Burgon & Ball Love the Glove review: a fabulous feeling

A two-way stretch mesh between fingers promises to regulate temperature and improve dexterity; there’s a padded palm for extra protection and cushioning; and a wrist strap that helps provide the snug fit and stops debris falling into the glove. 

Burgon & Ball also claims the gloves’ ‘ultra-soft, yet hard-wearing fabric’ won’t stiffen after drying. I’ll admit when reading that I did feel a pang of guilt for my numerous pairs of crusty, hardened gloves seeking refuge in a dark corner of my shed. Sorry, forgotten pals… 

We reviewed these gloves by carrying out a range of general gardening jobs over several days, including potting, pruning, weeding and tackling some stubborn brambles.  

We considered the overall design of the gloves; how easy they were to put on, take off, adjust and general fit; warmth and breathability; how they fared with damp jobs and direct water exposure; material durability; the level of protection they provided; and how well they washed and dried (as per the manufacturer’s instructions) after each use. 

These gloves want you to look at them. I generally try to steer clear of products designed for more delicate hands (mainly because I always prefer the earthy palettes granted to more rugged items) but there were a few patterns and materials which bridged this gap nicely.  

The Oak Leaf design (available in four variants, I chose Moss) was created to complement the most popular colours in Burgon & Ball’s Kneelo (gardening knee pads), Hip-Trug (holster for collecting small debris) and poc-kit (tool belt) collections. Aside from making an excellent gifting choice, thanks to the designs on offer, these gloves are ideal for gardeners who appreciate coordinated accessories. 

Immediately, the gloves felt wonderfully soft, inside and out. The stitch detailing on the padded palms (covered with synthetic suede) that followed the natural creases of my hand was a nice touch, especially when you’re expecting a comfortable, snug fit that feels protective. 

The extra design details are where these gloves beckon you closer to pay attention. A little loop helps to hang them to dry after a wash; the wrist strap enhances the security of the elasticated cuff; and the two-way mesh, synthetic suede and patterned polyester/elastane meet harmoniously with neat, subtle stitching that looked secure.  

Love the Glove dances precariously near being overengineered for a lightweight, general-purpose glove. Yet it doesn’t feel like that to look at. 

I did notice that the wrist material had no internal lining, leaving its white, stitched interior exposed, which felt a little at odds with the leather trim that lines the cuff, intended to add a touch of luxury, and overall colour scheme.  

I have always struggled to find gloves that fit snugly enough.  

Burgon & Ball recommends finding your glove size – S/M or M/L – by measuring in inches around your hand with a tape measure just below the knuckles (excluding the thumb).  

I opted for the small size (6.5-7”) and found that the fingers and palm of the gloves hugged my hands like a supple, second skin.  

Sadly, I could still pinch around 1.5cm of loose fabric at the top of my thumb (which changed depending on how I was gripping). This niggled against the secure, dexterous feeling the rest of my hands were enjoying, especially when grabbing stubborn weeds. But only slightly. 

When I measured the thumb and index finger, they weren’t shy off the same size as each other. This might mean that gardeners with small hands and long fingers may find the thumb fits fine, but the rest of the digits are a little tight.  

The Velcro wrist strap is a useful addition to see off any danger of the gloves slipping, though some may find it a little fiddly to engage when wearing the gloves. I have fairly small wrists, so I had to nearly pull the straps to its maximum limit to get it to stick. 

Wearing these gardening gloves on bitingly cold, yet sunny, January afternoons – tackling frozen soil – felt a bit unfair on Love the Glove. My palms did stay nice and toasty, but my fingers were useless after about 10 minutes each time. These gloves are lightweight, which will work in their favour in warmer weather, but not when you need extra insulation from the elements.  

It’s worth noting that nowhere does Burgon & Ball claim that these gloves are waterproof, and rightly so. Even handling damp soil became a little uncomfortable (though the cold won’t have helped) with water seeping in – likely due to the breathable two-way mesh.  

