There are many different kinds of welding gloves for different welding processes. Read more to make sure you are using the right ones!

Usually when we think about welding gloves the classic thick boxy leather gloves come to mind, but it doesn’t have to be that way. These days there are A LOT more options to pick from. Check out some of the different types then pick some up for yourself!

Using the correct type of welding glove for the application is also vitally important to staying safe, making sure you don’t get burned, cut, or worse.

Different types of welding gloves.

Traditional MIG/Stick welding gloves

These are the classic boxy thick welding gloves. On the positive side they are CHEAP and easily attainable at any hardware / Tractor supply / Welding store. Typically made from thicker cow/elk skin and with a felt lining for heat resistance.

Cheap and reliable but not a lot of dexterity. These gloves work best for Stick and MIG welding.

TIG welding gloves – Leather

These gloves are made specifically for TIG welding. They are made from Deerskin, Goatskin, or ‘Kidskin’ (which is really just a fancy name for thin leather). The thinner leather allows for more dexterity which is needed for feeding TIG rod into the weld puddle and for handling/fabricating small parts or sheetmetal.

TIG welding gloves

TIG welding gloves – Knit Silicone Coated

Here are some newer style gloves. These gloves fit nice and tight and allow a lot of dexterity. The silicone palm allows you to grab the TIG rod well and feed it smoothly. There is not a lot of protection on the backside of the glove for heat or puncture resistance though.

IronCat Silicone coated TIG welding gloves.

Hand Pad

Welding hand pads are VERY useful when heavy duty welding on a single piece or in a certain area. It gets hard to keep your stabilizing hand close to or on the piece once it gets heated up. This aluminum coated fiberglass pad gives an extra layer of protection so you can keep welding. The only downside is that it reduces dexterity.

The pad straps to the backside of your welding glove. The cool part with it is that when you slide your MIG gloves off, the pad can remain attached so it is there when you put them back on. Because of this, you can just keep an extra glove around with the pad on it so you can switch one glove when you need the pad instead of having to strap it on.

Welding hand pad strapped on to welding glove

Welding hand pad aluminized reflective coating

Finger pad

I don’t actually have one of these around right now, but I have used them before. These would be good for your TIG rod feeding finger, or any other fingers that tend to get hot while doing long welds (usually my pinkie finger while I am using it as a guide/stabilizer). They are nice to have around in case you are welding in an odd position where they will help protect your finger(s).

Welding Tip: To help your gloves last longer is to ONLY use them for the purpose they were intended.

Don’t take your MIG gloves and go handle greasy/dirty parts, and don’t burn up your nice thin TIG gloves with a bunch of MIG/Stick spatter. If you need to change tasks, take the extra second and change gloves for both safety and longevity

Now YOU, grab some gloves, then go outside and weld on some stuff!