that covers only your forearms (SATINIOR Cut Resistant Protective Arm Sleeves).
Best Overall: COOLJOB A6 Cut Resistant Sleeves with Thumb Hole for Gardening
Why This is a Quality Choice: These heavy-duty cut-resistant gardening sleeves are a great choice for even the toughest outdoor jobs. The manufacturer also provides a one-month free trial.
Who is this for? Anyone who has to take on demanding tasks, such as dangerous pruning or clearing brambles, should consider this product.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The only flaw with this product is that it’s so cut-resistant that it might be overkill for many less risky gardening jobs.
Material: Aramid, Polyester, and Steel | Sizes: S, M, L | Care: Machine-washable | UPF: 50 | Additional Features: Thumbhole, silicon anti-slip patches
Best Budget: OriStout Cut Resistant Gardening Sleeves with Thumb Hole
Why This is a Quality Choice: Despite their incredibly affordable cost, these OriStout Cut Resistant Gardening Sleeves with Thumb Hole can handle any job you put them up to. They’re constructed out of a mix of high performance polyethylene and Kevlar so have the strength to protect your arms from harm.
Who is this for? Budget-conscious gardeners who still want outstanding protection are the ideal customer for this product.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The material is quite thick, so some gardeners have said that it can get hot when using them out in strong sun.
Material: High-performance polyethylene and Kevlar | Sizes: One-size-fits-all | Care: Machine-washable | UPF: 50 | Additional Features: Thumbhole, Hook and Loop Closure
Best Value: MERTURN 4 Pair Anti-Slip Sun Protection Gardening Sleeves
Why This is a Quality Choice: This 4-pack of gardening sleeves is a great choice for people who want some protection during lighter tasks like pruning thorny bushes or plants. Each pair has its own pattern so that each person in your household can have, and recognize, their own gardening sleeves.
Who is this for? The MERTURN 4 Pair Anti-Slip Sun Protection Gardening Sleeves offers great value for someone who wants to pick up a few pairs of gardening sleeves at once.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Some men might not like wearing the rather colorful floral patterns that these gardening sleeves come in.
Material: Polyester | Sizes: S, M, L | Care: Machine-washable | UPF: 50 | Additional Features: Thumbhole, Anti-slip fabric at top of sleeve
Best Cooling Sleeves: SportsTrail Cooling Arm Sleeves for Men & Women
Why This is a Quality Choice: These exceedingly breathable and comfortable gardening sleeves are a great solution for gardeners who want to stay safe outdoors without overheating. Even though SportsTrail Cooling Arm Sleeves for Men & Women feel very light on your skin, they still provide excellent UPF protection.
Who is this for? If you live in a warmer climate and often struggle to stay cool while gardening, I’d definitely recommend this product for you.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Although these gardening sleeves provide excellent protection from the sun, they aren’t as cut-resistant as some of the other options on this list.
Material: Nylon and Spandex | Sizes: One-size-fits-all | Care: Machine-washable | UPF: 50 | Additional Features: Breathable spandex material
Best Flame Resistant: Schwer Arm Protection Sleeves
Why This is a Quality Choice: Whether you’re using a controlled fire to clear a patch of land for planting or burning some unnecessary organic materials, these flame-resistant gardening sleeves can help you stay safe. In addition to protecting you from burns, these sleeves are also incredibly cut-resistant—meaning they can be used for a wide variety of tasks.
Who is this for? As a result of its flame-resistant material, this product is ideal for someone who uses fire as part of their yearly gardening routine.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: This product comes in only one size, which will work for most people but not for those with particularly large or small arms.
Material: Aramid, stainless steel wire, and composite filament fiber | Sizes: One-size-fits-all | Care: Machine-washable | UPF: 50 | Additional Features: Thumbhole, fire-resistant material
Best Forearm Sleeves: SATINIOR Cut Resistant Protective Arm Sleeves
Why This is a Quality Choice: Unlike all the other gardening sleeves on this list, which provide protection throughout almost the entire arm, these SATINIOR Cut Resistant Protective Arm Sleeves cover only a user’s forearms. This can be a positive feature if you don’t really need any more protection than that—because of either the nature of the job or the presence of protective equipment that already covers the upper arms.
Who is this for? If you don’t need the amount of protection that other options on this list offer, these forearm-only sleeves might work for you.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Of course, these sleeves do leave your upper arms unprotected, which might be a consideration for some tasks.
