How to measure palm circumference for men, women, children

Gloves are a must-have item in every wardrobe.. The products are used in the cold season, there are a number of professions in which they serve as a mandatory element of clothing and protection. To select the correct size of gloves, it is necessary to measure the circumference of the palms.

What is the difference between women's and men's sizes?

There are a number of professions in which gloves are used as safety equipment.

Their list includes:

• healthcare workers who use products to protect against microbes;
• employees of industrial enterprises, especially the food industry;
• agricultural workers;
• service personnel in the construction and service industries.

Absolutely all residents of regions where there is a clear division of seasons into cold and warm periods also wear gloves and mittens.

Women's and men's products can be made from the following materials:

• Genuine Leather;
• leather substitute;
• knitwear, fleece;
• wool, cashmere;
• semi-synthetic and synthetic materials;
• yarn.

The size of the model also depends on the material of manufacture. When choosing it, you need to pay attention to the fabric. So, leather products can be taken in the exact size, since it stretches well, and warm items of clothing on the lining do not have such properties, so they should be bought a size larger.

At the same time, there should not be much space between the skin and the material of the mitten or glove, as cold air will penetrate into it.

The most elegant and practical are leather items of clothing for women. Leather substitute loses its elastic properties at low temperatures. The products become rough and hard. Suede products retain heat best, but they are not practical, as they require special care and attitude. Knitwear is more suitable for a sporty style of clothing.

Woolen products are suitable for harsh, tough winters (if they are made using the double knitting method with pile). However, it is recommended to choose them with linings, since wool is a prickly material that can cause discomfort when in contact with the skin.

The disadvantages of using wool include rapid moisture absorption, the formation of ice floes on the surface of the material, poor wear resistance during washing and drying, when the product loses its shape and shrinks.

Fleece is used more often for linings and trim. It has good moisture and steam permeability. The material is more suitable for mild winters with temperatures down to -10°C.

Fur products have low dirt-repellent properties. The material rolls and freezes heavily when wet, losing its thermal characteristics and beautiful appearance.

Semi-synthetic materials that can be present in natural fabrics include elastane and acrylic. They give warm products more moisture permeability and thermal properties, such materials also retain their appearance longer, and are wear-resistant even with active use.

Synthetic materials are more suitable for active outdoor activities and sports. They are mainly made of polyester, polyurethane, and silicone or synthetic padding is used as a filler.

Such products today are characterized by high quality, wear resistance, reliability, good thermal characteristics, they do not allow moisture to pass through, and are suitable for active outdoor activities.

For men, leather is also the preferred material for making gloves.

Its advantages are:

• strength;
• wear resistance;
• long service life (2-3 seasons without loss of quality and appearance).

The palm circumference needs to be measured to choose the right model that is comfortable to wear. It does not matter where the product is purchased, its manufacturer, it is important to know the size of the hands. Comfort of wearing, efficiency in performing professional activities, and ensuring safety depend on this.

The industry produces garments divided into men's and women's sizes. They differ from each other. Nature has created men's hands in larger sizes than women's. When choosing a pair, you need to know the following information: the smallest size of men's garments has the same marking as the largest in the women's range.

The visual differences between gloves depending on gender are their appearance. Products for men are made in a wider cut than for women, since the hands of the fair half of humanity are narrow.

Sizes are marked with letters and numbers. Letter marking refers to the American type. It is convenient, since it does not require remembering numbers. It is enough to know the letter from which the required size takes its name.

The letter marking is indicated as follows:

• XS – Extra Small;
• S – Small;
• M – Medium;
• L – Large;
• XL – Extra Large.

In the US women's size chart, the largest size is Extra Large (XL), while in the men's range there is a size called Extra Extra Small (XXS).

European marking is indicated by numbers. Its authors are French clothing specialists, who took the length of 1 inch as a basis. This size range has a distinctive feature: men's and women's products according to this standard are marked the same.

