A 8.5" (216 mm) hand round the palm is EN size 8 (M), a women's L and a M exam glove; in golf FootJoy L, goalkeeper size 10 and Alpinestars M. Flat, it measures about 89 mm across the knuckles.
01 · Universal hand gauge · EN ISO 21420
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| EN ISO 21420 (work, unisex) | 8 · M | 203 mm reference; 8.5" is 13 mm over it |
|---|---|---|
| Women's letter | L | one letter below the unisex M |
| Dress / half sizes | 8.5 | 8.5" to the nearest half inch |
| Golf: FootJoy men’s | L | 8.38–8.75" band; Cadet if the hand is short |
| Golf: FootJoy women’s | — | outside the women’s chart |
| Goalkeeper (Keeperstop) | 10 | 8.5" → 9 + 1; Reusch half size 8.5 |
| Motorcycle (Alpinestars men’s) | M | 21.6 cm, on a band edge |
| Exam glove (nitrile) | M | glove palm 95 ± 10 mm (ASTM D6319) |
| Winter (Hestra), bare hand | 8 | 203 mm chart value |
| Winter over a 2 mm liner | 9 | 228 mm with the liner |
| Boxing hand band (Rival) | 16 oz band | cuff fits 7.5–8.5"; weight by bodyweight |
| Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadet L | Women's XL | S (men) | ||
| Cadet L | Women's XL | S (men) | ||
| Cadet L | Women's XL | S (men) | ||
| Cadet L | Women's XL | S (men) | ||
| Cadet L | Women's XL | S (men) | ||
| Cadet L | Women's XL | S (men) | ||
| Cadet L | Women's XL | S (men) | ||
| Men's L | Women's XL | S (men) |
Rows run either side of the EN ISO 21420 typical length for this size (182 mm). Shorter than the circumference’s own size → Cadet.
05 / Field guide
An 8.5" (216 mm) hand round the palm is EN size 8 (M), a women's L and a M exam glove; in golf FootJoy L, goalkeeper size 10 and Alpinestars M. Flat, it measures about 89 mm across the knuckles.
EN ISO 21420 sizes are one inch of circumference apart, so an 8.5-inch hand sits halfway between sizes 8 and 9. Unisex work and sports gloves round it to 8 (M); makers that sell half sizes (dress leather, goalkeeper, surgical) make an 8.5.
Between two sizes, a tight-fitting glove (exam, golf, race) usually goes to 8, an insulated or lined one to 9.
8.5" × 25.4 = 216 mm round flat width ≈ 216 ÷ 2.42 = 89 mm (men)
On FootJoy’s men’s chart an 8.5" circumference belongs to L (8.38–8.75"). With a typical 182 mm hand the fit is Cadet L; with fingers about 8 mm shorter it becomes Cadet L, FootJoy’s rule for a finger size below the palm size.
Goalkeeper gloves add an inch: 8.5" rounds to 9 and becomes size 10 (Reusch’s half-size chart: 8.5). Alpinestars’ men’s chart puts 21.6 cm at M, on the edge of a band: try both. Hestra winter gloves are an 8 bare, 9 over a 1 mm liner.
For boxing, 8.5" falls in Rival’s 16 oz hand band (150–185 lb), but glove weight is chosen by bodyweight and use first; the hand only says how the cuff fits.
One half size down, 8" is EN 8 and goalie 9. One up, 9" is EN 9 and goalie 10.
Questions
EN size 8 (M) on unisex and work gloves, L on women’s lines, and 8.5 in half sizes.
Medium on the EN ISO 21420 scale; L for women’s gloves.
FootJoy men’s L by circumference; Cadet L if the hand length is short for it.
Size 10: round 8.5" to 9 and add 1 (Keeperstop).
About 89 mm for a man’s hand and 90 mm for a woman’s, from the anthropometric ratio of circumference to flat width.