The Best Gloves for Beekeeping: After 13 years, I Settled on Apis Tactical Gloves

I’ve kept bees for most of 13 years now, and initially I started out with leather work gloves. I quickly realized that was not going to work well. They have no dexterity and it was too easy to squish and roll bees by accident.

Harvest Lane Honey Beekeeping Gloves

I was a young teenager with limited income at the time, and made the “big purchase” of some Harvest Lane Honey goatskin beekeeping gloves. They were such an improvement, and they were the best beekeeping gloves I’d come across- until recently. More on that in a bit!

These gloves are thin enough to maintain dexterity but thick enough to protect against the brunt of stings. The catch was that they tore easily, and also were so thin bees could still sting through them, but the stings were far lighter and less painful than if I hadn’t been wearing any gloves. They also weren’t a snug fit, with most of the protection coming from the fact that they created a dead air space. They had a cotton cuff that extended most of the way to my elbow, where elastic kept them sealed, with a small band of airmesh at my wrist to allow for a bit of ventilation. They’re good gloves if you’re on a tight budget, but they’re not the best.

Apis Tactical Gloves

I kept seeing advertisements for the APIs Tactical gloves, and honestly initially I was really skeptical. After seeing their 500th advertisement or so I thought, I figured I would reach out to the company and ask to review them. I wasn’t holding my breath that they’d be anything spectacular, because they do look thick, like any other work leather glove. But I was so surprised when the package arrived!

Shipping time was excellent and I was so pleasantly surprised to see how much dexterity I had in both sets of their gloves. I have both the Apis Tactical Pro Beekeeping Gloves and also the Apis Tactical Heavy Duty Beekeeping Gloves. And they are both high quality, far more breathable than my Honey Lane Harvest Gloves, and also offer greater dexterity. I use the Pro gloves when I’m wearing my jacket, and the Heavy Duty when I’m not wearing a jacket, since they give me a bit more coverage.

If I had to pick between them, I think I’d lean towards the Pro gloves. They have a bit of Velcro on the wrist that allows them to secure to your jacket, if that is something your jacket is equipped to do. The current jacket I wear, my ComfortPro, is not equipped for this, so I make sure the Velcro is on the outside, so it doesn’t snag my suit. The Heavy duty gloves do not have the Velcro.

The entire back of the hand and cuff is an innovative design, with mesh stretched over a soft foam, achieving excellent ventilation, without risking being stung on the back of your hand. The company does not claim these gloves are sting-proof, but I will say it would have to be one very creative bee to manage to sting through the gloves.

The fingers and palms are thick enough to feel substantial, and yet somehow have excellent dexterity. These gloves are different from any other beekeeping gloves I’ve encountered. Instead of being bulky and loose, they fit “like a glove” literally! This allows for so much more precise frame and bee handling. I can grab small objects with ease.

I’m very impressed with the Apis Tactical Beekeeping Gloves, and look forward to continuing to use them in the future! Get your pair here.