Many industries rely on disposable gloves, including medicine, cleaning, cultivation, and food prep. These devices provide a barrier between the product or customer and the person doing the job — whether a doctor, a tattoo artist, or even a janitor.
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Gloves help control infection and cross-contamination, protect against chemicals, oils, and solvents, and maintain hygiene standards. Three primary materials are used to construct disposable gloves — latex, nitrile, and vinyl — and all three are available as sterile or non-sterile products.
The type of gloves you need depends on what you intend to use them for.
Typically, nitrile gloves are used in the medical industry — especially in surgery — as they offer the most substantial protection against tears and punctures. They also resist harsh chemicals without the user losing sensitivity in their hands.
Latex is also commonly used in the medical industry (as well as many other sectors); however, not everyone can use gloves made from this material due to latex allergies. Vinyl gloves don’t provide the same level of chemical resistance as nitrile or latex. However, they can be used when maintaining a hygienic barrier is essential — as in the food industry.
Since the pandemic of , the use of gloves worldwide has become increasingly widespread, and they are now used more often than ever before. But how do gloves get from a state of raw material to being ready to enrobe your hands?
If you’re buying gloves online, the terminology surrounding suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers can quickly become confusing. Working out who’s who and what roles they take on in the industry can make buying gloves easier, cheaper, and quicker in the long run.
So, who’s who, and what’s what?
Glove suppliers provide the materials that glove manufacturers use to make gloves. They are the start of the supply chain, providing the foundational materials needed to produce gloves.
However, they are not directly involved in glove manufacturing. Suppliers are essential in ensuring a steady flow of high-quality materials and are one of the most critical parts of the glove production process.
Glove suppliers are often confused with glove wholesalers, as it’s commonly thought the term “glove supplier” refers to those who supply gloves. However, they only supply the materials used to make gloves — a vital part of the glove supply chain.
Understanding the difference between suppliers and wholesalers is essential to understanding each role in turning the materials into the finished product and getting the gloves to your hands.
Glove manufacturers are the main link in the glove supply chain. Manufacturers will use glove suppliers to obtain large quantities of raw materials to make finished gloves. Manufacturers are the foundry of the industry, transforming bulk amounts of various raw materials into market-ready products.
Glove manufacturers transform raw materials such as latex, nitrile, and vinyl into the disposable gloves you are familiar with.
These businesses are entirely responsible for the glove production process, ensuring that quality, design, and functionality meet the market's demands. Unlike the suppliers that provide the raw materials, manufacturers create the final product.
The manufacturing phase involves various intricate processes depending on what type of glove is being made and what the gloves will be used for. Responsibility for quality control falls on the manufacturer to ensure the final product meets industry standards.
Manufacturers are also responsible for sterilizing gloves, so the environment in which they are made must also be sterile and up to industry standards — regardless of what the gloves will later be used for. Ensuring sterility is paramount for industries like the medical sector, where the risk of infection or cross-contamination is exceptionally high.
Glove distributors are subsequent in the chain, buying newly-made gloves in bulk from manufacturers to sell them to retailers or consumers at a marked-up price.
Distributors play a pivotal role in the distribution network, acquiring gloves for the best price possible before distributing them to retailers and consumers.
Working in specific geographical areas or with exclusive agreements, distributors typically don’t engage in the manufacturing process and instead focus on efficiently delivering the products to the market. Distributors bridge the gap between the manufacturer and the retailer or consumer, ensuring new gloves reach their destinations without delay.
Glove distributors have a much smaller selection than wholesale glove suppliers — often specializing in a specific brand or type of glove and thereby often demanding higher prices. If you need a variety of gloves and are using distributors, you might need to work with several different distributors to get all of the products you need.
Disposable gloves wholesalers purchase gloves in bulk from different manufacturers before reselling them to retailers or consumers. They often provide a range of products without any exclusivity and offer products from various manufacturers.
These wholesale glove suppliers contribute to the market by sourcing products from various manufacturers and offering a broad spectrum of choices to both retailers and consumers.
Wholesale suppliers are similar to distributors. However, they often offer a much more comprehensive range of products from multiple manufacturers. They provide products for both retailers and consumers, selling in bulk with a diverse range of inventory.
An expansive inventory means a much broader customer base, providing everything from medical-grade gloves to disposable gloves used in catering.
Wholesale disposable glove suppliers are a “one-stop shop” for all your glove supplies. They offer vinyl, nitrile, and latex gloves — both sterile and unsterile — in one location, so you can get everything you need at once and in bulk.
Wholesale is often the best way to save money for businesses or individuals who use gloves daily — or even more frequently than that. The more gloves you buy, the cheaper the end cost, and most good wholesale suppliers will offer further discounts on shipping costs when it comes to purchasing large quantities in bulk.
Due to the large scale of wholesale supply, these businesses often collaborate with manufacturers from all over the world, giving the consumer a much more comprehensive range of options — from eco-friendly materials to innovative designs, as well as specialized gloves for different industries.
More importantly, wholesale suppliers provide a streamlined service for businesses or individuals who need to make repeat or scheduled orders to ensure they always have the gloves they need to maintain business continuity.
