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Puncture resistant gloves buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are in a UK shed with a torn rose glove and an amazon.co.uk title that says thorn proof, level 5, or puncture resistant. Those words are not the same purchase. This puncture resistant gloves buying guide is the order of checks we use before any brand: name the point that will hit the skin, read the code the listing actually prints, then see where the fabric stops. Prices, scores, and the eight rows sit on the [puncture resistant gloves comparison](/hub/protective-clothing/puncture-resistant-gloves). Shelf prices are from 19 October 2026. A purchase through our amazon.co.uk links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are in a UK shed with a torn rose glove and an amazon.co.uk title that says thorn proof, level 5, or puncture resistant. Those words are not the same purchase.

Our top picks

Safta Safta leather gloves with Kevlar lining, M

Best overall

Safta Safta leather gloves with Kevlar lining, M
5.5/10about £16.99
View offer
Intra-FIT Intra-FIT needle gloves, size M

Rank 2

Intra-FIT Intra-FIT needle gloves, size M
8.2/10about £28.99
View offer
Intra-FIT Intra-FIT gusset-noted needle gloves, size L

Alternative

Intra-FIT Intra-FIT gusset-noted needle gloves, size L
7.6/10about £34.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Name the point before the brand
  2. 2.Read a code or write down that there is none
  3. 3.Coverage, size, and the care line
  4. 4.If this is work, not a garden

Name the point before the brand

Roses, hawthorn, and brambles are plant points. A proud nail is closer to the blunt probe EN 388 uses. A syringe is a fine point, and UK trade sellers use ASTM F2878 because there is no European needle standard for gloves. “Thorn proof” is a sales line. “Level 5” on a leather glove in this set is not an EN 388 digit. A rambler against a fence belongs on thorn proof gardening gloves. If the point might be a needle, read needlestick gloves vs puncture resistant before you add anything to the basket.

Read a code or write down that there is none

EN 388, as SATRA sets out the mark, runs from the left: abrasion, Coupe cut or an X, tear, puncture, an ISO cut letter from A to F, then a P if impact is claimed. The fourth character is the blunt puncture digit, levels 1 to 4, on a palm sample. The leading digit is abrasion. Intra-FIT’s £28.99 pair prints 2X22F, so puncture is 2 and F is cut, beside ASTM F2878-10 level 3. The £34.99 palm code is 4X32F, so the 4 you notice first is abrasion and puncture is still 2. Safta at £16.99 adds a Kevlar lining and a level 5 phrase, and still no code. Reading a cuff you already own is covered in how to use puncture resistant gloves.
Safta Safta leather gloves with Kevlar lining, M

Testsieger

Safta Safta leather gloves with Kevlar lining, M
5.5/10about £16.99
View offer

Coverage, size, and the care line

The code, when it exists, is usually a palm result on a new, unwashed glove. The £34.99 listing states that the finger gussets are not needle-resistant. The £28.99 listing includes the thumb and index-finger crotch and does not claim the back of the hand. The £30.99 pair states the size country as the United States, so a UK large can be a different hand. That pair says machine wash. The £28.99 and £34.99 pairs say hand wash. Oizen and the £8.03 page each contain both a waterproof claim and a not-waterproof claim.

If this is work, not a garden

Most readers here are choosing for a garden or a one-off clear-out. If you employ people, or you are a limb (b) worker, the glove is PPE and the assessment comes first. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, extended to limb (b) workers on 6 April 2022, require suitable PPE at no charge when the assessment still needs it. A gardening glove with no standard on the listing is not a certified puncture level you can drop into that record. Most new PPE supplied in Great Britain needs a UKCA or CE mark and instructions in English. Northern Ireland follows the CE route.

Common questions

What should you check first, the plant or the standard?
Check the point that will meet the hand. A rose cane and a syringe do not share a test. EN 388 puncture is a blunt probe on a palm sample, levels 1 to 4. ASTM F2878 is the needle method UK sellers use because there is no European needle standard. “Thorn proof” on an unmarked title is neither test. Write the hazard down, then see whether a code is printed.
What does the fourth character of EN 388 mean?
It is the blunt puncture digit. From the left the mark is abrasion, Coupe cut or X, tear, puncture, a cut letter, then P if impact is claimed. On 4X32F the 4 is abrasion and the puncture digit is 2. Level 4, where a listing actually shows it, starts from about 150 N on that blunt probe. The letter F is cut resistance.
Does level 5 or ANSI A9 mean puncture level 5?
No. In this set, “level 5” appears on a leather title that does not print an EN 388 code, so there is no puncture digit to read. ANSI A9 and an ISO letter such as F are cut claims. ASTM needle level 5 is treated by trade guides as about 10 N or more, a different probe from EN 388’s 150 N. The two numbers do not convert.
When is an unmarked leather glove still a reasonable buy?
When the hazard is a garden cane, the page has no EN 388 string, and you have read the reviews on that ASIN. The pairs under £12, Oizen at £13.99, and Safta at £16.99 with a Kevlar lining and still no code, sit in that group. They are a weak buy if a needle may be present. The cowhide file of 26,151 reviews does not fill in a missing standard.
Which care line applies, machine wash or hand wash?
Only the line on the ASIN you are buying. Here, £30.99 is machine wash, with no iron and no bleach. £28.99 and £34.99 are hand wash. Oizen says machine washable without a cycle. WZQH says clean and store. The £8.03 page has no care line. Where a code exists, the rating refers to a new, unwashed palm sample.

Related pages

Best puncture resistant gloves

Puncture-resistant gloves

How to use puncture resistant gloves, step by step

Needlestick gloves vs puncture resistant, explained

Thorn proof gardening gloves and what still gets through

Sources

Public UK sources for puncture, PPE duties, and marking. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this set, shelf date 19 October 2026. Retrieved 21 October 2026.

  1. HSE — Selecting protective gloves (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. HSE — PPE overview (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. HSE — PPE regulations 2022 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. HSE — Product safety and supply of PPE (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK — PPE enforcement regulations 2018 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. uvex UK — Understanding puncture-resistant safety gloves (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Traffi — EN 388 revision guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. SafetyGloves.co.uk — Puncture versus needlestick resistance (retrieved 21 October 2026)