What Are Rigger Gloves?

14 July 2015 | John

Rigger gloves are reinforced gloves, usually with a leather palm and a fabric back and a leather strap over the knuckles. They are usually one size fits all and, while they are designed to be used for rigging and cable pulling, they are suitable for a vast array of different tasks.

What Types of Rigger Gloves are there?

There are several types of rigger gloves available on the market.

Insulated Rigger Gloves: these are rigger gloves which have an extra insulating layer. These are designed to be used in colder temperatures, for example rigging on boats or working in cold warehouses.

Heat Resisting Rigger Gloves: these are designed for use in high temperature situations, and feature materials designed to resist heat and flames. These are good for environments where you are likely to come into contact with high temperatures.

View Range

High Visibility Rigger Gloves: these rigger gloves feature high-visibility patches which are designed to make the wearer as visible as possible. These are good for working in dangerous areas at night, such as at the side of the road working construction or picking up rubbish. High visibility riggers are also suitable for emergency workers who need to be as conspicuous as possible.

Impact Rigging Gloves: these are made to withstand heavy duty impacts, and usually feature additional protection on knuckles and fingers to reduce the risk of damage. These are best used in difficult or dangerous situations where the danger is higher.

Double Palm Rigger Gloves: these feature additional padding in important areas such as under the thumb, forefinger and palm. These are used in warehouse and handling work where the additional padding helps reduce the amount handles can dig into the skin, increasing comfort and safety.

Advantages of Rigger Gloves

One of the main advantages of rigger gloves is that they are incredibly versatile. Alongside being great for rigging and cable pulling, these are frequently used for home construction and warehouse work because of the protection they give and their hardwearing nature

Another advantage is that because of the cushioning on the palm, rigger gloves make handling heavier products and carrying heavy items easier, as it reduces how much the handle or the edge of the box can dig into your hands.

Disadvantages of Rigger Gloves

One of the main problems with rigger gloves is that they tend to be one size fits all. While for most people this is perfectly OK, for those with smaller hands, particularly women, this can make the gloves too big to be usable. However, some companies have started to make rigger gloves in multiple sizes, even in women’s sizes. Another disadvantage is that rigger gloves do not offer a huge amount of dexterity (fortunately we have a number of general work gloves that are better suited to jobs that need dexterity).

If you are interested in getting your hands in some rigger gloves, visit Safety Gloves and check out our range of Rigger Gloves.