I hear you on the sweaty hands in nitrile—on hot days, I can barely stand ‘em for more than half an hour. I switched to those rubber-dipped fabric gloves too, mostly for tearing off shingles or moving bundles around. They’re not as grippy as nitrile for some stuff, but they hold up way better when you’re scraping against rough plywood or handling nails all day.
One thing I’ve noticed is the fabric ones get stiff after a few washes, especially if I don’t let them dry out right. Anyone found a way to keep them from turning into cardboard? I’ve tried tossing them in with my regular laundry, but sometimes they come out worse. Also, curious if anyone’s found reusable gloves that actually work for fine work—like flashing or detail cuts—without feeling like you’re wearing oven mitts?
I’ve had the same problem with those dipped gloves stiffening up—if I leave them in the garage to dry, it’s like they turn into boards. What’s worked for me is rinsing them out right after use, then hanging them up outside, but not in direct sun. If they get too crusty, I’ll toss them in with a load of towels and add a splash of vinegar, which seems to help a bit.
For detail work, I haven’t found any reusable gloves that beat nitrile for dexterity. The thin “precision” gloves with polyurethane coating are okay for light stuff, but they still feel clumsy when you’re trying to bend flashing or handle tiny fasteners. I usually just go barehanded for that part and hope for the best.
I get where you’re coming from on the nitrile for dexterity, but I’ve actually had decent luck with those foam nitrile-coated gloves for detail work—especially the ones labeled “ultra thin.” They’re not quite as nimble as disposables, but I like that I’m not tossing a pair every time I need to handle something small. Plus, I’ve noticed my hands don’t get as sweaty in them. Maybe it’s just a tradeoff between feel and durability, but I’ll take a little clumsiness over cracked skin any day.
That’s a good point about the foam nitrile gloves. I’ve tried a couple pairs myself, and I get what you mean about the sweat—my hands always feel gross in the blue disposables after a while, especially in the summer. The ultra thin ones do seem to breathe better, and I like that they don’t rip as soon as you brush up against something rough.
Do you find they last more than a week or two? Mine start to get holes in the fingertips after a few days of handling shingles and nails, but maybe I’m just rough on them. I do miss the “bare hands” feel of disposables for stuff like threading wire or picking up tiny screws, but honestly, not having to deal with cracked knuckles is worth it for me too.
Have you noticed any difference in grip between brands? Some of the cheaper ones I tried got slick fast, especially if they got a bit oily. Just curious if you’ve found a brand that holds up better.
I’ve been through a stack of different gloves over the years, especially after a couple of gnarly storms where I was tearing off wet shingles for days. The foam nitrile ones are definitely better than the old blue disposables for breathability, but I still end up with sweaty hands if it’s humid out. As for durability, I usually get about a week out of a pair if I’m careful, but once I start prying up nails or dragging my hands across rough decking, the fingertips go fast. Sometimes it feels like they’re almost single-use if you’re doing demo work.
Grip-wise, there’s a huge difference between brands. The cheap bulk packs from the hardware store get slick as soon as you touch anything oily—almost dangerous on a ladder. The ATG MaxiFlex ones hold up better for me, especially when handling wet tar paper or metal flashing. They’re not perfect, but at least I don’t feel like I’m about to drop every tool.
I do miss the dexterity of disposables for fiddly stuff—like threading wire through conduit or picking up tiny screws—but my hands crack and bleed if I go bare-handed too long. It’s always a trade-off...