Cactus gardening gloves…

I am not brand loyal, but have these and these right now. I prefer the bamboo/latex pair.

DH bought some garden sleeves for my sisters, but can't remember what brand. He bought them for blackberry picking and they have been a huge hit for protecting their arms from thorns.

Amazon garden sleeves

A landscape designer gave me the best tip about using cardboard when working around cacti and it really works. We keep a few boxes broken down in the garage and use them to create a barrier between the plant and where we are working (usually to weed or clean out pups between plants). We will use a couple pieces like potholders to move plants around and/or into the yard waste/compost bin.