Is 18 gauge thinner than 13 gauge? What glove gauge means, as Radians explains it, and where 7, 10, 13, 15, 18 and 21 gauge land
Yes: in gloves, the higher the gauge the thinner the knit. Radians defines the term on its hand protection knowledge base: the gauge of a shell is the number of needles per linear inch on the knitting machine, the smaller the number the thicker the shell, 7 gauge is the thickest and 18 gauge the thinnest, lightest-weight shell. So an 18 gauge glove has more, finer stitches per inch than a 13 gauge and feels like a second skin; a 7 or 10 gauge is the heavy string-knit or terry weight. Gauge is not a rating. It does not appear in ANSI/ISEA 105 or EN 388, and a thin 18 gauge shell of engineered yarn can carry a higher cut level than a thick 10 gauge cotton knit: on this site Radians prints 18 gauge gloves from A2 to A9 (TEKTYE RWG708 and RWG718 at A4, AXIS RWG566 at A5, RWG588 at A8, RWG589 at A9), 21 gauge at A6 (DEWALT DPG578) and A8 (Radians RWG581), and 13 gauge from A2 to A8. What gauge does change is dexterity, breathability and how the coating sits: Radians lists its 18 gauge TEKTYE styles as touchscreen capable and its 13 gauge as the standard weight across the AXIS and KAMORI lines. The band below groups the Radians and DEWALT knit gloves by the gauge each page prints, with the cut level beside it.
DEWALT DPG833T Cut Resistant Gloves, ANSI A2, Micro Foam Nitrile Coated18 gauge engineered-yarn glove with the cut level Radians prints (Radians data)Why the number runs backwards. Gauge comes from the knitting machine, not the glove: it counts needles in an inch of the needle bed, so a machine with 18 needles per inch knits a finer, tighter fabric from a finer yarn than one with 7. That is the opposite of sheet metal and wire, where a higher gauge is also thinner but for a different historical reason, and the opposite of what most people expect from a bigger number. Radians puts the range plainly: 7 gauge thickest, 18 gauge thinnest. The reason it matters is feel and heat. A 7 or 10 gauge knit is warm and padded and clumsy; a 13 gauge is the standard coated work glove; a 15 gauge is noticeably lighter; an 18 or 21 gauge is thin enough to pick up a screw and to run a touchscreen through, which is why Radians prints touchscreen on its 18 gauge TEKTYE styles. The cut level does not follow the gauge. It follows the yarn, and Radians’ engineered yarns reach A4 to A8 at 18 and 21 gauge. Read the two lines separately: Gauge for the feel, ANSI Cut Level for the blade.
Gauge by gauge, as the Radians and DEWALT pages print them
The weight is Radians’ description; the cut levels are the ones printed on the styles at that gauge on this site.
What Radians states about gauge and shells
From the Radians hand protection knowledge base:
- Gauge is the number of needles used per linear inch on a knitting machine; the smaller the gauge, the thicker the shell; 7 gauge is the thickest and 18 gauge the thinnest, lightest-weight shell.
- Shell yarns: polyester and nylon for plain coated gloves; HPPE at A2 to A3, with fiberglass to A3 and stainless steel to A5 or higher; Kevlar; Dyneema Diamond; TEKTYE at A4 without glass or steel.
- Glass and steel fibers break over time, can irritate skin, and leave the glove closer to A2 at the break; TEKTYE and Dyneema are Radians’ alternatives.
- The Gauge, Shell Material and Coating lines on each knit glove page on this site are the construction Radians prints for that style.
Radians and DEWALT knit gloves on this site by gauge, with the cut levels printed at each
| Gauge | Styles on this site | Cut levels printed |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 style | A3 |
| 10 | 3 styles | none |
| 13 | 43 styles | A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, none |
| 15 | 15 styles | A1, A4, A5, none |
| 18 | 13 styles | A2, A4, A5, A8, A9 |
| 21 | 2 styles | A6, A8 |
Source: The Gauge and ANSI Cut Level lines on the Radians and DEWALT product pages on this site, fetched Nov 8 2026. “none” means the page prints no cut level for that style.
Questions people ask
Is a 14 or 18 gauge glove smaller?
Neither is smaller; the 18 gauge is thinner. In gloves the gauge is needles per inch on the knitting machine, so a higher number means a finer, thinner knit. Radians: 7 gauge thickest, 18 gauge thinnest.
What is 13 gauge?
Thirteen needles per inch of knitting machine; the standard weight for coated work gloves. Radians prints it across its AXIS, KAMORI, TEKTYE and DEWALT DPG lines.
Is a thinner glove less cut resistant?
Not by gauge. The cut level follows the yarn: Radians prints A4, A5, A8 and A9 on 18 gauge gloves and DEWALT and Radians print A6 and A8 on 21 gauge ones. Read the ANSI Cut Level line, not the gauge.
Why does a higher gauge mean thinner?
The number counts needles in an inch of the machine’s needle bed. More needles in the inch means a finer yarn and a tighter, thinner fabric.
Which gauge works with a touchscreen?
The style has to say so: Radians prints touchscreen on several 18 gauge TEKTYE and AXIS gloves and on some 13 gauge styles. The Touchscreen line on each page is the figure.
Does gauge appear in ANSI/ISEA 105 or EN 388?
No. Neither standard rates gauge. It is a construction fact the manufacturer prints beside the ratings.
What is the thinnest glove Radians makes?
Radians names 18 gauge the thinnest shell in its knowledge base; the DEWALT DPG578 and Radians RWG581 on this site print 21 gauge.
What are the thinnest work gloves?
The highest-gauge knits: 18 and 21 gauge shells with a thin polyurethane or foam nitrile palm, as Radians, MCR Safety (Ninja N9696 at 18 gauge) and Portwest list them. The cut level is the glove’s own, since a thin knit can still carry an A2 to A4 from its yarn.
Are there thin but warm gloves?
A thin knit carries no insulation; warmth comes from a lining or a second layer, and the EN 511 code measures it. The gauge guide explains thickness; the warmest insulation guide covers linings.
The ratings, test results and standards shown here are the manufacturers' published values, reproduced as published. Nothing on this page is a recommendation by Bayshore Safety that any product is suitable for a particular task, hazard or workplace. Selecting safety products and protective equipment is the responsibility of the end user and the employer, based on their own hazard assessment and the regulations that apply to their work. Confirm every value on the manufacturer's own documentation before use.