What Material Should Your Disposable Gloves Be?

Disposable gloves protect you and your customers from harm. In any industry in which you work with toxic substances, gloves are mandatory.

Fortunately, glove technology has risen to the challenge of the diverse workforce that requires protection. Gloves come in a wide variety of fit, durability, and materials.

So many materials, in fact, that choosing what you need to fit the job can get tricky. Especially with the pervasive nature of myths and misinformation out there about gloves.

We understand that you want to pay the best price for the best product. Just because disposable gloves are meant to be worn and tossed, doesn't mean they should fail halfway through a project.

Disposable Gloves Material

Materials partially define what a glove can resist, but they also give a difference in feel and fine motor control. Choosing the right glove often comes down to knowing what a task will entail.

Many industries have standardized training for gloves and will stock several types in a business with notations about when and how they are to be used.

Generally, disposable gloves help to keep the workplace safe and clean. Working with biological fluids can make workers uneasy. Working with chemicals can cause damage to hands over time. Working with some substances can make it hard to maintain a grip.

Gloves help with each of these issues, but each material helps in a different way.

This guide exists for those of you running a small business or looking to understand why things are done they way they are. We have a great article talking about job specifics. The following will elaborate on the needs of each industry and the promises of each material.

Common Usage Industries

Medical/Dental
Automotive Repair
Food Service
Industrial
Tattoo and Piercing
Salons

Materials

Latex
Nitrile
Chloroprene
Polyethylene
Vinyl
Neoprene
Powder vs Powder-Free

Latex

Latex gloves enjoyed a lot of popularity in the early days, but certain issues arose that proved more options were needed. Latex comes from natural rubber, so they are cheap and convenient. However, they can cause allergic reactions.

They work well for how quickly they can be put on. They also are effective while being thin, which makes them cheap. Latex offers one of the best tactile sensitivities, making them easy to work in for fine details.

Latex doesn't do well against heavy chemicals and organic solvents.

Nitrile

Nitrile disposable gloves offer some of the best value for extended use. The gloves are stronger than most while staying thin and easy to move in.

Nitrile gloves resist chemicals well and have a higher degree of puncture-resistance than polyethylene synthetics and latex.

Nitrile gloves provide excellent grip when working with grease and oils, which makes them a favorite for industries that need to maintain control when working with a lot of fluids and tools.

Nitrile materials pose a reduced risk of allergens and allergic reactions.

Chloroprene

One of the newest materials being used for examination gloves in the wake of the latex allergy problem, chloroprene gloves offer some best of all worlds benefits.

Other disposable gloves offer strengths and weaknesses, but chloroprene works as a jack-of-all-trades alternative. It doesn't excel at anything specific, but it doesn't fail at anything either.

Chloroprene can be textured or non-textured. Their high elasticity rating for fine detail and ease of wear make for comfortable work. They hold an average rating for handling caustic chemicals but are excellent for biological and fluid work.

Polyethylene

One of the earliest products to compensate for latex gloves allergy issue, polyethylene has a mid-range sensitivity and tactile comfort. Polyethylene disposable gloves have more breathability than most, making them slower to heat up or get tacky.

Like most gloves good for biological use, they are not ideal for strong chemicals.

Vinyl

Vinyl disposable gloves give the most economical fit for many. Vinyl gloves fit loosely and offer standard protection from biological materials. Vinyl works well for short-term use but isn't recommended for extended use.

Vinyl gloves see the most use in salons and for food services disposable gloves. This is because they are easy to take on and off and offer a barrier of protection against temperature while being easy to see tears in.

Vinyl gloves aren't recommended for hazardous materials or caustic chemicals.

Neoprene

The heavy-duty workhorse of disposable gloves, neoprene materials withstand harsh substances, toxic chemicals, and mild acids.

Neoprene doesn't tear easily and offers a good, flexible feel over a variety of temperature ranges. Part of this benefit helps make neoprene more manageable when swapping between high and low temperatures, where other gloves will feel less protective.

Neoprene material gloves offer a solid economical choice for their durability and features. They can be the stiffest gloves to wear and work with. This trade-off gives a sense of purpose to some of their uses, such as mixing or applying chemicals.

Powder vs. Powder-Free

You may be asking why some gloves (especially vinyl and latex) come in powdered and powder-free versions.

Powder, commonly talcum or cornstarch, helps make gloves easier to put on and also more comfortable to wear. A common issue when you don gloves is the need to stretch and slide the glove over the wrist, especially the thumb. While being worn, gloves may slip or become warm which makes them sweaty.

Powder products help to alleviate these issues. But powdered gloves are not without risks in some industries.

Overall powdered gloves have a problematic history for medical purposes. The US FDA outright banned powdered gloves for medical use in early 2017 after a March 2016 proposal.

Powdered gloves for medical operations run risks of infection, irritation, and allergies that outweigh the discomfort for medical professionals.

Learn More Today

Whether you are ready to order now or need some more information about our policies, our prices, or our vast in-stock disposable glove selection., give us a call. Gloves don't just protect, they can also make a statement. We offer a large variety of colors and feels to get give you the opportunity to be your well-protected best.

We've been at this for a while and we have a wealth of experience to share with you. We take pride in providing the best product we can to fit your needs.