Firefighter Gloves Currently on the Market: Analysis and Future Research Directions

Gloves are an essential component of the modern firefighter’s personal protective equipment (PPE).  Improvements are needed in firefighting gloves to improve dexterity, grip, flexibility, and glove thickness (Lee, et. al., 2015).  Design improvements are needed for a better interface with jackets (Barker et. al, 2013; Lee, et. al., 2015). Gloves available can vary in the number of layers, materials used in each layer, and design—wristlet or gauntlet (Stull and Stull, 2007). Before research into improvements can be made, it is essential to identify the types and components of gloves available on the market today.  To make a better glove, we must first understand what is available.  This study is part of a larger study, seeking to quantify the protection offered by current gloves.  Gloves were analyzed to identify the representative glove types and configurations to select for testing.