Is a size 10 glove a large? Glove size numbers vs letters, with MCR Safety’s chart
A size 10 is an extra large in the numbering most industrial glove makers use, and a 9 is a large. The numbers come from the European glove standard EN 420, which sizes a glove by the hand it fits: size 7 for a 178 mm (7 inch) hand circumference, 8 for 203 mm (8 inches), 9 for 229 mm (9 inches), 10 for 254 mm (10 inches), 11 for 279 mm (11 inches). MCR Safety prints both on its knit and coated gloves, S (7), M (8), L (9), XL (10), 2XL (11), and its size guide reads the letter from a ruler laid across the palm: a 3.5 to 4 inch men’s hand is a large, 4 to 4.5 inches an extra large. Leather and mechanics gloves are usually lettered only, so a size 10 question there is answered by the brand’s own chart on the product page.
MCR Safety Cut Pro 9676 Cut Resistant Gloves, ANSI A3, Polyurethane CoatedCut-resistant knit sold in S (7) to 2XL (11), as MCR Safety sizes it (MCR Safety data)Why the number and the letter do not always agree. The number is tied to a measurement; the letter is the brand’s name for a range of measurements. EN 420 defines size 9 as a hand 229 mm around and 192 mm long, and most industrial makers call that a large. A consumer glove brand may call the same hand a medium or an extra large, which is where the question comes from. A knit or coated work glove with a number on the cuff is sized to the EN 420 scale, so a 10 is an XL whatever the letter printed beside it says, and the product page’s size list is the one to trust for that style.
How the numbers map to the letters
The EN 420 hand circumference for each size, and the letter MCR Safety uses for it.
How to measure, and what to do when the brands disagree
- Circumference: a tape around the knuckles of the dominant hand, thumb excluded. The EN 420 size is the number of inches, rounded; MCR Safety’s guide uses a ruler across the palm instead and reads the letter from its chart.
- Length: from the wrist crease to the tip of the middle finger; EN 420 gives a minimum length for each size (171 mm at size 7, 204 mm at size 10), so a long, narrow hand may need a size up.
- Two brands, two letters: a PIP or MCR Safety knit at size 10 is an XL; a consumer brand may call a 10 a large. Compare the number, not the letter, and read the Sizes line on the product page, which lists both for every MCR Safety knit and coated style on this site.
- Leather, welding and mechanics gloves: lettered only on most styles, with the brand’s own chart; MCR Safety’s leather and mechanics pages list S to 2XL or 3XL without numbers.
- Fit: MCR Safety’s guide states a snug fit gives the surest grip and that the chart is approximate, so the glove should be tried on.
MCR Safety glove size guide: hand width to letter size
| Size | Men’s (across the hand) | Ladies’ (across the hand) | EN 420 number on MCR Safety knits |
|---|---|---|---|
| X-Small | 2.5 to 2.75 in | — | 6 |
| Small | 2.75 to 3 in | 2 to 2.5 in | 7 |
| Medium | 3 to 3.5 in | 2.5 to 3 in | 8 |
| Large | 3.5 to 4 in | 3 to 3.5 in | 9 |
| X-Large | 4 to 4.5 in | — | 10 |
| XX-Large | 4.5 to 5 in | — | 11 |
| XXX-Large | 5 to 5.5 in | — | 12 |
Source: MCR Safety, “Glove Size Guide”; the Sizes field on each MCR Safety product page (S (7) to 2XL (11)). MCR Safety: the chart is approximate; try the glove on.
Portwest’s chart says the same
Portwest’s glove chart runs XXS (5) to 4XL (13), one inch of hand circumference per size, so a Portwest size 10 is an XL and a 9 is an L, the same answer as the EN 420 scale above; Portwest states its sizing follows EN ISO 21420:2020, the standard that replaced EN 420.
Portwest size guide (portwest.com/market/sizing), read Nov 7 2026Portwest glove size chart: hand circumference at the palm, in inches, to the Portwest size
| Portwest size | XXS | XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL | 3XL | 4XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand circumference (in) | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
Portwest: measure the circumference of the hand at the palm with a tape and select the corresponding size; the Portwest gloves on this site list the letter and the number together (S (7), M (8), L (9), XL (10), 2XL (11), 3XL (12)). Portwest states its glove sizing follows EN ISO 21420:2020.
