Work gloves come in many types and sizes. But which gloves do you need?
Table of Contents
- What types of work gloves are there?
- What are the materials and features?
- Which work glove for which job?
- Standards
- What size work gloves do I have?
In this blog, we explain what types of work gloves there are, what the material is, and what their features are. Finally, we provide a good overview of the types of work gloves and where they can be best used. This way, you have all the information at hand to choose the perfect glove for every job!
What types of work gloves are there?
Of course, there are many different types of work gloves. On the work gloves page, we have made a selection. This can be divided into:
- General use
- Cut-, oil-, or impact-resistant
- Cold- or heat-resistant
- Welding work gloves
- Disposables
General use
The name says it all, these gloves are suitable for almost any job. However, it is useful to look at the specific features of the work glove and for which job you want to use it. Do you want more grip? Then look at nitrile work gloves or latex work gloves. Do you want to move delicate objects without leaving marks or possible scratches, for example a painting? Then a cotton work glove is recommended.
On our site you can easily filter by the features of the work glove. For example, you can choose grip, flexibility, or high finger sensitivity. In addition, you can also filter by material and the conditions in which you use the work glove. Of course, filters for color, size, brand, and price are not missing.
As mentioned, the type of job is the most important when finding the right work glove. Here are a few handy tips:
- Is there a lot of lifting involved? Then look for a glove with a lot of grip.
- When working with a lot of dirt, it is useful to choose a closed cuff so that the dirt cannot get into the glove.
- Pay close attention to the number of gloves: some work gloves are sold per 12 pairs.
- Pay attention to cold or warm conditions.
- If you work with moisture, water, or oil, make sure you have waterproof or water-repellent work gloves.
Often, a nitrile work glove is sufficient to get the job done. Our Oxxa line is extremely suitable for this. They are excellent gloves at a sharp price, which are very durable.
What are the materials and features?
The material of a work glove is naturally important. However, the characteristics of the material are often not known. Below are the characteristics of many materials described.
Nitrile
Nitrile is slightly sticky by itself. Because of this, nitrile provides the best grip for dry work. However, if nitrile comes into contact with water, the glove loses all grip. Nitrile is suitable for work with oil. The grip is then reasonably maintained.
There are also Nitrile NFT coatings. NFT stands for ‘Nitrile Foam Technology’. This coating is based on nitrile with microcapsules, which provides good anti-slip. This coating is super soft, light, and flexible.
Latex
Latex is a flexible and soft coating. It can be used during wet conditions and remains the most flexible in cold conditions. This coating is dipped or laminated. A dipped coating is flexible and soft. A laminated coating is glued to the palm of the hand. The latex is applied thicker here and is therefore suitable for heavy work. Latex is ideal for work where lifting is required and for work where you are working with slippery objects.
Polyurethane (PU)
PU is a light and breathable coating. This coating is very comfortable and provides ultimate finger sensitivity. PU leaves no fingerprints and is suitable for work with water and oil. View our PU gloves here.
PVC
PVC protects against chemical risks and microorganisms and is suitable for working with oils, greases, and acids. The material is waterproof and resistant to abrasion and sharp objects. The gloves have a good grip and are supple.
Neoprene
Neoprene was developed as an alternative to natural rubber and is the first synthetic rubber. It also has good abrasion resistance, but not as good as nitrile or PVC. It has good cut resistance and excellent finger sensitivity. In terms of feel and flexibility, it is very similar to natural rubber. Neoprene offers excellent resistance to many hazardous chemicals such as acids, alcohol, oil, grease, solvents, ink, coolants, cleaning agents, and fertilizer. Neoprene is chemically resistant and impermeable to gases, vapors, and moisture.
Leather
Leather (or cowhide) work gloves offer mechanical protection, are durable, and ensure that the hands do not get too hot or too cold. Most leather work gloves are made of cowhide or pigskin and come in split leather and grain leather variants. Split leather is 100% leather that has been processed by a splitting machine so that it is thinner. It is cut-resistant and often lined with fleece, which provides heat resistance and moisture absorption. Grain leather is water-repellent and very supple.
Jersey
Jersey fabric, also simply called jersey, is a machine-made fabric that is used, among other things, for making various types of garments. In fact, jersey is not a real fabric type, but a collective name for multiple fabrics that all have the same knit. It is a rib knit.
In the past, garments made of jersey were made by hand. Nowadays, more and more garments are made from this type of fabric by machines, but you can still use jersey to make your own garments. In this case, you order the jersey fabric ready-made, but you use the fabric to make a garment yourself.
Jersey fabric and cotton: what is the difference?
Many people confuse jersey and cotton fabrics. However, they are two different types of fabrics. Jersey fabrics always have the rib knit. It is not a real fabric, but a group of fabrics that all have this knit. Cotton is a real fabric type.
Work glove standards
There are 5 standards for work gloves. These standards are established to ensure that work gloves meet certain conditions and apply throughout Europe.
- EN 388. Provides protection against physical and mechanical hazards resulting from abrasion, cutting, perforation, and tearing.
- EN 374 Provides protection against chemicals and microorganisms.
- EN 407. Provides protection against thermal hazards.
- EN 511. Provides protection against cold
- EN 421. Provides protection against ionizing radiation and radioactive contamination.
What size work gloves do I have?
When determining the glove size, the widest part of the palm must be used as a basis. This is just below the knuckles of the flat hand. Then measure the circumference (without the thumb) of the palm with a measuring tape in centimeters.
Are you between two sizes? Then we recommend choosing the larger size.
| Size Netherlands | XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL |
| International size | 4-5 | 6-6.5 | 7-8 | 8.5-9.5 | 10-11 | 11.5-12 |
| Men's hand circumference (cm) | 15-16 | 17-18 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-28 | 29-30 |
| Women's hand circumference (cm) | 12-15 | 16-17 | 18-19 | 20-22 | 23-25 | 26-28 |
| Hand length (cm) | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |