Protective qualities for safety gloves (and other PPE) largely depend on the materials used. Different materials provide varying levels of protection against hazards like cuts, chemicals, extreme temperatures, etc., but no glove is universally suited for all tasks.

Thermoplastic materials are versatile plastics known for their flexibility, strength, and lightweight properties. However, when exposed to high temperatures, they can melt and cause serious burn injuries.

HPPE gloves are known for their lightweight yet strong fiber composition, which provides excellent cut resistance without sacrificing flexibility. But did you know that HPPE is thermoplastic? This means that when exposed to heat, the fibers can lose their strength and protective qualities, and at extreme temperatures even melt and graft to your skin, causing serious burns. This makes safety gloves made with HPPE unsuitable for high-heat environments and should be avoided.

Like HPPE, nylon and polyester are also thermoplastic materials. Nylon is exceptionally flexible, and polyester is known for its strength and durability. But, when exposed to heat, they can soften, melt, and graft to your skin in high-temperature environments, posing serious safety risks.

Additives are often incorporated into safety gloves to enhance mechanical protection like cut, puncture, abrasion etc.

Wire core and fiberglass are often used in safety gloves to enhance cut resistance and durability. The material is lightweight, strong, and effective at reinforcing gloves for tasks involving sharp or abrasive objects. However, prolonged use of these gloves, especially around high-friction tasks, can cause fibers to poke through the glove lining and lead to skin irritation known as “glass itch” or “wire itch.” This sensation is caused by fibers embedding in the skin that can result in minor inflammation after extended use. Similarly, damaged gloves can also expose the fiberglass or wire core as the outer layer wears down or tears, leading to discomfort.

While all materials degrade over time, there are some that exhibit rapid reduction in protective qualities when exposed to certain materials or environments.

Chemical degradation happens when materials break down at a structural level, compromising the protective qualities of safety gloves. This is the case with para-aramid (ParaActivTM) gloves when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light or bleach. While strong and durable with outstanding heat resistance, prolonged exposure to UV light can weaken their structure, causing them to lose their strength and flexibility. This results in a reduced ability to protect against cuts and punctures. Harsh chemicals like bleach can also significantly accelerate degradation for para-aramid (ParaActivTM) gloves, making the fibers brittle and more prone to damage, ultimately reducing their protective performance.

Note: For tasks involving hazardous substances, only use chemical-resistant gloves specifically designed to handle those chemicals. The best way to shop for chemical gloves for your team is by first identifying the chemical being handled and then matching it with the glove material that resists that chemical. For this, you can ask an expert or consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) which details essential information about specific chemicals. The MSDS describes the properties and potential hazards of the material, how to use it safely, and what to do in an emergency.

As mentioned earlier, safety gloves made with thermoplastic materials such as HPPE (TenActivTM), Nylon, and polyester can be unsafe to use for tasks involving heat exposure as they can melt and graft to your skin. Thermoplastic degradation can also occur when these materials are laundered / washed in high temperatures. The heat can cause fibers to melt, shrink, and lose their structural integrity—compromising the gloves’ protective capabilities.

Understanding the limitations of glove materials is essential for ensuring optimal hand protection. While each material offers unique benefits, it’s important to recognize factors, such as those listed above, that can minimize the lifespan and performance of your PPE and compromise worker safety.

If you’re not sure which protection is right for the task or have questions regarding specific products, it is best to ask an expert. At Superior Glove, you can get expert advice for all your hand safety or product questions from a real person—not a chatbot— to ensure you get the right protection for your team.

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.

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.

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 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.

• How heat transfer happens
• Common materials used to manufacture heat-resistant gloves
• Materials to avoid when working around heat hazards
• Safety standards and tests used to verify if the gloves are heat resistant

Heat is transferred in three ways:

Conduction: Involves the transfer of heat through direct contact between objects. For example, holding on to a hot object, like a hot tray from the oven, is conduction heat.

