3M Comfort Grip Gloves

3M is well known for PPE (personal protective equipment) for safety on job sites and while most of us think that means head, eye and ear protection or maybe respiratory protection in the form of specialty masks for dust and fume protection, one overlooked group would be gloves and 3M makes several styles of glove. The featured style here is the 3M Comfort Grip, which offers several levels of protection depending on which style you choose. From basic yard work, to warehouse work and beyond to light cable work, there’s a glove that will protect your hand while you take on hard work.

The first level of protection will protect you from basic scrapes and abrasions and that’s provided by 3M’s Comfort Grip Gloves General Use. Available in three sizes (M, L, XL) these gloves act as a second, tougher layer of skin and come with a nitrile coated palm for added protection on the work area. The Comfort Grip gloves are extremely stretchy and provide an excellent grip. The General Use gloves are good for light to medium duty where some precision is still needed such as in handling lumber, pipe work, cabling work, general labor and more.

As far as protection goes, this style is EN388 4122 rated but does not have an ANSI rating. The EN388 rating is a European standard which evaluates how resistant fabrics are to abrasion, tearing, puncture and cutting. Each test is done separately and the fabrics are rated based on how may cycles of the test that they survive. More or less.

The meaning of the four numbers after the EN388 is explained in great detail here, so if I’m deciphering the chart properly, the 4122 rating that this glove was tested at and certified to survive is:  8,000 abrasion test cycles (4), 1.2 blade cut test cycles (1), 25 tear resistance Newtons (2), and 60 puncture resistance Newtons (2). In short, these are good gloves that will protect against rubbing and scraping on stuff, maybe some splinters, but they are mostly ineffective against blades and cutting surfaces of any sort. Even without full protection, they do have another purpose, which is of course to provide a strong grip even in potentially slippery conditions. In addition to these gloves providing basic protection to your skin, they are extremely flexible and machine washable.

Providing the same level of protection, 3M’s Comfort Grip Gloves also come with the ability to keep your hands warm in the winter or any other cold environment. The winter gloves provide an EN388 4122 rating and feature the comfort and dexterity of the General Use gloves but, obviously provide warmth. Probably these would be most helpful in a cold warehouse or crawlspace or above freezing temperatures like a cold and windy spring day. They are available in three sizes (M, L, XL).

With the next level of protection, 3M’s Comfort Grip Gloves are available in two different levels of cut resistant material. The first level is Comfort grip – Cut Resistant which is EN388 4343 (8,000 Abrasion cycles (4), 5 blade cut cycles (3), 70 (4) – tear resistance cycles, 100 puncture cycles (3)) or ANSI 2 rated (light to medium cut hazards, 500 – 999 grams) and are polyurethane coated. This style of glove would work well with handling abrasive or sharp material, working with sharp parts, and light cable work. Available in three sizes (M, L, XL).

The highest level of protection comes from the Comfort Grip Cut Resistant gloves which are EN388 4544 Rated (8,000 abrasion cycles (4), 20 blade cut cycles (5), 70 Tear cycles (4), and 150 tear cycles (4)) ANSI 3 rated (light to medium cut hazards, 1,000 – 1,499 grams to cut). This glove is nitrile foam coated which enhances grip and protection. The Cut Resistant Glove is great for mid-level cable work, working with metal tapes, situations working with metal that would hurt skin and maybe in situations where your hand may be in danger of a glancing blow from a blade. While designed to be cut resistant, they are not indestructible and are not guaranteed to protect from intentional cuts or misuse. It is available in three sizes (M, L, XL).

With 3M’s Comfort Grip Gloves you get incredible protection at various levels to protect your hands from cold, abrasions and various levels of cuts and punctures. With one or more of these work gloves, your hands will be protected and provide a strong grip while you work.