How to Read the ANSI Cut Level on Gloves

How do you read the ANSI cut level on gloves?

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

Short answer: To read the ANSI cut level on gloves, find the A-prefixed code (A1 through A9) printed on the cuff or label - it states the grams of cutting load the glove withstood in the ANSI/ISEA 105 TDM-100 test before the blade cut through. A1 is the lightest protection at 200-499 grams and A9 is the highest at 6000 grams or more. The higher the number, the more cut force the glove resists, so you match the level to the sharpness and force of your task.

This page decodes the marking printed on the glove itself. For the full A1–A9 system — what each level means, the materials behind the numbers, and choosing a level for a task — the canonical treatment is cut resistance glove levels explained.

Knowing how to read the ANSI cut level on gloves turns a cryptic cuff stamp into a precise protection spec, because the A-code is not a marketing tier - it is a measured result. The standard behind it, ANSI/ISEA 105, assigns a glove an A1 through A9 rating based on the grams of cutting load it withstands on a standardized blade test. This guide is written for safety managers, buyers, and anyone holding a cut glove who needs to know whether A4 or A6 actually matches the blade in front of them, and start from our cut-resistant gloves range.

Reading the rating correctly avoids the two expensive mistakes: under-protecting a worker against a sharp hazard, and over-buying a stiff A9 glove for a task that needed A3. Below we decode every level and its gram range, explain the TDM-100 test that produces the number, contrast the ANSI scale with the European EN 388 cut ratings so an imported glove's marking makes sense, and map each level to real work. For the broader selection process, pair this with our guide on how to choose work gloves.

Why this matters.
Lacerations are among the most frequent hand injuries on industrial and food-processing sites, and the wrong cut level is a direct cause - an A2 glove on a glass or blade task fails predictably. OSHA's hand-protection rule, 29 CFR 1910.138, requires gloves matched to the assessed hazard, and the ANSI/ISEA 105 cut level is the objective number that proves the match. Reading it correctly is what makes the selection defensible and the worker actually protected.

What you read the ANSI cut level to learn

The ANSI cut level is a single letter-number code, A1 through A9, that states how much cutting force a glove resisted in a controlled test. It is defined by ANSI/ISEA 105, the U.S. hand-protection classification standard. The number reflects grams of load on a blade at the point it cuts through the glove material - more grams means more cut resistance. The 2016 revision replaced the old five-level (0-5) scale with the current nine-level A1-A9 system, which gives much finer resolution at the high end where heavy blade and recycling hazards live. The code appears on the cuff or label, usually inside a small shield or ANSI marking.

The TDM-100 test behind the number

Every ANSI cut level comes from the TDM-100 test method specified in ANSI/ISEA 105. A straight razor blade is drawn across the glove material under a measured load while the load is increased until the blade cuts through at a reference distance of 20 millimeters of travel. The grams of load at cut-through is the glove's cut-resistance value, and that value maps to the A-level. Key points to read correctly:

• A single fresh blade is used per stroke, so the test reflects sharp-edge contact, not a dull worn knife.
• The result is material- and construction-specific - the same yarn knitted tighter or with a steel or glass core scores higher.
• Because it is a load-to-cut-through value, it is comparable across brands that test to ANSI/ISEA 105.

That repeatability is why you can trust an A5 from one maker to mean roughly the same protection as an A5 from another.

Read the gram ranges, not just the letter

Each A-level is a band of grams, not a single value, so two A4 gloves can differ in measured grams while sharing the rating. The decode table below lists every level with its ANSI/ISEA 105 gram range. The practical reading rule: the level tells you the minimum grams of cut load the glove cleared, so an A6 glove cleared at least 3000 grams. When two gloves carry the same level, compare other factors - coating, dexterity, and fit - because their cut protection is in the same band. Browse the full ladder in our cut-resistant gloves collection.

How ANSI differs from EN 388

Imported gloves often carry the European ANSI/ISEA 105 marking alongside or instead of EN 388, and the two are not interchangeable. EN 388 reports a four-or-five character string for abrasion, cut, tear, and puncture, where the original Coupe cut test is a 1-5 number and a newer ISO 13997 cut test adds a letter A-F based on newtons of force. ANSI/ISEA 105 uses one A1-A9 code based on grams from the TDM-100 test. The two scales correlate loosely but do not convert one-to-one, so never assume an EN 388 cut of 5 equals a specific ANSI level. Our EN 388 glove standard explained breaks down the full European string.

