There are few resources when it comes to choosing protective wear. Cut gloves, for example, have certain factors that need to be considered before you buy a pair.
To pick the right pair for yourself, you need to assess the material used, the features present, and the overall grade of the gloves. And the best part is that all three factors can be evaluated individually to help you decide.
Here’s how you do it:
Rely on the material quality to choose the gloves
All cut-resistant hand–wear accessories use certain materials as their base. Analysing which material suits your beds is a helpful way to decide which gloves you should buy.
Here are a few of the most commonly used bases:
- Leather: Puncture-proof and offers incredible resistance to heat and electrical sparks
- Metal mesh: Highly durable and comes with self-adjusting wrist flexibility.
- Hand/Factory-knit: User-friendly with an exceptional fit and excellent for handling small appliance parts
- Chain mail: A variant of the metal mesh and primarily used with sharp objects such as industrial-grade cleavers
- Palm coated: Blend of leather and coated palm that protects you from chemical hazards.
- Kevlar: The most durable and sturdy type of cut-resistant gloves primarily used in the automobile industry or flammable projects
- Spectra: Similar to Kevlar gloves, but include an additional anti-slip feature to help maintain a better grip in humid environments.
Check the features of the glove.
Protective gear must ensure the safety of the one wearing it. While considering your options, look for cut gloves that blend various materials. The best ones use leather, metal and spectra to make the accessory resistant to even the sharpest blades.
In choosing these gloves, you ensure that the accessory you pick can be used for multiple purposes, such as carving, grating or general carpentry.
Along with utility, you should consider comfort. When you try the pair on, check the glove’s overall weight, fit, thickness, and elasticity. In addition, you should prioritise anything that is machine washable. That will save you a lot of time and effort when cleaning them.
Let the grade help you in selecting a pair.
There are specific mandates and safety standards for such cut-resistant accessories. However, there are distinctions in the grading system based on geographic location. Australia, for example, uses a variant of the EN388 system, while the US follows the ANSI rating. The general classification, though, is relatively straightforward:
- A1: Resistant to mild abrasions such as paper cuts and meant for material handling and assembling parts
- A2/A3: General-purpose protective wear that is widely used in construction and warehouse activities
- A4: Useful for risky tasks such as handling glass, electrical equipment and metal parts
- A5/A6: Heavy-duty gloves that are primarily used in stamping, recycling sharp metal and also in the aerospace industry
- A7+: Industrial applications such as cutting steel cables, sheet metal
Putting it all together
Based on the information above, you can weigh your options and decide on a pair of cut gloves.
However, if you want to make a purchase casually without considering many factors, you can leave out one of the purchasing determinants. For instance, you could exclusively focus on grade quality and the base material to make your choice.