Material: Polyethylene, Polyester, and Nylon | Sizes: One-size-fits-all | Care: Machine-washable | UPF: 50 | Additional Features: Thumbhole
Best UPF: Tough Outdoors Sun Protection Arm Sleeves for Men & Women
Why This is a Quality Choice: These multifunctional arm sleeves can provide excellent protection from the sun while still allowing you to feel comfortable and cool. They’re great for use in the garden, as well as during sports and other outdoor activities, because they still allow you to move very easily and comfortably while wearing them.
Who is this for? If your biggest use for arm protection is blocking out harmful UV rays, then this is a great product for you.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: These gardening sleeves don’t have a lot of cut-resistance, so you should consider another option if you’re planning to do a lot of work that has the possibility of resulting in scrapes and scratches.
Material: Nylon and Spandex | Sizes: One-size-fits-all | Care: Machine-washable | UPF: 50 | Additional Features: Four-way stretch pattern
Buying Considerations for The Best Gardening Sleeves
Size
Unquestionably, the most important element of a pair of gardening sleeves is their size. Getting a pair that’s too big or too small might make them impossible to wear, in the worst case, or just uncomfortable and less effective. Ideally, gardening sleeves should be tight, to ensure that they’re not sliding around and exposing your skin unnecessarily. However, they should also not be so tight that they cut off your circulation or make you uncomfortable. You should measure your arm width in order to make sure that the gardening sleeves you’re thinking about ordering will actually fit you properly.
Material
Gardening sleeves are made out of a number of different reinforced materials, each of which has its own qualities and ideal use cases. When you’re working on particularly hazardous jobs, such as pruning or clearing plants that have large thorns, the best gardening sleeves to use will be made from very tough, cut-resistant materials. For lighter jobs, you might want to use a pair of garden arm sleeves that are made from a thinner and more breathable material in order to stay cool while protecting yourself from the sun. I’d recommend choosing a product that’s made from the type of material that’s well-suited to your most common gardening tasks.
UPF
Finally, you should pay attention to the UPF of any garden protective sleeves that you’re considering buying. The UPF rating of a piece of clothing tells you how effective the material is at blocking out harmful UV rays from the sun. In general, a UPF rating of more than 30 provides good protection and a rating of more than 50 will block out approximately 98% of the sun’s rays. Since you’re often going to be out in the sun while gardening, the best way to stay safe is wearing clothing that will provide lots of protection from the sun and also using sunblock and wearing a hat.
How I Choose These Products
I chose the products on this list of the 7 best gardening sleeves by using both my personal experience with a variety of these types of products and lots of online research about what users of garden sleeves have said about them. This combination allowed me to recommend products that have worked well for me (or at least very similar products) and to ensure that other users have had the same experience. I also paid a lot of attention to the brand reputation of the makers of each of the products. When it comes to safety equipment, you want to ensure that you’re buying high-quality and reliable products. I hope that you found a product on this list that can help make your time out in the garden safer and more enjoyable.
Final Verdict
At the end of the day, I decided to recommend the COOLJOB A6 Cut Resistant Sleeves with Thumb Hole for Gardening as the best gardening sleeves. I made that call based on the product’s extremely tough construction and materials (a blend of aramid, polyester, and steel). It’s a great solution for anyone who regularly needs to take on tough challenges in the garden and needs even tougher protection.
FAQs
Are garden sleeves worth it?
Yes, garden protective sleeves are definitely worth it. They both protect you from cuts as a result of sharp thorns or other hazards and protect you from the sun’s harmful UV rays. If you use high-quality garden sleeve products that will protect you from being hurt while gardening, then you can do the work with a much greater degree of confidence and efficiency (since you don’t constantly have to worry about getting scratched or cut). That means you can get the work done much more quickly and easily.
How do I protect my arms when gardening?
Gardening sleeves are a great way to protect your arms while you’re out gardening. These products are typically made from cut-resistant materials and can also protect you from the sun, which helps keep your arms safe while gardening. Even the most hazardous tasks, like clearing up sharp and thorny brambles, can be done with very little risk if you have some tough gardening sleeves on.
Do gardening sleeves protect against poison ivy?
Yes, gardening sleeves can protect against poison ivy. Since poison ivies (any many other hazardous species like poison oak) cause rashes on skin contact, gardening sleeves can protect your arms from being affected. However, they will protect only your arms, so it’s important to ensure that other vulnerable areas, like your ankles, are also protected from coming into contact with the harmful plants.