Convection: Heat transfer process that takes place within a fluid, such as air. For example, when you open a hot oven door and hot, steamy air blows out, is convective heat.

Radiant: Heat transfer, or ambient heat transfer, occurs without physical contact between objects, and heat can propagate through empty spaces. Welding is a perfect example of radiant heat.

Manufacturers primarily focus on conductive heat resistance as this is the most common way workers are exposed to high heat hazards. They use materials known to resist heat (known as resistors) and instead direct the heat to areas using materials designed to safely absorb heat (known as sinks).

As with other safety standards, heat-resistant gloves are not heat proof. If a person is in contact with a hot object for long enough, eventually the heat will build up and cause injuries to the wearer. This is why heat protection is measured using time to pain and alarm time.

Time to pain: The time it takes to feel heat or discomfort.

Alarm time: The time it takes to experience second-degree burns.

Heat resistant gloves can be made from synthetic and natural materials that are known to resist heat.

• Synthetic materials like para-aramids (ParaActivTM), meta-aramids (MetaActivTM), and silicone.

• Natural materials like cotton, wool, and leather.

• Palm coating on safety gloves can also improve heat resistance. Palm coating materials used for heat protection include silicone, neoprene, and nitrile.

Trapped air, also known as lofting, is used to improve heat resistance. This is why you will find that, due to more trapped air, thicker gloves tend to be more heat resistant than thinner gloves.

Glove manufacturers can also use a combination of materials that absorb and resist heat to achieve a higher level of heat protection. For example, at Superior Glove, we use puffed silicone strips that are designed to resist and trap heat and a brick pattern design that decreases the surface area for the hot object, further reducing heat transfer.

Some materials are known to melt when exposed to heat. These are known as thermoplastic materials and should be completely avoided when working around heat hazards. Thermoplastic materials can melt and graft to your skin and cause serious burn injuries. These include HPPE (TenActivTM), nylon, and polyester.

ESD gloves are made from lightweight materials designed to dissipate static electricity while ensuring comfort, flexibility, and protection to allow for precision work. Materials used typically have conductive or dissipative properties that neutralize static charges.

• Conductive fibers like stainless steel or silver thread are woven into the glove fabric to dissipate static charges quickly and efficiently
• Carbon-infused materials that help dissipate static charges safely without creating sparks
• Special coatings that offer dissipative properties
• Antistatic additives may be mixed into glove material to enhance dissipative properties

ESD gloves are usually gray, white, black, or blue. The color choice is mainly for practical purposes like visibility and environment-specific needs without affecting the gloves’ ESD properties. Gray and black are common in industrial settings for masking dirt and wear, while white and light blue are often used in cleanrooms to easily spot contamination.

ESD gloves are used for various tasks across industries where controlling static electricity is crucial to protect sensitive electronic components or protect environments where static control is vital including:

• Material and technologies used in cold-resistant gloves
• Safety standards and tests used to verify cold resistance in gloves
• Questions to ask before choosing gloves for cold protection

Insulation works by trapping air. Compression of insulation materials when working with heavy objects can reduce warmth provided to the wearers’ hands due to the loss of trapped air. To counter this, compression-resistant materials like foam or rubber are strategically placed in areas such as fingertips and palms to maintain insulation. Compression-resistant materials also create a barrier of separation from contact with cold objects, further reducing heat loss.erproof gloves.”

All our winter gloves are tested in a specialized laboratory cold chamber.
Cold protection on our products is represented by the following icon that clearly communicates the lowest temperature rating established by laboratory results:

Testing Method:

1. 1. Gloves are placed on a metal hand form, wired with sensors, and heated internally to 98.6°F (35°C) to mimic the human hand
   2. Tiny pores on the metal hand simulates “sweating” to mimic what happens when a real hand is in a glove
   3. Meanwhile, the chamber replicates humidity, wind chill, and cold temperatures
   4. Data compiled from these elements allow us to provide a rating that indicates the lowest possible temperature protection a glove can comfortably provide

EN 511 is the European test used to assess Thermal gloves offering protection against Cold hazards. The results are shown as numbers under the symbol EN511:2006.

