Cut Resistant Gloves Levels | Decoding The A1-A9 Scale

The label on a work glove carries a rating that tells you exactly how much cutting force the material can stop — if you know how to read it. Cut resistant glove levels aren’t a marketing gimmick; they’re a measured result from a standardized lab test. The fastest way to buy a solid pair is to check the cut resistant gloves levels printed on the package, an A1-to-A9 scale defined by ANSI/ISEA 105-2024, the current US hand-protection standard. This guide explains what each level means and which one fits the work you actually do.

What Do Cut Resistant Glove Levels Mean?

Cut resistant glove levels are the ratings on the ANSI/ISEA 105 scale, which runs from A1 (lowest protection) to A9 (highest). Every level is tied to a lab test that measures the force required to slice through the glove material with a weighted straight blade.

The current edition, ANSI/ISEA 105-2024, uses the nine-level scale that replaced an older, shorter grading system in 2016. Ratings are produced with the ASTM F2992-15 test method, which pushes a straight blade across the fabric under a fixed load and records how much force, in grams, it takes to break through. ANSI’s explanation of the 2024 standard walks through the method and the level definitions in detail.

Each level corresponds to a gram range. A1 gloves stop roughly 200 to 499 grams of cutting force; A9 gloves stop more than 6,000 grams. The higher the number, the more force required to cut the material — that’s the entire system in one sentence.

Cut Level Chart: A1 Through A9

A1 through A9, low to high, is the entire scale, and each level stops a specific range of cutting force. Here’s the breakdown:

Two things stand out from the chart. The gap between the lowest and highest levels is massive — up to thirty times the stopping force. And the mid levels, A4 and A5, cover the widest spread of everyday trade work like construction, glass, and metal handling.

How To Pick The Right Cut Level

Match the glove’s level to the sharpest, heaviest thing you handle: A2-A3 covers most everyday work, A4-A5 handles glass and sheet metal, and A6 and up belongs on sharp-metal and recycling jobs.

Ansell, a major US glove manufacturer, advises using the glove’s labeled cut level as the baseline and matching it to the task hazard. Its guidance lines up like this: packaging, assembly, and general handling sit comfortably in A1-A3; construction, glass, and metal handling usually need A4-A5; sharp metal, recycling, and other high-risk tasks call for A6 or higher.

Three mistakes send people home with the wrong gloves. Cut resistance is not puncture, abrasion, or tear resistance — those are separate properties with separate ratings, and a thorn can pass through a glove that stops a blade cold. A European EN 388 rating is not an ANSI level; EN 388 uses different tests, so US buyers should confirm the ANSI/ISEA 105 rating is printed on the label. And the highest level isn’t automatically the best level: stiff A8-A9 gloves trade dexterity and grip for protection, which makes precise work slower and more tiring than a lighter A3 or A4 pair.

For garden and yard work, an A2 or A3 glove handles pruning, brush cleanup, and thorny plants well. Our roundup of the best cutting gloves for yard work covers the top-tested options if you’re ready to buy.

So the buying rule is simple: read the A-number on the label, match it to the sharpest thing you handle, and never treat a cut rating as a stand-in for puncture or abrasion protection.

FAQs

Is a higher cut level always better?

No. A higher level, like A9, stops more cutting force, but protection trades off with dexterity, grip, and comfort. A stiff A9 glove can tire your hands faster and make precise work harder than an A3 or A4 pair. Pick the lowest level that matches the blade hazard you actually face.

Do cut-resistant gloves stop every cut?

No. Cut-resistant gloves reduce laceration risk; they don’t eliminate it. The ANSI rating measures blade-cut resistance only, so a glove rated A5 for cuts may still let a needle, nail, or thorn pass through. Puncture, abrasion, and tear resistance are separate properties rated on their own scales.

Is EN 388 the same as an ANSI cut level?

No. EN 388 is the European mechanical-risk glove standard, and it uses different test methods with its own letter and number codes. An EN 388 rating does not convert directly to an ANSI/ISEA 105 level. For US industrial work, check that the label lists the ANSI A1-A9 rating.