Specialized TIG welding gloves are essential when it comes to laying down quality beads.
Not only do they provide prevent serious burns, clothing fires, and radiation damage. They provide extra dexterity allowing you to move with precision.
Using a glove that is too stiff will not provide you with the free movement to create those quality welds.
We found a range of top TIG gloves that provide proper protection AND dexterity.
Jump below to find our top picks.
A Quick Comparison
| Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Product | Details | |
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Lincoln K2983 |
Excellent ratings Kevlar stitching Very good dexterity |
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Endura 370GFK TIG Gloves |
Kevlar-lined throughout Cowhide gauntlet cuffs Highly flexible |
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Caiman White Goatskin |
Good sensitivity Very popular gloves for TIG Resilient & durable goat grain leather |
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Tillman 1338 Goatskin |
Kevlar stitching Glide patch on side Excellent Dexterity |
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Revco Black Stallion BT88 BSX |
Premium grain goatskin Enhanced wrist padding Kevlar stitching |
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Ironclad TIG Welding Gloves |
10-inch gauntlet cuffs Split elkskin & cowhide leather Welted seams with Kevlar stitching |
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Miller Arc Armor |
Kevlar stitching Triple padded palm Good dexterity & overall sensitivity |
Best TIG Welding Gloves With Reviews
Here's a list of some of the best TIG welding gloves I found on the market:
1. Lincoln Electric K2983 Premium TIG Welding Gloves
- TIG-specific glove
- Top-grain leather
- Excellent dexterity
- Cotton liner
- Padded palm
Pros
- Extra thumb patch
- Keystone thumb shape
- Reinforced finger
- Stitched with Kevlar
- Cut-proof
Cons
- Liner comes out sometimes
- Not very heat-resistant
Overview
Lincoln designs the K2983 Premium TIG Welding Gloves for maximum dexterity. The seams are shaped and located to improve individual hand movement in different directions. This includes a “keystone” thumb shape, allowing you to move your thumb in a full circle, reach every angle and achieve maximum reach.
Lincoln includes a cotton liner in the upper half of the glove to protect the back of the hand from excess heat. The palm is padded and includes an extra layer of leather to enhance protection despite a lower liner. The liner is a sore point with many users, some of whom had the liner pull out with their hand after extended use. The only other primary complaint among most users was occasional stitching issues on the thumb and forefinger.
These gloves have great protection and dexterity. You’ll be able to feel the filler rod easily, and these gloves have a long 4-inch cuff to protect you from sparks and debris. With Medium, Large and Extra-Large sizes, you’ll be able to find a fit that works for your TIG welding style.
2. Endura 370GFKL TIG Welding Gloves
- Use for TIG and MIG welding
- Goatskin leather outer
- Good dexterity
- ANSI Cut Level 2
- ANSI Heat Level 3
Pros
- Fully lined with Kevlar
- Great heat protection
- Cowhide gauntlet cuffs
- Good multiprocess glove
- ANSI Puncture level 3
Cons
- Inconsistent quality
- Sizes run small
Overview
The Superior Endura 370GFKL Goatskin TIG Welder Gloves feature a Kevlar liner. These gloves are designed to give you a cut-resistant and durable TIG welding glove intended for all-day work. The thin Kevlar liner yields superior dexterity and a great feel.
You can use the Superior Endura 370GFKL for either TIG or MIG work because they deliver a high level of sensitivity. They’ll work for stick welding and shop work as well. The wide cowhide gauntlet cuffs offer additional protection from burns and abrasions.
There are reports of quality control problems such as different-sized fingers and occasionally poor stitching on the seams. Overall, the Endura 370GFKL Goatskin TIG gloves get great reviews from owners, come in Medium through Large sizes and enjoy a high degree of loyalty.
3. Caiman White Goatskin TIG Welding Gloves
- TIG welding gloves
- Goatskin construction
- Good dexterity
- No internal liner
- Heat resistant
Pros
- Long split leather cuffs
- Cut-proof
- Great sense of feel
- Very affordable
- Quality construction
Cons
- Not good for hot touches
- Seam in middle of index finger
Overview
Caiman 1600 White Goatskin TIG gloves are inexpensive and reasonably rugged for shop use but are designed for TIG welding. That means you can’t really use them for heavy work of any kind and really should restrict yourself only to use them while actually welding. That’s not a knock on the glove itself, just a fact of life with a lot of welding gloves.
TIG requires a certain amount of feel and dexterity. By nature, any glove that’s thin enough to give the feel you need and supple enough to allow you to manipulate the torch and rod isn’t going to be great for re-stacking the metal inventory.
Fortunately, this pair of gloves is so inexpensive you can afford a different pair of gloves for heavy work and keep those handy. These Caiman 1600 Goatskin gloves will work fine for their intended purpose. Some users report bad stitching, and some users complain about a seam that runs down the middle of the index finger. This seam can get in the way of your sense of feel for the welding process.
