Magid vs West County Rose Gloves
It’s rose pruning season in northern California and time to suit up if you don’t want end the day with hours of thorn removal.
This year, besides wearing a thick, long sleeved shirt, I added gauntlet rose pruning gloves to my armor. These gloves are tough, thorn resistant and go all the way up to the elbow. After 4 hours of pruning, my forearms, for once, did not not look like I was attacked by a crazed cat.
I couldn’t decide between the Magid and West County gloves since both have fantastic reviews. So, yes, I decided to buy a pair of each. Both sets of gloves are made with synthetic leather. This is great because it means they’re washable, and no animals were harmed to produce them. Also, to be very clear, they are not puncture proof, but rather, puncture resistant. This was far superior to the gloves I usually use for pruning, which were puncture whatever – meaning whatever was sharp would puncture my finger, hand, arm, etc.
First Thoughts
First impressions – Appearance – goes to West County. I purchased a pair of their Ruby colored gloves, which one reviewer noted, finished off his Captain America costume perfectly. They are definitely very stylish as far as rose gloves go. While we’re on the topic of “other uses”, both sets of gloves are great if you want to avoid thorns and stabbings from prickly plants. Pruning plants such as bougainvillea, berberis, blackberry will be so much less painful (possibly no pain at all) with a pair of either of these gloves. One reviewer noted that they also worked well in the handling of feral cats.
Magid
The Magid Gloves were well priced at $18 for a set of women’s or men’s. The gauntlet portion of this glove fit a little more snug than the West County, but were still very comfortable. They were also slightly thicker than the West County. It was a fairly cool the day I tackled the rose pruning, so I’ll have to revisit theses gloves on a hot day to see how sweaty things get. Overall, I found it was very easy to do all of the rose pruning without taking them off – except for tying in the new canes. They had reinforcement on the finger pads as well as the elastic at the wrists to block debris. Previously I had a pair or two of real leather gauntlet gloves, and besides being twice the price, they were much harder and hotter to work in. I ended up taking them off in frustration, and then, unfortunately they were lost, probably tangled in the debris and tossed out by mistake. I’ve included my Amazon links to these gloves plus some reviews that say what I was thinking better than I could…
A direct review from an Amazon buyer:
They offer nice, thick, soft protection in the wrist, palm, and fingertips while still allowing us to maintain dexterity. It remains to be seen how they’ll hold up to the heat and humidity. The sizing is also surprisingly small. I’m usually a women’s medium, but these are a bit short in the fingers, but that also means they fit my small-handed partner perfectly, for whom it is difficult to find gloves. So far, love ’em.
Read more reviews or order these gloves – Magid Gauntlet Gloves
West County
The West County gloves were in the $26+ range. The major difference I first noted was the that the arm protection and the gloves themselves were much roomier than the Magid. They are, as mentioned in the glove’s description on Amazon, very lightweight. The synthetic suede they’re made of is quite flexible and fairly breathable. I used them on the same day as the Magid, which, as I mentioned, was not that hot. I’ll be sure to see how they wear on a hot day. And visually, to me, they are the better looking glove. They also have double reinforce finger pads as well as the palm and thumb areas. And they have the elastic at the wrist to block debris. I’ve also washed these gloves once – and so far, so good.
Another reviewer from an Amazon buyer that says exactly what I was thinking:
As everything in life, rose gloves are a matter of compromise, between practicality, durability and price. If these gloves were heavy duty for utmost protection, they would have been heavy, non-flexible and a nightmare to use in summertime. Make them too light and airy, and there is no protection from vicious thorns. Use new high tech materials like carbon fibers or kevlar, and they would cost in the hundreds. As designed, these gloves provide a reasonable compromise with the bonus of being machine washable.
Read more reviews or order these gloves – West County Gauntlet Rose Glove
In Summary
So just to reiterate, not being able to decide between Magid and West County gauntlet rose gloves I bought them both.
Similarities:
- have finger, thumb and palm double reinforcement.
- have elastic at the wrist to stop debris from getting into the hand area of the glove.
- are gauntlet gloves and offer protection to the elbow.
- are made from synthetic leather.
- have a lot of rave reviews.
Differences:
- price – Magid Gloves were between $8 and $12 less expensive (depending on the retailer) so the winner here
- looks – West County is a little more stylish and definite winner here
- lightweight and flexible – West County wins this one too
So far I’m leaning towards the West County gloves, even though they are a little more expensive. Let’s see how they each hold up over time – stay tuned for part two…washing and wearing.
Happy Gardening,
Judy
p.s. And if you are planning some rose pruning, at this point I am still equally recommending Magid Gauntlet Gloves
pps: March, 2017 – over 2 years later and both pairs of gloves are still in good shape (both pairs have been machine washed several times). I probably reach for the West County gloves more often because the material is a bit lighter and more flexible – better for detail work.
