Hypermax® HPPE

Hypermax Matrix

Here is a snapshot of MCR Safety’s Cut Pro gloves that utilize Hypermax. For those of you not familiar with gauge, which measures impact cut scores and comfort levels, we discuss it more below the matrix.

Hypermax Version Cut Gauge Shell Color Palm Palm Color Style #
2.0  A4 13 Light Blue PU Gray 92713PU
1.0 A6 13 Navy Blue PU Gray 92793PU
1.0 A5 18 Navy Blue PU Black 92738PU
1.0 A4 15 Navy Blue PU Black 92745PU
1.0 A4 15 Navy Blue PU Black 92753PU
1.0 A3 15 Navy Blue PU Black 92715PU
1.0 A3 15 Navy Blue Nitrile Foam Black 92715NF
1.0 A2 18 Light Blue Nitrile Black 92718NF
1.0 A9 15 Black Nitrile Foam Black 92735N
1.0 A7 13 Salt & Pepper Nitrile/PU Black 92743BP
1.0 A6 13 Salt & Pepper PU Gray 92743PU
1.0 A6 10 Hi-Vis Lime Nitrile Foam Orange 92720HV
1.0 A6 10 Black Nitrile Foam Black 92720NF
1.0 A4 18 Black Nitrile Foam Black 9818NF
1.0 A4 13 Salt & Pepper Double Dip Nitrile Foam Black 92783
1.0 A3 15 White PU White 92773
1.0 A3 13 Salt & Pepper PU Gray 92752
1.0 A2 18 Green Nitrile Black 96782
1.0 A2 18 Light Blue PU Gray 92718PU
1.0 A2 13 Hi-Vis Lime Nitrile Foam Yellow 92723HV

Gauge Breakdown

What is a gauge? When glove manufacturers, like MCR Safety, throw out a term such as “gauge”, they are referring to the number of knitted stitches per inch in a glove. The higher the gauge number, the tighter the knit, with more stitches per inch than gloves with a smaller gauge number. The gauge simply refers to the number of stitches per inch in a glove. This is important because a thicker gauge may achieve a higher cut-resistant level, but the comfort level is diminished as more stitches per inch results in a stiffer feel. Here is a breakdown of each gauge:

  • 18-gauge: Eighteen stitches knitted per inch, featherweight styles
  • 15-gauge: Fifteen stitches knitted per inch, ultra-lightweight styles
  • 13-gauge: Thirteen stitches knitted per inch, lightweight styles
  • 10-gauge: Ten stitches knitted per inch, medium-weight styles
  • 7-gauge: Seven stitches knitted per inch, heavy-weight styles

The lower the gauge number, the fewer the stitches, but the thicker the thread. Thick thread usually offers better protection but less dexterity. Thinner thread allows better movement and sense of touch, but usually doesn’t offer as much protection or last as long. From a user standpoint, this language is useful because higher-gauge products are traditionally more comfortable and provide greater dexterity. With advanced yarns being introduced, like Hypermax UHWMPE fibers, 18 -Gauge gloves are achieving higher and higher cut-resistant levels. The recent 92793PU glove is 18G and achieves an A6 cut level! This would have been unthinkable just 3-4 years ago. Only a 10 to 13 gauge glove would have achieved that score. Just keep in mind, heavier gauge gloves are not as expensive and offer other benefits, other than just feel. With our aramid fibers, 7 gauge gloves are an excellent resource for heat protection.

In short, advanced fibers have allowed us to "push the needle" and introduce cut-resistant gloves in a higher gauge.

Hypermax Catalog

Click the image below to check out all of MCR Safety's Hypermax gloves.

Comparison of Different Fibers

As you can see in the matrix below, Hypermax earns top scores in almost every category. Compared to other HPPE fabrics, Hypermax provides equal performance at a lower cost.

Material Cut Resistance Abrasion Resistance Heat Resistance Dexterity Cost Coolness MCR Style
Alycore® 5 - 1 1 1 PD2905A
Dyneema® Diamond Tech HPPE 3 4 - 4 1 4 9676
Dyneema® Diamond Tech HPPE / Steel Blend 4 4 - 3 1 4 9672DT5PU
Hypermax 1.0 HPPE 3 4 - 4 5 3 92743PU
Hypermax 2.0 HPPE 4 4 - 3 4 3 92793PU
Kelvar® 3 2 4 3 2 2 9375
Kevlar® / Steel Blend 4 2 2 2 3 2 9399
Spectra/Fiber Glass Reinforced 4 2 - 2 2 1 9346D
Steelcore® II Synthetic/Steel blend 4 3 - 2 2 1 9356
Key Performance
5 Superb
4 Excellent
3 Good
2 Average
1 Minimal
- Not Recommended

Well, that is HPPE in a (rather large) nutshell. We hope the information we have provided has helped make you an informed purchaser of PPE. Our goal is to make the most advanced gloves on the market and to protect people from the hazards on their job sites.

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