Match the cut level to the task

Reading the level is only useful if you map it to work. As a practical guide:

• A1-A3 - light handling, general assembly, packaging, light material handling.
• A4-A6 - glass handling, metal fabrication, HVAC and sheet metal, automotive parts.
• A7-A9 - heavy blade work, recycling and waste sorting, meat and poultry, scrap and demolition.

Going higher than the task requires usually trades dexterity and cost for protection you do not need. A goatskin-and-Kevlar mechanics glove such as the MCR Safety PD43612 Predator A9 goatskin Kevlar glove targets the top of the range, while many fabrication tasks are well served at A5. For the full hazard workflow, see how to choose work gloves. The full task-selection treatment — level-by-level use cases, materials, and the cut hazard assessment — lives in cut resistance glove levels explained. To map a task to a level interactively, use the cut resistance level selector.

Read the whole marking, not just cut

The cut level rarely travels alone. A full glove marking may also show puncture and abrasion (under ANSI/ISEA 105), an impact level under ANSI/ISEA 138 if the back of the hand is protected, and EN 388 or EN 407 marks on imported gloves. Read them together: a glove can be A6 for cut but only impact level 1, which matters if your task also has struck-by hazards. For impact-rated gloves, see our impact-resistant gloves collection and the ISEA 138 explainer. When the hazard is heat rather than cut, the relevant scale is EN 407, covered in how to choose heat-resistant gloves.

ANSI/ISEA 105 cut levels A1-A9: gram ranges and example tasks

Worked example: how to read the ANSI cut level and pick a glove for sheet-metal work

To make the process concrete, here is how to read the ANSI cut level on a candidate glove and confirm it fits a sheet-metal fabrication task that handles sharp edges and light deburring. The aim is to verify the marking, map the grams to the hazard, and avoid over-buying.

1. Find the marking on the glove. Locate the A-code on the cuff or label, shown as A1 through A9, usually inside a shield or near the ANSI/ISEA 105 reference. If only an EN 388 string is present, do not assume an ANSI equivalent - see the EN 388 explainer.
2. Translate the code to grams. Use the decode table to read the gram band. An A4 glove cleared at least 1500 grams of cut load on the TDM-100 test; an A6 cleared at least 3000 grams. The level is the floor of the band, not an average.
3. Match grams to the hazard. Sheet-metal edges with light deburring typically call for A4 to A5. Reading the marking lets you confirm a candidate glove meets that minimum rather than guessing from the material.
4. Avoid over-rating the task. Resist jumping to A8 or A9 unless the work involves heavy blades or scrap. A higher level adds stiffness and cost; the right read is the lowest level that safely clears the hazard - here, A5 is a strong fit from our cut-resistant gloves.
5. Check the rest of the marking. Read puncture and abrasion under ANSI/ISEA 105 and any ISEA 138 impact level on the back of the hand, since sheet-metal cells often have pinch hazards too.
6. Document and standardize. Record the verified A-level against the task hazard assessment per OSHA 1910.138, then standardize the SKU so every worker on the line wears the same confirmed cut level.

The same reading method scales across the whole ladder - from an A3 general glove to a top-end MCR Safety PD43612 Predator A9 goatskin Kevlar glove for blade-heavy work. For the full hazard-to-glove workflow, read how to choose work gloves, and for the existing buyer's view by level see how to choose cut-resistant gloves by ANSI level.

Frequently asked questions

Do cut-resistant gloves wear out?

Yes. The yarn and any coating degrade with washing, abrasion, and chemical exposure, which can lower real-world cut performance below the original A-level. Inspect for thinning, holes, and worn coating, and retire gloves before the protective layer is compromised regardless of the printed rating.

Further reading on this site

• Cut-resistant gloves — the full A1-A9 ladder for blade, glass, and sheet-metal hazards.
• Impact-resistant gloves — gloves that add ISEA 138 back-of-hand protection alongside cut ratings.
• Hand protection — the complete hand-protection range across every hazard.
• EN 388 glove standard explained — decode the European abrasion, cut, tear, and puncture string.
• ANSI impact gloves (ISEA 138) — how impact levels 1-3 are rated and marked.
• How to choose work gloves — the full hazard-based glove selection workflow.
• Choose cut gloves by ANSI level — a buyer's view of matching A-levels to jobs.
• Nitrile gloves complete guide — the disposable barrier side of a hand-protection program.

Related reference

Closely related on this site: cut resistance glove levels explained: ansi/isea 105 a1 through a9, nitrile gloves: the complete buyer's guide, how to choose cut resistant gloves by ansi level, en 388 vs ansi isea 105 cut levels, ansi a4 vs a5 cut resistant gloves, and best a5 cut resistant gloves.

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.

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