Motorcycle Glove Size Conversion: EU, US and UK Labels Compared

There is no common conversion between EU, US and UK glove sizes. Each maker pairs its letters and numbers its own way, and the charts below disagree with each other. So convert through your hand, not the label: measure around your palm in inches or centimeters, then find that number on the chart of the glove you are buying.

This page is part of our glove measurement guide.

Key takeaways- The Leather Collection chart uses US letters with a hand measurement and has no EU or UK column.- "Size 9" is an L under EN ISO 21420 but sits next to UK MED on the Merlin chart.- A US size letter, a UK size letter and an EU numeric size can all name different hands. Your measurement in inches or cm is what carries across brands.

One hand, many labels

Here is what one hand measuring about 8 in (20.3 cm) around the palm is called on real charts. We placed it in the row whose measurement contains 20.3 cm.

Same hand, three different letters: S, M and XS. That is why a letter you wore in one brand is not a size you can convert.

What an EU number means depends on the chart

The neutral reference for a numeric size is the table in EN ISO 21420, the general glove standard that replaced EN 420 and covers glove sizing. On that table, sizes 7 to 10 match hand circumference in inches almost exactly: size 9 is 229 mm, or 9.02 in.

Other charts use the numbers differently:

So an "EU 9" glove can be an L or a medium depending on who made it. Our leather glove size chart lines up ISO sizes 6 to 11 against the store's inches, and what size 8 means covers the most common number.

UK glove sizes

The UK-labelled riding-glove chart we found prints a UK size as a letter with an "international" number beside it. The Merlin and Route One chart runs Glove UK XXS, XS, SML, MED, LRG, XL, 2XL and 3XL against International 6 to 13.

That pairing is one brand's choice, not a UK rule. It puts MED at 9 where EN ISO 21420 puts M at 8. Makers label gloves by number or by letter, so you always need that maker's table.

Inches, French sizes and centimeters

One inch is exactly 2.54 cm. The store chart shows both units side by side on that basis.

Numeric glove sizes grew out of a traditional French system based on hand circumference. Some French-size charts do not use the 2.54 cm inch: Glove Story lists size 7.5 at 20.3 cm and 8 at 21.7 cm, about 2.7 cm per size step. At 2.54 cm, 7.5 in would be 19.05 cm.

When a chart gives both a number and centimeters, trust the centimeters.

Check the men's or women's column

Letters also shift between men's and women's columns in the same brand. Ixon's women's M is 19–20 cm, while its men's M is 21–22 cm. On the Leather Collection chart, women's M is 7 in (17.78 cm) and men's M is 8.5 in (21.59 cm).

Converting a women's size? Start from the women's glove size chart.

Motorcycle gloves and EN 13594 sizing

Riding gloves tested to EN 13594 must follow the EN 420 sizing system or another suitable system described in the user information. EN 420 has since been replaced by EN ISO 21420. So the size system can differ from glove to glove, and the leaflet that comes with the glove is where the maker states it.

For what the standard covers beyond sizing, read the EN 13594 glove standard explained on our sister site.

How to convert any glove size in three steps

1. Measure. Wrap a soft tape around your palm just under the knuckles, thumb out. Our guide shows how to measure your hand.
2. Write it in both units. Multiply inches by 2.54 for cm, or divide cm by 2.54 for inches.
3. Read the target chart. Find the row that holds your number, in the right men's or women's column, on the chart for that exact glove.

If your number lands on a line, see between two sizes. Then compare it with the chart on Leather Collection motorcycle gloves, which lists inches and centimeters for every size.

Frequently asked questions

Are US glove sizes different from UK glove sizes?

On the charts we compared, letters follow the brand, not the country, so a UK size and a US size with the same letter can mean different hands. The Merlin UK chart pairs MED with size 9, while the Leather Collection chart gives men's M as 8.5 in. Compare hand measurements, not labels.

What is EU size 9 in US gloves?

Under EN ISO 21420, size 9 is a 9 in (229 mm) hand, letter L. On the Leather Collection chart a 9 in hand is men's L. Check the maker's own chart first, because some brands use 9 for a medium.

How do I calculate my glove size?

Measure around your palm below the knuckles, convert between inches and cm at 2.54 cm per inch, and read the chart of the glove you want.

Sources

• EN ISO 21420 size table as summarized by Wenaas
• NIST: SI units of length
• SATRA: EN 13594 motorcycle gloves
• Ixon glove sizing chart (PDF)