How Mechanix M-Pact Gloves Can Help Security Workers 

We’re going to talk about Mechanix M-Pact gloves. These gloves are comfortable, versatile, and highly durable – and we recommend you check them out if you work in security and happen to be in the market for a new pair of safety gloves.

As we explored in our guide to spotting fake IDs, human hands are extremely sensitive. For every 6.5CM of skin, there are some 1300 active nerve endings. The complex sensory information that comes from the hands is so acute that we can detect even a few molecules’ difference between the surfaces of two otherwise identical objects.

As a species, human beings use our hands for everything, from eating, to expressing ourselves, to self-defence. Our hands convey emotion (both visually and through touch), send warnings to those who would invade our personal space, make, and use tools, even protect us when we fall – and those are just the basics.

Like all important things, our hands deserve the best protection possible. Mechanix M-Pact gloves are the best way to accomplish this goal.

Why Choose Mechanix Gloves?

Security operatives work in all kinds of conditions, from all-day summer festivals in the scorching heat, to bitterly cold, rain-soaked evening and night shifts. A good pair of gloves, then, can be an important part of an operative’s equipment.

Security operatives who patrol outdoor areas or find themselves working in rough and rugged terrain may require gloves that not only keep their hands warm and dry (preventing cracked skin), but also protect them at the same time.

A firm, reliable grip that ensures that equipment such as torches or two-way radios stay in the hand and can be used in an emergency is very important, as is that extra layer of protection for a DS who is forced to eject an unruly patron.

During such altercations, door supervisors can sometimes be scratched, bitten, or even attacked with bladed weapons. In these cases, risks of physical harm, as well as unseen issues such as contracting diseases are high. A reliable pair of gloves, however, can mitigate these risks almost entirely.

In addition, wearing gloves helps to lessen the risk of contracting colds, coughs, flus and especially COVID-19, all of which can be easily caught by door supervisors who regularly encounter lots of people. These gloves are a real asset when searching bags, and handling personal effects such as IDs, phones, and any contraband people may be carrying (on this note, these gloves provide good protection against needles).

We have found Mechanix M-Pact gloves to be an excellent choice for the security operative who regularly works outside, from solitary guards in remote premises to those supervising bustling nightclub and venue doors. These gloves offer the warmth, protection, and functionality that security workers sorely need.

During this review, we’ll explain why we think that a pair of Mechanix gloves would be a useful addition to any security operative’s kit bag, as well as briefly review two alternatives from different manufacturers by way of comparison.

Product Overview

Any pair of gloves will insulate and protect your hands to some extent. That is, after all, what they’re designed for. Therefore, Mechanix gloves strive to do more than just that.

For starters, these Mechanix gloves feature TPR knuckle guard and finger protection. For those who don’t know, ‘TPR’ stands for Thermal Plastic Rubber. Perhaps better known as ‘thermoplastic elastomers‘ (TPE), these materials are created by mixing plastic polymers that become pliable when warmed up, and harder when cooled (better known as thermoplastics) with elastomers (polymers that are both elastic and viscous). This gives TPR the benefits of both plastics and rubbers. They have the hardness of plastic, with the flexibility of rubber – just what you want to protect fingers, without hampering movement.

These gloves also make good use of Mechanix’s much-vaunted ‘Material 4X‘, a type of synthetic leather that features much higher tear and abrasion resistance than regular leather, with the added benefit of being fully machine washable.

Material 4X uses a core fibre tightly bound with polyester and spandex fibres, making it supple and pliable, but also extremely strong and very difficult to cut or tear. It is also very thin (just 0.8mm), making it less heavy and cumbersome than natural leather.

Extensive laboratory and real-world testing have revealed that Material 4X outlasts leather by a significant margin, making it a solid long-term investment. As a result, Material 4X is great for working on building sites, handling abrasive materials, performing maintenance and repairs, D.I.Y, carpentry and, of course, security work.

The palms of these gloves also feature ‘XRD’ palm padding, a manufacturing technique that absorbs impact and vibration, which is very useful for occupations wherein the hands are used often, such as carrying heavy items, or putting said items down quickly and safely. This would also be useful for blocking blows from angry patrons, or ejecting people from the premises by force.

These Mechanix gloves are dextrous, comfortable to wear, and highly durable (being tougher than leather). They are also lighter and thinner than many other safety gloves and have excellent shock absorbing capabilities.

Mechanix gloves are also quick drying, which is perfect for when you’re working out in the rain (or when you need your gloves back in play the day after getting them soaked).

Special Features

Protection for your Fingers 

Injuries to fingers, both serious and mild, often take a long time to properly heal. This is because our fingers are constantly in use. Whatever we do, we do it with our hands. Whether you’re cooking or eating food, reading, washing, meeting someone for the first time, or simply scrolling through your phone, your fingers are almost always up to something.

With TPR finger and knuckle guards, your ‘precious pinkies’ will never have been safer. These materials have been specially designed to almost match your fingers for dexterity and movement, meaning that, even as the highly protective Material 4X protects your skin, your normal movements will remain mostly unencumbered.  

