Interactive tool · Glove sizing
Gloves are the most wrongly-sized PPE on any site — usually 'L, because L is what the box said last time'. Hands don't work that way: a glove a half-size big wrecks dexterity and gets taken off, and off is the most dangerous size of all. Thirty seconds with a tape fixes it.
The tool
Tape around the knuckles of your dominant hand (exclude the thumb), fist relaxed.
The reference
| Knuckle circumference | EU size | Typical letter |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 16 cm | 6 | XS |
| 16–18 cm | 7 | S |
| 18–20 cm | 8 | M |
| 20–23 cm | 9 | L |
| 23–25 cm | 10 | XL |
| 25–28 cm | 11 | 2XL |
| 28 cm + | 12 | 3XL |
The rules
Questions
Tape around the knuckles of your dominant hand, excluding the thumb, with the hand relaxed. The circumference maps to EU sizes: roughly 18–20 cm is a size 8, 20–23 cm a 9, 23–25 cm a 10. Quote the EU number when ordering — letters vary by maker.
Snug: fingertips reaching the ends without pressure, no loose material in the palm. Between sizes, go down for dexterity tasks and up only when wearing liners underneath. Loose gloves cost grip and get removed — a glove in a pocket protects nothing.
Letters (S/M/L) aren't standardised — one maker's L is cut like another's XL. The EU number system (6–12) maps directly to hand circumference in a consistent way, which is why serious glove ranges lead with the number and why it's the one to keep on file per employee.
The matching certified kit is one click away — or ask a human if the tool didn't settle it.