A 5.5" (140 mm) hand round the palm is EN size 6 (XS), a women's S and a XS exam glove; in golf outside FootJoy’s men’s chart, goalkeeper size 7 and Alpinestars S. Flat, it measures about 58 mm across the knuckles.
01 · Universal hand gauge · EN ISO 21420
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| EN ISO 21420 (work, unisex) | 6 · XS | 152 mm reference; 5.5" is -12 mm under it |
|---|---|---|
| Women's letter | S | one letter below the unisex XS |
| Dress / half sizes | 5.5 | 5.5" to the nearest half inch |
| Golf: FootJoy men’s | — | outside the men’s chart |
| Golf: FootJoy women’s | — | outside the women’s chart |
| Goalkeeper (Keeperstop) | 7 | 5.5" → 6 + 1; Reusch half size 6 |
| Motorcycle (Alpinestars men’s) | S | 14.0 cm |
| Exam glove (nitrile) | XS | glove palm 70 ± 10 mm (ASTM D6319) |
| Winter (Hestra), bare hand | 6 | 152 mm chart value |
| Winter over a 2 mm liner | 6 | 152 mm with the liner |
| Boxing hand band (Rival) | 12 oz band | cuff fits 5.5–6.5"; weight by bodyweight |
| Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's S | Women's S | S (men) | ||
| Men's S | Women's S | S (men) | ||
| Men's S | Women's S | S (men) | ||
| Men's S | Women's S | S (men) | ||
| Men's S | Women's S | S (men) | ||
| Men's S | Women's S | S (men) | ||
| Men's S | Women's S | S (men) | ||
| Men's S | Women's S | S (men) |
Rows run either side of the EN ISO 21420 typical length for this size (160 mm). Shorter than the circumference’s own size → Cadet.
05 / Field guide
A 5.5" (140 mm) hand round the palm is EN size 6 (XS), a women's S and a XS exam glove; in golf outside FootJoy’s men’s chart, goalkeeper size 7 and Alpinestars S. Flat, it measures about 58 mm across the knuckles.
EN ISO 21420 sizes are one inch of circumference apart, so a 5.5-inch hand sits halfway between sizes 5 and 6. Unisex work and sports gloves round it to 6 (XS); makers that sell half sizes (dress leather, goalkeeper, surgical) make a 5.5.
Between two sizes, a tight-fitting glove (exam, golf, race) usually goes to 5, an insulated or lined one to 6.
5.5" × 25.4 = 140 mm round flat width ≈ 140 ÷ 2.42 = 58 mm (men)
A 5.5" hand is above FootJoy’s 2XL band; look for a 3XL or an extended size.
Goalkeeper gloves add an inch: 5.5" rounds to 6 and becomes size 7 (Reusch’s half-size chart: 6). Alpinestars’ men’s chart puts 14.0 cm at S. Hestra winter gloves are a 6 bare, 6 over a 1 mm liner.
For boxing, 5.5" falls in Rival’s 12 oz hand band (90–120 lb), but glove weight is chosen by bodyweight and use first; the hand only says how the cuff fits.
Kids’ sizes near 5.5" (Reusch): 5 for ages 8–9, 5.5 for ages 9–10, 6 for ages 10–12.
Questions
EN size 6 (XS) on unisex and work gloves, S on women’s lines, and 5.5 in half sizes.
XS on the EN ISO 21420 scale; S for women’s gloves.
Outside FootJoy’s regular charts.
Size 7: round 5.5" to 6 and add 1 (Keeperstop).
About 58 mm for a man’s hand and 58 mm for a woman’s, from the anthropometric ratio of circumference to flat width.