Understanding the difference between glove suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and wholesale suppliers is essential to making informed decisions when buying gloves for personal or professional needs.
Simply put, suppliers provide raw materials, manufacturers craft the gloves, distributors bridge the gap, and wholesale suppliers offer a diverse final product range. Knowing who’s who and what’s what provides knowledge that can help you save time and money when buying gloves — especially when purchasing multiple types of gloves in bulk.
If you’re buying gloves regularly, wholesale suppliers are the best place to pick them up — especially if you require various glove types. Wholesale suppliers often offer a better price than distributors and provide a much more extensive range of products.
Whatever you need gloves for, always choose a reputable brand and source. Cheap gloves can be tempting, especially when you’re using them daily. However, it’s much more important not to cut corners and only choose a product you can rely on when it comes to hygiene and protective barriers.
Gloves sold through reputable wholesale suppliers will have gone through several quality control tests. They will be built to the highest industry standard — which is essential for the wearer's safety, especially in the medical industry.
Surgical gloves only protect if they remain intact. Some materials are more resilient than others, but that resilience can come at a price. Sometimes, that price is tactile sensitivity. Sometimes, it’s comfort. Sometimes, essential differences are almost imperceptible. This article explains different types of surgical gloves.
Apart from the material from which it’s constructed, the duration of its use also influences the barrier of protection created by a disposable glove, the chemicals it may contact, the specific equipment handled, and even the way it fits.
The United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) stipulate guidelines for handling hazardous drugs, such as USP 800 and ASTM D. But what surgical glove types can meet or exceed the highest expectations?
Nitrile surgical gloves are made of nitrile butadiene rubber, a synthetic material primarily made from petroleum. Their durability makes them special.
This material is exceptionally elastic, making it quite resistant to punctures. It’s strongly resistant to chemicals and oils, making it well-suited for various procedures. And it’s more allergy-friendly than its primary competitor, latex gloves.
Nitrile gloves are powder-free, chemo-tested to industry standards, and individually packaged for sterility. In addition to being reasonably priced and available in virtually any color, nitrile gloves offer a much longer shelf life than latex gloves.
Latex is the most popular surgical glove material. It provides a full range of motion and allows the wearer to retain most of their tactile sensation. In surgeries where dexterity and sensitivity count, latex offers clear advantages. It’s also universally considered to be among the most comfortable choices.
However, latex gloves are far more prone to punctures than nitrile gloves. They are relatively permeable when faced with chemicals and won’t provide much protection against common solvents. Most importantly, many people experience an allergic reaction to natural rubber latex.
Powder-free latex is available in both sterile and non-sterile varieties. There is also a huge variety of sizing options to maximize the precision afforded by latex. Latex gloves are a good choice for people primarily concerned with motion control and comfort. However, their lack of durability means you’ll be changing them fairly more often.
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Made from PVC, vinyl gloves are another oil-based option. Though the absence of latex is an advantage for people concerned with allergies, the anti-static properties of vinyl gloves have little use in surgery.
Compared to nitrile and latex, vinyl gloves exhibit much less elasticity. They’re also considerably less durable and provide significantly less protection against dangerous chemicals and biomedical substances. Vinyl gloves will not hold up against ordinary alcohol-based cleaners.
Vinyl gloves' primary advantage is that they’re inexpensive. As exam gloves, they can be pretty valuable.
But vinyl should be avoided for surgeries. Finding sterile vinyl is challenging, and its material properties simply provide less protection. Vinyl should only be used in inexpensive medical examination gloves.
Instead of its lengthy scientific name, polychloroprene is usually known by the brand name Neoprene. It’s a synthetic rubber that was designed to replicate latex closely. The result is gloves with a level of comfort and precision that combines nearly all the advantages of latex with almost all of the benefits of its closest competitors.
Thanks to the material’s synthetic properties, neoprene surgical gloves provide many of the same advantages as nitrile rubber. They’re about equally flexible, comfortable, and chemical resistant. In addition to excellent puncture resistance, neoprene withstands flexing and twisting like no other. It’s also marginally more resilient against abrasion.
However, the most significant advantage of neoprene disposable gloves is that they’re highly resistant to extreme temperatures. Neoprene gloves retain their elasticity even when it’s pretty cold, and they’re not prone to becoming sticky in hot temperatures. Those advantages can be very significant depending on your environment and the surgical procedures you are performing.
Some people consider polyisoprene the gold standard material for surgical gloves. It matches the high comfort levels of latex with several added benefits.
Polyisoprene is easier to double-glove. A polymer coating makes gloves made from polyisoprene easier to put on when hands are wet or dry. Moreover, polyisoprene gloves are sometimes combined with neoprene gloves to improve overall durability.
For hazardous procedures where the risk of a glove breach is simply unacceptable, polyisoprene is often the best choice. Its robustness also gives it better durability in long procedures.
The tradeoff is that polyisoprene is far and away the most expensive option for disposable gloves. But if you want the properties of latex in a highly protective glove, consider polyisoprene.
There are some features that all disposable gloves for a specific purpose require. For example, all medical gloves need to be power-free. The FDA banned powdered surgeon’s gloves as recently as . Additionally, all surgical gloves should be sterile, individually packaged, and provide plenty of size options.
