Quick answer: hold your hand half-bent and wrap a soft tape measure around the knuckles, excluding the thumb. The number in centimetres gives your size in the charts below — women's 6.5 to 8.5, men's 7.5 to 10. Lined and unlined gloves are the same size. If you fall between two, write to us before ordering.
Glove sizes are not arbitrary. A size 8 means roughly 8 inches around the knuckles, which is why the sizes run 6.5, 7, 7.5 and so on. Once you know your measurement, the rest is a lookup.
How to measure, step by step
- Take a soft tape measure. If you don't have one, use a strip of paper or a piece of string and then measure it against a ruler.
- Hold your hand half-bent, as if loosely gripping a steering wheel — fingers together, thumb relaxed out of the way. Do not press the hand flat: a flat hand measures smaller than a working one, and you would end up a size down.
- Wrap the tape around the widest part of your palm — across the knuckles at the base of the fingers. Do not include the thumb.
- Keep the tape snug but not tight. It should sit against the skin without compressing it.
- Note the measurement in centimetres and find it in the charts below.
Which hand should you measure?
Measure your dominant hand. For most people it is very slightly larger — a right-handed person usually has a marginally bigger right hand. If the two differ enough to fall into different sizes, go with the larger.
Women's glove size chart
| Measurement around knuckles | Glove size |
|---|---|
| 17 cm | 6.5 |
| 19 cm | 7 |
| 21 cm | 7.5 |
| 22 cm | 8 |
| 23 cm | 8.5 |
Men's glove size chart
| Measurement around knuckles | Glove size |
|---|---|
| 21 cm | 7.5 |
| 22 cm | 8 |
| 23 cm | 8.5 |
| 24 cm | 9 |
| 26 cm | 9.5 |
| 28 cm | 10 |
You can also use our sizing chart page, which shows the same measurement with a diagram.
Long gloves use this same measurement — their length is quoted separately, from the base of the thumb. See our guide to glove lengths.
How should a leather glove fit?
Close, with no loose leather across the palm and no empty space at the fingertips. A well-fitted leather glove looks like part of the hand rather than something worn over it.
Specifically:
- The leather should sit flat against the palm with no wrinkling or bagging.
- Your fingertips should reach the ends of the fingers without pressing hard into them.
- You should be able to close your hand into a fist. It will feel firm — that is correct — but it should not strain the seams.
- The cuff should sit comfortably at the wrist without gripping.
A driving glove in particular should be snug. Slack leather across the palm costs you feel at the wheel, which is the whole reason for wearing one.
You can see this in practice on our men's hand-sewn peccary driving gloves, cut close for the wheel, and on the cashmere-lined black deerskin winter gloves with strap closure for men and women, which take the same size as an unlined pair. Every lined model is in our winter gloves collection.
Do leather gloves stretch?
They relax and mould, but they do not grow. Fine glove leather softens with wear and takes on the shape of your hand — across the width, across the knuckles, at the base of the thumb. What it will not do is get longer in the fingers.
The practical consequence: a glove that feels snug but wearable on day one is right. A glove whose fingers are visibly too short will still be too short in a year.
A new pair needs a little time to settle in. Our guide to breaking in leather gloves explains how to help it along.
What if you're between sizes?
It depends on the glove — but not on the lining. We allow for the lining in the cut, so our lined and unlined gloves are the same size.
- Unlined gloves and driving gloves — take the smaller size. They are meant to fit close, and the leather will relax into your hand.
- Winter gloves with cashmere, silk or fur lining — the same size as an unlined glove. If you are unsure, write to us before ordering.
What if your hands don't match a standard size?
Then don't force it. Long fingers with narrow palms, wide palms with short fingers, one hand noticeably larger than the other — none of these are unusual, and none of them are served well by off-the-shelf sizing.
We make gloves to measure, with no fixed limits on size, colour, leather, lining or stitching. For a custom pair we usually just need photographs of your hand and your middle finger, and we will guide you through the measuring. A bespoke pair takes up to five days to make, so 8–12 days in total within the EU. See our bespoke service for how it works.
Frequently asked questions
Do I measure with or without the thumb?
Without. Wrap the tape across the knuckles at the base of the four fingers and leave the thumb outside it.
Do lined gloves need a different size?
No. We allow for the lining in the cut, so lined, unlined and shearling gloves are all the same size. Take your usual size.
Will new leather gloves feel tight?
Snug, yes. The leather relaxes across the palm and knuckles with wear, but the fingers do not get longer, so they should reach your fingertips from the first day.
Are men's and women's sizes measured the same way?
Yes. It is the same measurement around the knuckles. Women's sizes run from 6.5 to 8.5 and men's from 7.5 to 10.
Can I return gloves that don't fit?
Ready-made gloves can be returned within 30 days. Made-to-measure pairs cannot, so if you are unsure, send us your measurement first.
Still unsure?
Send us your measurement and tell us what you want the gloves for. Our glove makers in Târgu Mureș have spent their working lives fitting hands, and we would rather advise you before you order than exchange afterwards.
Write to info@nmgloves.com or call +40 754 301 994. Returns are accepted within 30 days on ready-made gloves — though not on custom orders, which is exactly why it is worth getting the measurement right first.
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