Category: Blog

When a buyer asks for “work gloves”, the real question is almost always about the coating. The liner decides comfort and cut protection; the coating decides grip, oil resistance and how long the glove survives. Three coatings dominate the industrial market — nitrile, latex and polyurethane (PU) — and picking the wrong one costs money in two ways: gloves replaced too often, or workers taking them off. Here is how to choose.

The 30-second answer

Nitrile: the default for oily, abrasive work

Nitrile is a synthetic rubber, which means no latex proteins and no allergy risk — the single biggest reason it replaced latex in many factories. It resists oils, greases and many solvents, and it holds up against abrasion and punctures far better than PU. Modern micro-foam (sandy) nitrile adds a textured surface that channels oil away, giving a secure grip on wet or oily parts, and it stays more flexible than a solid coating.

Choose nitrile when: parts are oily or greasy, sharp edges and burrs are present, gloves are worn for full shifts, or you need one glove that works across mixed tasks. Typical EN 388 result for a quality sandy nitrile glove: abrasion 4, tear 4, cut B–C.

Latex: excellent dry grip, but mind the allergy

Natural latex gives the strongest dry grip of the three — it is why bricklayers, block handlers and landscape crews still prefer a crinkled latex palm. It is comfortable, elastic and cheap. The two limits: it becomes slippery when it contacts oil, and it contains proteins that can trigger Type I latex allergy in some workers. Many European and North American buyers now specify latex-free sites as policy.

Choose latex when: the work is dry, grip on rough surfaces matters most, and your site has no latex-free rule. If any worker reports itching or rash, switch to nitrile immediately.

PU: maximum feel for precision work

Polyurethane is applied in a very thin layer, so the glove feels close to bare hands — ideal for electronics assembly, quality inspection and small-parts handling where a thick coating would slow workers down. It is also the most breathable and usually the cheapest. The trade-off is durability: PU wears through quickly on abrasive surfaces and offers little protection against oils or puncture.

Choose PU when: dexterity is the priority, surfaces are clean and dry, and gloves are treated as consumables changed frequently.

Practical selection guide

• Machining, stamping, automotive repair → sandy/micro-foam nitrile, cut C–D
• Construction, concrete block, brick → crinkled latex palm, or nitrile if oil is present
• Electronics and precision assembly → thin PU on nylon or polyester liner
• Warehousing, logistics, packaging → PU or light nitrile, abrasion 3–4
• Glass, sheet metal, recycling → nitrile with a cut-resistant (HPPE/steel) liner, cut D–E
• Food processing → nitrile, food-contact compliant, latex-free
• Oil, gas and mining → heavy nitrile with impact protection (EN 388 position 6 = P)

Two buying tips that save money

Where Mesian fits

We knit our own liners and run our own dipping lines in Hunan — 8,000 m², 170 workers, 8 million pairs a year since 2009. That means we can tune the coating formula, texture and coverage to your job rather than selling you whatever is in the catalogue: a softer nitrile for a cold warehouse, a heavier sandy finish for oily machining, a thinner PU film for electronics. Browse our glove range or see the factory.

Not sure which coating suits your line? Tell us the material, the surface condition (dry / oily / wet) and how long gloves currently last. We will recommend a specification and send samples for a two-week trial. Request samples and a quote →

Hunan Mesian Safety Technology Co., Ltd. — nitrile sandy gloves, cut-resistant gloves (ANSI A1–A9 / EN 388 A–F) and industrial yarn. About our factory · Browse products

If you source safety gloves, you have seen a small shield icon printed on the back of every pair, followed by a string of numbers and letters like 4X43D or 3X42CP. That code is the EN 388 rating — the European standard for mechanical protection. Most buyers glance at it, pick the “highest number”, and hope for the best. This guide explains exactly what each character means, what changed in the 2016 revision, and how to match a rating to a real job.

What is EN 388?

EN 388 is the European standard that measures a glove’s resistance to mechanical risks: abrasion, blade cut, tear, puncture and (since 2016) impact. The current version is EN 388:2016 + A1:2018. If a glove is sold in the EU/UK as PPE, this mark is mandatory under the PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 — and it is also the de facto reference used by buyers in Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.

The six positions on the EN 388 mark

Read the code left to right. A short code (4 digits) is not “worse” — it simply means the later tests were not performed.

Why cut levels changed to letters (A–F)

The old coup test uses a circular blade pressed against the material under a fixed load and counts rotations. On modern high-performance yarns — HPPE, glass fibre, steel fibre blends — the blade dulls during the test, which produces falsely low (or inconsistent) results. That is why the 2016 revision added the ISO 13997 (TDM-100) test: a straight blade drawn once across the material under a set force. The result is reported in newtons and expressed as a letter:

Buyer tip: if the second character is an X (for example 4X43D), the glove was evaluated with ISO 13997 instead of the coup test. That is normal and correct for high-cut yarns — it is not a missing result.

EN 388 vs ANSI/ISEA 105 — the approximate crosswalk

North American buyers usually quote ANSI/ISEA 105 levels A1–A9 instead. There is no official conversion between the two standards (different test machines, different units), but in practice the ranges line up roughly like this. Use it for orientation only — always confirm against the actual test report.

How to choose: match the rating to the job, not to the number

Over-specifying is one of the most expensive mistakes in glove sourcing. An F-rated glove costs far more and is often stiffer, which reduces dexterity — and a worker who takes the glove off gets zero protection. Start from the actual hazard:

• Warehousing, logistics, light assembly → abrasion 3–4, cut A–B, thin PU or nitrile coating for grip
• Construction, general maintenance → abrasion 4, tear 4, cut B–C, sandy nitrile for wet/oily grip
• Sheet metal, automotive, stamping → cut C–D with good tear and puncture resistance
• Glass handling, recycling, sharp scrap → cut D–E, puncture 3–4
• Blade work, abattoir, heavy fabrication → cut E–F, consider impact (P) for knuckle protection
• Oil and gas, mining, heavy impact → impact-rated (P) with high abrasion and tear

Four mistakes buyers make

How Mesian tests and documents its gloves

Hunan Mesian Safety Technology has produced gloves in Hunan since 2009 — 8,000 m² of production space, 170 workers and an annual capacity of 8 million pairs. Our cut-resistant range covers ANSI/ISEA A1–A9 and the equivalent EN 388 A–F levels, and we spin our own yarn in-house, which keeps cut performance consistent batch after batch.

For every model we ship, we can provide the EN 388:2016+A1:2018 test report, the ANSI/ISEA 105 result, and — for tenders and retail programmes — the full PPE technical file. If you are building a private-label range, our OEM/ODM team can engineer a specified cut level on your target yarn and coating, then hold it across production runs.

Not sure which rating your workers actually need? Send us the task, the material they handle and your current glove — we will recommend a level, and send samples so your team can test them on the job before you commit. Request a quote and samples →

Hunan Mesian Safety Technology Co., Ltd. — nitrile sandy gloves, cut-resistant gloves (ANSI A1–A9 / EN 388 A–F) and industrial yarn. About our factory · Browse products