HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST SAFETY GLOVES FOR WORK

When it comes to safety gloves, there’s no ‘one size fits all.’ 

Instead, choosing the best gloves for your team is a careful balancing act. You’ll need to assess risks, understand compliance requirements, and balance protection with dexterity. Plus, navigate sizing and fit requirements for every worker.

Don’t worry, you’re in the right place!

Here, we’ll walk you through how to choose the best safety gloves for your team. So, every worker can be comfortable, compliant, and protected across every shift.

1. START WITH THE TASK AND RISK 

The best place to start when choosing work gloves is with the task itself. Consider what workers will be doing and what could go wrong. 

Hazards might include:

• Cuts
• Impact
• Liquids
• Abrasions
• Punctures
• Chemicals
• Heat or cold
• Contamination or hygiene risks

Importantly, one glove may not protect against every hazard. So, make sure to consider different requirements across job roles, departments, and sites.

Your risk assessment should always be the starting point when you’re deciding what protection is needed. Which brings us to our next point…

2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF PROTECTION 

Next, it’s a case of matching the risks you’ve identified to the right kind of glove.

There are many different types of safety gloves, each designed to protect against different hazards.

Key types include:

CUT-RESISTANT GLOVES

Does your team handle sharp tools, blades, or materials that could cut skin? Cut-resistant gloves should form part of your PPE assessment.

The EN 388 safety standard covers gloves made to protect against mechanical risks like cuts, tears, punctures, and impact. However, there are cut levels for different risks.

Read our blog on cut-resistant glove ratings for help selecting the right protection level.

CHEMICAL-RESISTANT GLOVES

Does your team handle hazardous substances like acids, solvents, and oils? They’ll need chemical-resistant gloves.

Look for gloves that meet the EN 374 safety standard. This confirms whether gloves offer protection against penetration and permeation and indicates how they perform against these risks.

Read our guide to EN 374 for help choosing the best chemical-resistant gloves for your needs.

COLD PREVENTION GLOVES

Does your team work with extreme heat or cold? They’ll need thermal or cold-storage gloves.

Gloves that protect against thermal risks like heat and fire are covered under the EN 407 safety standard. Meanwhile, the EN 511 standard covers gloves that protect against the cold.

Read our blog about cold weather PPE standards for more guidance on choosing the right type.

FOOD SAFE GLOVES

Does your team handle food in a production environment? The right work gloves can help prevent cross-contamination.

Food safety gloves are usually disposable and made from nitrile, latex, or vinyl. You can also get reusable cut-resistant gloves designed for food handling applications. Look for gloves that meet the EN 1186 standard to confirm they’re safe for direct food contact.

Our blog walks you through choosing the right gloves for food processing.

Ready to find the right gloves for your workplace hazards?
Browse our range of hand protection to find the right fit.

3. CONSIDER THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT

You’ll also need to consider the environment that protective gloves are going to be used in.

For example:

• Temperature – make sure that gloves are warm enough for workers operating outdoors or in cold temperatures
• Hygiene – in hygiene-first environments like food production, disposable gloves lower the risk of contamination
• Wet and slippery conditions – prioritise grip and choose materials that remain effective when exposed to oils or other substances

As you can see, matching work gloves to hazards isn’t the whole picture. Selecting gloves that are suitable for the environment and task at hand will ensure gloves perform as well as possible.

Need help finding the right fit?

Our team of sector experts can identify suitable gloves for your risks, working environment, and compliance requirements. Just get in touch.

4. BALANCE PROTECTION, COMFORT, AND PERFORMANCE 

More protection isn’t always better – especially if it makes gloves unnecessarily bulky, uncomfortable, or restrictive for the task.

The goal should always be to choose the appropriate level of protection for the risk, while balancing this with other factors like:

• Grip - the right level of grip is essential for handling tools, equipment, or materials safely
• Fit - gloves that are too big or too small can impact someone’s ability to do their job safely
• Comfort - uncomfortable gloves are less likely to be worn consistently, which can lead to compliance risks
• Dexterity - bulky or inflexible gloves can prevent workers from being able to perform fiddly or precise tasks 
• Breathability - if gloves don’t allow heat and moisture to escape, hands can get hot and sweaty, leading to discomfort over long shifts

Comfortable gloves that allow the full range of movement will make it easier for workers to perform their jobs safely. Our blog about combining comfort with cut levels has more tips and guidance.

Want to review the use of safety gloves in your workplace?

We offer on-site hand protection audits to help identify the most suitable glove solutions for your workforce.

5. TRIAL BEFORE ROLLING OUT

Don’t just rely on specifications and product descriptions. 

It’s important to make sure that safety gloves perform as expected in real working conditions. That's why we recommend testing products in your workplace before wider implementation.

Our wearer trials allow you to test the quality and performance of gloves before you invest in large quantities for your workforce. So, you only pay for hand protection that you’re 100% confident will serve your team well.

6. CREATE A CLEAR GLOVE SPECIFICATION

Before purchasing protective gloves, you’ll want to make sure you’re absolutely clear about what you need from them.

Here’s a practical summary of what you should establish before ordering:

• Durability - how long should gloves last?
• Fit and sizing - what sizes will workers need?
• Application -  what task will the gloves be used for?
• Hazards - what risks do they need to protect against?
• Standards - what standards do they need to comply with?
• Comfort - can the gloves be worn comfortably throughout a shift?
• Reusable vs disposable - which type is better suited to the application?
• Grip and dexterity - what level of grip and precision do gloves need to facilitate?
• Quantity - how many pairs are needed and how frequently will they be replaced?
• Stock management - how will gloves be stored and replenished across multiple sites?
• Working conditions - do gloves need to be suitable for wet, slippery, hot, or cold conditions?
• Material - are there any requirements or restrictions, such as latex allergies or substances the gloves need to be suitable for?

A clear glove specification makes it easier to compare products, maintain consistency, and ensure that gloves meet your needs.

7. STANDARDISE WHERE IT MAKES SENSE

For large organisations, standardising safety gloves and other PPE can be beneficial.

Standardisation can help:

• Reduce costs 
• Improve consistency
• Improve stock control
• Simplify specifications
• Reduce duplicated admin
• Enhance safety and compliance
• Remove bottlenecks in the approval process

However, that doesn’t mean taking a one-size-fits-all approach. Different sites and departments may well have different needs and compliance requirements to adhere to.

That’s where SMI can help.

We offer a bespoke catalogue maker within the MY-SMI® procurement portal. The MY-CATALOGUE feature allows you to create approved product lists, set up permissions, and establish approval workflows.

That way, you retain control while giving teams access to approved products that meet their requirements.

HOW WE HELP YOU CHOOSE THE BEST SAFETY WORK GLOVES FOR YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Choosing the best safety work gloves for your environment is a careful balancing act. But you don’t have to make the choice alone.

At SMI, we don’t just supply hand protection to our clients. We also act as a true supply partner, supporting you throughout the selection process.

Our support includes:

• Wearer trials for safety gloves – try hand protection in real working conditions before you buy
• Hand protection audits – book an on-site audit to evaluate the use of safety gloves in your workplace
• PPE recycling scheme – dispose of used hand protection easily and sustainably when it needs to be replaced
• Compliant hand protection – find the best safety gloves for your needs with our extensive range of compliant hand protection
• MY-CATALOGUE – standardise hand protection with a bespoke catalogue full of pre-approved products for teams to order from, within the MY-SMI® portal
• Dedicated account management from sector experts – get guidance and product recommendations from a sector expert who gets to know you and your business

Choosing, ordering, and managing hand protection for your workforce has never been easier.

Not sure where to start? Reach out to our team of sector experts for help and guidance.

FAQs 

Is cut level 5 better than 4?

Yes, cut level 5 gloves offer better protection against cut hazards than cut level 4 gloves.

However, the goal should be to choose the appropriate level of protection for the risk, rather than the maximum amount of protection possible.

Read our guide to cut resistant glove ratings to learn more.

Which glove is better, nitrile or latex?

Nitrile gloves are typically preferred for chemical resistance, durability, and environments where latex allergies are a concern. 

On the other hand, latex gloves are better for touch sensitivity and flexibility.

Read our guide to choosing between nitrile, vinyl, and latex gloves for more guidance.

Does the colour of nitrile gloves mean anything?

There’s no universal colour code for nitrile gloves. However, assigning different coloured nitrile gloves to different areas or tasks can help prevent cross-contamination in food processing environments.

Head over to our disposable glove range to shop for coloured nitrile gloves.