Source: Portwest size guide (portwest.com/market/sizing), read Nov 7 2026
Questions people ask
Is size 10 a large glove?
An extra large on the EN 420 scale that industrial makers use: size 10 fits a hand 254 mm (10 inches) around. MCR Safety prints XL (10) on its knit and coated gloves. A consumer brand may call the same glove a large, so compare the number.
Is a size 9 glove large or XL?
A large: hand circumference 229 mm (9 inches), hand length 192 mm under EN 420. MCR Safety lists it as L (9).
How do I measure my hand for glove size?
Tape around the knuckles, thumb excluded, and read the inches as the size number; or, with MCR Safety’s guide, lay a ruler across the palm and read the letter: 3.5 to 4 inches is a large.
Why does the same glove size feel different between brands?
The letter is the brand’s name for a range; the pattern, the knit gauge and the liner change how a size fits. The number is tied to the EN 420 hand measurement and travels between brands better than the letter.
Do leather work gloves use the number sizes?
Most are lettered only, S to 2XL or 3XL, on the brand’s own chart; MCR Safety’s leather and mechanics pages list letters without numbers.
How do I know my glove size (men’s)?
Measure around the dominant hand at the knuckles, thumb excluded: the inches, rounded, are the number size (8 = M, 9 = L, 10 = XL, 11 = 2XL under EN 420, which MCR Safety and Portwest both print). A men’s hand of 3.5 to 4 inches across the palm on MCR Safety’s ruler guide is a large.
What are the different types of gloves, and do they all use the number sizes?
Knit, coated and cut-resistant gloves use the EN 420 numbers with the letters beside them; leather, welding and mechanics gloves are usually lettered only, and disposable gloves run XS to 2XL with no number. Compare the number where one is printed; otherwise use the brand’s own chart on the product page.
What is size 10 in men's gloves?
MCR Safety prints both on its knit and coated gloves, S (7), M (8), L (9), XL (10), 2XL (11), and its size guide reads the letter from a ruler laid across the palm: a 3.5 to 4 inch men’s hand is a large, 4 to 4.5 inches an extra large.
What glove size is 10 inches?
A size 10: EN 420 sizes a glove by the hand circumference in inches, so a hand 10 inches (254 mm) around at the knuckles is a 10, which MCR Safety prints as XL (10) on its knit and coated gloves. An 11 inch hand is a 2XL (11).
What are the different types of glove sizing?
Two systems on one glove: the EN 420 number (6 to 11, from the hand circumference in inches) that industrial makers print on knit and coated gloves, and the letter (XS to 3XL) that is the brand’s own name for a range. MCR Safety prints both on its knits, S (7) to 2XL (11), and letters only on leather, welding and mechanics gloves, read from its palm-width chart.
How do you find out or calculate your glove size?
Tape around the knuckles of the dominant hand, thumb excluded, and round the inches to the size number: 8 is a medium, 9 a large, 10 an extra large. Or lay a ruler across the palm and read MCR Safety’s chart: men’s 3 to 3.5 inches medium, 3.5 to 4 large, 4 to 4.5 X-large; ladies’ 2 to 2.5 small, 2.5 to 3 medium, 3 to 3.5 large. MCR Safety says the chart is approximate and to try the glove on.
How big is a size 12 glove?
Beyond the EN 420 table, which stops at 11 (279 mm, an 11 inch hand); a 12 is a 3XL in the brands that make one, for a hand about 12 inches around. MCR Safety’s knit sizes stop at 2XL (11) on most styles; its leather and mechanics gloves run to 2XL or 3XL by letter on the product page.
Related guides
How to measure your hand for glove sizeCircumference, length and the EN 420 tableWhat do ANSI cut levels A1 to A9 mean?The ANSI/ISEA 105 scaleCowhide vs goatskin vs pigskin vs deerskinWhat the leather type and grade meanWhat is a glove coating?Nitrile, polyurethane, latex and foam comparedThe 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.