Glove Size Converter

Measure the hand, not the fingers

Wrap a flexible tape around your dominant hand at the knuckles, with your fingers together and the tape passing over the knuckles but not the thumb, and keep it snug without pulling tight. Measure in the afternoon if you can — hands swell slightly during the day, and a glove bought on a morning measurement can feel tight by evening. If your two hands differ, size for the larger one; a glove that fits the bigger hand is comfortable on both, while the reverse is not.

Typical glove size chart

Letter sizes below follow the widely used hand-circumference chart; they are typical values, and brands vary by up to a full size, especially between dress gloves (cut close) and work gloves (cut roomy). Some makers also number sizes in inches — the inch column is that number.

Fit by job, not just by size

The right fit depends on what the glove is for. Work and gardening gloves need room to grip and a little air, so a snug work glove is a bad work glove; ski and snowboard gloves need space for a liner and for warm air, so many skiers size up; cycling gloves and dress gloves are meant to fit close, with no bunching at the palm. The same hand can therefore take a medium dress glove and a large work glove, and both can be correct.

Between sizes

If your measurement falls on a boundary, the use decides: size up for insulated, waterproof or work gloves, where tightness costs warmth and dexterity, and size down for thin leather or cycling gloves, which stretch and mould to the hand with wear. And if you are buying gloves as a gift, a traced outline of the hand on paper — knuckles marked — is a far better guide than a guessed size.