A glove size chart turns two hand measurements into a letter size: the circumference around your knuckles and the length from wrist to middle fingertip. A 7 inch hand typically wears a Small, 8 inches a Medium, and 9 inches a Large. Caco America's work glove range spans S to 2XL, and the chart below shows where each size lands.
I joined our family business in 1992. Thirty-plus years of supplying distributors in more than 38 countries, and of holding the exclusive General Electric (GE) PPE license across the Americas and the Caribbean, taught me one blunt thing about gloves. The size decides whether the glove gets worn.
The work glove size chart, XS to 3XL
Use this as typical industrial sizing. Find your circumference first, then use length as the tiebreaker. Each row links to the collection where that size runs deepest in our range.
| Size (Hand No.) | Hand Circumference | Hand Length | In the Caco America Range | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS (6) | 6 in (15.2 cm) | 6.3 in (16.0 cm) | Not stocked; S is our smallest | Hand Protection → |
| S (7) | 7 in (17.8 cm) | 6.7 in (17.1 cm) | Coated, cut, impact, and nitrile styles | Nitrile Gloves → |
| M (8) | 8 in (20.3 cm) | 7.2 in (18.2 cm) | Every family except welding | General Purpose Gloves → |
| L (9) | 9 in (22.9 cm) | 7.6 in (19.2 cm) | Every family, welding included | Welding Gloves → |
| XL (10) | 10 in (25.4 cm) | 8.0 in (20.4 cm) | Every family | Cut-Resistant Gloves → |
| 2XL (11) | 11 in (27.9 cm) | 8.5 in (21.5 cm) | Coated, cut, impact, and leather styles | Impact-Resistant Gloves → |
| 3XL (12) | 12 in (30.5 cm) | Over 8.5 in (21.5 cm) | Not stocked; 2XL is our largest | Hand Protection → |
Notice the pattern: the hand size number roughly equals your circumference in inches. That makes the chart easy to remember on a jobsite.
Falling between two rows is common. Start with the row that matches your circumference, then let length break the tie: a long hand for its width moves up a size, a short one stays put.
One rule beats the chart, though. The product's own chart always wins. Our GE PPE GG205 PU dipped work glove page, for example, lists dimensions for every size, from 7 by 3.4 inches for S up to 11 by 3.9 inches for XXL. Check your numbers against that listing before you order a case.
How to measure your hand in under a minute
You need a soft tape measure, or a strip of paper and a ruler. Measure your dominant hand.
Hand circumference
Lay the hand flat with the fingers together. Wrap the tape around the widest part of the palm, just below the knuckles, and leave the thumb out of the loop. Keep it snug without squeezing. Read the number where the tape overlaps.
Hand length
Measure in a straight line from the crease where the palm meets the wrist to the tip of the middle finger. Length matters most for people with long, narrow hands or short, wide ones, because circumference alone will steer them wrong.
Write both numbers down in inches and centimeters. Sizing a whole crew? One sheet with each worker's name and two numbers turns the next glove order into a lookup instead of a guess.
Why no single glove size standard exists
There is no US federal glove size chart. OSHA tells employers to select gloves by hazard under 29 CFR 1910.138, and it requires PPE that fits, but it does not publish sizes.
Internationally, ISO 21420 sets the general requirements for protective gloves, and in Europe it replaced EN 420. It bases sizing on the same two numbers in our chart, hand circumference and hand length. It also lets a manufacturer use a different sizing system, provided the maker explains that system to the user.
So two Mediums from two factories can fit differently, and both can be legitimate. Some brands also cut separate women's patterns, which change palm width and finger length rather than just shrinking a unisex glove. Our guide to work gloves for women covers that side of fit.
Fit is now an OSHA requirement, not a preference
Since January 13, 2025, the construction PPE rule at 29 CFR 1926.95(c) requires employers to select PPE that "properly fits each affected employee." General industry carries the same duty in 1910.132(d)(1)(iii).
OSHA explained why when it finalized the rule. Improperly sized PPE can fail to protect, and it can create new hazards, with oversized gloves caught in machinery as the agency's own example.
Its amputation-prevention guide, OSHA 3170, makes the same point about safeguarding: clothing, jewelry, long hair, and even gloves can get entangled in moving machine parts. Extra knit flapping past a fingertip near a drill press or a conveyor is exactly what grabs.
