The following latex glove, nitrile glove and vinyl glove chart compares the characteristics and cost of different disposable glove materials. You may use this as a reference, and proceed with caution when determining which glove material is appropriate for your particular tasks.
| Reference | Latex Natural Rubber Latex | Vinyl Polyvinyl Chloride PVC | Nitrile Acrylonitrile and Butadien | Polyurethane Polyurethane |
| Barrier Protection | Excellent | Fair to Poor | Excellent | Excellent |
| Strength and Durability | Excellent | Poor | Excellent | Excellent |
| Elasticity | Excellent | Poor | Good | Good |
| Puncture Resistance | Good | Poor | Excellent | Excellent |
| Chemical Resistance | Good | Poor | Excellent | Good |
| Fit and Comfort | Excellent | Fair | Good | Excellent |
| Protein Allergy | Depend on gloves and manufactures | None | None | None |
| Cost | Low to Moderate | Low to Moderate | Moderate to High | Moderate to High |
Latex, Nitrile and Vinyl General Glove Use
1) Can you use hand lotion under latex gloves?
GloveSaver.com recommends to use hand lotion in between or after
glove use only. If you are to use hand cream or lotion
under Adenna latex exam gloves, please choose one
that is water-based and not petroleum or oil-based.
Petroleum or oil-based lotions may deteriorate the
barrier properties of the gloves.
2) Why do some gloves produce brown stains when you put
them on?
This
is usually caused by the chemical reaction between your skin and the gloves. Before putting on gloves, your hands might come in contact with copper, iron or metal material, such as coins, or you may have heavy acidic perspiration in your hands. This can usually cause brown stains when wearing gloves. These brown stains do not affect the barrier properties of gloves.3) Do GloveSaver Latex Exam Gloves receive the ADA Seal of
Approval?
We carry brand name
LPX / Microflex / Adenna and Kimberly Clark
Latex Exam Gloves that received the ADA
Seal of Approval. However, the ADA requires a different
limit of protein claim from the FDA for powder free
latex exam gloves. The ADA's is 200 ug/gm of gloves
instead of 50 ug/gm of glove.
4) Do GloveSaver.com gloves comply with the USDA requirements
for safe use in food handling?
Yes, our latex, nitrile and vinyl gloves are safe to be used in all types of
food preparation or handling procedures. The USDA
does not establish any official regulatory requirement
for approval of gloves, but follows the guidelines
of the FDA's specifications. Our exam gloves, which
are made in compliance with the FDA and the Federal
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), are therefore
safe for preparing, washing and processing meat, poultry,
seafood, vegetables, desserts, beverages, etc in all
USDA inspected establishments.
5) How can you tell if a glove has degraded and should
not be used?
A glove may have degraded when it turns hard or brittle
and loses its elasticity, or turns too soft and does
not return into shape after being stretched. Change
of color in the glove should also be a warning sign.
DO NOT use gloves that show signs of degradation.
Always follow GloveSaver guidelines in storing gloves
to preserve their shelf life, and rotate stock by
practicing FIFO, First-in First-out inventory control.
6) What are the storage guidelines for GloveSaver.com gloves?
Always store our gloves in the original packaging in a
cool, dry and well ventilated area. Stay away from
dust, sunlight, moisture, X-ray, and excessive heat
above 100 F (37 C).
One of the most important things for healthcare, dental, and lab workers today is choosing the Right glove. When selecting an examination glove, there are a few things to consider:
BARRIER PROTECTION
This is the prime reason you wear gloves. Therefore, choose the gloves that best protect you for the task you are to perform. While working in a high-risk environment where you may be in contact with blood borne pathogens or hazardous substances, wear good quality latex, nitrile or polyurethane exam gloves. Vinyl exam gloves can be used in non-high risk applications.
FIT/COMFORT
Your exam gloves should also fit you well and feel comfortably. Latex gloves, due to its high level of elasticity and memory, fit the user hands very well. Nitrile gloves vary in softness and flexibility. Some are comfortable and fit well, whereas some are stiff and not flexible. Polyurethane gloves are soft, flexible and exert virtually no strain on the user hands. Vinyl gloves are usually baggy in fit, but are soft and comfortable.
ALLERGY CONCERNS
Are you allergic to latex? Are your co-workers allergic to latex? Do you work in a latex-free environment? Latex allergies have become a concern, especially in the healthcare industry. If you are sensitive to latex, avoid all latex products altogether and use only non-latex exam gloves, such as polyurethane, nitrile and vinyl. If you choose to use latex gloves, you should only use powder free latex gloves with reduced protein content.
On the other hand, if you suffer from Type IV Chemical Hypersensitivity, switching from latex gloves to non-latex gloves may not alleviate the situation, because these chemicals are added in the process of making all types of gloves including both latex and non-latex.
COST
Finally, there is always the question of cost versus quality. Should you buy the cheapest gloves you can find and constantly worry if they will tear, rip and pinholes, or should you choose the most expensive gloves available? Well, you should first take into consideration the above factors in choosing your gloves, and then select the acceptable quality standards at the best value you can get. Latex gloves and vinyl gloves are generally very affordable. Nitrile gloves, polyurethane gloves and other synthetic gloves are usually more costly.
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