Additionally, the dual-layer internal fingertip construction helps to keep the thumb and forefinger especially safe. This is a very welcome feature, since these are the digits we usually use the most. The specially designed embossed fingertip pattern on the index finger also improves the grip, feel, and overall dexterity of the glove.

Thermoplastic Rubber Exoskeleton 

Employing the TPR techniques described above, these gloves have a flexible exoskeleton that protects the back of the hand from impact and abrasion. This is very useful for those times when patrons decide to get rough.

In-Built Shock Absorbers 

These gloves use the same basic technology as an MMA fighter’s gloves. The patented ‘XRD’ palm padding absorbs both impacts and vibration, protecting the hands from all manner of injury. 

Feel the 4X Difference

Material 4X is stronger and more durable than leather, and probably kinder to animals, too. The internal ‘fingertip reinforcement’, which offers an extra layer of Material 4X, has been added with the understanding that protecting the fingers is one of the key jobs of all safety gloves.

Material 4X is comfortable, durable, machine washable, and quick drying. It’s the perfect material from which to fashion these exceptional gloves.

Alternatives

In this section, we’ll examine 2 sets of safety gloves from leading brands that may offer the customer interesting alternatives to the product being discussed.

DEX FIT Cru553 Cut Resistant Gloves

This sleek, close-fitting pair of safety gloves features highly effective rubber grips but lacks the TPR exoskeleton and other protective elements of the Mechanix M-Pact Gloves. This lack of bulk may make these gloves both less conspicuous and easier to wear over long periods, however. Where the M-Pact gloves are regularly used by builders, these gloves are better suited for a chef (even passing official ‘food contact’ tests).

These gloves offer a snug fit that not only keeps hands warm and safe, but also allows basically full mobility of the fingers, feeling more like a ‘second skin’ than a traditional tactical glove. This makes the DEX FIT Cru553s better suited to more delicate jobs, and thus a good choice for those who might find thicker, harder gloves too restrictive.

DEX FIT’s Cru553 cut resistant gloves feature the highest possible rating for protection against cuts. These gloves have been designed with handling, being around, or using sharp objects firmly in mind, and as such could be very useful if the wearer is confronted by a sharp object such as a combat knife or spike.

DEX FIT Cru553 cut resistant gloves also feature excellent grip, thanks to the water-based rubber coating that covers the fingers. They can resist wet or oily conditions and allow easy and fast access to necessary equipment such as torches, two-ways, and first-aid kits. These gloves are also smartphone and tablet compatible.

OZERO Waterproof and Windproof Winter Gloves

OZERO’s winter gloves have been designed with inclement weather in mind. Accordingly, they are very well insulated, and can be relied upon to keep your hands warm as well as dry in all but the most egregious conditions.

These gloves utilise seamless waterproof membranes to protect against water ingress, with an interior lining of artificial velvet that provides both comfort and warmth. As a result, these gloves are probably the most comfortable we’ve seen in this review, and should keep hands warm and cozy, even on the coldest days.

Like the DEX FIT gloves described above, but unlike the M-Pacts of the main review, these gloves are also smartphone/touchscreen compatible. Also, like their DEX FIT equivalents, these gloves offer the wearer a high standard of grip, meaning that you’re unlikely to drop your phone, torch, or two-way whilst wearing them. This high level of grip also makes these gloves ideal for skiing, cycling, driving, riding a motorbike and (according to the manufacturers) snowball fighting.

The black colouring and stark ‘no frills’ design are also a plus for security operatives, as they visually compliment the average operative’s uniform and will not look out of place when worn at work.

Our View

Mechanix M-Pact gloves work well as tactical gloves, despite not being designed for this use. A quick glance at the tactical/military gloves also made by Mechanix reveals a strong similarity between the designs.

Our biggest single knock on these otherwise excellent gloves is the lack of touchscreen compatibility, meaning that you would have to remove one or both gloves before answering or using your phone. Admittedly, these gloves were not designed to be used in situations wherein the wearer would be on the phone. Nevertheless, it’s a minor inconvenience – and any such impediment is not a desirable feature in tactical or security equipment.

Over on the plus side, these gloves are about as good as it gets when it comes to protecting your hands. As we’ve seen, they will resist impacts from above, and readily absorb the shock from falls, blows, or attacks from heavy objects. They will also prevent hands from being bitten or cut with knives, broken bottles, shivs, or other sharp objects. As if that wasn’t enough, they will keep out water, dirt, and grit to a good standard, as well as resist all but the bitterest cold.

That these Mechanix M-Pact gloves can do all this without seriously impeding the hand’s natural ability to move, and even improving the wearer’s grip on people or objects, is nothing short of amazing.

In summary, a pair of Mechanix M-Pact gloves would be a boost to any security operative’s professional kit and is well worth seeking out. After all, security work and safety gloves go together like, well, hand and glove.