"A glove that is a size too big gets pulled off the first time the work turns fiddly. Order by the tape measure, not by habit, and stock the size curve your crews actually have." Joel Abbo, CEO, Caco Abbo Group
Fit checks by glove type
A chart gets you close. These checks, done with the glove on, confirm it.
Coated knit gloves
This covers general purpose, cut-resistant, and impact styles. Fingertips should touch the end of each finger with no more than a pinch of spare knit. Make a full fist; the coating should not bunch in the palm. On impact gloves, the TPR guards should sit over your knuckles both flat and in a fist.
Leather drivers and welding gloves
Leather relaxes as it breaks in, so leather gloves should feel snug on day one rather than roomy. Our two welding gloves come in L and XL only. Check that the cuff overlaps your jacket sleeve with your arm extended.
Disposable nitrile
Disposable nitrile such as the GE PPE GG600 is ambidextrous, and our nitrile collection runs S to XL. Too tight and the glove fights every bend. Too loose and the fingertips fold over small parts, which defeats the point of a thin glove.
What the Caco America glove range covers
Our coated general purpose, cut-resistant, and impact families reach from S to 2XL. M, L, and XL cover every style except welding, which skips M. The edges are where buyers get caught.
If a crew includes very small or very large hands, measure first, then match each worker to a family that carries the size. Welding stops at L and XL. Leather starts at M. Coated knits reach from S to 2XL in many styles.
Distributors can read the matrix as a stocking map. The middle three sizes exist in every family, so carrying them is table stakes. What separates a real glove program from a shelf of Mediums is how deep you go in S and 2XL for the families your accounts buy most.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my glove size?
Measure around the widest part of your dominant palm, just below the knuckles, with the thumb out. Then measure from the wrist crease to the tip of your middle finger. Match the circumference to a glove size chart first and use length as the tiebreaker. On typical industrial charts, 7 inches is a Small, 8 inches a Medium, and 9 inches a Large.
What size glove fits a 9 inch hand?
On typical industrial sizing, a 9 inch hand circumference is a Large, or hand size 9. If your hand length runs long for that circumference, try the next size up and run the fit checks. Always confirm against the product's own chart, because ISO 21420 allows manufacturers to use their own sizing system as long as they explain it.
Should work gloves be tight or loose?
Snug, never loose. Fingertips should reach the end of the glove, a full fist should close without strain, and no loose material should fold in the palm. OSHA notes that oversized gloves can get caught in machinery, and its safeguarding guidance warns that gloves can become entangled in moving parts. Leather should start snug because it relaxes with wear.
Are glove sizes the same across brands?
No. There is no US federal glove size standard, and the international standard ISO 21420 lets a manufacturer use a different sizing system if it explains that system to users. Two Mediums from two brands can fit differently. Treat any general chart as a starting point and check the size chart or dimensions listed for the exact glove you plan to buy.
What do glove size numbers like 8 or 10 mean?
The number is a hand size. On typical industrial charts it roughly equals hand circumference in inches, so size 8 fits about an 8 inch hand and pairs with Medium, while size 10 fits about a 10 inch hand and pairs with XL. The chart also lists a typical hand length for each number, which helps when you fall between two sizes.
What sizes do Caco America work gloves come in?
Caco America's coated general purpose, cut-resistant, and impact families reach from S to 2XL. Every style comes in L and XL, and every style except our two welding gloves comes in M. Leather drivers start at M, and disposable nitrile runs S to XL. XS and 3XL are not in the current range, so check each product page for its exact sizes before ordering.
Does OSHA require gloves that fit?
Yes. Since January 13, 2025, 29 CFR 1926.95(c) requires construction employers to select PPE that properly fits each affected employee, and 1910.132(d)(1)(iii) carries the same requirement for general industry. OSHA does not publish a glove size chart, so employers meet the rule by measuring workers and stocking the sizes their crews need.
Measure once, order the right size every time
A tape measure and this chart take the guesswork out of glove orders, for one worker or a whole crew. Browse the full Caco America hand protection range to match each size to the right glove family. Supplying crews yourself? Apply to become a Caco America distributor and carry the size curve your accounts keep reordering.