A. Test for thermal insulation against convective cold.
This test indicates how well a glove insulates and maintains the hand temperature against the surrounding cold air.

A mannequin hand is heated to body temperature which is enclosed in a chamber with a fan that blows air over the glove set to 20ºC lower than the gloved hand, the power required to maintain the hand temperature is taken.

The higher the power requirement, the lower the glove’s thermal resistance, which is shown with a lower convective cold score—scored between 0 and 4.

B. Test for contact cold (conduction)
This test measures the thermal resistance of the glove—heat transfer when the glove is holding a cold object.

The test for contact cold places the glove material between two metal plates at different temperatures. The temperature drop is measured across the test glove material and used to calculate its thermal resistance between 0 and 4.

C. Test for water penetration
The glove is submerged in water for 30 minutes, if water passes through to the inside, it is considered a Fail, shown with 0. If, after 30 minutes, the water hasn’t penetrated to the inside, the glove will score a Pass, shown as 1.

• Water resistant vs. waterproof safety gloves
• Technologies used to achieve waterproofing in safety gloves
• Questions to ask before choosing water protection

While the terms waterproof and water resistant are used interchangeably there are differences in the level of water protection they provide.

Water-resistant gloves repel water but are not completely impervious to water penetration. In this method, a water-resistant (hydrophobic) chemical is sprayed on the exterior material of safety gloves which helps create a barrier to prevent fibers from soaking up liquids.

Water-resistant treatment can be used on leather, mechanics style, and string-knit gloves. However, it offers a temporary solution as the spray-on chemical eventually wears off with repeated use and exposure to water. For this reason, water-resistant gloves offer the best protection against incidental exposure to water without full hand submersion.

Waterproof gloves are made with solid and impermeable layers that make it almost impossible for water to pass through. This makes them ideal for tasks that involve full hand submersion or consistent exposure to water.

Chemical gloves coated with a polymer such as nitrile, PVC, or latex are considered waterproof as they exhibit inherent water and chemical resistant properties that prohibit water penetration. Similarly, disposable gloves constructed of the above-mentioned polymers are also considered waterproof.

Waterproof lining can also be used to achieve waterproofing in leather, string knit, and mechanics style gloves, discussed next.

Membrane liners (or impermeable layers) are used for waterproofing safety gloves. This method involves inserting a layer of waterproof material (plastic base) into gloves to keep hands dry and comfortable in wet conditions. There are two commonly used construction methods to achieve waterproofing in safety gloves.

Safety gloves constructed with double-layer waterproofing feature a waterproof outer layer and an inner layer for comfort. The outer layer protects against water, while the inner layer provides breathability and helps wick moisture (sweat) away from the wearers’ hands. These waterproof safety gloves are lightweight, which adds to the comfort and ease of use. To understand the double-layer construction better, think of a rain jacket with a lining: the outer layer keeps you dry, while the soft inner lining adds a cozy touch.

Limitation: One apparent drawback of the double-layer construction method is that if the outer layer is damaged, it compromises the waterproofing of the gloves.

In the triple-layer construction method, a membrane is sandwiched between an outer protective layer and an inner liner. The outer layer is usually made of materials that offer mechanical protection required for the task like cut, puncture, abrasion etc., whereas the inner layer is intended for comfort and breathability. Materials like nylon and cotton are popular choices for the inner layer. The most commonly used material for the waterproof membrane is polyethylene.

The triple-layer construction provides more durability (i.e., protection against wear and tear) and better breathability compared to other construction methods. However, it is also more costly.

For leather, string knit, and mechanics style safety gloves, the waterproofing membrane is inserted in between two layers. The inner layer is stitched with the outer layer without the stitches going through the membrane to avoid puncturing and damaging it.

Limitation: Because of the three distinct layers, a drawback of this technique is that it can lead to slippage between materials which can reduce glove dexterity and sense of feel.

