Choose campfire gloves by a length that covers the forearm and the official heat listing. No. 1 is Uniflame's Camp Glove Long: about 45cm overall, the longest of the five, in cowhide sewn with Kevlar thread. If you choose by lightness, Captain Stag's heat- and flame-resistant glove, about 150g in aramid fiber, is No. 3.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
Campfire gloves differ by whether they cover the forearm before the hand. When you feed logs, it is the forearm that sticks out over the fire. So before I read the heat listing, I look at how many cm the overall length covers.
Key points
- Overall length differs by more than 2x, from 19cm to about 45cm. The two pairs of 34cm or more cover above the wrist
- DOD writes a heat resistance temperature as a number officially (outer fabric 500°C, within 15 seconds)
- TOKYO CRAFTS writes officially: “not a flame-retardant or heat-resistant material”
What is in this article (14 items)
- Campfire gloves are not all the same even when they say “heat resistant”
- How I chose
- Choosing campfire gloves: length, material, heat listing
- Quick table of campfire glove length and material
- Why this order
- No. 1 Uniflame Camp Glove Long: about 45cm overall
- No. 2 Snow Peak Fireside Glove: removable flame-retardant inner
- No. 3 Captain Stag Heat and Flame Resistant Glove: about 150g in aramid
- No. 4 DOD Atsui no Ikeru Shiranke: has a heat resistance number
- No. 5 TOKYO CRAFTS Camp Leather Glove: honest cautions
- Price and weight per cm of campfire glove length
- A campfire's flames can exceed 800°C
- Who is it for?
- FAQ
Campfire gloves are not all the same even when they say “heat resistant”
DOD writes the outer fabric's heat resistance as 500°C (within 15 seconds). TOKYO CRAFTS writes “not a flame-retardant or heat-resistant material.” Even for campfire gloves, the official wording differs this much. They are opposites.
So I lined up the official page listings as they are, not the advertising words. The ranking is among those you can buy on Rakuten.
How I chose
The first thing I looked at was overall length. When you feed logs, it is the forearm that sticks out over the fire, more than the part past the wrist. Next I looked at material and heat cautions.
When you spend half the year camping, you build a fire dozens of times a year. The more often you do, the more putting gloves on and off each time is a bother. So I take a length that covers the forearm at once first.
Choosing campfire gloves: length, material, heat listing
- Length: short wrist types are around 20cm, and types that cover the forearm are 34cm or more. If you feed logs or reach into the back of the fire bed, the longer one.
- Material: two kinds, cowhide and aramid fiber. The two aramid pairs pitch heat resistance, and the two leather pairs use Kevlar for sewing thread.
- Heat listing: whether the official page has a heat resistance number, and what the cautions say.
Quick table of campfire glove length and material
| Model | Overall length | Material (outside) | Official price |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Uniflame Camp Glove Long | About 45cm | Cowhide (Kevlar thread) | JPY 5,500 |
| No. 2 Snow Peak Fireside Glove | 340mm | Suede leather (Kevlar thread) | JPY 8,448 |
| No. 3 Captain Stag Heat and Flame Resistant Glove | About 270mm | Aramid fiber | JPY 3,850 |
| No. 5 TOKYO CRAFTS Camp Leather Glove | 19cm (M) | Cowhide | JPY 3,740 |
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Uniflame Camp Glove Long Black
The Rakuten price was JPY 4,400 (as of 10/14); depending on the shop, it ranges up to JPY 6,903. Prices change daily. For clothing, compare the maker's size chart (height, chest, waist) against your own size. If you are unsure, check the return and exchange terms on the shop's page.
Why this order
| Rank | Model | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uniflame Camp Glove Long | At about 45cm it is the longest of the five, but heavy at about 550g |
| 2 | Snow Peak Fireside Glove | 340mm with a removable flame-retardant inner, but the price is about 1.5 times No. 1 |
| 3 | Captain Stag Heat and Flame Resistant Glove | Light at about 150g in aramid, but at about 270mm it is unlikely to reach the forearm |
| 4 | DOD Atsui no Ikeru Shiranke | Officially lists a heat resistance number (outer fabric 500°C), and the price is the lowest of the five, but the size is free only |
| 5 | TOKYO CRAFTS Camp Leather Glove | Two sizes, M and L, that are easy to fit to the hand, but a caution says it is not a heat-resistant material |
No. 1 Uniflame Camp Glove Long: about 45cm overall
Here is what I am excited about. About 45cm is about 11cm longer than No. 2. It is cowhide sewn with Kevlar thread, and Uniflame explains it as a glove for protecting your arm from heat. The price is about JPY 122 per cm (5,500 ÷ 45), the lowest of the four pairs in the table above.
