In the middle of August, when sweat starts rolling down your back the moment you set foot outside, the last thing you want to do is wear winter clothes, right?  But you go out to work in the yard, the bugs eat you up, and the trees scratch you up.  That’s where Farmers Defense comes in.  Their Farmers Sleeves cover your arms and keep you protected, without the need to haul out the winter gear.

How Farmers Defense Protective Farming Sleeves Work

Farmers sleeves come in 2-packs (for obvious reasons) of stretchy sleeves that have thumb holes at one and a rubberized grip on the inside of the other end.  This way you can slip them on and they’ll stay in place even as you move around and get your work done.

Now, I have to start by pointing out that I am not an average size.  I’m very small, about 96 lbs. when healthy, and even scrawnier at the moment, no thanks to chronic illness.  So I am actually smaller around than the unstretched sleeve.

(Insert facepalm here.)  Even at that, given the grippiness of that rubberized lining inside the hem, I had minimal slippage while working.  And I’m guessing not too many people have quite this same problem with sizing.  I also just realized, as I’m writing this, that these come in an XS and I’m not even wearing the XS; I’m wearing the S/M!  So if you’re scrawny like me, definitely go for the XS!

Farming Sleeves Put to the Test

Admittedly, I haven’t used these a lot yet because we’ve just hit that time of the year when it gets ridiculously cold for just a little while before the weather seems to realize that maybe we need to sliiiide from all-out summer into all-out winter and not just jump into the deep end.  So that makes for somewhat awkward timing.

But these are perfect for, say, chopping out all this viney stuff that happens to be wrapped around wild roses, and not getting scratched up.  Or having to worry about getting holes ripped in my shirts.  (I had a little one who wanted to be part of photos, too.  I was telling her here to come a little closer.)

Don’t be misled by the word “farmers.”  You can certainly use these on an actual farm, obviously!  But we just live on a suburban neighborhood lot, and have plenty of use for protective sleeves like this.

Anyone who works out in the yard, whether gardening, landscaping, doing general yard maintenance, arborism (is that a word?), etc. can use these.

Farm & Trim Apron

Along with the sleeves, Farmers Defense also sent me the Farm & Trim apron you see in the photos above and left.  Although it seems like a pretty simple thing, this is a high-quality apron with significant attention to detail.  It can be worn as a half-apron with the top folded under, like I’m wearing it in the photo with my kiddo.

But it’s actually a full-length apron, as seen here.  Because I’m basically an elf, it’s also slightly large on me, even adjusted as small as it goes.  But it works.  And the adjustment range is pretty broad.

The overall apron is made of a fairly lightweight nylon.  It’s a little hard to describe; it isn’t super-lightweight, like windbreaker fabric.  But it isn’t heavy like tent canvas, either.

It’s pretty light but also pretty sturdy — and it’s waterproof so it protects your clothes against plant substances.  It’s also kind of…slippery, almost?  So things don’t stick to it easily, which is also important when working around certain plants.  Gums and resins shouldn’t get embedded in it.

The pocket for your clippers or shears, though, is different.  It is a heavy canvas, so your clippers don’t put a hole in the pocket or tear the apron, but you don’t have that added canvas weight throughout the whole apron.

There are several other pockets, as well, to hold a variety of gear (although they’re all made out of the same fabric as the main apron), including one that snaps shut.  The seams are all sturdily sewn.

And the hardware is really heavy-duty.  This is what the clip and adjustment ring look like on the waist strap:

The fabric may be lightweight, but this is no lightweight addition to the gardener’s toolbox!

Both products came in pretty compact packaging.  (Half-wilted dandelion included for scale.)

Both of these are very well-made, quality products that are quite comfortable on the farm or in the yard or garden.