Top 9 Electrician Gloves for Hand Protection

Working in an electrical system requires electrician gloves and sleeves, this is to prevent electrical shock and other hazards.

Electrician gloves play protective roles during installation and repairs and since it is the only barrier between you and electricity, buying a quality one is important.

This article will reveal the best electrician gloves in the market, and all the buying guides you will need.

What are electrician gloves?

An electrician glove is a safety tool designed to protect the wearer’s hands from electrical hazards.

It is usually made with a thick insulating material, such as rubber or leather, and has a snug fit to prevent the wearer from coming into contact with live wires.

Electrician gloves provide hand protection against abrasions, burns, arc flashes, puncture wounds, and electrocution. It also protects you from hazardous substances such as chemicals.

What are the importance of gloves to electricians?

Insulated gloves are important in electrical work because:

  • They help to prevent electrical shock.
  • Helps protect our hands from abrasions, cuts and other injuries.
  • They provide grip and dexterity, allowing workers to safely handle electrical equipment.
  • Helps keep our hands clean and free of dirt and contaminants.
  • They can extend the life of electrical equipment by preventing damage from arc flash.

Types of Electrician work Gloves

 There are three types of electrical safety gloves, and each has a specific role. They include:

  •  Rubber Insulated Gloves
  • Leather Protective Gloves
  • Lineman Work Gloves:

Rubber Gloves

This is the most important part of any hand glove because it does not conduct electricity. 

It also comes in six different classes ranging from class 00 to 4, and each class with different levels of voltage protection. 

You can choose from these classes depending on the voltage level you work on. Class 00 offers the least protection, they are used on low voltage, while class 4 offers the highest protection.

Classification of Rubber Insulated Gloves according to ASTM International Standard

ClassMax. use voltage AC/DCProof test voltage AC/DC
00500 / 7502,500 / 10,000
01,000 / 1,5005,000 / 20,000
17,500/11,25010,000 / 40,000
217,000 / 25,50020,000 / 50,000
326,500 / 39,75030,000 / 60,000
436,000 / 54,00040,000 / 70,000

Leather Protective Gloves

Leather gloves protect you from burns and cuts, electricians wear them on top of their rubber gloves for additional protection.

Top 3 leather protector gloves

Lineman Work Glove

This is a special glove for lineman workers (pole climbers).

Top 2 Lineman Work Gloves.

Best 9 electrician gloves to protect yourself from danger.

Top 3 leather protective gloves

Top 2 Lineman Work Gloves.

Things to consider before buying electrical work gloves.

A good safety glove must be able to offer both electrical and physical protection and also fit

the worker’s hand to ease the work.

Outside of this, you should also check:

1. Date on the stamp

The date on the stamp will tell you whether to buy the personal protective equipment or not.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all manufacturers to test and stamp their glove kits before selling.

The date will show you when the glove was tested. If it is above one year, seek to retest, or buy another one.

2. Testing lab

Make sure an accredited lab tests the rubber glove. Mariaelectricals.com offers such tests (hi potential testing) with our testing equipment. You can also use North American Independent Laboratories (NAIL) for the safety test.

3. Glove classification

Insulating gloves come in different classes, ranging from class 00 to class 4. Your choice will depend on the voltage level you are working on.

You may also wear a leather protector on the rubber insulator to prevent cuts or mechanical injury.

4. Glove inspection

You should inspect the glove for defects such as holes, tear, and ozone cuts. You should also check if there is any form of swelling.

If the electrical glove has any of the above faults, take it out of service for retesting.

5. Glove air test

After the visual inspection, also perform an air test on the electrical work glove. You can achieve that by filling the glove with air and also checking for leakage.

Top 5 safety gloves for electricians

 1. Maxi-flex 34-874 insulating glove

Maxi-Flex is one of the best safety gloves you will enjoy working with. Here are the reasons.

  • It is made with nylon and nitrile coat, which makes it light and breathable. This means you can work all day with the glove and still have a cool and dry hand.
  • The nitrile coating of the glove is compatible with light oil, providing a good grip and fit
  • It is resistant to abrasion
  • Has a knit wrist that prevents dirt and debris from entering the work glove.
  • Can reduce the risk of hand fatigue
  • Easy to work with
  • Has excellent dexterity, sensitivity, and tactility.

Customer reviews of maxiflex gloves on Amazon

As of the time of writing this article, the workwear has received 969 reviews. Out of the reviewers, 87% of them gave the hand glove a 5 star rating, 10% gave it 4 stars and only one percent of users gave it one star.

The satisfied users liked its secured fitting, durable and long lasting.

The only downside of the rubber glove is that it does not have waterproof protection at the back of the hand glove.

For more details, and the current price of the glove, check Amazon.

National Safety Apparel Class 0 rubber insulator

This protective glove is made with an insulating rubber that can protect your palms from 1000 AC and 1500 DC voltage. It is ideal for working on low-voltage.

Reasons we recommend the safety glove

  • It offers arc flash hand protection. The glove kit comes with a pair of tested class 0 gloves, and a pair of 10″ leather protectors for proper protection.
  • It is both NFPA 70E-2015, and CSA Z462-15 compliant for arc flash.
  • Offer increased protection for utility workers, linemen, electricians, and electrical cooperative contractors.
  • Can prevent tears and punctures because of the leather protector

What customers are saying about the work glove

This glove has received a global rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from 229 reviewers. Out of the reviewers, 86% of them gave the glove a 5 star rating, 9% rated 4 star and only one percent rated one star.

Satisfied customers were happy with the glove quality while the unsatisfied users complained about the testing dates, as some are already more than a year old.

For more details about the safety glove, including customer reviews, and current prices, visit Amazon.

Dexterity flame-resistant arc flash glove

This is a multipurpose glove for electrical work that offers protection against cuts and arc flash hazards. It is also resistant to flames, and can hardly catch fire. Very flexible and easy to work with.

The only downside of the glove is that it stiffs during first use.

For more details, current price, and customer review of the rubber glove, check here on Amazon

Magid electrician hand glove

Magid is one of the top-quality electricity gloves you can buy as an electrician. It is manufactured using the finest natural rubber latex.

This class 0 glove offers better dielectric power, flexibility, increased durability, and comfort.

It is also suitable for lineman work, electrical contractors, and high voltage operations.

Note: Always check the glove label to make sure it is suitable for the type of voltage you want to work on before using it.

For more details about the insulating glove, current price, and customers review check here on Amazon.

Frequently asked questions about rubber insulating gloves

1. What are the best gloves for electricians?

The top four gloves for electrical workers are:

2. Which gloves prevent electric shock?

Insulated rubber gloves prevent electric shock. But always ensure you select the right class for a particular voltage level.

3. Why do electricians wear gloves?

Electricians wear gloves when working in the electrical field to prevent electrical shock and other hazards.

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About mariaelectricals

Hi, I am Emmanuel Nwankwo, a commercial electrician and the founder of mariaelectricals.com. I established this blog to share my decades of work experience in electrical installations and repairs.