Gauging Hand Safety
What is glove gauge, and how does it affect hand safety and performance?
- By Raghu Chakkravarthy, Ian Lanpher
- Jun 11, 2024
Glove gauge is a commonly used term to classify knit safety gloves. From cotton to nylon to aramids, string knit gloves typically range from 7-gauge to 21-gauge and offer varying degrees of hazard protection. But does gauge have any effect on glove performance? To answer this, we first need to understand what glove gauge means.
What is a Glove Gauge?
Put simply, glove gauge refers to the thickness of gloves. Gauge defines the number of stitches in each inch of knit material. As the number of stitches increases, so does the gauge. This means the yarn is thinner, allowing for a thinner glove. When there are fewer stiches per inch of yarn, the yarn is thicker and thus the glove is thicker. Some often assume that lower-gauge equals lighter, while higher-gauge equals heavier—but in fact, the opposite is true. Lower-gauge gloves are thicker and heavier, so they are more durable but less dexterous. In comparison, higher-gauge gloves are lighter, so they are less durable but offer more flexibility and dexterity. Now let’s get back to our original question, does gauge affect performance?
How Gauge Affects Glove Performance
No one gauge is better than the other. It all depends on the tasks and hazards for which they’re needed. However, it is important to know how glove gauge affects protection, dexterity, and durability to help choose the right protection for your team. Refer to the chart below for a quick reference of glove gauge versus glove performance:
This article originally appeared in the June 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.