By Matt Gibson
Sporting an apron while working in the garden serves several purposes. Not only will the apron allow you to tote around important tools and other essential items, like water, or snacks, but it will also save your clothes from being soiled by actual soil, as gardening is a very dirty job.
When looking for the right gardening apron, you want to find one that is made with a thick, durable material that won’t be easily torn or damaged, and you also need it to be functional, so you need one with plenty of large, deep pockets for carrying your most commonly used tools around so that they are always at arms reach when you are working your garden. Some gardening aprons have exceptionally large pockets which are designed to serve as a produce basket during harvest time.
It’s also important to find an apron that fits you well and is adjustable in multiple places so that you can put it on and not have to worry about it slipping out of place. Since a garden apron is an item that’s going to get dirty very quickly each time you wear it, you will need one that is washable, so you can wash it between uses. Since you wear a gardening apron over your clothes, it should look nice and fit your personal style and aesthetic.
There are a lot of aprons on the market that claim to be for gardening, but there are only a few that are well-suited to gardening tasks and are probably designed by gardeners. These are the gardening aprons that make up our recommended list. Take a few minutes to look over these eight gardening aprons and see if there is one that works for you.
Kent and Stow Luxury Full Length Unisex Apron
Find it on Amazon. https://amzn.to/2IWDYhS
When you see the word luxury in a product description, you automatically think about what it must cost. The Kent and Stow apron, however, is moderately priced. It’s not cheap, but it won’t break the back either.
This apron is made out of a durable canvas fabric lined with waterproof PVC protective coating to help protect it from the elements. It has large faux suede front pockets which are big enough to hold all of your most important gardening tools and a few additional items, like your phone, a bottle of water, and a few snacks to keep you energized and hydrated while you work. Is it really a luxury item? No, not really, but it is a very nice apron for gardeners of all types.
Readywares Gardening Tools Apron
Find it on Amazon. https://amzn.to/2IVg3PU
Quite possibly our favorite apron on this list, the Readywares Gardening Tools Apron is made out of waxed cotton canvas with straps and loops made out of a cotton and polyester blend for added elasticity. It has 12 pockets of various sizes to hold all of your essential items, and loops for hammers and other tools. This apron has adjustable straps so that it can fit everyone from a small to a triple XL and every size in between.
Readywares unisex design looks great on both men and women. The apron will feel stiff at first, but will break in and loosen as you wear it during the growing season. Double loops are for hammers and other large tools, while single loops are for smaller garden tools. Moderately priced, this apron is worth paying a little extra for.
Homegrown Gourmet Harvest Apron
Find it on Amazon. https://amzn.to/2HfYJ7P
This one size fits all, unisex, waterproof, commercial-grade canvas apron is perfect for simple gardening tasks and gathering harvests. Its four deep gusseted pockets are large enough and sturdy enough to hold tools, gloves, personal items and more, and when it’s harvesting time, this apron can be used instead of a basket for gathering produce. Its extra large pockets are actually big enough to hold small to medium-sized harvests for transporting from the garden or orchard into the home.
It’s also incredibly easy to clean, and you don’t even need a machine to get the job done. When it starts to look dirty, just lay it out near the gardening hose, spray it down with a high-powered hose setting and let it dry in the sun. The light brown canvas apron will look good as new after being sprayed down. Reviewers note that the apron is especially stiff when it is first used but it should break in over time. Priced for budget conscious gardeners.
Esschert Design Canvas Tool Apron
Find it on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3oep3zH
Most of the aprons on this list are full-sized aprons that cover the whole torso and at least one third of the lower body as well. While full-sized aprons are great for protecting your clothes, they are also large and somewhat cumbersome, unlike this small lap apron from Esschert Design.
Made out of a durable green and tan canvas material, this apron is perfect for gardeners that prefer mobility to protection when it comes to a gardening apron. The Esschert Design tool apron is actually nearly a souped-up tool belt when it comes down to functionality. The apron part is actually a multi-pocketed pouch that can carry all the tools and personal items that a backyard gardener could ever need. This unisex tool apron/tool belt is priced for budget conscious gardeners.
Napa Valley 7 Pocket Gardening Apron
Find it on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3mbdBCZ
The Napa Valley 7 pocket gardening apron makes the list because it has a few features that the other aprons on this list don’t have. It’s sage green unisex design is attractive on anyone, and it’s adjustable straps make it a good fit on any body type, as long as their waist is 42” or smaller.
The features that this apron has that set it apart from the other aprons on this list are it’s mesh pockets, which are great for storing tools that are covered in dirt, or for storing items that need to be easily accessible, as whatever you store in them remains in plain sight. The Napa Valley apron also has one plastic-lined pocket which is reinforced so that your tools don’t cut their way out. The plastic-lined pocket is strong enough that it can hold a sharp pair of pruners with the blade side down and the pruners won’t cut through. Moderately priced, but worthy of a little higher price than budget aprons.
Roo Gardening Apron and Harvest Smock
Find it on Amazon. https://amzn.to/35qppuq
Last but certainly not least, the Roo Gardening Apron and Harvest Smock cannot be left off of this list. Though it is labeled as a women’s apron, there is nothing about it that screams feminine and it should fit male gardeners just as well as females. The cool feature that makes The Roo Apron a must have on this list is its massive harvest pocket. Not only does it come equipped with plenty of pockets for carrying tools, it also has a pouch, sort of like the kangaroo from which it gets its name, that is specifically designed for carrying around the produce that you can harvest from your garden.
The pouch even has an easy-to-open bottom so that you can dump your produce out into the sink to wash it when you get it back into the house. The pouch is lined with water-resistant nylon so that it won’t get soiled if you have an overripe fruit or vegetable in your harvest. This apron/smock is also a washing machine safe for easy cleaning. The only drawback to the Roo is the price. This apron is quite an investment.
The best overall award goes to the Napa Valley apron, though the Readywares apron is a close second. The best budget apron goes to Homegrown, as it has pockets that are big enough for small harvest gatherings. The best high-end award goes to The Roo Apron/Smock combo. If you’re gonna pay more for a gardening apron, get one with a kangaroo pouch so that you can carry your harvests around like they were your babies! Though they can’t all receive a made-up award, every apron on this list has its merits, and all of them are worthy of a home with a gardener who will put them to use.
Our home and garden obsessed writers and editors choose every product we review. We may earn money if you buy from a link at no additional cost to you.
