Quilting is a labor of love, but you don’t have to accept hand, arm, and neck strain as part of the hobby.
Shifting large quilts while machine sewing admittedly strains everything from your fingertips to your neck, but a solution exists.
Free motion quilting gloves help you grip fabric easily.
The greater control created by gripper coatings reduces the physical effort needed to move heavy quilts.
When you use a rotary cutter, you can try gloves that protect your fingers.
Cut-resistant gloves for quilters stop you from nicking yourself.
- What Are Quilting Gloves?
- What to Look for in the Best Quilting Gloves
- 9 Of The Best Quilting Gloves
- 1. Machingers Quilting Gloves for Free-Motion Sewing
- 2. Dritz Fons & Porter 7855 Machine Quilting Grip Gloves, Blue
- 3. Quilters Finger Tip Coating Gloves
- 4. iNee Quilting Gloves for Free Motion Quilting
- 5. Fingerless DENALY Quilting Gloves for Free-Motion Sewing Fabric
- 6. DEX FIT Level 5 Cut Resistant Gloves Cru553
- 7. Marcia Baraldi Quilting Grip Gloves for Free-Motion Quilting or Sewing
- 8. Dritz Crafters Comfort Glove
- 9. Sullivans 48668 Grip Gloves for Free Motion Quilting
- An Affordable and Rewarding Accessory
What Are Quilting Gloves?
Quilting gloves are usually made from a loosely knit fabric for breathability. They feature some type of grip enhancement coating. This coating is sometimes solid, or small bits of gripper material are dotted across the fabric surface.
The addition of gripper material works like deep treads on snow tires. The material prevents your fingers and palms from slipping across the fabric. You won’t need to hold the fabric as tightly compared to using your bare hand.
The design produces these benefits:
- Less physical effort
- Less strain for soft tissues
- Less hand swelling
- Better fabric control
- Better sewing speed and accuracy
What to Look for in the Best Quilting Gloves
Everyone needs a good fit, which makes form-fitting gloves desirable for many quilters. You should also consider issues like how prone your palms are to sweating.
Some people dislike having their fingertips covered because they have to take the gloves off to do other things. If hand and wrist strain are primary concerns, look for styles with good wrist support.
As you consider your choices, think about:
- Washability
- Whether you want finger gripping or bare fingers
- Whether you want palm gripping
- Ability to adjust the size with straps
- Presence of latex
- Whether you need a compression glove
9 Of The Best Quilting Gloves
1. Machingers Quilting Gloves for Free-Motion Sewing
Washable, nylon-knit gloves provide extra grip as you perform free motion quilting. A quilt’s weight causes less of a burden, as the gloves help you grab and shift the fabric. The gripper coating is absent from the palms of the gloves to promote breathability.
The extra fabric control provided by the free motion quilting gloves reduces stress on your hands and wrists. As a result, the gloves maintain your comfort while you work at the sewing machine.
Pros:
Cons:
2. Dritz Fons & Porter 7855 Machine Quilting Grip Gloves, Blue
The cotton gloves have gripper dots across fingers and palms. This design delivers great grip with the whole hand as you move heavy quilts during sewing. By improving hand grip across the palm, users may reduce neck and arm discomfort caused by long sewing sessions.
The cotton fabric allows your hands to breathe. The fabric is machine washable.
Pros:
Cons:
3. Quilters Finger Tip Coating Gloves
This quilters glove has a seamless design. This design helps wearers maintain their dexterity because no seam ridges are on the fingers of the gloves. Polyurethane coating on the fingertips increases your gripping power without requiring additional muscle effort. The coating material does not contain latex.
Loosely knit nylon forms the body of the gloves. This nylon allows your hands to breathe so that you can hopefully avoid sweaty palms. The material is hand-washable in cool water.
Pros:
Cons:
4. iNee Quilting Gloves for Free Motion Quilting
The thin nylon knit fabric of these gloves allows most users to do small tasks without taking the gloves off. You can use scissors or a seam ripper while wearing the gloves, although you may need to take them off when threading the bobbin. Uncoated palms prevent sweat buildup next to skin.
Coated fingertips reduce the effort necessary to move layers of material during free motion quilting. The extra control provided by the gloves should help you work faster and with greater accuracy.
Pros:
Con:
5. Fingerless DENALY Quilting Gloves for Free-Motion Sewing Fabric
Quilters interested in increasing grip across their palms get what they want from these quilting gloves. The finger-less style leaves your fingertips free to run touchscreen sewing machines and thread the needle or bobbin. Gripping material across the palms helps you move the fabric with a flat-handed motion that relieves strain on your fingers.
The closures around the wrists let you adjust the fit. The design also supports the wrist. This design is recommended for people concerned about wrist strain from repetitive motion work. The product is also advertised as a sports glove to aid with gripping hand weights or sporting equipment.
Pros:
Con:
6. DEX FIT Level 5 Cut Resistant Gloves Cru553
Quilters who wish to avoid cuts while using a rotary cutter can wear cut resistant gloves. Although these gloves are intended for many purposes where people desire cut protection, they adapt well to quilting work. The material meets ANSI standards and delivers Level 5 cut protection.
10-gauge HPPE and Spandex form the body of the gloves. This thin fabric creates a tight fit that preserves your finger dexterity. In addition to cut protection, the gloves prevent your hands from slipping. This means you can also benefit from wearing them while free motion quilting.
Pros:
Con:
7. Marcia Baraldi Quilting Grip Gloves for Free-Motion Quilting or Sewing
Quilters who prioritize finger dexterity can choose this palm-wrapping style of quilting gloves. Your fingers will remain completely uncovered except for a middle-finger loop. Straps around the hand and wrist keep the gripper firmly in place. This design eliminates nearly all hand sweat problems because most skin is left bare.
The palm grips help you learn to push quilt sandwich layers with your hands instead of relying on your fingers. Flat-handed form reduces muscle strain in fingers, arms, and neck. Free fingers keep you ready to cut threads or use your phone.
Pros:
Con:
8. Dritz Crafters Comfort Glove
Quilters who wish they could avoid painful swelling and achy hands could try compression gloves. An orthopedic surgeon designed this product for Dritz. The gloves provide gentle compression that controls swelling. People with arthritis or repetitive motion stress injuries state that the gloves provide relief in their quilting gloves reviews.
Fabric is mostly cotton with 8 percent Spandex to create the soothing compression. The gloves are washable and an excellent choice for people who want to keep quilting while managing hand pain.
Pros:
Con:
9. Sullivans 48668 Grip Gloves for Free Motion Quilting
Quilters interested in trying quilting gloves can start with this affordable product. Thin 100% polyester fabric does not inhibit hand dexterity. Polyurethane coated fingertips enhance your gripping power, so you don’t have to work as hard to move fabric sandwich while machine sewing the layers. Wash by hand.
Pros:
Con:
More Related Articles:
Your Guide To The Best Curved Safety Pins For Quilting
7 Of The Best Ironing Board Covers For Quilters For 2021
The Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Right Quilt Batting
An Affordable and Rewarding Accessory
Quilters have many unique tools and accessories available as they learn more about the craft. Free motion quilting gloves provide a simple solution to problems like hand strain and struggling to move fabric layers consistently.
As you can read in most quilting gloves reviews, gloves solve these problems quite handily. They make the job of quilting the layers go smoothly, which means that you can derive more joy and less discomfort from your creative work.