This part is a weak point. It is heavy. At about 550g it is more than 3 times No. 3. It is a pair for people who often feed logs or move logs at the back of the fire bed.
No. 2 Snow Peak Fireside Glove: removable flame-retardant inner
If you think about care too, this one. The inside comes out. The outside is suede leather with Kevlar thread, and the inside is a detachable inner whose outer fabric uses flame-retardant fiber. Snow Peak explains that it suits work around the fire like moving a Dutch oven or grabbing logs.
This part is a weak point. It is expensive. JPY 8,448 is the highest of the 5 pairs. It suits people who often cook with a Dutch oven.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Snow Peak Fireside Glove UG-023BR
The Rakuten price was JPY 7,980 (as of 10/14); depending on the shop, it ranges up to JPY 12,610. Prices change daily. For clothing, compare the maker's size chart (height, chest, waist) against your own size. If you are unsure, check the return and exchange terms on the shop's page.
No. 3 Captain Stag Heat and Flame Resistant Glove: about 150g in aramid
Light. Just light. The outside is aramid fiber, with a silicone rubber grip on the palm, and Captain Stag explains that it suits holding a skillet.
This part is a weak point. The overall length is about 270mm, so it is unlikely to reach above the forearm. The official page also cautions that it gets hot if you hold something hot for a long time. It is a pair for people who mostly cook.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Captain Stag Heat and Flame Resistant Glove UG-3312
The Rakuten price was JPY 2,200 (as of 10/14); depending on the shop, it ranges up to JPY 4,352. Prices change daily. For clothing, compare the maker's size chart (height, chest, waist) against your own size. If you are unsure, check the return and exchange terms on the shop's page.
No. 4 DOD Atsui no Ikeru Shiranke: has a heat resistance number
If you choose by number, this one. This is its strength. The outer fabric's heat resistance is written as 500°C (within 15 seconds), and the silicone grip as 200°C. The price of JPY 2,200 is the lowest of the 5 pairs.
This part is a weak point. It comes in a single free size. DOD explains that for anything over 200°C, you wear the glove turned inside out.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
DOD Atsui no Ikeru Shiranke
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 3,937 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 5,240 between shops. Prices change daily.
No. 5 TOKYO CRAFTS Camp Leather Glove: honest cautions
If you fit it to your hand, this one. Two sizes, M and L, and the size chart goes down to middle finger length. Short. It is a wrist-length type.
This part is a weak point. The official page writes “not a flame-retardant or heat-resistant material” and “no heat resistance temperature is set.” It is a pair to choose as gloves for splitting and carrying firewood.
Price and weight per cm of campfire glove length
| Model | Overall length | Price per cm | Weight per cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Glove Long | About 45cm | About JPY 122 | About 12.2g |
| Heat and Flame Resistant Glove | About 27cm | About JPY 143 | About 5.6g |
| Camp Leather Glove (M) | 19cm | About JPY 197 | About 6.9g |
The long No. 1 is the lowest-priced per cm. That surprised me. Looking at lightness per cm, the aramid Heat and Flame Resistant Glove is about 5.6g, less than half of No. 1.
A campfire's flames can exceed 800°C
DOD writes that a campfire's flames are said to be about 250°C when it starts and 800 to 1000°C once it settles. Even the outer fabric at 500°C for 15 seconds is not meant for putting your hand into the flames. That is the key. DOD cautions that even below the heat resistance temperature, touching for a long time lets heat through to the inside and burns you. Captain Stag also writes that holding something hot for a long time can cause burns. For a place to set a pot taken off the fire, the stainless-top Uniflame Fire Table, which takes a heated pot directly, fits.
So I choose gloves not as a tool for touching fire but as a tool that buys a little time against heat. Logs in the fire are moved with fire tongs or tongs. I lined up the size and height of fire pits in the 12 fire pit comparison.
Who is it for?
It suits people who often feed logs or move logs at the back of the fire bed. With the two pairs of 34cm or more that cover the forearm, you protect the arm that sticks out over the fire.
If fire tongs and a pot holder are enough, what you have is fine. Long leather gloves can still be used as long as there are no tears or hardening.
FAQ
Leather or aramid campfire gloves: which is better?
If you want to cover the forearm, leather, which comes in long types. If you take lightness and the heat rating, the two aramid pairs win with about 150g and a heat resistance number.
How long should campfire gloves be?
To cover above the wrist, 34cm or more. Among these 5 pairs, Uniflame's about 45cm and Snow Peak's 340mm qualify.
Can I grab burning logs with campfire gloves?
Direct contact with flames is not recommended. TOKYO CRAFTS writes not to touch burning charcoal or flames directly, and DOD also cautions that touching for long will burn you.
