Assembly and Precision Handling Gloves
Thin, close fitting gloves for assembly, inspection and precision handling, using polyurethane and nitrile foam coatings on fine gauge liners where feel matters as much as protection.
How to choose an assembly glove
An assembly glove is judged on whether the operator can still do the job. Protection that costs too much dexterity is refused at the bench, so selection here is mostly about matching coating and gauge to the components being handled.
Polyurethane against nitrile foam
These two coatings cover most assembly work and they behave quite differently.
- Polyurethane. Applied as a very thin film, usually to the palm and fingertips only. It gives the closest thing to bare hand feel, holds small dry components securely and leaves no residue on polished or painted surfaces. It has limited resistance to oils and wears through relatively quickly on abrasive work.
- Nitrile foam. A slightly thicker microporous coating whose open cells draw oil away from the contact patch, so grip holds on lubricated parts. It is more abrasion resistant than polyurethane and tolerates oils and light solvents, at a small cost in tactile sensitivity.
Smooth nitrile and sandy nitrile finishes sit further along the same line, adding durability and wet grip while giving up more feel.
Liner gauge
Gauge counts the needles per inch on the knitting machine, so a higher number means a finer, thinner and closer fitting liner.
- 13 gauge. The general purpose standard. Robust, forgiving on sizing and comfortable for handling that is not especially fine. The right default for goods in, packing and general line work.
- 15 gauge. Noticeably thinner and closer to the hand, with better feel for small fasteners and connectors while keeping useful durability. A good compromise for mixed assembly.
- 18 gauge. The finest commonly available. Very close fitting with excellent tactile feedback for small component work and inspection. It wears faster and is less tolerant of a poor size choice.
Touchscreen compatible fingertips
Where operators use scanners, tablets or machine HMIs, a conductive fingertip removes the single biggest reason gloves come off during a shift. Every removal and refit is an exposure, and a glove taken off at a terminal is often not put back on before the next handling task.
Skin safety over a full shift
A glove worn for eight hours is in continuous contact with skin, and irritation is a genuine reason for non compliance. OEKO-TEX certification confirms the textile has been tested for harmful substances, which matters most for the fine liners worn against the skin all day. Where operators report irritation, look at the liner fibre, the coating chemistry and how often gloves are changed before concluding that a worker simply cannot wear gloves.
When a light glove is the wrong choice
Assembly gloves are not a general purpose answer. A thin polyurethane coated glove offers very little against sharp swarf and deburring edges, no meaningful thermal protection, no chemical barrier beyond incidental splash, and no impact protection. If the task involves sharp offcuts, hot components, solvent contact or anything that can crush, specify from the cut resistant, welding, chemical or impact ranges instead and accept the loss of dexterity as part of the hazard.
Assembly & ESD range
- GRANBERG 0995: Economical cut-resistant gloves for assembly work. Typhoon® fibre with polyurethane coating.
- GRANBERG 4272W: Heat and cold resistant assembly gloves. Nitrile fully coated with jersey fleece liner.
- GRANBERG 0850: ESD-approved anti-static assembly gloves. PU coated nylon for electronics and cleanroom work.
- GRANBERG 0400W: Cold-resistant assembly winter gloves with patented vinyl/PVC foam coating for wet and oily grip.
- GRANBERG 0480: Touchscreen-compatible lightweight assembly gloves with PU coating for precision handling.
- GRANBERG 0744: Touchscreen compatible assembly gloves with patented nitrile foam coating for oil, wet, and dry grip.
- GRANBERG EX 4292W: Precision assembly winter gloves with MacroSkin Pro® and thermal lining for cold-weather dexterity.
- GRANBERG EX 4297W: Waterproof assembly winter gloves with MicroSkin Shield® and ProTex™ membrane for wet and cold conditions.
- GRANBERG 3030: Thermal work gloves with 3/4 nitrile foam grip for cold, oily, and demanding tasks.
- GRANBERG 1015: Soft, durable winter gloves for precision work. Premium goatskin with fleece lining.
- GRANBERG 0488W: Thermal nitrile foam assembly winter gloves for cold precision work.
- GRANBERG 0490: Waterproof double nitrile-coated gloves with exceptional wet/oily grip.
- GRANBERG EX 4202: Touchscreen-compatible assembly winter gloves with ProTex™ waterproof membrane.
- GRANBERG 4282: Comfortable MacroSkin Pro® assembly winter gloves for precision cold-weather work.
- GRANBERG 0811: Lightweight nitrile-coated assembly gloves with contact heat resistance and OEKO-TEX® certification.
- GRANBERG 547: High-performance Typhoon® cut-resistant gloves with 360° protection and sandy nitrile grip.
- GRANBERG EX 8110: Flexible MicroSkin Shield® all-round winter gloves with hi-vis detailing.
- GRANBERG 5502: High-dexterity impact protection gloves with nitrile foam palm for oil-resistant grip.
- GRANBERG EX 4294W: Assembly winter gloves with MacroSkin Pro® palm, thermal lining, and Velcro closure.
- GRANBERG 0822: Sandy nitrile-coated assembly gloves with excellent dry, wet, and oil grip.
- GRANBERG 0766: Touchscreen-compatible assembly gloves with patented nitrile foam coating for precision grip.
- GRANBERG 0401: Food-approved assembly gloves with PU/nitrile coating. EN 407 heat resistance.
- GRANBERG 0933: Nitrile-coated assembly gloves with 25,500-cycle abrasion rating. Touchscreen compatible.
- GRANBERG 0550: Assembly gloves with microdots on palm for enhanced grip. Nitrile coated, touchscreen compatible.
- GRANBERG 0433: Super-thin PU-coated assembly gloves. Extremely high dexterity for precision handling.
- GRANBERG 4279: Water and oil resistant nitrile assembly gloves. Full coating for liquid protection.
- GRANBERG 0400: Vinyl/PVC coated assembly gloves on nylon/spandex liner. EN 407 heat resistant.
- GRANBERG 4295A: Unlined pig skin leather assembly gloves. High dexterity for precision material handling.
- GRANBERG 592: Touchscreen compatible cut-resistant gloves. Typhoon® material, sandy nitrile coating.
- GRANBERG EX 1119: Cut-resistant assembly gloves with MacroSkin Pro® palm. Hook and loop closure, ANSI A3 rated.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose a polyurethane or a nitrile foam coating?
Polyurethane for dry, clean precision work where fingertip feel and a residue free grip matter most. Nitrile foam where components are oily or lubricated, because the open cell structure channels oil away from the contact patch and the coating lasts longer under abrasion.
What does glove gauge mean?
Gauge is the number of needles per inch used to knit the liner, so a higher number gives a thinner, closer fitting glove. 13 gauge is the general purpose standard, 15 gauge suits mixed assembly, and 18 gauge gives the finest feel for small component work at the cost of durability.
Are touchscreen compatible gloves worth specifying?
Where operators use scanners, tablets or machine interfaces, yes. Conductive fingertips remove the most common reason gloves are taken off mid task, and every removal is an exposure that a specification on paper will not capture.
When is a lightweight assembly glove the wrong choice?
Whenever the hazard is sharp swarf, hot components, chemical contact or impact. A thin coated glove is designed for handling and abrasion, not for cut, heat, chemical or crush protection. Specify from the appropriate range and accept the reduction in dexterity.
Request a quote
Send the sizes and quantities you need and we will come back with a written quotation. Contact Knight Safety Gear.
Other glove types
Industries using assembly & esd gloves