Glove Size Chart: How to Measure Your Hand, From XS to XXXL
How to measure round the palm, across it and wrist to fingertip, then read five brands' glove size charts from XS to XXXL, number sizes and big-hand limits.
Your hand goes into an XL work glove, the fingertips stop short and the cuff will not close, and the XXL you order next is no better. One common cause is buying by the letter on the last pair: one brand measures round the palm, another straight across it, and the same XL covers different inches at each. Below is how to take three hand measurements, five brands’ charts side by side from XS to XXXL, and where each chart runs out for a big hand.
The short answer
| You measured | Charts that ask for it |
|---|---|
| Round the palm, below the knuckles, thumb out (tape) | Wells Lamont, Harbinger, Giro (its Hand Width) |
| Straight across the palm | Mechanix, Ironclad |
| Wrist to fingertip (hand length) | Wells Lamont |
| Middle finger only, base to tip | Mechanix |
How to measure your hand
You need a soft tape, a ruler and warm hands. Measure your dominant hand: Wells Lamont’s sizing article says it is “typically slightly larger”, and that cold weather “can make your hands slightly smaller”.
- Round the palm. Lay the hand flat, fingers together, and wrap the tape round the widest part, just below the knuckles, leaving the thumb out. Wells Lamont’s chart puts the tape “across the knuckles at the base of the fingers”; Giro’s guide asks you to “lightly close your hand”. Keep it snug, “but not tight enough to indent your skin”, in Wells Lamont’s words, and its article says to round up to the next quarter inch.
- Hand length. From the wrist crease to the tip of the middle finger, on Wells Lamont’s chart; Giro measures from the tip of the longest finger to the base of the palm at the wrist.
- Palm width. Lay the hand flat and measure straight across the palm, from the crook of the thumb to the outer edge. Ironclad’s chart calls this PALM WIDTH (A-B) and says “USE A RULER TO MEASURE YOUR HAND”; Mechanix’s chart marks the same line from the thumb to the edge of the palm (our reading of both diagrams).
- Middle finger. Mechanix also sizes by finger length, drawn on its diagram from the base of the middle finger to the tip (our reading).
- Write each number down.
The warm-hand rule is the same one that applies with a ring size guide.
Glove size chart by palm circumference
Men’s and unisex rows. Wells Lamont’s men’s and unisex charts print the same numbers and label the two largest sizes XX and XXX. Harbinger’s chart gives no column name, only the instruction to measure “the circumference of your flat hand just under the knuckles (not including your thumb)”. Giro calls its wrap-round measurement Hand Width; its inch figures do not always match its millimetres (Small reads 7 in beside 179–200 mm), so the millimetres are used here.
| Size | Wells Lamont palm circumference (in) | Wells Lamont length (in) | Harbinger men (in) | Giro size | Giro Hand Width (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 6.5–7 | 7–7.5 | 6.5–7 | XS (6) | 160–178 |
| S | 7–7.5 | 7.5–8 | 7–7.5 | S (7) | 179–200 |
| M | 7.5–8.5 | 8–8.5 | 7.5–8 | M (8) | 201–219 |
| L | 8.5–9.5 | 8.5–9 | 8–8.5 | L (9) | 220–234 |
| XL | 9.5–10.5 | 9–9.5 | 8.5–9.5 | XL (10) | 235–249 |
| XXL | 10.5–11.5 | 9.5–10 | 9.5 and over | XXL (11) | 250–265 |
| XXXL | 11.5–12.5 | 10–10.5 | Not on chart | XXXL (12) | 265–270 |
Harbinger’s XL, 8.5 to 9.5 inches, is the same range as Wells Lamont’s Large, so a 9-inch hand is an XL at one and a Large at the other. Wells Lamont’s own sizing article prints a simpler scale (Large 9 to 10 inches, Extra Large 10 to 11) that differs from its chart at every size from Small up, so the chart is used here, and the article adds: “don’t be surprised if you wear a medium in one brand and a large in another.”
Glove size chart by palm width
Mechanix and Ironclad size work gloves by palm width, measured straight across (Ironclad says use a ruler). From Small to XX-Large their men’s rows match; they part at both ends.
| Mechanix men’s size | Mechanix palm width (in) | Ironclad men’s size | Ironclad palm width (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| XXX-Small | Less than 2 | Not on chart | Not on chart |
| XX-Small | 2–2¼ | XXS (5) | 2⅛ or less |
| X-Small | 2¼–2½ | XS (6) | 2⅛–2½ |
| Small | 2½–3 | S (7) | 2½–3 |
| Medium | 3–3⅜ | M (8) | 3–3⅜ |
| Large | 3⅜–3⅞ | L (9) | 3⅜–3⅞ |
| X-Large | 3⅞–4⅜ | XL (10) | 3⅞–4⅜ |
| XX-Large | 4⅜–4¾ | XXL (11) | 4⅜–4¾ |
| XXX-Large | 4¾–5⅜ | XXXL (12) | 4¾–5¼ |
Mechanix’s men’s finger length runs from 3⅞ to 4¼ inches at XXX-Small to 6¼ to 6½ at XXX-Large.
Women’s glove sizes
| Size | Wells Lamont palm circumference (in) | Wells Lamont length (in) | Harbinger women (in) | Giro size | Giro Hand Width (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 5.5–6 | 6–6.5 | 6–6.5 | Not on chart | Not on chart |
| S | 6–6.5 | 6.5–7 | 6.5–7 | S (6) | 155–169 |
| M | 6.5–7 | 7–7.5 | 7–7.5 | M (7) | 170–189 |
| L | 7–7.5 | 7.5–8 | 7.5–8 | L (8) | 190–204 |
| XL | Not on chart | Not on chart | Not on chart | XL (9) | 205–210 |
By palm width, Mechanix’s women’s Small is 2⅛ to 2½ inches, Medium 2½ to 3 and Large 3 to 3⅜; Ironclad’s women’s XS (6) is 2⅛ or less, S (7) 2⅛ to 2¾, M (8) 2¾ to 3⅛ and L (9) 3⅛ or more.
