These Hand-Protecting Grill Gloves Will Be Your Summertime Saviors
These Hand-Protecting Grill Gloves Will Be Your Summertime Saviors
If you can’t take the heat (of your barbecue), don’t give up—just glove up! A necessity for any avid griller, heat-resistant gloves can majorly reduce the chance of injury when working with grills, stoves, cast-iron skillets, and other hot-to-the-touch cookware and gadgets. After all, who wants to put all that hard work into whipping up some Spicy Grilled Shrimp or Cheddar Bacon Ranch Corn and then not enjoy eating them, because you're nursing a blistered thumb?
Some grill gloves are even designed to protect forearms in addition to hands, so you can reach across hot grates without a second thought. BBQ gloves are available in a range of materials, all of which offer varying degrees of dexterity, durability, and comfort. The four most common types of grill gloves are leather, silicone, fabric, and synthetic, but the best kind depends on your priorities and grilling style.
Whether you prefer to use a gas or charcoal grill to cook up some succulent BBQ grilled chicken and savory balsamic steak skewers, our recommendations for the best grill gloves are definitely worth it.
Searching for other tools you need to pull off some memorable cookouts this summer? We’ve got everything you need, from the best outdoor grills money can buy to our favorite grilling accessories and tools.
Our Top Picks
- Best Grill Gloves: Rapicca BBQ Grill Oven Gloves
- Best Budget Grill Gloves: G & F 1685 Heat Resistant BBQ Grilling Glove
- Best Splurge Grill Gloves: Grill Heat Aid BBQ Gloves
- Best Leather Grill Gloves: Rapicca Leather Welding Gloves
- Best Silicone Grill Gloves: Geekhom Grilling Gloves
- Best Waterproof Grill Gloves: Artisan Griller BBQ Gloves
How We Picked These Products
To find the best gloves for grillers, we researched the most popular grill mitts on the market and narrowed down our options by taking into account important details like price range and availability. We then evaluated each contender based on a variety of important qualities, including availability, material, heat protection (some can even be used for welding!), clean-ability, dexterity, and, most important of all, customer reviews—because who would know the best kind of gloves to use better than some of the most passionate BBQ pitmasters? These are the best grill gloves you can buy in 2022.
1) Rapicca BBQ Grill Oven Gloves
RAPICCA
Amazon
$26.00
Get your spatula ready, because you’re going to flip over these Rapicca BBQ Grill Oven Gloves—just like the rest of its nearly 11,000 Amazon reviewers. These mitts are water-, fire-, stain-resistant thanks to their food-grade neoprene rubber exterior, which can withstand up to 500° F. Plus, their design features a textured, non-slip grip on the hand, 14-inch sleeves, and a double-layer cotton lining to keep your hands and forearms comfortable.
Though some reviewers noted that this pair “smells a bit, and it's somewhat large,” these are minor grievances for some high-quality gloves. One customer writes: “I have yet to feel any uncomfortable level of heat while wearing them.”
Furthermore, they praised the Rapicca BBQ Grill Oven Gloves for being very effective at “protecting your hands and forearms from heat while allowing a good grip on both food and utensils,” which they attributed to the fact that the outer material is “‘sticky’ (like silicone rubber).
2) 1685 Heat Resistant BBQ Grilling Glove
G & F Products
Amazon
$13.00
You can easily slip on this G & F 1685 Heat Resistant BBQ Grilling Glove thanks to its long, wide canvas cuff, but fair warning: The cotton lining keeps the interior so dry and well-ventilated that you may not want to take it off. As some of the 1,400-plus ratings on Amazon will tell you, this Nomex and Kevlar mitt’s affordability stems from the fact that you only get one glove per purchase. However, its one-size-fits-all design and the outer silicone detailing encompasses both sides of the glove, so you can ensure a comfortable fit and grip whether you’re a righty or a lefty.
Per one avid griller: “I use this glove to open/close vents, to handle chimneys of hot charcoal, to adjust probes for my thermometers, and to grab hot coals that fall out of the chimney or firebox.” However, they explained “I don't use it to lift hot meat, because the material tends to get dirty."
