En 388 Glove Standard Explained

What does the EN 388 rating on a glove mean?

Published June 22, 2026 · Last updated July 27, 2026

Short answer: EN 388 is the European standard for gloves against mechanical risks, and its shield mark is followed by a string of digits and letters that rate four to six properties in fixed order: abrasion (0-4), cut by the coupe test (0-5), tear (0-4), puncture (0-4), then an EN ISO 13997 cut letter (A-F) and an impact result (P). Reading EN 388 means knowing what each position measures.

If you buy work gloves, you will see two competing rating systems: the U.S. ANSI/ISEA 105 scale and the European EN 388 standard. Many gloves carry both. EN 388:2016 is published by CEN and tests mechanical performance against abrasion, cut, tear, puncture, and impact, expressing the results as a code beneath a shield-and-hammer pictogram. This guide is written for procurement teams and safety managers who need to compare gloves across brands and standards, and for anyone holding a glove wondering what "4543CP" means. We decode every position, explain the 2016 revision, and map EN 388 to the ANSI scale.

Why this matters.
Misreading a glove rating means under-protecting hands against the leading cause of recordable lost-time injuries. OSHA's hand-protection rule, 29 CFR 1910.138, requires gloves matched to the hazard, and that match depends on correctly reading either EN 388 or ANSI/ISEA 105. A glove with a high abrasion score but a low cut score is the wrong choice for blade work, no matter how tough it feels.

The EN 388 pictogram and code structure

EN 388 results appear as a shield pictogram followed by up to six characters, always in the same order. The first four are always digits; the fifth and sixth, added in the 2016 revision, are letters:

EN 388 → 4 5 4 3 C P
abrasion · cut(coupe) · tear · puncture · ISO 13997 cut · impact

A digit shown as X means the test was not performed or does not apply; this is common for the coupe-test cut digit on high-cut gloves (see Part 3).

EN 388 decode table

What each position measures and the score range:

Positions 1-4 are the original four digits; positions 5-6 were added in EN 388:2016. Browse rated gloves in our Cut-Resistant Gloves and Impact-Resistant Gloves ranges.

Why the cut rating changed in EN 388:2016

The original coupe-test cut score (position 2) blunts quickly against high-cut yarns like steel and glass fiber, producing unreliable readings. The 2016 revision added the EN ISO 13997 "TDM" cut test (position 5), an A-F letter scale that uses a fresh blade and a single long stroke, giving a dependable result for high-cut gloves. When a glove relies on the TDM letter, the coupe digit is often shown as X. For the U.S. equivalent of this high-cut measurement, see the A1-A9 scale in our ANSI/ISEA 105 cut-level guide.

EN 388 cut letter vs ANSI/ISEA 105 cut level

Both the EN ISO 13997 letter and the ANSI A-scale derive from a TDM-style test measured in newtons, so they map closely:

The mapping is approximate — the standards use different newton bands — so use it to compare, not to certify. The EN 388 impact "P" corresponds to passing a separate impact test, the depth of which the U.S. covers under ANSI/ISEA 138; see our ANSI impact gloves (ISEA 138) guide.

How to read an EN 388 mark

1. Find the shield pictogram. Locate the hammer-in-shield symbol on the cuff or packaging; the code follows it.
2. Read the four digits in order. Abrasion, coupe cut, tear, puncture — left to right, each 0-4 (cut 0-5).
3. Read the fifth character if present. A letter A-F is the EN ISO 13997 cut rating; trust it over the coupe digit for high-cut gloves.
4. Check for a final P. A trailing P means the glove passed the optional impact test.
5. Match to the hazard. Prioritize the position that matches your risk — cut for blades, puncture for wire and glass, impact for struck-by work.

Worked example: choosing a glove by its EN 388 code

A fabricator handles sheet metal with sharp edges and occasional pinch points. The target is high cut plus impact. Here is the selection on real SKUs:

1. Prioritize the cut letter. Look for a high EN ISO 13997 letter (D-F) or the ANSI equivalent A5-A9; confirm against the cut-level guide.
2. Pick a high-cut shell. The MCR Safety 92785NF CutPro A5 gloves cover sustained edge work; browse the full cut-resistant gloves range for higher letters.
3. Add impact protection. For the pinch-point risk, an impact glove with a trailing P such as the MCR Safety PD6901 Predator impact gloves from the impact-resistant gloves range adds back-of-hand defense.
4. Size for dexterity. Consider the right fit with our glove size chart so the shell does not bunch.
5. Cross-check chemical exposure. If cutting fluid is present, verify material compatibility in the chemical-resistant glove guide, and pick the disposable film with the nitrile vs latex vs vinyl guide.

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: WC Safety participates in the Amazon Associates Program and earns commissions on qualifying purchases made through the button below.

Shop EN 388-rated gloves on Amazon

Frequently asked questions

What does the EN 388 rating on a glove mean?

EN 388 is the European standard for gloves against mechanical risks, and its shield mark is followed by a string of digits and letters that rate four to six properties in fixed order: abrasion (0-4), cut by the coupe test (0-5), tear (0-4), puncture (0-4), then an EN ISO 13997 cut letter (A-F) and an impact result (P). Reading EN 388 means knowing what each position measures.

What is en 388?

EN 388 results appear as a shield pictogram followed by up to six characters, always in the same order. The first four are always digits; the fifth and sixth, added in the 2016 revision, are letters:

What is en 388 gloves?

Positions 1-4 are the original four digits; positions 5-6 were added in EN 388:2016. Browse rated gloves in our Cut-Resistant Gloves and Impact-Resistant Gloves ranges.

Further reading on this site

• ANSI/ISEA 105 cut levels — the U.S. A1-A9 cut scale.
• ANSI impact gloves (ISEA 138) — decoding the impact level.
• Glove size chart — measure and order the right fit.
• Chemical-resistant glove guide — the standard EN 388 does not cover.
• Cut-resistant gloves — full lineup by cut level.
• Impact-resistant gloves — back-of-hand protection.
• Material-handling gloves — coated grip for general work.
• Chemical-resistant gloves — for permeation hazards EN 388 does not rate.
• Heat-resistant gloves — for thermal hazards.
• Nitrile gloves — disposable grades for light tasks.
• Trade gloves — general-purpose work gloves by application.

Related reference

Related reading in this area: nitrile glove thickness mil guide, nitrile vs latex vs vinyl gloves, what are nitrile gloves, cut resistance glove levels explained: ansi/isea 105 a1 through a9, and what is osha 29 cfr 1910.138? general industry hand protection explained.

Why trust WC Safety

WC Safety is an independent, affiliate-supported review site. It is not a retailer: it holds no inventory, takes no orders, and earns only from qualifying purchases through clearly marked links — which never changes what a product is rated to do. Standards language is taken from the regulation text directly, and ratings are reported as the manufacturer publishes them. We run no laboratory and perform no testing of our own. Where published sources disagree, we say so and plan on the conservative figure rather than the flattering one.

Our methodology

Figures come from the regulation and the published specification, in that order. Derated numbers are calculated, not estimated. Nothing here is presented as a measured result, because we measure nothing.

Researched and written by Steven Eaton, editor of WC Safety. Steven holds no safety certification and does not test products; this page compares what manufacturers and regulators publish, with the gaps in that record marked. Last reviewed August 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions