How to Choose Coated Work Gloves: Liner, Gauge, Coating
Three decisions build a coated glove: what the liner is made of, how fine it is knitted, and what the palm is dipped in. Get those right and the model selects itself.
Liner first: the fibre is the glove
Polyester and nylon liners serve general work. HPPE, steel-fibre and aramid yarns add cut resistance — the liner, not the coating, earns a cut rating. Acrylic terry liners add thermal insulation for winter lines. Choose the fibre for the hazard; everything else is tuning.
Gauge: dexterity against durability
Gauge is stitches per inch. 13-gauge is the general-purpose standard; 15- and 18-gauge knit finer, lighter gloves for dexterity work; 21-gauge is the finest in this range (the HC21xx models); 7- and 10-gauge knit the heavy liners used in anti-vibration, winter and jersey lines. Finer is not better — it is a trade against abrasion life and cost.
Coating: match the surface
PU for dry, clean, tactile work. Micro-foam nitrile for dry-to-light-oil dexterity with breathability. Sandy nitrile for oily and wet grip. Smooth and full-dip nitrile for wet, heavy work. Latex crinkle for the strongest wet-and-dry grip outdoors. The coating guide on this site compares the three families in full.
Related lines
Short answers
What gauge should a general glove be?
13-gauge is the default for general handling; step finer for dexterity-critical work, coarser for thermal or anti-vibration lines.
Does the coating change the cut level?
The rating belongs to the whole tested construction — liner and coating together. Read the level printed for the exact model.
Put the guide to work
Send your task and hazard list. The reply maps it to models with printed, report-backed specifications.