When it comes to Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), gloves are one of the most basic. Even when people forgo eye protection, they’ll often still wear gloves. Gloves prevent simple abrasion around tough material, padding to protect from strikes, and electrical hazard protection. The Youngstown 27 Cal Ground Glove is specifically designed to protect against electrical hazards.
Obviously, the first thing you need to do before choosing any PPE is determine what standards it has to meet in order to effectively protect you on the jobsite. As the name suggests, the Youngstown 27 Cal carries an Arc Rating of 27 cal/cm2 based on NFPA 71e/OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 standards. It also carries level 1 and 2 cut resistance certification according to the ANSI/ISEA 105 scale. Does it meet your employer’s requirements? If so, keep reading.
Construction and Materials
The Youngstown 27 Cal Ground Glove is made from goat grain leather in an 18 ounce per square yard blend. I’m a fan of leather. Other materials tend to be more bulky and restrict movement too much for my liking. On the other end, they can have too little protection, especially in the cutting/piercing department. They each have their uses, of course, but I prefer leather when I can get away with it.
The leather is held together using double stitching above the wrist to bring in additional material on the palms, back of the hand, and vulnerable point on each finger. At and below the wrist, you’ll find single stitching. I tend to go for as much double stitching as possible for durability. The reality for gloves in this class is that they’re a consumable material. I doubt the stitching will fail before the glove needs to be replaced. For utility workers, internal testing has found that lifespan to be about 3 months.
Fit and Feel
The Youngstown 27 Cal Ground Glove feature an elastic slip fit cuff. This stretches to allow your hand to fit through, then comes back to keep it from slipping back up. It’s not so tight that you risk cutting off circulation. In fact, it doesn’t completely contract around your wrist – it just shrinks the opening. This feature makes it a little more challenging to get on, but offers a more secure fit.
I’m a medium according to the Youngstown size chart. The width is just about right and there’s a little room in the finger tips. I don’t want a perfectly snug fit since my hands will swell a little bit as the day wears on.
Comfort is relative when it comes to work gloves. Cooling is rarely worth mentioning with leather construction. Like most non-breathing gloves, your hands will sweat in these. In my use, I haven’t had any hot spot issues or chaffing issues around the wrist. For a leather work glove, it’s a pretty comfortable fit.
I have yet to find a leather glove that allows me to handle small fasteners accurately so I’m not really disappointed that the Youngstown 27 Cal Ground Glove is no exception. You really need a form fitting glove to accomplish that. I can easily place larger fasteners though. Anything over about 3/4″ in length has been pretty easy to work with. Hand tools and power tools are all easily used with this model. Likewise, working around electrical boxes and panels doesn’t seem cumbersome. There’s plenty of dexterity and the design avoids unnecessary bulk.
One feature some users may find irritating is the wrist flare. The slip tight cuff does its job well, but the material flares back over the wrist from there. Wearing a long sleeve, elastic cuffed shirt won’t be a problem. I tend to wear flame resistance button downs that don’t. If the cuff doesn’t fit tight to your wrist, there’s going to be a battle for the space over your wrist that will likely leave some exposed skin. I prefer to have a Velcro strap to tighten the glove down over my cuff when bare skin is a potential issue.
Overall, the Youngstown 27 Cal Ground Glove is an excellent option in a crowded field of PPE gloves. You’re good to go up to Hazard Risk Level 3 and you may find yourself using them in lower level applications as well. At roughly $35 per pair, they’re a solid value as a consumable leather glove.
Youngstown 27 Cal Ground Glove Key Features
- Double layer leather reinforcement
- High-quality goat grain leather
- Slip-fit cuff remains secure
- 5x more durable than traditional driver gloves
- Ergonomic design, superior comfort and dexterity
Youngstown 27 Cal Ground Glove Specifications
- Arc Rating: 27 cal/cm2
- Leather: 18oz/yd2 goat grain leather
- Compliance: NFPA 70e standard
- Compliance: OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926
- Sizes: Small – XXXL (8″ – 11″ hand width, less thumb)
- Warranty: Unconditional
- Price: $34.99
