Best: Overall

• Outer material: Meta-aramid and silicone
• Fill material: Cotton and polyester lining
• Size: One size fits all

They may look like something you might wear when throwing snowballs, but these gloves are perfect for glorious summer days in the garden when it is impossible to resist the urge to light the barbecue. Lakeland’s oven gloves are made from knitted meta-aramid, the same material used to protect firefighters from blazing temperatures, and are heat-resistant to an incredible 350C. That means they keep hands safe not only when taking food out of the oven, but also when cooking on a scorching barbecue or a pizza oven.

We seized the opportunity to put them to the test with a flaming barbecue and felt safe and confident when turning sausages and lowering the grilling rack. Despite the high-level protection, the gloves are still super flexible for brilliant dexterity and silicone dots on the fingers and palms of both sides provide a firm grip when holding hot utensils or dishes. And when they get dirty, you can simply pop them into the washing machine on a 30C cycle. These come with a whopping three-year guarantee.

Best: Design

• Outer material: Cotton 1/2 panama
• Fill material: Cotton
• Size: One size fits all

Few people enjoy being watched over as they cook, but the eyes on these gloves are welcome in the kitchen. With a beautiful eye design on one side and a contrast checkerboard pattern on the other, the bold hand-painted print is fun, bright and injects colour into even the drabbest of kitchens.

The British designed and made 100 per cent cotton double oven glove is thickly padded and gave us solid protection from heat while feeling comfortable to wear. We always appreciate a hanging loop for easy storage, as featured on this product, and they are easy to clean in the machine on a 40C wash. These oven gloves would make a perfect gift because they come packaged in a gorgeous box that includes a postcard featuring the striking eye print.

Best: For hygiene

• Outer material: Silicone
• Fill material: Cotton
• Size: 29.5cm x 20cm

Cooking can be a pretty messy business, which is why a silicone mitt, like this one from ProCook, makes perfect sense. Any dirt can be wiped away, leaving it as good as new even after daily use. The grey mitt with black trim will fit in with any kitchen’s colour scheme and the soft quilted lining makes the glove comfortable to wear.

Most impressive is the heat resistance of this mitt. It can handle temperatures of up to 260C and when we put it to the test, taking piping hot trays out of the oven, we felt safe and were left burn free. The silicone means you can be sure of a solid grip on all hot objects in the kitchen too, but we feel this mitt would be best suited to people with bigger hands. It also comes with a one-year guarantee.

Best: For AGA owners

• Outer material: Cotton
• Fill material: Cotton
• Size: 23cm diameter

A country kitchen must-have, this beautifully made hand protector is specially designed for stovetop work. Use the practical loop to hang it within reach of your hob for easy grabbing when hot handles and pans need to be moved. With the delightful chicken pattern on one side and terry towelling on the other and inside, it ensures a good grip. Although the circular design has no thumb or finger features, we found it to be flexible for a secure grasp on pan handles and suitable for all hand sizes.

Most importantly, the high-performance insulation protects against heat and steam to prevent injury. The pot grab is made from 100 per cent cotton and can be machine washed at 30C to keep it fresh and clean, while those with an Aga can complete the look with a chefs’ pad and hand towel in the same charming design.

Best: Budget buy

• Outer material: Cotton
• Fill material: Cotton
• Size: 28cm

With tremendously thick padding, these 100 per cent cotton oven gloves feel comfortable and safe. The simple check design of the fabric is smart, and the muted colour palette means they are a stylish addition to any kitchen. We particularly like that these gloves measure 28cm long because they come up high enough to protect wrists from catching the edge of the oven shelf when removing trays and pots – a fate we were regrettably all too familiar with until these entered our world. Overall, these are an exceptionally good value pair of durable oven gloves that can be machine washed at 40C and come with a one-year guarantee. More stock is expected by 16 September.

Best: Eco credentials

• Outer material: GOTS-certified cotton
• Fill material: GOTS-certified cotton
• Size: 100cm x 22cm

The high quality of the make of these gloves is immediately apparent and the pure organic cotton is sumptuously soft. They also carry the “global organic textile standard” stamp, which means the manufacturer has met certain environmental and social criteria such as ethical treatment of workers and no use of environmentally hazardous chemicals.

The gloves are unmistakably designed in Denmark and feature an attractive grey and off-white dash and stripe woven pattern. We found the incredibly thick wadding kept our palms and fingers safe from heat, but be careful to ensure the backs of your hands avoid any hot parts on the inside of the oven because the padding does not go all the way around, with only a single layer of cotton at the back.

Best: Pro gloves

• Outer material: Aramid
• Fill material: Cotton
• Size: Three sizes available, 31cm in length

These gloves mean business in the battle against burns. Made from heat and flame-resistant Aramid fibre – which does not deteriorate when washed – they can withstand temperatures as high as 250C. So superior is the performance of these gloves that they are considered a piece of personal protective equipment that meets the necessary British and international safety regulations. Yet they are comfortable to wear and as flexible as a pair of standard gloves to provide good dexterity and grip for safely handling hot pots.

We also like the length, measuring 31cm, as it provides brilliant coverage over the wrist and forearm. The cream colour does mean they show dirt – but they are easily cleaned in the washing machine on a 40C cycle and can be tumble dried on cool so you can get back to using them again as quickly as possible.