Stop Overheating This Summer: Get Cool Gloves for the Warm Weather

When you’re working with your hands in hot summer weather, staying cool at work becomes not just a matter of comfort, but also a matter of safety. When we’re overheated, we get dehydrated and tired, and we can even get heatstroke.

So what can you do to stop overheating and stay cool (and safe) while you work this summer? Hydration, sun protection, and the right gloves are all important. 

Since high-quality hand protection is what we do best, this post will focus on how to make sure you have the right gloves for summer. We’ll go over what features to look for in gloves for hot weather and how to get the protection you need without sacrificing comfort.

Look for Breathable Material

Gloves for hot weather have breathable fabrics on the back to prevent overheating, but they still need to offer adequate protection on the palms and fingers. The trick is to find breathable gloves that offer the right level of protection for the specific work you’re doing.

Let’s start with some options that are relatively lightweight but still protective. Then we’ll look at how to choose heavy-duty gloves that will offer even more protection without being stifling and uncomfortable when you’re working hard in 100-degree weather.

Breathable Gloves for Dexterity and Palm Protection

A glove that incorporates mesh is great for breathability. A synthetic leather palm with a breathable mesh back is a great choice when dexterity is a top priority. This glove is a great example, and it even has a velcro cuff that you can choose to leave open for ventilation.

 

This glove doesn’t offer as much protection as the seriously heavy-duty options, but its excellent dexterity and grip make it ideal for most jobs involving:

• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Electrical work
• Carpentry
• Warehouse work
• Home and garden work
• Auto maintenance
• More

If you need something even more lightweight and agile, a form-fitting glove with a nitrile-dipped palm offers great grip, breathability, dexterity, and overall comfort. It’s perfect for tasks like working on engines with small parts.

Gloves for Heavy-Duty Work in Hot Weather

If your work involves heavy equipment or power tools, you need additional safety features, such as vibration absorption, impact protection, and puncture resistance. But when it’s hot out, you need breathable fabric too. Look for a glove with materials like:

• Memory gel to absorb vibration and protect against fatigue, injury, and long-term conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, which can be caused by working with vibrating tool.
• Silicone on palms for extra grip protection
• A breathable material on the back, such as mesh or form-fitting spandex to keep your hands comfortable in the heat
• Padded knuckles for abrasion and impact resistance

Here’s a great option with all those features and more. It’s specifically designed to offer vibration protection and even has a terry cloth backing on the thumb to absorb sweat from your brow or hand. This is a perfect choice for:

• Heavy construction
• Demolition
• Using rivets, chainsaws, jackhammers, and other power tools
• Mining
• More

Hand Protection for Extreme Heat Exposure

Jobs like firefighting and welding often involve exposure to heat beyond just the weather. When you’re working with extremely hot materials and it’s summer, your body is at an even greater risk for overheating. That’s why firefighters need special fire and rescue gloves with specialized heat protection and breathability. The same goes for welders. 

Similarly, people working in professions like oil and gas drilling need special gloves with continuous impact protection from wrists to fingertips. But then how can you get the safety features you need without overheating? In these cases, look for gloves with materials like Flexible Thermoplastic Rubber (for impact protection) and Kevlar®, an amazingly strong and durable synthetic material that provides:

• Abrasion resistance
• Strong grip even on wet and oily surfaces
• Dexterity and comfort
• Lightweight, breathable protection

For example, our Deep Grip Kool glove incorporates these protective features and others into a thinner design with fewer layers for comfort in hot weather.

Final Thoughts

With so many different options available, it’s easy to find comfortable, breathable hand protection for warm weather. The real challenge is finding a pair with the right combination of features for your work. Whether you’re looking for durability, dexterity, protection, or all three, choosing work gloves is all about your personal needs and comfort. 

Are you ready to buy new gloves for summer? Want more advice on features, materials, fit, or other considerations? Contact us and ask us your questions!