On the Wells Lamont, Harbinger, Giro and Mechanix charts, a women’s Large is a smaller hand than the men’s Large (Ironclad’s women’s L is open-ended): Wells Lamont’s women’s L (7 to 7.5 inches) is its men’s Small range, and Mechanix’s women’s Large (3 to 3⅜) is its men’s Medium. If your hand is past a women’s chart, read the men’s or unisex rows (our reading).
Number sizes 6 to 12
Giro’s and Ironclad’s men’s charts put the same number beside each letter: XS (6), S (7), M (8), L (9), XL (10), XXL (11), XXXL (12). The women’s numbers shift: Giro’s women’s L is an 8 and Ironclad’s women’s M is an 8.
Some makers, Wells Lamont’s article says, “use numbered sizing where the number matches the hand measurement in inches; for example, if your hand measures 8.5 inches, you’d wear a size 8.5 or 9 glove.” Giro’s men’s numbers follow that from S (7) to XL (10): its L (9) is 220 to 234 mm, about 8.7 to 9.2 inches. Above that they run a size ahead: XXL (11) is 250 to 265 mm, about 9.8 to 10.4 inches, and XXXL (12) about 10.4 to 10.6 (our arithmetic). Ironclad’s numbers hang on palm width instead.
Big hands: where each chart ends
- Work gloves. Wells Lamont’s XXX runs to 12.5 inches round the palm. By palm width, Mechanix’s XXX-Large reaches 5⅜ inches and Ironclad’s XXXL (12) 5¼.
- Winter gloves. Wells Lamont’s men’s, women’s and unisex winter charts print the same numbers as its regular charts, with one line added: “Gloves with insulation will fit more snug. For a roomier fit, size up.” Hestra’s size and fit guide wants a small gap in a sport glove, because “The air trapped in this space helps insulate and retain warmth.”
- Cycling gloves. Giro’s men’s chart stops at XXXL (12), 265 to 270 mm, about 10.4 to 10.6 inches (our arithmetic), where Wells Lamont’s chart moves from XL to XX.
- Lifting gloves. Harbinger’s XXL is open-ended at 9.5 inches and over, and the size menu on its Power Gloves 3.0 men’s listing runs from Small to XX-Large. Benches rated for heavier lifters are in weight bench heavy duty.
Three hands placed on each chart (our reading and arithmetic):
- 8 inches round (203 mm): M at Wells Lamont and Giro; on the line between M and L at Harbinger, which says to take the larger.
- 10 inches (254 mm): XL at Wells Lamont; XXL at Harbinger and XXL (11) at Giro.
- 11 inches (279 mm): XX at Wells Lamont, XXL at Harbinger, past the top of Giro’s chart.
How to use the chart with your numbers
- You have a tape reading: use the circumference table, then check the brand’s own chart.
- You measured straight across: use the palm-width table. A circumference number will not fit it.
- Your length and circumference point to different sizes: Wells Lamont says to go by length “For a better fit in the fingertips” and by palm circumference “For a better general fit”.
- Between two rows: Mechanix and Ironclad say size down for a snug fit; Harbinger says take the larger; Hestra says the larger of two unisex sport sizes is “generally recommended”.
- Past the last row: of the three charts measured round the palm, Wells Lamont’s is the only one that prints a range past 11 inches (to 12.5); Harbinger’s XXL has no upper figure (9.5 and over), and Giro’s stops at 270 mm.
Before you order
- Check which measurement the chart wants. Round, across, or finger length.
- Look at the listing’s size menu.
- Read the returns page before paying.
- More measuring walkthroughs are in size guides.
Where these numbers come from
Sizes and measurements are copied from the Wells Lamont, Mechanix, Ironclad and Harbinger chart images, Wells Lamont’s sizing article and Giro’s size chart page, read on 1 October 2026; Hestra’s size and fit guide supplied fit advice only. Inch–millimetre conversions and where the example hands land are our arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know my glove size?
Wrap a soft tape round your dominant hand just below the knuckles, thumb left out, and measure from the wrist crease to the tip of the middle finger. On Wells Lamont's men's and unisex chart, 8.5 to 9.5 inches round the palm is a Large. Then check what the brand's own chart asks for: Mechanix and Ironclad size by palm width, measured straight across the palm (Ironclad says use a ruler).
What glove size is a 10-inch hand?
Of the three circumference charts in this guide, 10 inches round the palm is an XL on Wells Lamont's men's and unisex chart (9.5 to 10.5), an XXL on Harbinger's men's chart (9.5 and over), and an XXL (11) on Giro's men's chart, which runs 250 to 265 mm; 10 inches is 254 mm.
What do glove sizes 8, 9 and 10 mean?
On Giro's and Ironclad's men's charts, 8 is Medium, 9 Large, 10 XL, 11 XXL and 12 XXXL. The women's numbers differ: a women's 8 is a Large on Giro's chart and a Medium on Ironclad's. Giro hangs its numbers on a wrap-round measurement it calls Hand Width, Ironclad on palm width across the hand, so check which one the chart uses.
What is the biggest glove size?
Of the five brand charts in this guide, the highest measurement printed round the palm is on Wells Lamont's XXX row, 11.5 to 12.5 inches. By palm width, Mechanix's XXX-Large runs to 5⅜ inches and Ironclad's XXXL (12) to 5¼. Harbinger's XXL is open-ended at 9.5 inches and over, and Giro's XXXL (12) stops at 270 mm.
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