Cut Resistant Work Gloves

Your hands don't grow back the way they heal. Cut resistant gloves put a real barrier between your skin and the sharp edges you handle every day — sheet metal, glass, blades, banding, swarf. Cuts and lacerations are the single most common workplace hand injury, and they're almost entirely preventable with the right glove on the right job.

Below you'll find how protection levels work, the materials that actually deliver cut resistance (spoiler: leather on its own isn't one of them), and a straight answer to the question everyone asks first — what level do I actually need? Not sure on fit? Check the size guide › before you buy.

Shop cut resistant gloves by protection level

Pick the level that matches your sharpest regular hazard. When you're between two levels, size up in protection — the dexterity trade-off on a modern glove is smaller than it used to be.

Need	EN388 Level	ANSI Equivalent*	Typical jobs
Light cut hazard	A–B	A1–A2	General handling, packaging, small-parts assembly
Light–medium	C	A3	Raw material handling, general manufacturing, construction
Medium	D	A4	Drywall, metal fabrication, metal handling, glass
Medium–high	E	A5	Sheet-metal work, blade contact, HVAC ducting
High–maximum	F	A6–A9	Knife/blade-heavy work, glass plate handling, recycling

*EN388 and ANSI use different cut tests, so equivalents are approximate guides, not exact matches.

How cut levels work (the 30-second version)

A cut-resistance rating is just the amount of force a blade needs to slice through the glove's palm material.

Under EN388:2016, cut resistance is graded A to F using the ISO 13997 rolling-blade test, measured in Newtons (the older 1–5 “Coupe” rating can read falsely high on hard, blade-dulling materials, which is why the letter scale was added).

Under ANSI/ISEA 105 (current revision 105-2024), the same cutting force is measured in grams and graded A1 to A9 — A1 shrugs off light edges, A9 is the toughest protection made. The scale jumped from five levels to nine in 2016 to give better separation at the high end, so an older “Level 5” glove isn't the same as today's A5.

Two things worth knowing before you choose:

• There's no such thing as a cut-proof glove. A glove has to bend, stretch and pull on and off — properties no truly impenetrable material has. We rate honestly: even Level F is resistant, not proof.
• Ratings cover the palm only. Cut tests are run on the palm, so a level rating tells you nothing about the back of the hand unless the glove is specifically built and marked for 360° cut protection.

Read the full cut-level guide, with the EN388↔ANSI conversion table ›

What makes a glove cut resistant

It comes down to the yarn, not the look of the glove.

High-performance fibres. The cut resistance lives in the fibre. HPPE (high-performance polyethylene) is soft, flexible and cool against the skin — it's what lines our Work Site Gloves. Para-aramid (you'll know it as Kevlar) hits similar cut levels and adds natural heat and flame resistance. Most quality gloves blend them.

Engineered (composite) yarns. The highest levels come from wrapping those fibres around a core of steel or fibreglass, then backing with nylon or cotton for comfort. That combination is how a glove reaches the top of the scale without feeling like armour.

The leather myth. Leather is tough and abrasion-resistant, but it is not inherently cut resistant — it's cured skin, and skin cuts. A leather glove only earns a cut rating when it's built over a cut-resistant liner. If a leather glove doesn't quote a cut level, treat it as abrasion protection, not cut protection.

Gauge (knit fineness). Lower gauge (7–10) means a thicker, bulkier glove; higher gauge (13–18) means a thinner, more dexterous one. Modern high-gauge yarns let you get a serious cut level in a glove thin enough for fine work — a real shift from a few years ago.

Grip and coatings

Cut resistance keeps your hands intact; the coating is what lets you actually work.

• Nitrile — the workhorse. Excellent abrasion resistance and grip, holds up to oils. Sandy and foam-nitrile variants grip well in light wet and oily conditions.
• Polyurethane (PU) — thin and tactile, ideal for precision and small-parts work where you need to feel what you're holding.
• Latex — strong grip in the dry and the wet, though it can be a no-go where allergies are a concern.

Coverage matters too: a palm dip breathes and keeps cost down; a 3/4 dip adds knuckle-side protection; a full coat seals the hand against liquids. Match the coverage to how wet and messy the job gets.

