Fit-for-purpose, cut-resistant wearables

Meet the crown jewel of cut-resistant materials.

Everyone knows that diamonds stand for ultimate strength, quality, and a little bit of sparkle. And Dyneema® Diamond Technology is no different. It’s a gem in the world of cut protection – whether that’s in gloves, sleeves, protective textiles, or other applications.

So you can say goodbye to glass fibers, aramid, and generic high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE). After all, these conventional cut-resistant materials come with clear drawbacks that not only impact long-term cut-protection performance, but also restrict comfort and dexterity.

With Dyneema® Diamond, we’re proud to offer a better way – giving customers and wearers the diamond standard in reliable, long-lasting protection.

Feel the difference with Dyneema® Diamond

For many years, leather and nylon were the materials of choice for cut-resistant gloves, but they only provided wearers with limited protection against cuts and abrasion. In recent decades, a new breed of solutions has emerged. Many gloves are now reinforced with aramid and – more recently – HMPE fibers that contain fillers, such as fiberglass.

These modern solutions were a good step forward. But we knew they didn’t go far enough.

How fiberglass-based solutions fall short:

Unreliable protective coverage due to broken fibers or filaments
Washing quickly breaks down protection
Skin irritated by broken fibers and filaments
Heaviness and thickness restrict movement and control
Thickness traps heat, reducing comfort
High CO2 footprints due to extensive use of materials

That’s why, in 2011, we introduced Dyneema® Diamond Technology – taking cut protection to the next level. Our unique, patented technology is based on specially engineered microparticles that are embedded in the original polymer during the extrusion stage, giving our fibers superior structural integrity.

Dyneema®’s outstanding strength-to-weight ratio ensures ultimate cut protection from fabric that’s significantly thinner and lighter than traditional alternatives, ensuring superior comfort, coolness, and dexterity for wearers. What’s more, Dyneema® fibers don’t rupture during wear or laundering – so protection and comfort never break down.

Dyneema® Diamond versus aramid

Aramid: a synthetic fiber first introduced in industrial applications in the 1960s. It’s become known for its high-strength properties, emerging as a commonly used reinforcement material for cut-resistant gloves and other protective apparel.

Just like fiberglass solutions, materials made with aramid-spun yarn initially display high levels of protection performance … and just like with fiberglass, the abrasion resistance of aramid-based materials quickly declines after first use. More wear means less protection, as weak spots form along the glove’s key pressure points: the fingers, thumb, and palm.

The numbers speak for themselves: in testing, aramid offers durability over just 250 cycles. Compare this to Dyneema® Diamond Technology, which offers resistance for up to 1,500 cycles – a six-fold increase. It’s no surprise that aramid-based gloves need frequent replacement. In fact, the average industrial employee will use 26 pairs of aramid-reinforced gloves in a typical year, versus just nine pairs of gloves made with Dyneema® Diamond. Multiplied across an entire workforce, switching to Dyneema® represents significant cost savings for any operation.

Increased durability and cost efficiency are important considerations in industries like manufacturing and construction. But they’re not the only benefits to keep in mind. After all, cut-resistant gloves only work when they’re being worn – which makes comfort key. Dyneema® Diamond Technology is 30% lighter than aramid fiber, for gloves that offer superior comfort and control. And while gloves containing aramid trap heat, making wearers’ hands hot and sweaty, gloves with Dyneema® divert heat away from the body, keeping them cool and pleasant to wear from one shift to the next.

Dyneema® Diamond versus glass fiber

We might not think of glass as being especially strong, but glass fibers are often used as a reinforcement material in cut-resistant applications. And indeed, while gloves using fiberglass technology might pass initial cut resistance tests, their useful life is limited by the major disadvantage of glass: it’s brittle and breaks easily.

It’s a common issue in gloves exposed to frequent abrasion or repeated washing. Because when glass fibers and filaments break down, they cause all kinds of problems: weak spots that degrade cut resistance, irritation to skin (even leading to allergic reactions or contact dermatitis), and potential non-compliance with safety protocols.

With Dyneema® Diamond Technology, there are no such problems. Our ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers can flex and bend under pressure – so they stay intact even after heavy wear or repeated machine washing. That means Dyneema® delivers consistent cut protection with no weak spots, and gloves that remain comfortable and wearable for longer.

Dyneema® Diamond versus generic HMPE

Think all HMPE is the same? Think again. While it’s true that all HMPE fibers offer certain generic qualities, such as high tensile strength, there’s significant variation in performance between technologies and brands.

Much of this is down to inconsistencies in testing. Some HMPE manufacturers simply don’t apply sufficient quality control throughout the full production process. Or they may fail to meet the industry’s leading standards, as applied in Europe, Asia, and other key manufacturing regions. It’s also possible that the end product doesn’t undergo rigorous independent testing before hitting the shelves.

The result is gloves and other finished articles that perform poorly when truly put to the test. For example, based on EN388 standards for cut-resistant gloves, gloves made with generic HMPE material offer an average cut index score of around 6 – nearly three times lower than Dyneema® Diamond Technology.

So how can you be sure you’re getting the best quality protection? Start by looking for the Dyneema® logo. All gloves made with our Dyneema® Diamond Technology – unique, patented, and proprietary – are produced to strict and consistent manufacturing standards. And we make sure the end-product performance is always tested according to internationally recognized tests and standards. In a world of generic HMPE, Dyneema® is a diamond in the rough.

Switch to more sustainable cut protection

Thanks to its lightness, efficiency, and durability, Dyneema® Diamond Technology enables manufacturers and customers to significantly reduce their environmental impact versus conventional cut-resistance materials.

For one thing, Dyneema® fiber is always produced in line with strict environmental regulations designed to minimize pollution. For another, the long-lasting reliability of gloves made with Dyneema® means employees need far fewer pairs – two-thirds fewer than with aramid, for instance – which saves precious planetary resources.

But the biggest difference is the relatively low carbon footprint of our technology. In fact, per 10,000 pairs, gloves made with Dyneema® fiber generate significantly less than half the CO₂ emissions of those containing aramid or generic HMPE fiber. That’s because of the ultra-lightweight qualities of our fibers – and because only a small amount of the world’s strongest fiber™ is needed to ensure excellent levels of cut protection.

And that difference only grows with bio-based Dyneema® fiber. A world first, it’s based on renewable, bio-based feedstocks while offering the exact same performance and specifications as conventional Dyneema®. The result? A carbon footprint roughly six times lower than aramid and seven times lower than generic HMPE. What’s more, because fabrics knitted using bio-based Dyneema® fiber don’t contain glass or other complex materials, they’re easier to recycle using conventional textile recycling machines. Who knew diamonds could be so circular?