3) Grill Heat Aid BBQ Gloves
Grill Heat Aid
Amazon
$30.00
From searing steaks and frying fish to welding and woodworking, there isn’t much you can’t do with the Grill Heat Aid BBQ Gloves—as their 8,100 Amazon reviewers are quick to confirm. These heat- and cut-resistant mitts are four times stronger than leather and can withstand temperatures of up to 1472°F thanks to their heavy-duty aramid construction.
One verified buyer was quick to sing the praises of these powerful paw protectors, saying: “I absolutely LOVE these heat-resistant gloves. I have small hands and wear about size 6 or 7 gloves. Every pair of oven gloves or mitts I tried on were way too big. Although the photo shows a young girl wearing them, they are perfect for a woman with smaller hands.” However, they warned that the Grill Heat Aid BBQ Gloves are “great for handling hot dishes or pots, but are porous and would not protect from hot liquids."
4) Rapicca Leather Welding Gloves
Rapicca
Amazon
$23.00
At 16 inches long, these Rapicca Leather Welding Gloves are resistant to cuts, punctures, oil, and any other wear-and-tear. They also boast four layers of heat resistant materials, a natural cowhide leather exterior, air-isolated aluminum foil and flame retardant cotton cloth in the middle, and a moisture-wicking 100% cotton inner lining. Also on offer? A reinforced double layer of Kevlar padding on the fingers, palms, elbows, and dorsal sides of the gloves.
Among the many Amazon reviews, one one happy customer praised the Rapicca Leather Welding Gloves for providing “excellent protection from the heat of the embers in the wood stove as well as the metal of the stove while reaching in... They allow freedom to move and are soft to the touch, but don't expect to pick up a penny.”
5) Geekhom Grilling Gloves
Geekhom
Amazon
$17.00
If you’re looking for a durable, environmentally-friendly pair of grilling gloves, over 14,500-plus BBQ buffs on Amazon are geeking out over the Geekhoms. These mitts feature a textured, BPA-free silicone exterior and an inner layer of heat-resistant cotton for optimal comfort, durability, and clean-ability. Plus, their design includes long sleeves to protect your wrist and forearm and a hanging loop on the cuff for easy storage.
After purchasing these gloves to use with their electric smoker, one verified buyer was very impressed with the Geekhom Grilling Gloves' heat resistance, saying “I was able to pull the smoke box out and these gloves didn't seem [fazed] at all. I was able to use them to pull my pork shoulders from the smoker with ease as well.” Though they found the exterior was “easy to wash,” they warned that the white inner lining “can get stained by meat juices, marinades, beer, margaritas, etc.” But from our POV… out of sight, out of mind!
No matter which of the multiple color and size options you select, Geekhom is so sure you’ll love their gloves that every pair comes with a two-year, “no questions asked” warranty.
6) Artisan Griller BBQ Gloves
Artisan Griller
Amazon
$28.00
You don’t have to be a grilling artisan to slip on a pair of the Artisan Griller BBQ Gloves, but you’ll certainly look like one once you do. Available in four size options between 13 and 17 inches in length, these mitts feature an insulated non-slip design and great flexibility that have their nearly 3,000 reviewers on Amazon raving. The food-grade neoprene rubber coating on their exterior is water-, grease-, stain-, and heat-resistant, while the jersey cotton inner lining remains comfortably cool and loose. Plus, cleaning these gloves is as easy as washing your hands—literally.
Declaring that the Artisan Griller BBQ Gloves “look as good as the day I received them,” one verified buyer continues to be impressed with this pair, saying “I've been using them for well over a year and can say they never disappoint.” When used for barbecuing, the reviewer said the gloves offer “more dexterity than welders gloves or other [heat-resistant] mitts, and are perfect for handling hot grill grates, adding wood chunks/chips with care, and picking up unwieldy slabs of hot meat like pork shoulder, brisket, and spiral-cut ham straight from the grill.”
That said, the customer advised that they do feel some heat when they “hold and rotate my grill grates over my chimney-starter for extended periods,” but noted “I usually get a good 3 to 5 mins in before feeling the slightest heat.”
Because nothing ruins a barbecue faster than a third-degree burn.