4. Tillman 1338 Goatskin TIG Glove
- Designed for TIG welding
- Top grain goatskin
- Excellent Dexterity
- Kevlar stitching
- No inside liner
Pros
- Cuffs made from cowhide
- Thumb is reinforced
- Heat resistant area patching
- Straight thumb for good control
- Glide patch on side of glove
Cons
- Not for hot touches
- Not very durable
Overview
The Tillman 1338 Goatskin Tig Glove gets high marks from owners for comfort and fit. They’re made from top-grain pearl goatskin, which is very flexible, providing good touch and dexterity. This feeling is enhanced by the lack of any liner in these gloves but comes at the cost of protection. They’re not good gloves if you have to touch your workpiece near the weld. The cuffs are 4 inches, providing good coverage, but some users thought the cowhide used in the cuffs was much too stiff.
These gloves are designed for a snug fit, great for the extra manual dexterity required by the TIG process. Tillman 1338 Goatskin welding gloves incorporate a straight thumb design with a reinforcement patch and a glide patch on the side to allow you to rest your hand and drag or slide it to follow the progress.
The Tillman 1338 Goatskin is made with kevlar stitching for rough wear and hot sparks. For the price, they’re a good choice for welders who want great control of the TIG torch and don’t need to touch the workpiece while it’s hot.
5. Revco Black Stallion BT88 BSX TIG Gloves
- TIG welding gloves
- Premium goatskin lowers
- Rugged cowhide uppers
- Average dexterity
- RestPatch for wrist padding
Pros
- DragPatch for abrasion
- Kevlar stitching resists sparks and wear
- Reinforced pigskin palm
- Flame resistant gauntlet cuffs
- Full inner liner
Cons
- Long pinky fingers
- Sizes run large
Overview
The Revco Black Stallion BT88 BSX is a three-finger design featuring innovative pads for resting your hand and protection while dragging your hand to follow your work. These gloves are fully lined and feature gauntlet cuffs treated to be flame resistant. Taken together, these design decisions demonstrate a thoughtful approach by Revco to real-world problems in the welding environment.
Black Stallion BT88 BSX TIG welding gloves incorporate rugged cowhide uppers, and pigskin reinforced palms over supple kidskin body coverings. Between the full liner, the RestPad, DragPad, and fire-resistant treatment on the cuffs, these TIG gloves offer a lot of protection. Several reviews mentioned the rugged construction and extra pads as both positive because of protection and negative because of weight.
Some users complain of inconsistent length in the Black Stallion BT88 fingers. Others report that the sizes run large. Revco stitches the seams on these gloves with Kevlar for excellent resistance to sparks and workwear. Owners report a good feel for the work and the ability to precisely manipulate the filler rod with both TIG and oxyacetylene processes.
6. Ironclad Gloves for TIG Welding
- MIG and stick gloves
- Elk skin back and palm
- Average dexterity
- Kevlar stitching
- Cotton liner
Pros
- Foam insulation
- Straight thumb.
- Foam insulated
- Cowhide reinforced
- 16-point fitment
Cons
- Fingers don't protect well
- Palm stitching problems
Overview
The Ironclad welding glove is intended for stick and MIG welding. Made for the professional, they feature a kidskin main body backed on top by elkskin. The palm is reinforced by stitched cowhide padding. They nearly run to elbow length with 10-inch gauntlet cuffs and they have a full liner made of cotton duck.
Ironclad designed this glove’s fit using a 16-point system for better fit and function. Because this particular design is intended for use with the stick arc process, you may find that you prefer more feel than the Ironclad Welding Glove.
When manipulating the filler rod used in TIG welding, you’re going to encounter high temperatures from working close to the weld. Many users felt that these gloves transmitted too much heat when working close to the weld. Others felt they’re too stiff to manipulate TIG torches and rods effectively.
Users loved the extra long leather cuffs and the cotton liner. Many praised the fit and comfort. Some owners use their Ironclad TIG Welding gloves for other chores like loading fuel into the wood stove, doing yard work or creating ceramic arts.
7. Miller Arc Armor TIG Welding Glove
- Designed specifically for TIG
- Premium goatskin
- Excellent dexterity
- Triple padded palm
- Kevlar stitching
Pros
- Excellent fit
- Very flexible
- Miller quality
- Fingers don't shrink
- Heightened sense of feel
Cons
- TIG only, not for labor
- No internal liner
Overview
Miller Arc Armor TIG Welding gloves are known for intelligent design and high quality construction. These gloves live up to the Miller reputation. Users give high praise for the dexterity and overall sensitivity of these gloves for their intended purpose, TIG welding only. You can’t use these gloves for grinding, moving heavy objects or grabbing anything really hot. Miller designed them for one thing and only that one thing: TIG welding. They sacrifice ruggedness for proper TIG rod and torch control.