Cut resistant gloves by job

• Glass handling — high cut levels (E–F / A5+) with a secure grip; look for 360° protection.
• Metal fabrication & sheet metal — D–F / A4–A6, abrasion-rated, oil-tolerant coatings.
• Construction & general site — C–D / A3–A4 covers most daily hazards without killing dexterity.
• Drywall & finishing — D / A4, lighter and high-gauge for feel.
• Recycling, waste & sorting — high cut plus puncture resistance for hidden sharps.
• Food processing — high cut, washable, often with 360° protection for blade work.

How to choose, in three steps

1. Find your sharpest regular hazard and match it to the level table above. Rate for the worst edge you handle routinely, not the average.
2. Decide how much feel you need. Fine assembly → higher gauge + PU. Heavy handling → lower gauge, nitrile, maybe impact protection on the back of the hand.
3. Get the fit right. A glove that's too big bunches and fails; too tight and you'll take it off. Measure with the size guide ›

Still deciding? Talk to us — tell us the job and we'll point you to the right pair.

Related reading: Mechanic gloves: dexterity vs protection, how to pick the right pair →

Rigger gloves vs cut resistant gloves

Rigger gloves are the Aussie site staple — tough leather, decent abrasion resistance, cheap to replace. But here's what most tradies don't realise: standard leather rigger gloves carry no certified cut protection. Leather is cured skin, and skin cuts. Against mesh edges, sheet metal, blades and broken brick, an unrated rigger glove is abrasion protection only.

Modern cut resistant gloves like our Work Site Gloves deliver the same hard-wearing grip in a lighter glove, with certified EN 388 Level F cut protection built into the yarn itself — plus reinforced thumb and forefinger zones for the brick and block work riggers were traditionally bought for. If you're replacing riggers every few shifts, a certified cut-resistant pair built to last 40+ hours of hard use costs less per week and protects more.

Frequently asked questions

What cut level glove do I need?

Match the level to the sharpest hazard you handle regularly. As a rough guide: EN388 A–B (ANSI A1–A2) for light handling and packaging; C–D (A3–A4) for general construction, manufacturing and metal handling; E and above (A5+) for blade-heavy work, sheet metal and glass. When in doubt, go one level higher — modern gloves keep good dexterity even at higher levels.

Are cut resistant gloves cut proof?

No. No glove is genuinely cut-proof — to be wearable it has to flex and stretch, which no impenetrable material does. Even the highest Level F / A9 gloves are cut resistant: they dramatically reduce the risk and severity of a cut, but they're not a guarantee against a determined blade.

What's the difference between cut level D and E gloves?

It's the amount of cutting force the palm withstands. Level D (ANSI A4) handles roughly 15–21.9 Newtons of force, suited to drywall, metal fabrication and glass handling; Level E (A5) handles 22–29.9 Newtons, stepping up for sheet-metal and regular blade contact. If you're on the line between them, E buys you margin for a small dexterity cost.

Do cut resistant gloves protect the back of my hand?

The cut rating only covers the palm — that's all the standard test measures. The back of the hand isn't included unless the glove is specifically built and marked for 360° cut protection. If you handle sharps that come at the back of your hand, choose a 360° product or add impact/back-of-hand protection.

Is leather cut resistant?

Not on its own. Leather is excellent for abrasion and durability, but it's cured skin and skin cuts. A leather glove is only cut resistant if it's built over a cut-resistant liner — and a good one will state its cut level. No quoted level means treat it as abrasion protection.

How do I wash and care for cut resistant gloves?

Clean them regularly to clear oils and grit that wear the fibres down. Many knit and coated gloves are machine washable on a gentle cycle, air-dried away from direct heat — check the product's care note. Replace them when you see holes, fraying, thinning, worn-off coating, lost grip or stiffness; a damaged glove no longer delivers its rated protection.

How should cut resistant gloves fit?

Snug but not tight — close enough to keep dexterity, loose enough to pull on and off and flex your hand fully. A glove that's too big bunches in the palm and fails early; too small and you'll be tempted to work without it. Use our size guide to measure before you order.