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Safety & Quality

Glove Quality

How to choose the right glove? Gloves come in different materials and sizes. Make sure you choose the right material and size for a good fit. If the gloves are too big, it is hard to hold objects and easier for germs to get inside your gloves. Gloves that are too small are more likely to rip.

Some cleaning and care procedures require sterile or surgical gloves. Sterile means „free from germs.“ If you will be handling chemicals, check the material safety data sheet to see what kind of gloves you will need.
DO NOT use oil-based hand creams or lotions unless they are approved for use with latex gloves. If you have a latex allergy, use non-latex gloves and avoid contact with other products that contain latex.

PROPERTIES

LATEX

NITRILE

VINYL

Material

Natural rubber latex from rubber tree

Synthetic copolymer made from monomers of carboxylic acid, acrylonitrile and butadiene

Polyvinyl chloride, a synthetic co-polymer

Barrier Protection

Good film formation properties. Natural rubber latex film provides superior barrier protection

Exhibits comparable barrier protection as natural rubber, if film is continuous

Contains up to 40% plasticizers to provide soft feel. As such, vinyl gloves are the least elastic among the three materials and provide the worst barrier protection

Strength

Superior

Excellent strength & puncture resistance

Limited

Elasticity

High levels of elasticity, memory and elongation provide excellent fit

Medium to High conforming to the user’s hand with use

Low to Medium, with moderate flexibility. Lower elongation properties result in a loose-fitting glove

Durability

High resistant to tear and puncture. Superior dynamic durability

High resistant to puncture and tear. Exhibits moderate dynamic durability

Poor dynamic durability that declines with use, resulting in medium to high in-use failure rates

Chemical resistance

Depending on the type of chemicals in contact. Generally good

Depending on the type of chemicals. Generally good to excellent

Depending on chemicals. Generally poor

Possible Glove Associated Reactions

– Irritant Contact Dermatitis
– Chemical Allergies (Type IV)
– Latex Protein Allergy (Type I)

– Irritant Contact Dermatitis
– Chemical Allergies (Type IV)

– Irritant Contact Dermatitis
– Chemical Allergies (Type IV)

Fit & Comfort

Excellent, conforms to hand

Good to Excellent, conforms to hand

Fair, loose-fitting

Recommended use

Optimal choice based on overall performance. Material strength supports use in high-risk situations and potential exposure to blood-borne pathogens

Latex-like properties make this an ideal synthetic alternative for latex-sensitized individuals. Premier choice for use in high-risk situations, including infectious agents and most chemicals

Low risk situations where exposure to blood-borne pathogens is limited and for short-term, minimal stress situations