For some string knit gloves, the waterproofing membrane is laminated in between the outer and inner layers. This process allows all three layers to unify as a single layer, so there is no slippage between any materials

Water is rarely a standalone hazard in many situations. In wet environments, you not only have to choose the gloves that offer the best water protection for your workers but also protection from the other possible hazards like cut, cold, and abrasion, among others.

Before deciding on water-resistant gloves, ask a few questions to ensure you choose the best option for the task:

Is the water exposure incidental or consistent? Is it splashes or is it submersion? If your workers are only sometimes exposed to water that does not require full hand submersion, water-resistant gloves are sufficient, if not, then waterproof gloves will likely be a better option.

What other hazards are present? If your workers are dealing with abrasive materials, tools, or equipment that present other hazards like cut or puncture, you may want to choose waterproof gloves made with a triple-layer construction method as it includes an additional layer on top to protect the waterproof membrane.

Are your workers working in cold environments? If yes, choose waterproof gloves with winter lining as wet hands in the cold exacerbate the risk of hypothermia

Will the hands be submerged past the wrist? If yes, choose water-resistant gloves with longer cuffs and where the waterproofing treatment extends all the way to the cuffs. With both, water-resistant and waterproof gloves, water can penetrate between skin and cuffs and compromise its protection.

• Underlying forces that cause abrasion injuries
• Common abrasion-resistant materials, including their advantages and limitations
• Safety standards and tests used to verify the abrasion resistance level of gloves

To understand abrasion resistance, we must first understand the underlying forces that cause abrasion injuries.

Friction is a resistive force that occurs when two surfaces in contact move relative to one another. In other words, the action of one surface or object rubbing against another. In the case of workers wearing safety gloves, this repeated force causes the glove’s material to wear off and exposes hands to injury risks.

How are these forces counteracted?

By wearing safety gloves made with materials that are durable and resist abrasion. This ensures it’s harder to abrade or wear out the material too fast. Thickness of the material is another factor that increases the time it takes to abrade the material.

The most common material used for abrasion protection is leather due to its inherent resistance and durability. However, other materials are also used to manufacture abrasion-resistant gloves.

Naturally durable and abrasion-resistant, leather is a frontrunner for most glove manufacturers and workers to protect against abrasive tasks and reduce glove wear and tear. Liners can be sewn into leather gloves to offer protection from additional hazards, and other additives and treatments can also be integrated to enhance glove performance.

Because leather is a natural material, it softens over time to conform to the hand’s shape. This adds to the dexterity and comfort. However, not all types of leather offer equal protection. Cow leather is the most common type of leather used for abrasion-resistant safety gloves and offers high-abrasion resistance. Goat is a close second, due to its soft and supple feel and high dexterity. Other leather types offer varying levels of durability, dexterity, and abrasion resistance.

To learn more about the key attributes and the differences between the various types of leather check out our Glove 101 guide | Glove Shell Materials that discusses the topic in detail.

The construction and design of the leather gloves also play an important role. At Superior Glove, we design many of our leather gloves with reinforced thumb crotch and reinforced leather palms to provide extra durability against high wear and tear areas.

In knit gloves, a lower gauge equals a thicker material which helps reduce wear and tear. But this alone offers only nominal protection against abrasive tasks. In recent years, synthetic materials have been engineered to compete with leather for abrasion resistance.

To improve abrasion resistance in knit gloves, glove manufacturers often use other additives such as palm coatings and reinforced leather palms to increase durability and resistance against abrasive tasks.

Palm coatings act as an added layer to resist friction and provide a better grip against repeated sliding and rubbing, maintaining the longevity of the material before it abrades through the shell. Some of the more popular options for palm coatings for abrasion-resistant knit gloves include micropore nitrile, silicone, and latex due to their high durability. At Superior Glove, we also have our own specially formulated nitrile-based coating that maximizes durability and dexterity to achieve high abrasion resistance in our safety gloves.

