Hand size to glove size calculator.

How the size is worked out

The size designation in EN ISO 21420 (the current edition of EN 420) ties each glove size from 6 to 11 to a hand circumference and a hand length. The table below holds those nominal hand dimensions. Your circumference and your length are each matched to the nearest size. If they point to different sizes, the larger one is returned, because a glove that is too short or too narrow is the worse fit.

Worked example. A hand 20.3 cm around the knuckles is 203 mm, which is exactly the size 8 circumference. If the same hand is 19.2 cm long, that length matches size 9, so the result is size 9 (L), set by length. A handy check: the EN size is roughly the knuckle circumference in inches.

Men's and women's retail sizes

No standard defines retail S to XL. The usual convention is XS 6, S 7, M 8, L 9, XL 10, XXL 11, which is what the table above shows. Brands cut men's and women's gloves differently: a women's medium is often slimmer through the palm and fingers than a men's medium, so a hand that falls between sizes may fit better in the other cut. Always compare with the maker's chart.

Work, winter and medical gloves

Work and protective gloves. The table is the reference for protective gloves sold under EN ISO 21420. Protection ratings, such as the cut and puncture classes in ANSI/ISEA 105, say how well a glove protects, not what size it is. In the United States, OSHA expects employers to select hand protection suited to the hazard (29 CFR 1910.138), and a glove that fits well is part of that.

Winter gloves. Try them with any liner you wear. A glove that is too tight squeezes out the air layer that keeps the hand warm. One that is too loose loses grip and dexterity.

Medical and nitrile gloves. Disposable exam gloves are sold in brand letter sizes under their own standards, not the EN ISO 21420 table. Use your circumference only as a guide and check the box or the maker's chart.

Baseball and softball gloves

These are not sized from your hand. They are sized by the glove's length in inches and by position and age, so this calculator does not apply to them. Use the maker's position guide.

Printable paper-strip guide

No tape measure? Print the guide, cut a strip of paper about 2 cm wide and 30 cm long, wrap it around your knuckles with the thumb out, and mark where it overlaps. Lay the strip flat on the printed scale with one end at 0 and read the size band your mark falls in. Print on Letter or A4 landscape at 100% (Actual size), with no scaling or fit-to-page.

Print the measuring guide

FAQ

How do I measure my hand for gloves?

Wrap a strip of paper or a soft tape around your dominant hand across the knuckles, with the thumb left out and the hand relaxed. Mark where the end meets the strip, then measure the strip against any ruler. For hand length, measure from the wrist crease to the tip of the middle finger. Enter either or both above.

What if my circumference and my hand length give different glove sizes?

Take the larger size. A glove that is too short pinches the fingertips and one that is too narrow squeezes the palm, so the bigger of the two measurements decides the fit. This page does that automatically and tells you which measurement set the size.

Is glove size 8 a medium?

On the common retail convention, yes: EN size 6 is XS, 7 is S, 8 is M, 9 is L, 10 is XL and 11 is XXL. That letter mapping is a trade convention, not part of the standard, and brands cut their letter sizes differently, so check the maker's chart.

Does the same size work for work gloves, winter gloves and nitrile gloves?

The EN ISO 21420 size table is the reference for protective work gloves. Winter gloves and mittens are usually sold in brand letter sizes, so use this result as a starting point and try them with any liner you wear. Disposable nitrile exam gloves are sold by their own brand charts, so use your circumference only as a guide.

How do I find my baseball glove size?

Baseball and softball gloves are not sized from your hand. They are sized by the glove's own length in inches and by the position you play, with youth and adult patterns. Use the position and age guidance from the maker rather than this calculator.

What if I am between sizes?

Go up if the glove needs to fit over a liner or you want room to move, and stay with the smaller size for fine tasks where grip and feel matter. The result here is the nearest standard size to your measurement, so a number close to a boundary could reasonably go either way.