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Chainsaw gloves left hand or both hands

Updated: 21 October 2026

Most pairs pad one glove. Chainsaw gloves left hand or both hands is that choice. On a usual right-handed saw the padded glove is the left one, the hand on the front handle. The layout fits if you stay on that grip, and it leaves you short if you are left-handed or you swap hands. Type 2 is the usual layout. Type 1 is the pair when that layout does not fit. Prices sit on the [chainsaw gloves comparison](/hub/protective-clothing/chainsaw-gloves). Peter F. compiled this on 19 October 2026 from those amazon.co.uk listings, Arbortec, the ISO 11393-4 introduction, and HSE's INDG317. It is not a lab test. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Most pairs pad one glove. Chainsaw gloves left hand or both hands is that choice. On a usual right-handed saw the padded glove is the left one, the hand on the front handle.

Our top picks

Oregon Oregon class 0 left-hand gloves

Best overall

Oregon Oregon class 0 left-hand gloves
9.1/10about £15.75
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Intra-FIT Intra-FIT class 1 both-hands gloves

Alternative

Intra-FIT Intra-FIT class 1 both-hands gloves
7.7/10about £33.99
View offer
Intra-FIT Intra-FIT class 1 left-hand gloves

Best value

Intra-FIT Intra-FIT class 1 left-hand gloves
7.5/10about £22.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why so many gloves protect the left hand only
  2. 2.Type 1 when the layout does not fit you
  3. 3.Read the glove when the title disagrees
  4. 4.Design A still leaves the fingers out

Why so many gloves protect the left hand only

On the usual saw, your left hand is on the front handle and your right hand is on the rear handle. HSE's INDG317 tells you to keep the left thumb around that front handle. The public introduction to ISO 11393-4 says the designs it discusses assume right-handed use, and that the palm is not the practical place for the chainsaw pad. Arbortec states type 2 as chainsaw protection in the left glove only, and type 1 as protection in both gloves. A left-only pair matches a right-handed user who does not swap. That layout is on Stein, Oregon 91305, and Intra-FIT 7829, design A type 2.

Type 1 when the layout does not fit you

Buy type 1 if you are left-handed or if you change hands during the job. The ISO introduction says protection discussed for these designs may not be adequate for left-handed use. A left-only glove on your right hand puts the pad on the rear-handle side and leaves the front-handle hand as ordinary leather. Intra-FIT 7839 states design A type 1, class 1 at 20 m/s, with pads on the back of both hands. If you need both the hand and the speed, Intra-FIT 7839 prints both.
Oregon Oregon class 0 left-hand gloves

Testsieger

Oregon Oregon class 0 left-hand gloves
9.1/10about £15.75
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Read the glove when the title disagrees

Rotatech RTG1-10 prints class 1 at 20 m/s to EN ISO 11393-4:2019, then says type 2 and both hands in the same bullets. The title also says S to L. A UK review says the instructions show only the left hand and asks whether the advert is wrong. We have not photographed that leaflet. Leave it behind Intra-FIT 7839 until the mark on the glove and the leaflet agree. When a title, a bullet, and a leaflet can be read three ways, find the pad on how to wear chainsaw gloves before you start the saw.

Design A still leaves the fingers out

Type tells you which glove carries the chainsaw pad. Design tells you how much of that glove the pad covers. Arbortec describes design A as the back of the hand, not the fingers and not the thumb. Design B adds the backs of the fingers and still leaves the thumb out. A design A pair still leaves the fingers and the palm outside the chainsaw pad. A design letter does not raise the class.

Common questions

Which hand is protected on a normal right-handed saw?
The left hand. It holds the front handle, thumb around it, as HSE's INDG317 describes. Type 2 puts the chainsaw pad on that left glove. Stein, Oregon 91305, and Intra-FIT 7829 are left-hand pairs in this set. The right glove can still carry an EN 388 mark for ordinary wear. That mark is not a chainsaw class.
What is type 1 versus type 2?
Arbortec states type 1 as chainsaw protection in both gloves and type 2 as the left glove only. Intra-FIT 7829 states design A type 2. Intra-FIT 7839 states design A type 1. Use type 2 for the usual right-handed layout, and type 1 if you are left-handed or you swap hands. A bullet that says type 2 and both hands, as Rotatech does, has not chosen.
What is design A?
Design A is the pad on the back of the hand, not the fingers and not the thumb. Design B adds the backs of the fingers and still leaves the thumb out. Both Intra-FIT gloves here state design A. The design letter does not set the class speed, and it does not say whether one glove or both are padded.
What should a left-handed user buy?
A pair that states protection on both hands, at a class your saw manual can live with. The ISO 11393-4 introduction says these designs assume right-handed saws and may not be adequate for left-handed use. Oregon 91305 reviews warn left-handers off that pair. Intra-FIT 7839 states type 1 and class 1 together. Read the mark on the glove after it arrives.
What if you swap hands mid-job?
A left-only glove protects the front-handle hand only while that hand stays on the left. Once you swap, the pad is on the rear-handle side. Oregon 295399 reviewers praise a both-hands claim for changing grip, and that listing prints no class. If you swap and you need 20 m/s, Intra-FIT 7839 is the pair here that states both.
What does the Rotatech listing actually say?
It states class 1 at 20 m/s to EN ISO 11393-4:2019, then says type 2 and both hands in the same bullets. The title also says S to L while the size field is L. A UK review reports that the instructions show the left hand only. We have not photographed the leaflet. Treat the listing as a conflict until the glove and the leaflet agree.
Does the right glove on a type 2 pair still resist ordinary abrasion?
It can carry an EN 388 code for abrasion, a blade cut, tear, and puncture. Oregon 91305 prints 3142X and Intra-FIT 7829 prints 4122X beside a left-hand chainsaw class. That code is a work-glove mark. It does not put chainsaw layers on the right hand, and a coupe digit of 1 is not chainsaw class 1.

Related pages

Class 0 or class 1

Chainsaw gloves buying guide

Chainsaw gloves

Best chainsaw gloves: stated class, hand, and a skip

How to wear chainsaw gloves: the pad, cuff and care

Sources

Public UK sources for the glove standard, the class speeds, and the PPE duty. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this set. Retrieved 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE — Chainsaw PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE — INDG317 Personal protective equipment at work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSENI — Chainsaw safety (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Stihl GB — Cut-protection classes (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. ISO 11393-4:2018 — Protective gloves for chainsaw users (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Arbortec — Safety standards for chainsaw PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Husqvarna UK — Functional gloves with saw protection (retrieved 19 October 2026)