Knit gloves with leather palms patches help achieve higher level of abrasion resistance as it improves durability in high wear and tear areas.

To learn more about glove palm coatings, their benefits, and limitations, check out our Glove 101 guide | Glove Additives and Treatments that discusses the topic in detail.

The CFIA is a Canadian regulatory body that is responsible for ensuring that food-safety standards are met. When it comes to gloves used in food handling, CFIA compliance indicates that the gloves adhere to the agency’s guidelines and are safe for contact with food. CFIA compliant gloves are suitable for food processing, preparation, and handling. They meet specific requirements related to materials, cleanliness, and safety.

The FDA is a regulatory body in the United States responsible for regulating various products, including medical devices, drugs, and food. For safety gloves, FDA compliance means that the gloves meet the FDA’s safety and quality standards. These standards cover material composition, durability, and intended use.

Both regulatory bodies work to prevent contamination and maintain food hygiene. Businesses must adhere to CFIA / FDA guidelines to ensure the safety of food-handling gloves.

CFIA / FDA guidelines focus on food-safe gloves made with materials that avoid contamination due to shedding, chemical leeching, and linting. They must also be sanitary.

• Non-shedding material: The material used should be non-shedding to avoid contamination.
• Non-toxicity: The materials used in food-safe gloves should be non-toxic and free from harmful additives or coatings that could transfer to the food.
• Resistance to chemicals: Food-safe gloves should resist chemicals commonly used in food handling and preparations to prevent degradation or contamination.
• Ease of cleaning: Generally, food-safe gloves should be made with materials that can be bleached and withstand heat without deteriorating. To maintain hygiene standards, they should be easy to clean and sanitize between uses, or designed to be discarded after single use.
• Durability: Food-safe gloves should be durable enough to withstand the rigors of food handling without tearing or puncturing, which could lead to contamination.

Food contamination can lead to wide-scale factory shutdowns, resulting in significant losses and the possibility of lawsuits. Glove manufacturers utilize different technologies and techniques to help in contamination detection.

Chemical exposure injuries result from the body’s adverse reaction to acidic or basic chemicals on contact. But where can workers come across such chemicals?

Almost every industrial setting uses some chemicals. In mining, workers separate minerals through chemical solutions like arsenic. In the oil and gas industry, workers treat and process the oil using various chemicals like nitric acid. Workers also frequently encounter several chemicals in everyday cleaning and maintenance tasks such as bleach, hydrogen peroxide, degreasers, and more. The severity of exposure in any of these cases depends on the specific chemical properties of the substance they’re handling.

Superior Glove offers chemical-resistant gloves that are designed to avoid direct contact with hazardous substances and surfaces by creating a barrier to prevent liquid penetration. Chemical gloves use a double- or single-layer construction method. In the double-layer method (supported), the outer shell is made of materials that serves as a barrier against chemicals and liquids, while the inner layer offers comfort and support. The single-layer method (unsupported) only contains the outer shell to protect against chemicals and liquids.

Chemical gloves are made with rubber materials (natural and synthetic) that resist chemicals and liquids. The most common materials used in chemical-resistant gloves include nitrile, PVC, neoprene, latex, and PU.

The best way to choose the right material is to identify the chemical you’re handling and match it to the glove material that resists that chemical. For this, you can ask an expert or consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for your chemical, discussed later.

Glove liners serve as an added layer to enhance comfort, warmth, or protection for the wearer, depending on the task and work conditions. Chemical-resistant gloves with liners are called supported, while gloves without liners are called unsupported.

• Supported Gloves: These gloves feature an inner liner that shapes the hand and provides support for structural integrity. Cotton and nylon are the two most common materials used as liners for chemical gloves. The lining adds to the gloves’ comfort, durability, and ease of donning and doffing.
• Unsupported Gloves: Unsupported gloves lack an inner liner, making them less comfortable and ergonomic. They are an alternative for situations where structural integrity and hand shape retention are less critical