手套是包裹手的服饰或保护器材。作用有：手部保暖、装饰、宗教用途、保护手免遭伤害、隔离手部，特殊的手套也是体育运动的器材。

手套在中国古代并不很普遍。一个原因是汉服的袖子宽大，可以遮挡暖手，或者双手抄在胸前的袖筒内。

但湖北省江陵县出土过战国中期墓葬中的皮手套。另外，马王堆汉墓中的西汉女尸手上戴有丝绣的无指手套。

手套在古希腊、罗马偶有记载。从13世纪起，欧洲的女性开始流行戴手套为装饰。这些手套一般是亚麻布或丝绸质地，可以长达手腕或肘部，亦多有以动物皮革制作，同时为掩盖皮革的气味而将皮手套浸泡于香水的特殊手套。这期间，男性贵族也流行戴有装饰的手套。直到现在，西方许多正式场合都会有以戴手套以表示庄重的传统。

A glove (Middle English from Old English glof) is a garment covering the whole hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no (or a short) covering sheath for each finger they are called fingerless gloves. Fingerless gloves having one large opening rather than individual openings for each finger are sometimes called gauntlets, though gauntlets are not necessarily fingerless. Gloves which cover the entire hand or fist but do not have separate finger openings or sheaths are called mittens. Mittens are warmer than gloves made of the same material because fingers maintain their warmth better when they are in contact with each other. Reduced surface area reduces heat loss.