Made from top grain goatskin stitched with kevlar and built with a triple padded palm, these gloves are well made and users praise the fit and the ability to use the TIG torch while wearing these gloves. The Miller Arc Armor TIG welding gloves don’t have any liner, a design decision by Miller to create a no-compromise product that fulfills one purpose and does it well. These gloves cost more than others in the class and don’t offer the same level of heat protection or the ability to do other shop work, but they’re unmatched when it comes to doing what they were made to do.
Buyer’s Guide
The most important aspect of any welding glove is coverage to prevent burns from radiation and heat. However, there are limits to the amount of protection offered because welding is a manual task that relies on the ability to use your hands and fingers.
TIG, more than any other welding process, requires a good deal of dexterity to perform because you not only have to move the torch and hold it at the best angle for what you’re doing, you also have to handle the filler rod to work the bead.
These are both tasks that require a sense of touch and the ability to move your fingers well. These requirements put tight limits on the ability of welding gloves to provide protection but keep dexterity and feel. It’s hard to do this cheaply. Good TIG gloves don’t make good gloves for manual labor.
These are the factors you need to think about when choosing your TIG welding gloves.
Why you May Want Specialized TIG Gloves
TIG welding can be a complex job.
- You’ve got to adjust the machine, sometimes on the fly.
- You have to hold the torch at a particular angle to work, depending on the type of bead you need to run.
- You have to manipulate the filler rod
- Work with the heat control, either on the torch itself as a thumbwheel or button or with a foot pedal for the machine.
This complexity means that TIG gloves don’t protect from the heat as well or last quite as well as those for MIG and stick welding do.
You can find some pretty good compromises between protection, cost, and dexterity. But there are limits to glove construction, so the better lasting and better-protecting gloves that also remain thin enough to provide good dexterity simply can’t protect as well as those intended for stick arc welding do, for instance.
You need to keep this compromise in mind. It’s nice to be fully protected, with gloves that allow you to touch or handle hot metal near the welding bead. But they have to provide dexterity and a sensitive feel, or you won’t produce good TIG welding.
It may also be necessary to go with a MIG or stick glove if you have to weld thick steel like 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch steel and larger because the thinner TIG gloves can’t always provide comfortable protection from burns with metal this thick.
Material Construction
What material are your new gloves made from? It can make a big difference in weight, flexibility, comfort, and temperature protection.
1) Inner Material
Many welding gloves and especially most TIG gloves, include an inner liner. This is one way to beat that compromise of heat protection and dexterity.
- Cotton is the most common material for inner liners on welding gloves. It’s lightweight, absorbent, and comfortable.
- Kevlar produces armored protection from the heat at a reasonable cost while still keeping the glove lightweight.
- Leather is another material that’s used in a lightweight form as an inner liner. This might be kidskin, suede, or another form.
2) Outer Material
Elkskin is a favorite for welding gloves because it provides great heat protection without adding a lot of weight.
Goatskin makes for more supple and better fitting gloves but at the cost of durability.
If there’s extra padding in the palms, along the side of the glove, or on fingers and thumbs, cowhide and elk skin are favorite materials because they are very rugged and take a lot of abuse.
Handling, Feel and Dexterity
- Handling refers to how easy it is for you to grasp and manipulate a piece of metal, your tools, welding rod, etc.
- Feel means your sense of touch at the ends of your fingers, where you hold the filler rod, and how well you can feel and use any buttons and controls on your welding machine and torch.
- Dexterity ratings indicate how “dexterous” a glove is, meaning how easy it is for you to move and manipulate the rod and torch together to produce a high-quality TIG welding bead.
Stitching and Construction
Several materials are commonly used to construct and stitch the seams on welding gloves.
- Cotton, jute, leather, and canvas are all common materials used in welding gloves.
- Kevlar stitching is the way to go if you can manage the extra cost for it. Kevlar is a big favorite among makers of higher-priced gloves because it’s very strong against stretching and heat.
- Leather patches may also be used to protect the palms, back, sides, and fingers to provide extra heat protection to lightweight gloves. The more layers there are on a glove, the more pieces it has added onto the basic design, the more important the quality of the stitching becomes.
- Spark and wear resistance are also important factors in welding gloves.
Final Decision
With these factors all considered together and weighed against the cost and overall durability, we’ve chosen the Lincoln Electric K2983 Premium TIG Welding Gloves as the Best TIG Welding gloves because they provide lightweight, high wear resistance, excellent dexterity, and good heat protection.
The Miller Arc Armor gloves also provide great dexterity and good wear resistance at a comparable price. Ironclad gloves offer excellent coverage with a 10-inch cuff and represent a good budget choice but at the cost of lower overall quality and lower levels of heat resistance and durability.
Shop carefully, and your fingers will thank you for choosing wisely. Remember the factors on this list when you choose your TIG welding gloves, and you’ll have all the protection you need while keeping a good feel and dexterity with your work.
Related read: Best Welding Gloves for MIG & Stick