A Guide to Shopping for Gardening Aprons
Digging in the dirt is a fun, healthy, and somewhat grounding activity (no pun intended), but it can also be dirty. We quickly find ourselves covered in dirt and debris in the garden, wiping it wherever we can. For this reason—among many others—a quality gardening apron is essential for keeping your clothes clean and giving you a few pockets to store things in while you move about the garden.
This blog post will look at the factors to consider when shopping for your ideal gardening apron.
Material and Durability
Like all good things, we want them to last. Choosing a gardening apron that is durable and comfortable is an absolute must.
Many canvas and denim aprons on the market are tough and have a nice aesthetic but can often become heavy and hot. Alternatively, synthetic designs often feature a lightweight design while being waterproof and allowing for breathability.
Here, we’ve broken down some of the features of some common materials:
This synthetic fiber is typically made with recycled plastic and is durable and water-resistant. Unlike other materials, this synthetic fiber won’t shrink when washed.
This synthetic fiber offers a lightweight experience. Typically made using recycled plastics, nylon is a breathable fabric. But also has waterproof protection and is resistant to shrinkage. Nylon is a good choice for all-season wear.
Denim is a sturdy woven cotton. Denim is typically washed and pre-shrunk, but because of the natural quality of the fabric, this varies between articles of clothing.
A durable and heavy plain-woven fabric typically made from cotton or linen. Aprons made from canvas often require a wax or chemical coating to offer water-resistant qualities.
One of the oldest materials used in making wearable goods, leather is made of animal hides through tanning or chemical treatment. Aprons made of this material are tough as nails but can be heavy and do not allow breathability in warm weather.
Pockets
An essential feature of a quality apron is conveniently placed pockets to stow frequently used supplies, such as a notepad, pen, sheers, scissors, and gloves. The key is finding an apron with multiple conveniently placed pockets that are deep so your supplies don’t easily slide out while you kneel and bend to dig and prune.
Sizing
Something we can never neglect is sizing. Not just for style and comfort but safety as well. Work in the yard and garden sometimes can lead to too many sharp and snaggly things catching a string or strap.
Choosing an apron with a proportional fit is ideal. Things to consider are adjustably, particularly around the neck and waist. And if the apron can fold by the waist, becoming a utility belt, that’s also a nice perk. Especially when things get too hot in the sun or greenhouse, we need to shed a layer but still keep our tools handy.
Cleaning
This is huge because you will get dirty—that’s for sure. A synthetic design like polyester or nylon beats denim and waxed canvas in this category. There’re few things better than being able to plop a dirty apron from the garden right into the washing machine or being able to hose it down with no worry. Synthetics allow for easy cleaning, while denim and canvas can hold dirt and lose waterproofing after washing over time.
Waterproofing
There are few things promised in this life, and water being present in your garden is one of them. It’s only a matter of time before the hose overflows your watering can, or that tarp crumbled up from last fall has that surprise puddle that’s been patiently waiting to spill all over you. A head-to-toes waterproof fit wouldn’t hurt, but it would be guaranteed to get hot. If nothing else, your first line of defense against getting wet should be a waterproof apron. That way, next time you’re carrying that wet pile of mulch, it doesn’t sink through onto your clothes underneath.
The Farmers Defense Apron
Our gardening apron is a full-coverage apron with three large pockets, one made of canvas designed for pruning shears. This feature gives you the durability of canvas for your sharper tools while keeping the benefits of the lightweight design of a nylon apron. Plus, an upper chest pocket is designed to fit smaller items like your cellphone or keys and has a button to keep the items from slipping out when you bend down in the garden.
Our apron comes in two sizes, Small/Medium (36.5-44”) and Large/XL (42-50”), with long adjustable straps. One looped over the neck, and the other around the waist, with quick-release durable clips (no tie required).
Our sizing allows for an alterable fit to match many sizes and comfort preferences. Not to mention, the design provides foldability, allowing the apron to be worn as a utility waist belt if so desired.
Throw it in the wash, or wipe it down. This waterproof and easy-to-clean design makes cleaning up at the end of a hard day's work a breeze. Our apron is the perfect pairing of simplicity and durability to meet all your gardening needs year-round.
So whether you’re planting seedlings in planters for the coming spring or cutting back overgrowth in the summer, our gardening apron gives you the best comfort, protection, and design where you need it most.
