We got the chance to sample the Klein Journeyman Work Glove lineup. I was very curious to take a look at this new family of PPE gloves. After college, I spent a summer working for Progress Energy (now part of Duke Energy) in Crystal River, Florida. While the experience was worthwhile, I learned to hate personal protection equipment during my time there. Okay, sure, it did keep from getting killed, losing my hearing, eyesight, or any body parts. Still, it was so dang uncomfortable that it was almost unbearable at times. Specifically, the gloves made any task requiring hand manipulation quite difficult. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Klein is on a whole other planet compared to those gloves.
Editor’s Note: Check out our best work gloves article to get our top picks.
How I Tested Klein Journeyman Work Gloves
A note about my testing method and ratings before I get too far into this. The feel of the glove is compared to what it is like not wearing a glove at all. How easy it is to move my hands and fingers as well as the overall bulkiness goes into this. A rating of 5 would be like wearing no glove at all.
The protection rating is based on padding and other protection features considering the palm, fingers/thumb, and top of the hand. A rating of 5 would indicate that the entirety of my hand is confidently protected and padded at a maximum level.
I used 4 different types of tools when testing the gloves: a compact cordless drill, heavy-duty cordless impact driver, cordless circular saw, and a variety of hand tools. I used them and attempted every kind of adjustment you would typically perform during that use. This means that I switched out batteries, attempted one-handed adjustments, adjusted bevels and cutting depth, and anything else I could think of. A rating of 5 in any of these means that it was just as easy as having no gloves on at all.
Finally, there is a grip rating. Here, a rating of 3 would indicate the same grip as a bare hand. Higher numbers (which all of the gloves had) indicate a better grip.
There are a few common-sense items to consider as well. As you increase protection, the glove gets necessarily bulkier. We could all use medieval armor, but it would be very near impossible to get our work done. There is a balance between protection and fine hand manipulation with the tools. I’ll try to help you understand that balance with each glove so you can make an educated decision on which one best works for you.
For details on each of the gloves, read our preview article here.
Which Klein Journeyman Work Gloves Are for You?
Journeyman Camouflage Gloves (40208/40209/40210)
- Feel: 4.5
- Protection:3.5
- Grip: 3.5
- Compact Drill Use: 5
- Impact Driver Use: 5
- Circular Saw Use: 5
- Hand Tool Use: 5
These gloves have a great lightweight feel that allows you to move your hand freely. There was no reduction in the ability to use any of the tools. The trade-off is that the protection is on the lower side. These gloves will do their best work when comfort takes precedent on a light-duty work site.
Journeyman Utility (40205/40206/40207)
- Feel: 4.4
- Protection: 3.5
- Grip: 3.5
- Compact Drill Use: 5
- Impact Driver Use: 5
- Circular Saw Use: 5
- Hand Tool Use: 5
The Utility model is very similar to the Camouflage except it is just slightly more bulky. It also is the only glove that does not feature a Velcro closure that I prefer on my gloves. Even without the Velcro, it still fit securely on my hands with no issues. It is suited best for light duty work sites where you can choose comfort over heavier protection.
Journeyman Leather (40220/40221/40222)
- Feel: 4
- Protection: 4.5
- Grip: 4
- Compact Drill Use: 5
- Impact Driver Use: 4.9
- Circular Saw Use: 5
- Hand Tool Use: 5
The Journeyman Leather Work Gloves are my favorite of the group for the combination of the ability to function and excellent protection. As a bonus, I love the look and feel of the leather. The increased bulkiness of the glove’s protection only affected tool use in the ability to flip a single switch that I could normally do one-handed easily. Still, this is a fantastic work glove that I think will rise to be the most popular of the bunch. With the high protection rating, this is a winner on most medium to heavy-duty work sites.
Journeyman Grip (40214/40215/40216)
- Feel: 4
- Protection: 4.5
- Grip: 5
- Compact Drill Use: 4.8
- Impact Driver Use: 4.8
- Circular Saw Use: 5
- Hand Tool Use: 5
The Grip is definitely tops in the grip department by a long shot. It has excellent protection but is a little bulkier than the Journeyman Leather. This gave it them a slight issue with one handed switches on the drill and impact driver, but nothing major. This is another go to glove for medium and heavy duty work sites and a must have when sweat or water create moist working conditions.
Journeyman Extreme (40217/40218/40219)
- Feel: 3.8
- Protection: 4.6
- Grip: 4.3
- Compact Drill Use: 4.8
- Impact Driver Use: 4.8
- Circular Saw Use: 5
- Hand Tool Use: 5
The Journeyman Extreme Gloves are definitely best suited for heavy-duty work sites. Their top-ranked protection adds plenty of bulk, but without having a large negative effect on tool use. This was Clint DeBoer’s choice for cross-function as a motorcycle glove.
Journeyman Cold Weather Pro (40211/40212/40213)
- Feel: 3.5
- Protection: 4.2
- Grip: 3.5
- Compact Drill Use: 4.8
- Impact Driver Use: 4.5
- Circular Saw Use: 4.8
- Hand Tool Use: 5
With cold weather protection and excellent general protection, this is the bulkiest of the Journey Work Glove family. These will definitely help you get the job done in cold weather conditions. The only thing I really wish Klein would do is incorporate the Journeyman Grip palm into this glove as cold weather often has moist conditions to go along with it. These should work on any job site, but save them for freezing temperatures due to their bulk.
Journeyman Work Glove Conclusions
Klein did a great job with this family of gloves. All of the Journeyman Work Glove series handled tools very well, even with the added bulk that heavier protection brings. For me the question isn’t so much if I should keep these in my toolbox, but which set to keep. Ah, well, I guess I have the luxury of having all of them already. Considering the work that I run across, at least one of the Journeyman Work Gloves suits my needs in every situation. If I could only choose one, I’d go with the Journeyman Leather, but each of these has their place and intended use.
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