Work gloves buying guide
Updated: 16 October 2026
You have a 12-pair box in the basket because it is under £10 and the title says large. This work gloves buying guide is the order to use before you pay: the hazard, the coating, any EN 388 code that is printed, the size, then latex. The eleven amazon.co.uk listings on the [work gloves comparison](/hub/occupational-safety/work-gloves) run from about £8.49 to about £15.99. Every coded glove here is circular-cut level 1. The Products Compared editorial team updated this page on 16 October 2026 from those listings. We did not lab-test them. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have a 12-pair box in the basket because it is under £10 and the title says large.
You have a 12-pair box in the basket because it is under £10 and the title says large. This work gloves buying guide is the order to use before you pay: the hazard, the coating, any EN 388 code that is printed, the size, then latex. The eleven amazon.co.uk listings on the work gloves comparison run from about £8.49 to about £15.99. Every coded glove here is circular-cut level 1. The Products Compared editorial team updated this page on 16 October 2026 from those listings. We did not lab-test them. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Coating | EN 388 | Size | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  KAYGO KAYGO Safety Work Gloves MicroFoam Nitrile Coated 3 Pairs, KG18NB | Micro-foam nitrile | 4131 | Size L | 9.4 | about £9.98 | View offer |
| Preis-Tipp |  Supreme TTF Supreme TTF 24 pairs nitrile-coated nylon, size 9 | Nitrile on nylon | 4131, CAT II | Size 9 | 9.0 | about £13.55 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Rainberg Rainberg Pack of 12 Safety Gloves, PU and Nylon, Large | PU on nylon | 3121 | Size L | 8.8 | about £9.99 | View offer |
Best overall
KAYGO KAYGO Safety Work Gloves MicroFoam Nitrile Coated 3 Pairs, KG18NB9.4/10about £9.98
On this page
Start with the hazard, not the pack
Name the damage before the crate. Bricks, timber, and boxes are an EN 388 abrasion job. A knife, glass, or sheet edge needs an ISO 13997 letter, which this set does not print. Solvents need EN 374 and a breakthrough time. Hot metal needs EN 407. Those codes are absent here.
At work, HSE expects suitable PPE free when the assessment still needs it, including for limb (b) workers. EN ISO 21420 covers sizes and does not prove the palm survives the hazard. A CE EN388 bullet is still only a claim.
Read the four digits that are actually printed
EN 388 reads left to right: abrasion, circular cut, tear, puncture. SATRA puts abrasion level 4 at 8,000 cycles and level 3 at 2,000. Circular cut level 1 is the second digit on every coded glove here.
Rainberg’s 3121 is abrasion 3 and circular cut 1. KAYGO and both Supreme sizes print 4131: abrasion 4 and the same circular cut 1. RUFTUF’s 4-1-4-2 keeps circular cut at 1. Velway says EN 388 rated and prints no digits. Straame, DIY Doctor, and Mechanix print no code. The coat comparison is on the PU vs nitrile work gloves page.
Coating, latex, and the back of the hand
Rainberg, Velway, and Straame put PU on a knit for light, mostly dry work. Supreme’s nitrile palm claims dry, wet, and oily grip on an open back. KAYGO’s micro-foam nitrile claims light oils, while the waterproof field is false. When a field says waterproof and the bullet says the back is open, follow the construction.
RUFTUF is the latex palm. HSE says people with a latex allergy should not use latex gloves. Velway, Supreme, and KAYGO print latex-free. Rainberg, Straame, DIY Doctor, and Mechanix do not, so ask before you issue them.
Size 9, size 10, and the word large
Size the hand, not the word large. Velway labels size 9 as L and says to order the next size up. Supreme calls size 9 large and size 10 XL. Those two larges are not one hand. DIY Doctor is one size for 8–11 inch palms, and the 95 percent claim is the seller’s.
Reviews on several of these knits say the label feels small. Measure before a 24-pair order. The tape is on the how to use work gloves page.
What this set cannot be
This shelf has no blade glove, because circular-cut level 1 has no A–F letter beside it. It has no chemical glove, because no row prints an EN 374 breakthrough time. It has no heat glove. Thorn proof on DIY Doctor sits beside reviews in which raspberry canes and acacia still got through. A waterproof tick fails when an open-back bullet disagrees.
Which decision comes first
Write the job down, then the coat, then whether four EN 388 digits are printed, then the hand measurement, then latex. Open 4131 when you want abrasion level 4. Open the Rainberg 3121 pack for light, mostly dry work. Leave the set for a blade, a named chemical, or hot metal.
Common questions
What should I decide before I look at the brand?
Decide the hazard, then the coat, then whether an EN 388 code is printed, then your hand size, then latex. Pack price and the word large come after that. In this set the coded gloves are all circular-cut level 1. A brand with 4.6 stars can still be the wrong glove for glass or solvents. Write the job down before you sort by price.
What does 4131 actually say, one digit at a time?
4131 means abrasion 4, circular cut 1, tear 3, and puncture 1. SATRA puts abrasion level 4 at 8,000 cycles. The second digit stays at the bottom passing step of the circular-blade test, and there is no A–F letter. KAYGO and Supreme print 4131. The cut level is the digit that blocks a blade claim.
Is a higher shelf price in this set a higher cut level?
The dearest listing is the Rainberg 24-pair PU pack at about £15.99, and it prints 3121, abrasion 3 and circular cut 1. Supreme at about £13.55 prints 4131, still circular cut 1. RUFTUF at about £12.40 prints 4-1-4-2, still circular cut 1. A higher price here buys more pairs or a different coat. The cut digit stays at 1.
What is the difference between size 9 and size 10 when both are called large?
HSE puts size 9 at about 229–254 mm around the hand and 192 mm of finger length, and size 10 at about 254–279 mm and 204 mm. Velway labels size 9 as L. Supreme labels size 9 as large and size 10 as XL. If your hand sits on the boundary, these sellers tell you to take the larger size. Measure before you commit to 24 pairs.
Which gloves in the set say latex-free, and which do not?
Velway, Supreme TTF, and KAYGO print latex-free. RUFTUF is a latex palm, and HSE says people with a latex allergy should not wear latex gloves. Rainberg, Straame, DIY Doctor, and Mechanix do not print a latex-free line. That silence is a reason to check before you hand a pack to someone else.
Does a CE EN388 line in a bullet mean the glove is lawful PPE?
It means the listing claims a mark. Most new PPE on the Great Britain market needs UKCA or CE, a declaration of conformity, and English instructions. From 1 October 2024, CE remains recognised in Great Britain alongside UKCA, and Northern Ireland differs. This page has not seen those documents for these ASINs. Match the bullet to the glove in the box.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison, retrieved on 16 October 2026.
- HSE: choosing gloves (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE: PPE regulations 2022 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE: product safety and supply (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE: PPE maintenance (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE: latex allergies (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: UKCA and CE by sector (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- SATRA: EN 388 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- SATRA: EN ISO 21420 (retrieved 16 October 2026)