At Safety Section, we’re no strangers to gloves and finding the right pair for yourself. When it comes to finding the right clothing for every job and situation, it’s always been our recommendation to try all types.
It’s well-known that UV rays cause all sorts of adverse effects on the skin, including melanoma and other skin cancer. If you’re concerned about harmful UV rays on your skin, then wearing UV protective gloves or other UPF clothing can make a big difference in how you hold up against the sun.
When you work a job that requires you to be outside year-round, there are many environmental effects that you need to keep in mind. Besides dealing with fluctuating temperatures, high winds, and various forms of precipitation, there’s another factor that all outside workers need to consider: the sun. Let’s examine how you can evaluate and choose a proper pair of UPF sun gloves.
Understanding UV Radiation and Its Effects on Skin
UV radiation can cause blemishes, dry skin, sunburn, and skin cancer. Long-term exposure to UV radiation will also naturally age and weather the skin, causing all sorts of superficial problems that are best avoided. All skin types are negatively affected by over-exposure to sunlight and its cruel effects. So, ensure you’re consistently covering up and wearing lots of sunscreen before spending time in the sun.
We can recommend many tips to avoid the adverse effects of sunlight, and you’ll find many relatively self-explanatory. For example, you’ll always want to ensure you’re using the best equipment on the market, such as these driving gloves available on Amazon, which offer a sun protection factor of SPF 50+ and plenty of comfort with their stretchy, spandex make.
Choosing the Right Materials for UV Protective Gloves
Speaking of spandex, how do you know whether a glove is the right material? After all, there are so many types of gloves on the market that are all made of something different. Well, a lot of the material debate comes down to personal preference.
For example, if you’re working a job outside that requires bladed power tools, you might not want to go with the driving gloves we just mentioned. While they might offer plenty of sun protection, spandex won’t do much to stop a spinning blade heading for your palm.
If protection from external physical factors is a cause of concern to you, we recommend a pair of G & F Products 5015 Leather Work Gloves available On Amazon with UPF capabilities.
You can check the label of certain types of clothing to see if they offer any specific UPF rating, but remember that covering up with most kinds of clothing will protect you from sun damage. This is because as long as your clothing isn’t incredibly permeable by sunlight, simply putting a barrier between your skin and the sky will do quite a lot to prevent skin aging and the development of skin cancers.
Types of clothing that can significantly protect you from the sun include densely-woven fabric like cotton and wool, dark clothing composed of blacks and blues, and any cotton that isn’t bleached. Keep your outfits loose, as any tightly-stretched piece of clothing can expose more places to the sun.
You will also want to remember that no matter how hot it gets outside, you will want to wear long sleeves and long pants. The more skin you cover, the more skin you save in the long run.
I wrote these articles on the best types of clothing for hot weather which may be helpful:
- Best Work Pants For Hot Weather Reviews
- Best Work Shirts For Hot Weather [For Men & Women]
- Best Face Mask For Sun Protection – These Give You Protection With Style
Ensuring a Proper Fit for Maximum Protection
Loose-fitting clothing is the best for general protection. This also goes for gloves, but sometimes you will prefer having tight-fitting gloves that you can wear to keep your nimbleness factor high, especially if you’re doing any sort of work that calls for high precision.
Handling power tools or doing most kinds of construction all come to mind, as you will not want to wear a pair of chunky work gloves for that. This is probably where you’ll want to seek out a pair of work gloves with a high UPF.
Choosing the Right Features for Your Needs
Technology these days has come quite a long way, so finding clothing that suits all of your needs is easier than it has ever been. If you require a type of glove that can perform a specific task or fulfill a specific feature you’re on the hunt for, you’ll likely be able to find it without any real hitch.
Anti-slip gloves with a bit of extra tactile grip in the fingers such as these Gorilla Grip Gloves Available on Amazon? Not a problem – you can find dozens of examples of gloves that match this description on Amazon.
How about gloves that fulfill all your color wants and needs? This won’t be a problem if you find yourself on the hunt. How about gloves equipped with self-warming technology to keep their wearer warm in the winter when it gets particularly biting out? Well, we’ve tested a few options that could work here, and as always, we’ll recommend our favorite available on Amazon.
No matter what kind of job you’re working, you should always try to hunt down the product that comes with all of the features you need. Whether you want a pair of waterproof gloves or leather cowhide gloves that could stop a rotating blade to lightweight gloves that would allow your fingers to stay nimble, there is almost assuredly a product on the market that will do what you need to do.
We’ll always be here to help you find what you need, but never be afraid to go out on a limb while shopping for your ideal products.
Proper Care and Maintenance of UV Gloves
If you want to make sure your gloves will last you for as long a time as possible, then you will want to make sure you take good care of them. This means many things depending on what kind of material they use. For the more delicate gloves, ensure they don’t get ripped, and if they do develop any holes or tears, address them immediately.
You must prevent any hole in a cotton work glove from getting bigger, as delaying the repair process will only lead to a bigger problem in the long run. This might sound like kind of an obvious tip, but it’s one that we wanted to hammer home sooner rather than later.
Another general tip we want to ensure you remember is not to let your UV protective gloves be too tight on your hands or wrists. The more fabric is pulled tight, the more skin you’ll risk exposing to direct sunlight. This will, in turn, make it more likely that you’ll develop one of the negative symptoms of sun exposure on your skin.
It’s also a good idea for you to keep your gloves from getting wet, as the wet fabric can shrink itself, which again will cause it to pull tight around your skin, leading to more holes and more skin being exposed to sunlight.
Finding the Right UV Protective Gloves
UV protective gloves are a niche product you might not have heard of today. We hope that if that is the case, you feel more informed about them and that you’re equipped to go out and find the perfect pair of them for yourself.
UV protective gloves are a must-have for any outdoor worker exposed to a lot of sun. And there are so many kinds of work gloves made from all kinds of materials, so no matter what type of job you find yourself doing outside, you’ll be able to find a pair of UV protective gloves that suit your needs. Good luck on your hunt, and we hope this guide proved helpful to you.
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