The European type of sizing with marking is summarized in the table:

Size (marking)	5	6	6.5	7	7.5	8	8.5	9	9.5	10
Hand girth, cm.	16.5	17.5	18	19	20.5	22	23.5	24	26	27

If you compare American and European markings, you can find the correspondence of sizes, summarized in a table.

European	5	5.5	6	6.5	7	7.5	8	8.5	9	9.5	10
American Women	XXS	XS	S	M	M	L	XL	XL	XXL	XXL	XXL
American Male		S	S	S	M	M	M	L	XL	XL

An important aspect of purchasing any product is choosing the right size. If you determine the size at random from the table without taking measurements, this can lead to disruption of normal blood circulation in the extremities or the accessory falling off the hands.

Measuring the palm of the hand for the size of mittens and gloves

The circumference of the palm can be measured using a centimeter. The most correct way to buy gloves or mittens is to buy them and try them on in a store. However, in life there are cases when trying on is impossible. Then you need to be guided by the information on the size ranges, which is usually indicated on the labels (tags) to the product.

To select the right pair, you need to be able to measure the circumference of your hands.

Determining the size involves the following steps:

1. For the procedure, you need to prepare a tape measure.
2. It should be wrapped around the palm at its widest point (at the base of the thumb under the index finger).
3. When fixing the result, it is better to keep the brush bent and the tape loose, without stretching it.
4. When recording the measurement result, it can be rounded up to 0.5 cm.
5. To determine the required length of the product, you can measure the length from the top of the middle finger to the base of the wrist.

When taking measurements, it is important to remember that they are taken from the working (leading) hand. If a person is left-handed, he wraps the tape measure around his left hand, and a right-handed person wraps the tape measure around his right hand. This requirement is due to the fact that a person's leading hand is always wider than the second.

It is not always possible to measure the palm circumference. There are situations when a person does not have such an opportunity. He simply does not have a tape measure at hand.

In such cases, you can find ready-made patterns on the Internet, which determine the sizes of women's and men's gloves. Then you don't need to take measurements, but just put your palm on the blanks. To do this, they should be printed in natural scale.

The finished diagram is an image of the left and right palm of a man's or woman's hand. Each size is highlighted with color. You should find a match between your parameters and the appropriate color.

Gloves must be worn in accordance with a number of rules:

• Before pulling on the garment, fold in the cuffs.
• Initially, 4 fingers are installed in place, excluding the thumb.
• After the first 4 fingers have entered the garment tightly, the same is done with the fifth finger.
• The cuff is folded back and straightened.

If you put on a glove on all fingers at the same time, you can damage it. Removing the item of clothing is also done in the same order: alternately from each finger, followed by pulling it off the hand.

Determining the size according to the table

The label (tag) of any item of clothing, in addition to the size marking, also includes the composition of the material from which it is made, and care recommendations. This information can be indicated in the form of conventional signs (symbols).

American and European size markings correspond to the unit of measurement in inches. The table below summarizes all known sizes (digital and letter, American and European) with palm circumference in centimeters.

In order to navigate the table and be able to make a choice, you need to know your wrist circumference. It should be taken into account that the product should not sit too loosely on the hand, but also should not squeeze it.

Letter designation	Digital designation (size in inches)	Girth, cm.
XXS (Extra Extra Small)	6.5	16-17
XS (Extra Small)	7	17.5-19
S (Small)	7.5-8	19-20
M (Medium)	8-9	20-23
XL (Extra Large)	10-10.5	23-25
XXL (Extra Extra Large)	11	25.5-28

The above table is designed to determine the size of an adult, both male and female.

There is also labeling for products for children, according to which:

• 4 corresponds to a palm of 15 cm;
• 4.5 – 15.5 cm;
• 5 – 16 cm;
• 5.5 – 16.5 cm;
• 6 – 17 cm.

The wrist circumference for women is within the range of 16-20 cm. It corresponds to sizes from 6.5 to 8. The male parameters are the palm circumference from 18 to 28 cm. It corresponds to the digital designation of sizes from 7 to 11.

