Whether you're a private security officer, a patrol officer on the beat, or even a corrections officer, tactical gear is part of the job description. And when it comes time to protect your hands,s the best tactical gloves are an essential part of the uniform. That's why it's important for professionals to have access to the best materials and the best gloves to get the job done safely and efficiently.

Physical Protection

Tactical gloves provide a variety of different protections, depending on the purpose they were made for. For instance, armored gloves that have impact plastic are meant to absorb blows and prevent cuts or other damage to the users hands, particularly during hand to hand combat scenarios. There are also lighter gloves that are made of particular materials meant to protect the wearer's hands from slashes and stabs, both accidental and purposeful. These gloves can be life savers, in a literal sense, for those that would get stabbed by infected needles or cut by rusty shivs during pat downs.

Protection From the Elements

Tactical gloves are also called on to keep the extremities safe from the weather and temperatures. Waterproof, slash resistant gloves are a great investment for instance, but so are thermal linings that double as added layers of stab and slash protection. Sometimes it's long hours spent in freezing snow or in pouring rain that does damage to fingers and joints, making them swell or go numb with exposure. The right set of tactical gloves stops, or at least slows, that sort of harm from happening while keeping the wearer comfortable and alert.

Flexibility Versus Armor

It's important, when choosing a set of tactical gloves, that the wearer knows what he or she will be doing while wearing the gloves. For instance, a set of slash protection or stab resistant gloves is great for doing pat downs, but they also need to be thin and flexible enough for officers to feel items they've come across during the search. On the other hand, a SWAT team officer that wants to keep his hands safe during a riot may only need enough flexibility to grip a baton or fire gas grenades. In that case bulkier, more heavily reinforced gauntlet-style gloves would be a much more appropriate choice for that officer's needs. It's important that the user keeps the tasks he or she has to accomplish in mind to get ideal protection.