Last Updated on 28/05/2024
What are the Best Campfire Gloves?
The best campfire gloves are flame and heat-resistant, which allow you to handle red hot metal like a cast iron skillet and burning wood without getting burnt. We have chosen 5 of the best gloves for campfires that will keep your hands safe without losing dexterity.
Campfires take some tending to, which entails moving burning wood around with your bare hands in order to keep the structure of the fire. We’ve all heard the saying, “if you play with fire, you get burnt,” and it doesn’t take long to figure out why. Bushcrafting gloves, oven gloves, and welding gloves will all work with campfires, so in this guide, we combine them all to see which performs the best.
Taking care of a campfire can be dangerous and lead to some horrendous injuries if not done with due care. Just collecting firewood and processing it can put your hands at risk. This is why we think campfire gloves are a good idea, and we were curious to find out which are the best campfire gloves. Keep reading for reviews, buyer’s guides, and some frequently asked questions.
5 Best Gloves for Campfires
ZP1708 Heat Resistant Welding Gloves
- MATERIALS: Pure Cowhide Leather, Cotton Inner Lining
- LENGTH: 14 inches
The ZP1708 Heat Resistant Welding Gloves is our favorite pair of campfire gloves that only get better with age when frequently used. These are the type of gloves that will last a lifetime, and you can always rely on them to protect your hands when working with campfires. The reinforced thumb creates a natural hinge which makes it easy to get a good grip on things.
Even though the thick leather fingers are a bit clunky, this is the best type of campfire glove for long-term protection you can rely on.
Wells Lamont Jomac 636KCL Kevlar Terrycloth Heat Resistant Gloves
- MATERIALS: 100% Kevlar Terrycloth Outer, Cotton Flannel Lining
- LENGTH: 13 inches
The Wells Lamont Jomac 636KCL Kevlar Terrycloth Heat Resistant Gloves are extremely reliable and some of the best gloves for handling a campfire. They are incredibly tough with extreme cut protection and heat resistant up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit thanks to the 100% kevlar outer shell.
Most commonly used by welders and blacksmiths, this type of glove is perfect for working in close proximity to fire. The 5.5-inch cuff protects your wrists and allows you to get right into a fire if needed.
Mr. Smith BBQ Grill Gloves
- MATERIALS: Multiple Layer Aramid Fabric with Silicone Grip, Spun Wool, and Cotton Lining
- LENGTH: 14 inches
The Mr. Smith BBQ Grill Gloves are some of the highest-rated heat protection gloves available, and they are perfect for campfires. They use a high-tech aramid fabric with silicone grips that can withstand temperatures of up to 1472 °F (800 °C). Aramid fabric is used to make body armor and is incredibly durable, which is perfect for moving burning logs around.
Because there is no leather in these gloves, they are easy to wash, and they provide excellent dexterity for such a strong glove. We highly recommend these as the best gloves for campfire cooking you should use for your next camping trip or backyard firepit.
Revco GM1611 Top Grain Leather Cowhide MIG Welding Gloves
- MATERIALS: Leather Outer, Kevlar Stitching, Cotton Flannel Lining
- LENGTH: 5 inch Cuff
The Revco GM1611 Top Grain Leather Cowhide MIG Welding Gloves are another excellent campfire glove we would be happy to take into the woods or keep close by to the fire. White and tan leather is used to provide enforcement in high-impact areas, which age very well and will no doubt last a very long time.
The 5-inch cuff provides adequate wrist protection to get your hands right into the campfire if you need to. You can easily slip this on and off to grab hot pans and touch red hot embers in an emergency, and because the stitching is made from kevlar, you don’t have to worry about them coming loose.
212 Performance Fire Resistant Fabricator Gloves
- MATERIALS: Goat Skin Leather, Fire Resistant Synthetic Fabric
- LENGTH: 9 inches
The 212 Performance Fire Resistant Fabricator Gloves are some of the best campfire gloves because they are reinforced in all the right places and feature heat-resistant materials on the outer shell, inner lining, and reinforced palm. You retain excellent precision and dexterity when picking up small items thanks to the snug fit without excess material.
The leather palm and fingertips are extra supple and are rated as ANSI/ISEA cut level 2 resistance which makes it safe for working with campfires and sharp edges.
What to Look for in Campfire Gloves
Here are some of the factors we considered to arrange this guide and ones you should think about for yourself:
Heat Resistance
The main feature that all good campfire gloves should have is resistance to heat and, ideally, flames. When tending to a campfire, you will constantly have to rearrange the flaming logs to retain the fire’s structure and heat output. This means putting your hands close to and even into the fire to pick up and place wood that is alight, which is risky and dangerous. Heat and flame-resistant campfire gloves will protect your hands from getting burned and allow you to properly take care of the campfire.
Materials
Ordinary gloves will perish when they come into close contact with a naked flame or intense heat because they are not designed for it. Campfire gloves are made from heat-resistant materials like leather, kevlar, and aramid fibers which are not flammable and resistant to heat. While these materials will still burn if left on a hot campfire, they don’t catch alight very easily at all which means you can handle flaming wood without fear of injury.
Fit
The fitting of campfire gloves is usually large to extra large, which isn’t ideal for small hands. They are designed like this intentionally so that you have an abundance of material to protect your hands and fingers.
The closest fitting gloves for smaller hands and better dexterity are the Mr. Smith BBQ Grill Gloves, but even these aren’t exactly snug. Don’t worry too much about the fit, as it is unlikely you will have any finicky tasks to complete with your campfire gloves on – moving wood and hot metal are the main issues to overcome.
Dexterity
As with the fit, don’t expect to retain too much dexterity with your fingers because the thick heat-resistant materials are not very flexible. You should always be able to get a tight grip with your thumb, but making a fist with campfire gloves on can be a challenge. If you need to use your campfire gloves for detailed jobs, you might be better off waiting for things to cool down and then doing it without your thick fire gloves on.
Cuff Length
Glove cuffs are part of the glove that extends up the arm starting from your wrist. A longer cuff length offers better protection against flames for your arms and clothing, which is preferable when possible. The benefit of a shorter cuff is that the gloves are more practical and easier to pack in a backpack. Most campfire gloves will be around 14 inches long with a 5 – 6 inch cuff, but we prefer a shorter cuff for better mobility.
What Are Campfire Gloves Used For?
You can use campfire gloves for tending a fireplace, firepit, or for grilling, meat smoking, using a wood-burning stove, handling cast iron cookware, and much more. Campfire gloves make working with fire much safer and, in many cases, easier.
What Are Campfire Gloves Made From?
Most gloves used for campfires are made from leather with a cotton lining that is sufficiently fire-resistant to protect your hands. The next level above this in terms of heat protection would be an aramid fabric of kevlar composition. The addition of silicone on the outside improves grip as well as increases the time you can hold a red hot pan.
Do You Need Gloves for Campfires?
We recommend that you wear campfire gloves for the safety of your hands; however, if you’re careful and know what you are doing, then gloves are not essential. If you are handling hot metal, then you will most certainly need some campfire gloves or oven mitts.
Can You Use Welding Gloves for A Firepit?
Welding gloves make awesome campfire gloves and are more than suitable to use with a firepit. Welding gloves offer lots of heat protection and have enough dexterity to collect and process firewood as well as operate fire tongs and other hand-operated tools.
We hope you found this guide to the best campfire gloves useful when improving your fire safety.