Despite my thumb not feeling as secure as the rest of my hand, I was impressed by the grip and dexterity while pulling at weeds, moving wooden planks around (remaining splinter-free, I might add), shifting heavy glazed ceramic pots and using secateurs.  

These gloves are not thorn-proof, and again, Burgon & Ball refrains from making such promises. Younger bramble shoots could be grasped fairly confidently thanks to the padded palms, but anything with pronounced thorns went straight through, especially on the fingers.  

The wonders of modern fabric design mean that artificial suede may be more hard-wearing than natural suede in the long term. 

For now, the material has remained soft after washing despite being caked in soil. Thorns failed to make any visible marks on the gloves, but I did notice that the Velcro from the wrist strap catches and snags the patterned top polyester. This causes loose white threads to pull through and straight away ages the gloves way beyond the amount of use they’ve actually had.  

I love nothing more than easy care instructions. Thankfully you can throw your pair of Love the Glove straight into a 30°C wash.  

Burgon & Ball claims that the fabric will refuse to stiffen after drying, and I found this to be true after a few washes (plus, I was out of fabric softener). All the soil marks disappeared, and I couldn’t spot any fraying or decay of the fabric from washing. Just make sure the Velcro is securely fastened, so it doesn’t catch on the gloves, or anything else precious in the washing load. 

Being so lightweight, they dried within the hour in a heated house, so I imagine they’d air dry in no time during warmer months on the washing line.  

Also available in larger and smaller fits is the all-round General Purpose pair of gloves from Clip.  

This everyday pair comes in at a slightly lower price than Burgon & Ball’s Love the Glove (perhaps due to the synthetic leather). and though we haven’t reviewed them ourselves, they’ve scored well elsewhere for a snug and comfy fit.

There are reports of them not being waterproof, and of thorns pricking fingers when direct pressure is accidentally applied.

They do, however, come with a useful carabiner to keep them together when storing or drying. 

Developed by Spear & Jackson in conjunction with Kew Gardens’ horticultural team, these general-purpose gloves for women have been used and recommended by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.   

We’re yet to review these personally, but like Love the Glove they aren’t waterproof, and benefit from a secure grip thanks to leather palms. 

They also have a durable, elastane back and an adjustable strap for a secure and comfortable fit. Being leather, they do need a little more maintenance, and some users have claimed that thorn protection isn’t guaranteed, so grab those brambles with caution.  

You could nab these gloves on Amazon for less than £10 at the time of writing. 

Burgon & Ball’s Love the Glove gardening gloves certainly hit the spot if you’re keen for your green fingers to be seen.  

Despite my slightly saggy thumbs, I’ve never felt closer to the gardening task at hand while feeling securely gloved. The padded palm and near-perfect snug fit meant that dry, light-medium duty garden tasks were a pleasure.  

It’s unlikely one of the 11 designs on offer won’t catch your eye. And I couldn’t help but care about my pair as soon as I felt the soft but sturdy material. I wanted to wash and dry them properly, rather than leave them scrunched up in my gardening bag, caked in soil.   

Though I tested my pair in cold weather, I imagine the two-way mesh will work hard to ward off clammy palms in the summer – and due to the polyester/polyurethane mix that makes up the artificial suede, you may need that little helping hand. 

These gloves make no promises that they cannot keep. Lack of thorn protection and zero water resistance are Achillies heels, but at no point does Burgon & Ball claim otherwise. If you’d prefer to own all-encompassing, heavy-duty gloves that can withstand all weathers and waters, then these are not for you.  

But if you’re the type of gardener that needs a little encouragement to get you outside, you’ll feel a little pang of joy every time you pull this pair on.  

Do I Love the Glove? Unashamedly so. If gardening gloves can be washed repeatedly without stiffening or losing their aesthetic appeal (which, let’s face it, is what this pair is all about) then what they lack in waterproof credentials they more than make up for in longevity.