Your next concern is thickness. Thicker gloves protect against punctures and sharp edges but at the cost of flexibility and tactile sensitivity. That means they’re helpful for some procedures but unacceptable for others. For example, the range of motion needed for dental surgeries is not well accommodated by particularly thick disposable gloves.
Generally, if you don’t have to worry about allergies, consider latex gloves. If latex isn’t an option, nitrile gloves are often your best bet. Neoprene gloves are a solid alternative to nitrile gloves when temperature variations are a concern. Knowing where to buy surgical gloves is also vital.
Your primary candidates are latex, nitrile, polyisoprene, and neoprene. Looking for surgical gloves explicitly made for sterility is essential because the market offers many non-sterile versions.
It’s also vital to identify gloves that meet local regulatory standards. For instance, powdered gloves are not permissible in most countries.
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publish guidelines for surgical gloves.
Since every reputable manufacturer observes these guidelines, memorizing them is unnecessary. But if you’re interested, you can learn more about the standards required for different types of medical gloves.
The best surgical gloves depend on the procedural circumstances.
Latex gloves are preferable for situations where dexterity and tactile sensitivity are critical. However, they are disqualified anytime latex allergies are a concern. They are also disqualified if there’s a greater risk of the glove catching on tools or sharp edges or if regularly changing your gloves is not possible.
Nitrile gloves provide comparable tactile sensitivity and heightened protection, making them a commonly-sought alternative to latex gloves. They’re often the best choice for procedures requiring you to come into contact with chemicals. With their heightened durability, nitrile gloves are arguably more suitable for more prolonged procedures than latex.
Neoprene is quite similar to nitrile. It’s excellent at emulating the comfort of latex and stands out because of its added protection against heat and cold.
Finally, polyisoprene is better for gloves that need to provide the highest levels of protection. You have to worry far less about rips and tears, but costs are significantly increased, and dexterity can be considerably impaired.
Surgical gloves are available in a wide range of colors, the most common being white, blue, green, orange, and beige. Some facilities prefer orange for non-invasive procedures and blue for surgery, but no universal standards exist.
White disposable gloves have a professional appearance and can provide a strong contrast. That’s why dental gloves are often orange or white.
Blue pigmentation makes it easier to detect tears or contamination. Because surgeons often do not notice the moment a glove is perforated, blue is usually preferable. Double-layered gloves using separate colors may also help.
Green is not a common disposable glove color, but it can provide similar advantages to blue. Black disposable gloves are not conventional because they make detecting blood, body fluids, or contaminants more challenging. Nevertheless, black is sometimes used in tattooing and cosmetic procedures.
All surgical gloves are sterile, but not all sterile gloves are surgical.
Sterile gloves are made free from microorganisms and similar contaminants. They are individually packed, ensuring their sterility is maintained until they’re first worn.
Sterility can be helpful in various surgical and non-surgical applications, from interactions with immunocompromised individuals to everyday tattooing. Knowing when to wear sterile gloves can be critical.
Surgical gloves also need to meet higher standards. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) all weigh in on the construction qualities of medical gloves.
For example, the FDA dictates how many surgical gloves per batch can fail to meet quality standards. However, manufacturers don’t generally follow those regulations for other glove types.
Surgical gloves should be snug but not worn so tightly that they overly restrict tactile sensitivity or comfort. Gloves that are too tight can cause fatigue and reduced dexterity.
Minor wrinkling can be good because it shows the glove is snug but doesn’t impair movement. Excessive wrinkling can reduce grip strength and sensitivity, increasing the risk of tears and slippage. You also want to ensure a tight seal around the wrist, which is often more manageable with a beaded cuff.
Whether you’re considering sterile or non-sterile varieties of gloves, an appropriately sized glove should be snug — but not restrictive.
Disposable surgical gloves should be changed between procedures at a minimum to prevent cross-contamination. Contacting non-sterile surfaces may also require a change in gloves to reduce the risk of contamination.
You must assess the condition of the gloves regularly to ensure they are not contaminated or damaged.
During lengthy procedures, periodically changing gloves can help improve sterility. It’s also good practice to replace your gloves routinely because studies have found that about one in five surgical gloves are perforated after 90 minutes.
Above all, pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations for the duration of use. Latex gloves usually have the least lasting power, but few gloves will survive more than two hours. Only thicker gloves are an exception to that rule.
Surgical gloves have to do more than examination gloves. Their manufacture requires a rigorous sterilization process to ensure they maintain sterility from creation to use. Quality assurance and regulatory compliance add cost.
Powdered patient examination gloves are mass-produced and take full advantage of economies of scale. Rubber surgical gloves do not have that advantage. That’s why your best option for finding less expensive surgical gloves is taking advantage of bulk orders for wholesale prices.
Finally, there’s material cost. Polyisoprene is incredibly expensive, and synthetic and natural rubber are relatively costly. Combined with regulatory compliance costs and limited economies of scale, these expenses make surgical gloves comparatively expensive.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Latex Powder Free Gloves Wholesale. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.