Safety, Tradie Gear

What to look for in cut and impact resistant gloves

Anyone doing construction, landscaping, woodworking, sheet metal fabrication, heavy clean-up work, manual labour or jobs simply involving power tools should look for gloves with both cut and impact protection. 

Hand impact, crush, cut, and laceration injuries top the list of hand injuries across the world.

Having the right impact & cut glove combination can protect your hands from knocks, blunt force impact, crushes, severe cuts and puncture.

But with more and more on the market, which impact and cut protection glove should you choose?

SEE MORE: Tradie Tough Tests

With several options available, the trick is to find work gloves with the right combination of specialised features to meet the unique demands of your work conditions.

Just as important, you also need your gloves to be comfortable and fit you right.

Here’s what you need to look for when choosing impact and cut-resistant gloves:

Continuous impact protection

Impact-resistant gloves have extra layers of materials on the back of hands — often different densities of both foam and performance rubbers — that are specifically designed to absorb shocks, heavy blows as well as vibration from power tools.

Look for protection which covers the full length from the back of the fingertips to the knuckles and back of hands.

The best anti-impact gloves will protect you not only from impacts, but from cuts, punctures, blisters, chafing, and bruising too.

Choosing the right cut protection & grip

Depending on your work, you might want to look for impact-resistant gloves that also have additional features.

For example, jobs that involve wet or oily surfaces require gloves with reliable grip control.

Cut resistant gloves can have optional-full 360o degree protection or only 180o across the full palm surface. 

What is Cut F Level protection?

Level F cut protection offers the highest tested level of resistance against cuts, which is specifically graded from the industry standards of protective gloves against mechanical risks. EN388: 2016.

Image: Bunzl

Flexibility & dexterity

For many jobs, it’s important that your hands still have their full range of motion, so you also want your cut and impact protection gloves to be as flexible and comfortable as possible.

Gloves with lightweight liners, that also provide good breathability are important for dexterity and comfort – especially in hot environments.

Gloves that are touch screen compatible are also a must on most job sites these days.

Finding the right fit

Gloves that don’t fit you properly will be uncomfortable, but they can also be unsafe.

Ill-fitting gloves can cause long-term injuries or even short-term injuries like muscle cramps, fatigue, and blisters.

Gloves that are too big are likely to slip, and gloves that are too tight will restrict your range of motion.

To determine the right size glove, measure both your hands, and look at brand sizing charts before making a purchase.

Looking for the best impact-resistant gloves?

Finding the perfect pair of gloves means balancing a list of factors, including protection, comfort, durability, dexterity, and more. It’s worth doing some research and investing in the right pair.

One standout option on the market today is the Ninja FA6- Impact Cut F glove.

Crafted from fine 18-gauge Kevlar liners, these gloves offer a snug fit akin to a second skin while providing top-tier Level F cut protection.

Enhanced with a new foam technology coating for superior grip, abrasion resistance, and breathability, they are further fortified with a resilient high performance rubberised impact design ensuring solid protection against impacts.

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