If you buy safety gloves across markets, you have met the same problem twice: a US spec sheet says ANSI A4, a European one says EN 388:2016 4X43D, and nobody tells you whether they are the same glove. They are not, but they are convertible. This guide gives you the working conversion we use on our own production line.
Why two standards exist
Both standards measure the same thing – how much force a straight blade needs to cut through the material – but they were written by different bodies and they round the results into different buckets.
- ANSI/ISEA 105 (United States) ranks cut resistance from A1 (lowest) to A9 (highest).
- EN 388:2016+A1:2018 (Europe, and ISO 13997 for the cut test) ranks it from A (lowest) to F (highest).
Note the trap: EN 388 letters run upward to F, and F is the highest European level. There is no “G”. Buyers who assume the alphabet continues are quoting themselves out of the top grades.
The test behind the number: TDM-100
Both modern scales are built on the same machine – the TDM-100 test described in ISO 13997. A straight blade is drawn once across the fabric under a fixed load, and the result is the force (in newtons) at which the blade cuts through in 20 mm of travel. Because both scales come off the same machine, they convert cleanly.
The older EN 388 “coup test” (the first digit in a code like 4X43D) is a different method and is not reliable on high-hardness materials – the blade dulls against glass and steel fibre and the result reads falsely high. That is exactly why the 2016 revision added the ISO 13997 letter. When you compare gloves, compare the letter, not the first digit.
Conversion table (EN 388 letter to ANSI level)
| EN 388:2016 | ANSI/ISEA 105 | Cutting force (ISO 13997) | Typical application |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | A1 | 2 – 5 N | Light assembly, packaging, warehousing |
| B | A2 | 5 – 10 N | General handling, light metal, automotive trim |
| C | A3 | 10 – 15 N | Glass handling, sheet metal, appliance assembly |
| D | A4 | 15 – 22 N | Stamping, recycling, automotive assembly |
| E | A5 | 22 – 30 N | Sharp stamping, HVAC, heavy fabrication |
| F | A6 and above | 30 N and above | Glass manufacturing, blade handling, recycling |
Two things to watch. First, ANSI splits the upper range more finely: A6, A7, A8 and A9 all sit above 30 N, and EN 388 has only one bucket (F) for all of them. Second, ANSI A1 also starts slightly lower than EN 388 A, so a glove at 2 N can be A1 in the US and ungraded in Europe.
What to do with A7, A8 and A9 in Europe
There is no European letter above F. If your glove tests at 45 N or 60 N, the honest EN 388 marking is still F, and the actual measured value has to appear on the test report. A spec sheet that only says “F” can hide anything from 30 N to 90 N. When you source top-grade gloves, ask for the newton value from the ISO 13997 report, not just the letter. Our top grade tests above 60 N, and we put that number on the quotation.
Buy by grade, not by habit
This is where most glove budgets leak. A warehouse that handles cardboard does not need A6, and a glass line does not survive on A2. Over-specifying by one level typically costs 15 to 40 percent more per pair, and the money buys protection nobody uses. Under-specifying costs far more – one laceration claim dwarfs a year of glove spend.
The practical method: list the material, the edge condition (sharp, dull, oily) and the task, then pick the lowest level that covers the worst case. We quote by grade for exactly this reason – you see the price of each level side by side instead of buying one glove for every job.
Our production range by grade
- EN 388 C / ANSI A3 – 13G and 15G seamless knit, PU or nitrile coating. Glass handling, sheet metal, appliance assembly.
- ANSI A4 – HPPE and glass-fibre liners, nitrile sandy coating. Stamping, recycling, automotive assembly.
- ANSI A6 – composite yarns with higher cut load. Heavy fabrication, HVAC, sharp stamping.
- ANSI A9 – our top grade, tested above 60 N on the TDM-100. Blade handling, glass manufacturing, recycling lines.
All four are produced in the same plant in Changsha on our own knitting and dipping lines (PU, nitrile sandy, latex), which is why we can quote each grade by itself.
Need the numbers for your own spec sheet?
Tell us the standard your market uses, the coating you prefer and the quantity, and we will send a grade-by-grade quotation within 24 hours – with the ISO 13997 newton values attached, not just the letter.
Request a quotation by grade | Browse gloves and yarn | Order a sample pair (USD 19.9, worldwide)
The 16-page catalogue with grade-by-grade specifications is available from the download bar at the bottom of any page.
