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Thorn proof gardening gloves: what the words can mean

Updated: 17 October 2026

You have seen thorn proof on an amazon.co.uk title and you want to know whether that is a test or a sentence. On the twelve rose gloves in this comparison, it is a sentence. None of the pages prints a BS EN 388 code, a UKCA mark or a CE line in the fields captured. Thorn proof gardening gloves, as a phrase, does not become a puncture level because the stars are high. Prices stay on the [roses gloves comparison](/hub/protective-clothing/roses-gloves). The listings were read against uvex UK and SATRA. A stylus was not run through any palm. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have seen thorn proof on an amazon.co.uk title and you want to know whether that is a test or a sentence. On the twelve rose gloves in this comparison, it is a sentence.

Our top picks

WFX WFX long goatskin glove, M

Best overall

WFX WFX long goatskin glove, M
8.5/10about £6.79
View offer
SAWANS SAWANS SA-432 long glove, M

Rank 2

SAWANS SAWANS SA-432 long glove, M
8.9/10about £10.99
View offer
COOLJOB COOLJOB synthetic glove, M

Alternative

COOLJOB COOLJOB synthetic glove, M
5.5/10about £12.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The title is not a test
  2. 2.What the puncture number actually is
  3. 3.A seller who contradicts the title
  4. 4.What you can decide without a lab

The title is not a test

A UK glove shop, writing in general, calls thorn proof a marketing phrase and says no glove is puncture-proof. uvex UK says the EN 388 puncture test is a probe, and that blunt puncture and a needlestick are different tests. These twelve listings show no digit and no X, which on a real mark would mean that part was not tested. Home pruning is not the PPE at Work Regulations 1992. Those apply if you employ someone, and the Health and Safety Executive points mechanical risk at EN 388. None of these pages states a category. A missing code is a missing fact.

What the puncture number actually is

Where a glove carries EN 388, puncture runs from 1 to 4. OX-ON and Busters put the levels at 20, 60, 100 and 150 newtons. SATRA describes level 4 as at least 150 newtons: a rounded stylus pushed 50 mm through palm samples at 100 mm per minute, lowest of four. A Shimadzu note describes a stylus about 4.5 mm across with a tip radius of about 1 mm. That probe is not a rose prickle. uvex UK says a high score is not a promise against every pointed object. Do not paste a HexArmor code onto a title that prints none.
WFX WFX long goatskin glove, M

Testsieger

WFX WFX long goatskin glove, M
8.5/10about £6.79
View offer

A seller who contradicts the title

COOLJOB's title says thorn proof. The seller's note then says the elastic mesh back is not. Reviews say roses still get through. The same limit shows up on WFX, the green SAWANS, Katx, Pure sharp, DIY Doctor and the yellow SAWANS. Intra-FIT says thorn resistant, and one of two UK texts calls the palm thin.

What you can decide without a lab

A mesh or fabric back, on COOLJOB and in Pure sharp's fabric-back bullet, leaves a side the title does not protect. Cuff length is a different question, on gauntlet or wrist-length rose gloves. SAWANS SA-432 has 4.5 from 5,609 reviews and is the top pick here for other reasons. Those reviews do not print 150 newtons, and the features say thorn resistant beside a title that says thorn proof. If you need a number for an employee or a client, leave this set for a glove that prints the EN 388 line.

Common questions

Does thorn proof on a title mean a test?
On these twelve pages it does not. The named-standard field is empty. There is no BS EN 388 digit, no X for not tested, and no UKCA or CE line in the fields captured. The words are the seller's description. uvex UK's general point still applies: no material is puncture-proof, and a garden trial is not the laboratory probe.
What does EN 388 puncture actually push through the palm?
SATRA describes a rounded stylus pushed 50 mm through palm samples at 100 mm per minute. Level 4 is at least 150 newtons, and the score is the lowest of four results. Levels 1 to 3 are explained elsewhere as 20, 60 and 100 newtons. The probe is blunt compared with a rose prickle. The test is on the palm, not on a mesh back.
Why can a level 4 glove still meet a rose prickle?
Because the stylus and the prickle are different points. uvex UK separates blunt puncture from needlestick, and says no material is puncture-proof. A high score against the rounded probe is not a promise against every sharp object in a border. These listings do not show level 4 in any case. The limit would remain even if they did.
What should you do with a listing that has no code?
Read it as a consumer description. Check the cuff, the palm and the back of the hand, and read any note that withdraws the title. Do not treat the star count as a substitute for the missing digit. If you employ someone, specify a printed EN 388 level under the PPE at Work Regulations instead of using this set as the assessment.
Why do the COOLJOB title and the seller note disagree?
The title and a special feature say thorn proof. The note says the elastic mesh back is not, and that the gloves are not impenetrable for violent tests. Reviews say roses and brambles still get through, and that the gloves hold water. Believe the narrower sentence. Keep the mesh away from spikes if you use the pair for light weeding.
Are these twelve UKCA or CE marked in the captured fields?
No. The captured fields do not show a UKCA mark, a CE mark, or an EN 388 code. That is an absence in what was stored from the listings, not a laboratory finding that the gloves are unsafe, and not a finding that they passed. A later edit on the live page could add a line. Check the page you buy from.
When does a paid job change the question?
When you employ someone to do the work. The PPE at Work Regulations 1992 then apply, and the Health and Safety Executive points mechanical risk at EN 388. Home pruning in your own garden is not that duty. A paid job needs a glove with the printed level the hazard requires, which none of these twelve listings shows.

Related pages

Rose pruning gloves buying guide

Best rose pruning gloves

Roses gloves

Gauntlet gardening gloves versus wrist-length pairs

How to prune roses without the glove getting in the way

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings used for this comparison, captured on 15 October 2026.

  1. RHS, How to garden safely (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. RHS, Rose pruning guide (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. HSE, Gloves (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. HSE, PPE FAQ (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. PPE at Work Regulations 1992 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK, PPE enforcement regulations 2018 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. SATRA, EN 388 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. uvex UK, puncture-resistant safety gloves (retrieved 16 October 2026)