Whether you relish having a hot dog around a cozy campfire or you’re more of a survivalist who seeks out far-flung forests to set up camp, it might be surprising what a difference having a pair of campfire gloves on hand can make.
When you think about it, most kitchens are equipped with oven mitts or hot pads. That, undoubtedly, prevents many kitchen burns and accidents.
Cooking outdoors over a campfire is no different. Indeed, it might be even more important around open flames to have the right accoutrement.
Hand protection can be the difference between nursing a cup of cocoa between your palms and nursing blistering wounds.
How To Choose Campfire Gloves
When you dive into the world of campfire gloves, you’ll find there are two basic kinds; traditional leather or suede gloves and those that are made of newer fire resistant materials. Both provide good heat protection.
But, there are other factors you might want to consider as you shop.
Campfires tend to spark. Many people like gloves that extend beyond the wrist.
Campfires are dirty! Some gloves are washable, some are not.
Cooking on a campfire involves building the fire and moving around logs. But it also involves tasks that require more dexterity, like lifting pot handles and using utensils.
Different gloves over different degrees of proprioception.
The good news is that the time you take deciding on a pair should pay off in the long run since many of the gloves out there are extremely durable and also suited to other camp tasks beyond cooking and tending to a fire.
Do You Really Need Campfire Gloves?
The quick answer is yes. If you intend to build a fire and cook over it, campfire gloves increase your safety.
No one is handing out ribbons to the champ who sticks their hand into an open flame. No one wants to get a campsite set up and settle in for a little rest, relaxation and a hearty meal only to have a fellow camper, or yourself, suffer an accident.
While all burns might not be catastrophic, pain can definitely suck the fun out of a get-away.
In addition, having any open wound in the outdoors requires extra care and first aid to keep the wound clean.
An ounce of prevention in the form of gloves is a small price to pay around a campfire to help ensure emphasis on fun, not drama or trauma. You would don a pair of oven mitts in the kitchen and take other measures around an active stove.
Similar precautions make sense in the great outdoors as you move firewood around, wield a spatula over open flames and tend to your pots and pans.
Which one is best?
Think about six basic features when choosing campfire gloves. Since campfire gloves can be multi-use, some things might be more important to you than others.
So consider both your camping style and your general lifestyle as you explore the options.
Things to consider:
- Campfires are dirty. Cooking can be messy. Hands sweat. Are the gloves cleanable? Machine washable?
- Size. Are your hands on the small side? Many campfire gloves are one-size-fits-all. But, some great ones come in a few different sizes so you can find the best fit.
- Dexterity. Do the gloves promise the proprioception you think you need to manage a campfire and handle cooking tools and utensils?
- Durability. Campfire gloves are made with natural materials like leather and suede and man-made fire proof materials. Both tend to be durable. But, it’s all about what you like!
- Wrist coverage. Campfire gloves come in styles that go to the wrist and models that cover part of the arm. More coverage equals more protection.
- Utility. Some campfire gloves have multiple uses and boast protection from cuts and a great grip. Those models are multi-use and can be used beyond the campground for welding, carpentry and more.
Best Campfire Gloves
Here’s a quick look at our favorite campfire gloves for the money.
1. Snow Peak Fire Side Gloves
Suede and leather campfire gloves are a traditional go-to style for a reason. Suede is durable. It is brushable.
The Snow Peak Fire Side Gloves extend beyond the wrist to protect your arms from sparks. Each glove has a carry loop on it so you can hang them easily.
In addition, the gloves have a removable liner that can be tossed into the washer after an outing.
Pros
- Hand and arm protection.
- Washable polyester/cotton liner.
- Durable suede outer makes this a long lasting glove.
- Traditional styling.
Cons
- Comes in two pieces- liner and glove.
- One size fits most might not work for small hands.
- Dexterity might not be as good as more form fitting gloves.
- Liner is fully washable. Suede outer is more difficult to clean.
Takeaway
The Snow Peak Fire Side Glove is a good glove for traditionalists looking for fire protection and a glove for tasks not requiring vast amounts of dexterity.
It comes in only one size, which means it might be an ill fit for some campers. However, it is a great looking and functional glove that could become a camping family’s heirloom.
Suede and leather gloves are still mainstays in the outdoor world for a reason. They last!
2. Grill Heat Aid BBQ Gloves
Cooking outdoors involves more than flames. It means cutting, chopping things big and small and carrying rough and sharp objects around a campsite.
Grill Heat Aid BBQ Gloves can take on those jobs and then some.
Protection, proprioception, multi-use, cleanable, durable? Check, check, check, check, check.
Grill Heat Aid BBQ Gloves are priced in the mid-range too, which makes the value as attractive as their sleek, form fitting design.
Attention is paid to grip, fireproofing and cut resistance, which make them useful around camp and beyond.
Pros
- Heat resistant to 1472 degrees F.
- Arimid fabric can take the heat over and over again.
- Cut resistant.
- Multi-use. Can be used for cooking, welding, carpentry and more.
- Three sizes available.
- Long wrist guard size available.
- Machine Washable.
- Good Grip.
- Form fitting for dexterity.
Cons
- Multiple sizes means you should measure your hand before ordering.
Takeaway
It is difficult to find a reason not to try this campfire glove.
With attention to dexterity and grip, fire proofing, hand and arm protection, multiple sizing, washability, cut resistance and durability Grill Heat BBQ Gloves would make a good multi-purpose hand protector for camping and other high temp tasks in your home kitchen or workshop.
3. Homemaxs BBQ Gloves
Another BBQ Glove makes the list here for an option to consider when it comes to gloves that can have you flipping forest flapjacks like a fiend.
Homemax BBQ Gloves are long enough to protect your wrists and forearms when you build the perfect fire.
Made with food grade silicone, the flexible fit and attention to grip will enable you to grasp tools indoors and out.
The gloves are long enough to protect your forearm. And the material on the forearm is breathable enough to keep your hands cool when things heat up.
Pros
- Heat Resistant to 1472 degrees F.
- Food grade silicone provides heat protection, comfort and flexibility. Fire resistant aramid is a long lasting material.
- Extends past wrist for arm protection.
- Machine washable.
- Campfire to kitchen use.
- Breathable protection beyond wrist.
- No “right” or “left” hand. Gloves are interchangeable.
- Hanging loop for easy storage.
- Comes in a couple of different colors!
Cons
- One-size-fits-all will not fit everyone.
- Does not feature the same level of cut resistance as some other models.
Takeaway
Homeax BBQ Gloves are a good choice for a campfire glove shopper on a budget.
The price point won’t set you back too much and you’ll get a good heat proof glove with ample forearm protection that provides enough dexterity to use while cooking over a campfire or at home.
Summary
A nice warm fire and good hot food can make what was a pretty good camping trip absolutely great.
While it is certainly possible to build, tend and cook on a campfire without a set of campfire gloves, it is safer to use a pair.
Putting on good fitting campfire gloves is a simple way to diminish some worry, increase safety and improve the quality of a trip. Campfire gloves are often multi-purpose too.
Which means you can not only cook with more peace of mind at the campsite, you might also be able to cut and carry wood, build a lean-to and handle other sharp objects without worry of cuts and splinters with the right set of gloves.
And, if you get washable, flexible gloves they can do double duty, serving as a solid kitchen mitt or a pit master glove as well.
