Weldas COMFOflex 10-2000 vs Tillman 1018 Split Cowhide Stick Welding Glove

Weldas publishes the EN 12477 type, the EN 407 thermal code and the EN 388 code, and stamps the classification on the cuff where you can check it. The Tillman 1018 gives you the same basic construction idea, split cowhide with a lined back and Kevlar thread, at the cheapest tier, with no published test results at all.

Weldas COMFOflex 10-2000

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The only glove here that tells you what it was tested to, with EN 12477 Type A and a full EN 407 thermal code printed on the cuff.

• Weldas publishes EN 12477:2001+A1:2005 Type A, EN 407 412X3X and EN 388 4143X, so the heat and mechanical claims are graded rather than adjectives.
• Class A split cow leather with the COMFOflex air cushioned flame retardant lining, Kevlar stitching and 95 percent welting on the seams.
• Weldas names the processes it is for, MIG and MAG plus manual metal arc, and offers a 14 inch and an 18 inch length plus left hand only pairs.

• The EN 407 code reads contact heat level 1, which is the bottom band, so the glove is verified only to 100 degrees Celsius of contact for at least 15 seconds.
• Radiant heat and large molten metal are both reported as X, meaning not tested, so two of the six thermal positions are blank.
• Type A is the low dexterity class by design, and EN 12477 only asks a Type A glove to pick up an 11 mm rod against 6.5 mm for Type B.

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Tillman 1018 Split Cowhide Stick Welding Glove

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A plain 14 inch split cowhide stick glove that gets the three construction details right and costs the least here.

• Tillman lists DuPont Kevlar stitching and fully welted fingers, which puts a layer of leather over the seam that spatter would otherwise land on.
• The cotton and foam lined back puts insulation where the arc radiates and leaves the palm thinner for feel on the electrode.
• Fourteen inch length with a reinforced thumb, in sizes medium through 2X, from a maker that publishes a construction matrix for the whole stick range.

• No EN 12477 type, no EN 407 code and no ANSI/ISEA 105 thermal classification appear anywhere on the listing.
• Split cowhide is the least tactile of the common welding leathers, so this is not a glove for fine fit up or for a MIG trigger.
• Tillman's own copy calls it engineered for high heat without naming a temperature, a duration or a test method.

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Side by side

The bottom line

Our overall pick is the Weldas COMFOflex 10-2000 - The only glove here that tells you what it was tested to, with EN 12477 Type A and a full EN 407 thermal code printed on the cuff. Choose the Tillman 1018 Split Cowhide Stick Welding Glove instead if stick and general fabrication work where you buy gloves by the pair regularly and want welted fingers and Kevlar thread without paying for anything else.

Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Welding Gloves: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).