The palm circumference should be measured at its widest point. The shape of the hands differs from person to person in each individual case. The desired location is either under the base of the 4 fingers, or at a point approximately 4-5 cm above the wrist, where the thumb joins the palm.

You can take measurements from both hands and use the one that is larger as a basis. After determining the length of the hand circumference in centimeters or millimeters, this figure should be divided by 2.71 (the figure in cm.) or by 27 (if the number is in mm.). The resulting number should be rounded to the nearest whole number or to 0.5. This value corresponds to French inches.

After receiving the value of the wrist circumference in centimeters, it will not be difficult for the buyer to determine the size of a warm clothing item according to the table of any manufacturer. Most often, the left column indicates the width of the palm, and the right column indicates the size of a specific manufacturer.

When purchasing, you should also pay attention to the country where the item was made, as Chinese models usually have small measurements.

Calculation for knitting

Before you start knitting mittens, you need to take the following measurements:

• wrist volume;
• volume of the hand at the base of 4 fingers (excluding the thumb);
• the length of the product by taking measurements from the wrist to the top of the middle finger;
• distance from the little finger to the wrist;
• length of the thumb;
• You may need the length from the base of your thumb to your wrist.

When determining the volume of the hand, the tape measure should be pulled along the knuckles of the fingers, doing this with the palms half-bent. All other measurements are best taken using a sheet of paper.

The algorithm for performing actions is as follows:

1. The sheet of paper should be placed on a hard, flat surface.
2. Place your palm with slightly spread fingers on top of the paper with a free movement.
3. The brush is traced along the contour and the necessary measurements are taken.

If you need to knit gloves, then in addition to the above dimensions, you will need to take the following measurements:

• Palm length. This is the distance from the base of the index finger to the wrist.
• The distance from the little finger to the wrist.
• Length of the cut for the thumb.

There are special tables of sizes of mittens that can be knitted from yarn 125 m long in 50 g in 6 threads.

Floor	Women			Men
Size in inches	6.5	7	7.5	8	9
Palm circumference, cm.	18	19	20	21.5	24
The number of stitches to cast on	42	44	46	50	52
Increase 1 stitch for thumb wedge after n stitches on second needle n =	9	9	9	10	11
Number of thumb wedge stitches	13	15	15	15	17
It is necessary to add after the wedge of the thumb	2	2	2	2	2
Set of loops for brush	44	46	48	52	54
Distance from the wrist to the top of the index finger, cm.	15.5	15.5	16	16.5	16.5
Set of thumb loops	15	17	17	17	19
Length of thumb, cm.	5	5	5	5.5	6

Measuring the palm circumference is not enough to determine the size of the product, as it is also necessary to take into account the thickness of the yarn and the diameter of the knitting needles: the denser the knitting, the more yarn will be needed. If non-uniform knitting with a pattern or design is used, it is necessary to take into account that the yarn consumption increases by 30%. The average indicator for women's products is a yarn volume of 100-120 g.

The knitting process begins with the wrist. It is carried out on 5 knitting needles in a circle. For cuffs, knitting in the form of a rib is recommended, that is, a combination of front and back loops through one.

The production of mittens includes the following stages:

1. Knitting elastic.
2. Making the beginning of the brush.
3. Determining the location for the thumb.
4. Making the palm.
5. Decreasing stitches under the ends of the fingers to round them out.
6. Knitting the thumb.

Before you start making a warm piece of clothing, you need to knit a control sample in a circle on 5 knitting needles from the selected yarn. Using the sample, you can determine the knitting density in the directions from bottom to top and from left to right. The resulting measurements must be converted into the number of loops, while rounding the figure down to whole values.

The elastic band in the wrist area should have a number of loops that is a multiple of 4. After determining the knitting density, you can begin making the product.

Each element of the winter wardrobe has its own dimensions, which may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. When buying gloves or mittens, a person needs to focus on their own palm measurements before choosing a model. The comfort of wearing the product depends on the correctness of the measurements obtained.

Video on Measuring Palm Size

How to take measurements for mittens and gloves: