Polyurethane vs Latex vs Nitrile Gloves

Coated safety gloves are very commonly used recently. The coatings add many benefits like enhanced grip, better abrasion or chemical resistance, etc. When we search coated safety gloves, there are multiple choices from different price levels. You might get confused and do not know which one to choose. Sometimes higher cost does not always mean better application. How do you know which one will work best for you? Take 5min to read below and you will have an answer.

 

First of all, coated gloves can be divided into 2 main components: the Liners and Coatings.

Liners

There are 3 common types of liners: Polyester, Nylon and HPPE.

Polyester: quick drying, light-weight, smooth. Polyester can be recycled, so it is possible to purchase 100% recycled polyester.

Nylon: more durable and soft than polyester, but the cost is also higher (as twice as polyester).

HPPE (Higher Performance Polyethylene): good ability to withstand abrasion and offers great cut resistance performance.

Except for the material, another difference of the liner is the gauge. Gauge is the number of rows of stitches per inch. A higher gauge means less bulk and greater dexterity. The typical gauge range is 7G to 18G, 10G & 13G are most common for coated gloves.

Coatings

There are 3 common types of coatings: Polyurethane, Latex and Nitrile. In order to have a better understanding for the differences of these 3 types, we made a comparison table from several aspects.

In summary, here are some tips and examples for the application area for 3 coating types:

Polyurethane – Most economic coated glove for light duty condition. Good dexterity and tactility make it suitable for small parts handling and light duty industry, such as electronics, aeronautics, warehouse management. Not suitable for heavy duty.

If you need a glove for daily light work, the recommended one is OKIAAS® 12 Pairs PU coated safety work gloves.

Latex – Best usable gloves at extreme lower temperatures. High elasticity and outstanding grip capability make it suitable for construction, landscaping and other heavy lifting and delicate work. Not suitable to be used with oil, gasoline, solvents, or by people with a latex allergy.

If you want a work glove to be used in wet and freeze environment, the recommended product is OriStout® Waterproof Winter Work Gloves

Nitrile – Most versatile work gloves in heavy duty applications. High-performance on mechanical risks resistance and excellent oil and solvent resistance make it an ideal choice for variety applications. For example, if you need a glove with a firm grip in oily condition, you can choose OriStout® Foam Nitrile Coated Safety Work Gloves. If you need cut resistant gloves, you can choose OKIAAS® Level 6 Cut Resistant Gloves with HPPE liner.

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