Cold work gloves carry a snowflake marking when they have been tested for cold. The code behind that marking is EN 511. This guide explains what the test covers, how to read the three digits, and how to choose a glove for the job.
EN 511 is the cold protection standard. In plain terms it asks three questions: does the glove slow heat loss in cold air, does it slow heat loss when the hand touches something cold, and does water get through. The three digit code is the secondary detail. It is printed with the snowflake marking so you can compare gloves that have been tested, rather than guessing from how thick a glove looks.
The short description of the standard is protection against cold and contact with cold surfaces. A higher digit means more protection on that part of the test. A thicker glove is not itself the rating: past a point the wearer loses the feel needed for a latch or a hand tool. See the winter and cold gloves page for cold stores and outdoor work.
EN 511 tests how well a glove protects against cold. The code has three digits:
An X means that property was not tested. A code of X1X means the glove was tested for contact cold only and reached level 1.
Convective cold is cold air moving past the hand. Contact cold is the chill from holding frozen goods or cold steel. A glove can be warm in dry air and still let water in. On the winter glove page, a water result of 1 means no water entered the glove within 30 minutes of the test.
Start with the task, then read the code. A cold room is mostly contact cold from product and steel. Outdoor work adds wind, so convective cold matters, and wet weather makes the water digit matter, because a damp liner stops insulating.
Several gloves in this range also carry an EN 388 mechanical code beside EN 511. A cold rating says nothing about cut performance, so check both on the product page when the job includes steel edges, banding or glass. The GRANBERG 8080 lists EN 511 X1X, which the code above reads as contact cold only at level 1, with the other two properties not tested. It is also EU food contact approved (EN 1186). The GRANBERG 9002 lists EN 511 11X. Every glove whose record includes EN 511 is listed below.
The glove was tested for contact cold only and reached level 1. An X means that property was not tested.
No. EN 511 reports the tested digits for convective cold, contact cold and water penetration. Thickness is not the rating. A glove can be bulky and still show a low digit, or an X where a property was not tested. Read the code on the product page.
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