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The Best Plumbing Gloves to Protect Your Hands on the Job

March 23, 2022 6 min. read
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The best plumbing gloves protect from biological hazards, cuts, chemicals, and heat, but finding a single pair that checks all the boxes is no easy feat.

That’s where this shopping list comes in. We’ll help you find the right safety gloves to store in your plumbing van so you’re ready to tackle any job in any weather.

Single-use gloves for plumbers

You’re exposed to biologically hazardous and infectious materials every day, so it’s a good idea to wear single-use nitrile (or latex) gloves to protect your hands on the job.

Pro Tip: Layer your other work gloves over your single-use gloves for extra protection on any plumbing job.

Watson Gloves – Grease Monkey Disposable Nitrile Gloves

Grease Monkey disposable nitrile gloves are the perfect option for routine plumbing maintenance, inspections, and any other minor plumbing jobs like clearing drains or clogs.

Plumbers like these because:

  • They’re heavy-duty and durable for every job or work environment
  • They’re chemical and water-resistant to keep your hands dry and protected
  • Their snug fit offers maximum dexterity

Venom Steel Nitrile Gloves

These Venom Steel heavy-duty 6 mil disposable gloves are the perfect option to protect your hands from hazardous substances on the job.

Plumbers like these because:

  • They’re fully textured to give you a better grip on tools and materials
  • They’re water and chemical resistant to keep your hands dry and safe
  • They’re impressively durable and rip-resistant

Cut-resistant plumbing gloves

Running plumbing pipework and handling metal drain snakes means your hands are often exposed to sharp and dangerous objects. A pair of cut-resistant plumbing gloves can save you from a serious injury while on the job.

Here are a few recommendations:

Ridgid Drain Cleaning Mitt

This Ridgid Drain Cleaning Mitt is a must-have to protect your hands from burns, abrasions, and cuts when you’re handling and running sewer cables.

Plumbers like these because:

  • It’s reinforced gripped palm offers better control when running cables 
  • It’s made from quality leather with steel studs that protect your skin and fingers from spinning cables
  • It’s a durable and long-lasting glove

Ansell HyFlex 11-500 Kevlar Glove

To save your hands from nicks, cuts, or abrasions on the job, you’ll need the right protection—like these Ansell Hyflex Kevlar Gloves.

Plumbers like these because:

  • They offer superior cut resistance protection
  • They’re lightweight with a stretch lining that makes them comfortable to wear all day long
  • Their dipped palms make it easy to grip tools and other objects

ShuBee Ugly Gloves Safety Cuffs

Often used for drain cleaning, these ShuBee Ugly Gloves will keep your hands safe from both sharp objects and chemicals alike.

Plumbers like these because:

  • The large PVC chips embedded in the outside of the gloves keep rooter cables from catching in your hands while you’re on the job.
  • Their soft jersey-lined interior makes them comfortable to wear
  • They can help to safely handle pipe snakes without friction burns

The best plumbing gloves to work with chemicals

To protect your hands from harsh chemicals, oils, or solvents, you’ll want to invest in a pair of rubber or neoprene chemical-resistant gloves.

Here are our recommendations for top-rated plumbing gloves to work with chemicals:

Wells Lamont Heavy Duty PVC Coated Work Gloves

Protect your hands from harsh chemicals on the job with these Wells Lamont PVC coated work gloves.

Plumbers like these because:

  • Their PVC coating protects your hands from harsh chemicals, acids, and other dangerous substances
  • They’re comfortable to wear because of their cotton lining
  • They extend higher up on your arm for greater protection
  • Their textured PVC coating offers a stronger grip

Showa Heavy Duty Chemical Resistant Gloves

Showa’s chemical-resistant gloves are designed for handling dangerous chemicals, acids, and other hazardous substances. 

Plumbers like these because:

  • Their 18” length gives extended protection to your forearm
  • They offer strong protection against acids, chemicals, and other drain cleaners
  • The textured palm design gives you a better grip in wet conditions
  • Two-colored construction makes it easy to tell when you need to replace the gloves

READ MORE: 7 plumbing safety hazards and 13 tips to stay safe on the job

Plumbing gloves to grip

A good pair of plumbing gloves can improve your grip on equipment or materials when working in damp, wet, or even dry environments. 

Here are our recommendations for the best plumbing gloves for a better grip:

ATG G-Tek MaxiFlex Gloves

These MaxiFlex nitrile palm-coated gloves are lightweight, breathable, and comfortable for all-day use. The coated palm makes it easy to grip plumbing tools, power tools, or consumables in wet or dry conditions.

Plumbers like these because:

  • They’re thinner than other plumbing gloves for better comfort and hand movement
  • They have a nitrile-coated palm for great grip for handling plumbing tools or consumables
  • Their high level of abrasion resistance

Tsunami Grip Gloves

Similar to the MaxiFlex gloves, the Tsunami Grip are nitrile-coated work gloves that offer plumbers a better grip when working in wet conditions or with slippery materials. 

Plumbers like these because:

  • They’re lightweight and breathable for all-day use coated gloves offer precision handling and are comfortable to wear all-day
  • Their nitrile dipped coating gives you a better grip on hand tools when performing pipework or installing fixtures
  • They’re affordably priced for every budget

Heat-resistant plumbing gloves

Welding or heat-resistant gloves are an important PPE buy for any plumbers that do welding or soldering work frequently. 

Lincoln Electric Premium Leather Welding Gloves

To solder or weld pipes, you’ll want Lincoln Electric’s Premium Leather heat-resistant welding gloves to protect you from hand injuries and potential burns.

Plumbers like these because:

  • They offer great protection from sparks, grindings, and hot metal
  • They’re heat and chemical resistant
  • The fabric lining makes them comfortable to wear in any condition

Cold-weather gloves for plumbers

If you offer outdoor plumbing services like leak detection, septic system services, or downspout drain cleaning, you’ll want a good pair of thermal plumbing gloves for the cold winter months.

Showa Atlas Therma Fit 451 Gloves

Depending on where you work, and the services you perform winter months may make for some cold working conditions. 

The Showa Atlas Therma Fit gloves are a top pick for plumbers because:

  • Their rubber coating and warm inner lining keep hands dry and warm throughout the day
  • Their rugged grip makes it easy to handle wet or slippery tools and materials
  • They’re flexible gloves that offer a high level of dexterity

Get the right plumbing tools for your plumbing business

To start your plumbing business, you’ll need the right plumbing tools in your toolbag. But to grow your plumbing business, you’ll need the right tool at your fingertips.

Whether you’re in the office or at the job site, Jobber has all the features you need to send professional quotesschedule jobs with two clicks, automate your invoicing, and get paid faster. 

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