How to Measure Palm Width for Gloves

To measure palm width for gloves, lay a ruler flat across the knuckle area of your dominant hand, from the index-finger edge to the little-finger edge. Treat that number as a cross-check, not your size: the store chart we link to sizes gloves by hand circumference only, the distance around the palm. Take both measurements, then choose your size from circumference.

This page is part of our glove measurement guide. If you only need the tape-around-the-hand method, see how to measure around your hand.

Key takeaways- Palm width is a flat, straight-line measurement; circumference wraps around the hand.- The store glove chart has one measurement column, hand circumference, and no width column.- The only width-to-size table in our sources comes from one university page and uses numeric sizes, not letters.- A wide palm on a short hand is the main reason width matters; standard sizes may not fit it well.

Palm width vs hand circumference

The two numbers describe the same part of the hand in different ways. Width is how broad your palm is, read off a ruler. Circumference is how far a tape travels around the palm, just below the knuckles with the thumb left out.

What you need

• A ruler or straight-edged rule for the width.
• A soft tape measure for the circumference.
• If you have no soft tape: a piece of string and the same ruler.
• Paper and pen to note both numbers in inches or centimeters.

How to measure palm width, step by step

Measure the width

1. Use your dominant hand: right if you are right-handed, left if you are left-handed.
2. Rest the hand palm-down on a table, fingers together and relaxed.
3. Lay the ruler across the knuckle area, starting at the index-finger side.
4. Read the distance to the little-finger edge and write it down in inches, with centimeters in brackets if you like (1 in = 2.54 cm).

Measure the circumference

5. Wrap a soft tape around the palm just below the knuckles, leaving the thumb out. The store's chart diagram shows the tape in the same place, just below the finger bases.
6. Keep the tape flat and snug, not pulled tight.
7. Note the number where the tape overlaps its start. This is the figure you compare with a size chart.

No tape? Use string

8. Wrap string around the palm in the same spot, mark where it meets itself, then lay it straight along a ruler.

Can you turn palm width into a glove size?

Only roughly, and only from one source. Alfred University's safety office gives a ruler-across-the-knuckles table that maps width to numeric glove sizes:

Source: Alfred University Environmental Health & Safety, Determine Your Glove Size; cm values converted at 2.54 cm per inch.

We found no second reputable source to confirm these bands, so treat them as a sanity check. The table also gives numbers, and some makers label by number while others use letters, so you still need a chart to translate.

Letters do not carry over between charts either. Under EN ISO 21420, size 8 is about 8 in (203 mm) of circumference and is labeled M; on the store chart an 8 in hand is men's S. That is why the next step is always circumference on the maker's own chart: see how to turn your measurement into a glove size.

Where to put the tape: sources disagree

Guides do not agree on the exact spot. The store's own pages say the widest part of the hand, the widest part of the palm just below the knuckles, and at the knuckles. Outside sources split the same way: Hestra says just below the knuckles, while Shield Scientific says the widest part of the hand.

Use one method every time: just below the knuckles, thumb out. That matches Hestra's size guide and the store's chart diagram.

When palm width matters

Width matters most when your palm is unusually broad or slim for your hand. A standard size may not fit a wide hand with short fingers well. The store suggests a custom size for hands that are unusually narrow or wide for their length.

• Wide palm, short fingers: the case standard sizes handle worst. Check your hand length as well as your palm.
• Narrow or wide for your length: the store's suggested route is a custom size.
• Women's hands: often need a smaller palm size and shorter fingers.
• In the glove: palm leather should lie flat without bunching, and fingertips should reach the ends without cramping.

Fit can also vary slightly between glove models. Custom sizing on the store's motorcycle gloves costs an extra $75.00 and takes 4–6 weeks.

Common mistakes

Find your size

Enter your circumference, not your width, into the calculator below.

The store chart runs from 7.5 in (19.05 cm) for men's XS to 10.5 in (26.67 cm) for men's 3XL, and from 6 in (15.24 cm) for women's XS to 8 in (20.32 cm) for women's XL. The full table is on our leather glove size chart. With your number in hand, browse Leather Collection men's leather gloves.

FAQ

What size is 6.5 in gloves?

On the store chart, a 6.5 in (16.51 cm) hand is women's S. The men's chart starts at 7.5 in, so 6.5 in is below men's XS.

What glove size is 7 inches?

On the store chart, 7 in (17.78 cm) is women's M. Under EN ISO 21420, 178 mm (about 7.01 in) is size 7, labeled S.