How glove gauge affects glove performance
Introduction
From cotton to nylon to aramids, string knit safety gloves offer various levels of hazard protection and are typically classified by their gauge, ranging from 7-gauge to 21-gauge. But what is glove gauge and how does it affect glove performance?
Introduction
From cotton to nylon to aramids, string knit safety gloves offer various levels of hazard protection and are typically classified by their gauge, ranging from 7-gauge to 21-gauge. But what is glove gauge and how does it affect glove performance?
What is a glove gauge?
Gauge refers to the number of stitches per 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. Note: although gauge refers to yarn, you’ll often hear the term glove gauge. This carries the same meaning. It is simply a shorthand way to refer to glove thickness.
One might assume that lower-gauge equals lighter and higher-gauge equals heavier—but in fact, the opposite is true. Lower-gauge gloves are thicker, more durable, and less dexterous. In comparison, higher-gauge gloves are lighter, less durable, and offer more dexterity. Refer to the chart below for a quick reference of glove gauge versus glove performance.
Let’s explore this further.
Gauge refers to the number of stitches per 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. Note: although gauge refers to yarn, you’ll often hear the term glove gauge. This carries the same meaning. It is simply a shorthand way to refer to glove thickness.
One might assume that lower-gauge equals lighter and higher-gauge equals heavier—but in fact, the opposite is true. Lower-gauge gloves are thicker, more durable, and less dexterous. In comparison, higher-gauge gloves are lighter, less durable, and offer more dexterity. Refer to the chart below for a quick reference of glove gauge versus glove performance.
Let’s explore this further.
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. Knowing how glove gauge affects protection, dexterity, and durability can help you choose the right protection for your team.
Glove gauge and protection
Traditionally, workers have relied on lower-gauge gloves for high-risk tasks involving cut and puncture hazards as they provide a thicker barrier from penetrating the material. However, thicker gloves make precision work impractical as they lack dexterity and tactile feel, often leading workers to remove their protection and increase the risk of injuries. Thanks to technological advancements in manufacturing yarn, we can now integrate high levels of mechanical protection like extreme cut resistance into higher-gauge gloves.
At Superior Glove we’ve applied these innovations to manufacture our thinnest S21TX line of TenActiv™ gloves offering maximum ANSI A9 cut protection.
Glove gauge and dexterity
Dexterity, also referred to as range of motion, is the ease at which a task can be performed. Workers will often choose to remove gloves because they lack the required dexterity to work comfortably and efficiently, especially when it comes to precision work.
Higher-gauge gloves (18-gauge to 21-gauge) are more dexterous because they are thinner and lighter so they offer more flexibility and a higher tactile feel. This makes them ideal for tasks that require fine motor skill and precision work.
Medium-gauge gloves (13-gauge to 15-gauge) sit between in their thickness. They offer some more cushioning than higher-gauge gloves but more dexterity than lower-gauge gloves. This allows a happy balance between the benefits and tradeoffs of higher- and lower- gauge gloves.
Lower-gauge gloves (7-gauge to 10-gauge) are less dexterous, because they’re thicker and less flexible and have a lower tactile feel. These make them a better option for heavy material handling that requires more cushioning but less dexterity.
Glove gauge and dexterity
Glove durability often refers to the glove’s longevity or wear-life. Generally, lower-gauge gloves are more durable because they are thicker. This means there is more material present to wear out. This is why, lower-gauge gloves are often the preferred option for tasks that are rough or abrasive.
However, glove gauge is not the only factor that impacts glove durability. Additives like palm coatings can also significantly improve glove durability of high-gauge gloves that may be the deciding factor when working with tasks that also require more dexterity and precision work.
