The three most popular medical Disposable Gloves available in the market today are the Latex, Vinyl and Nitrile. Though common, a lot of people are still unable to tell the difference of one type to the other.
Today we will talk about the differences of each of them while taking into consideration the main characteristics to help you choose the right type of disposable gloves to use.
An important note to remember though, disposable gloves are for one-time and one time use only. Avoid re-using them as doing so could lead to serious infections.
The 3 Important Characteristics to Choose the Right Medical Gloves
1. Level of Protection: The whole reason why we wear gloves is for protection. Each disposable gloves offer protection for specific scenarios. Always make an informed decision before buying and using one.
2. Comfort & Fit: Disposable gloves should fit perfectly and should be easy to put on. Most disposable gloves come in either powder-free or low-powder variety to improve ease of use.
3. Cost: consider the difference in pricing depending on brand and quality.
The 3 Types of Medical Gloves
1. Latex gloves: perhaps the most popular choice as it is made from natural rubber providing excellent flexibility, comfort and fit. Latex gloves also offer excellent dexterity, durability and tactile sensitivity.
2. Vinyl gloves: made from synthetic thermoplastic polymers, Vinyl Gloves are high value, cheap, and resistant to oil and fat. This type of disposable glove is also skin-friendly as it does not pose a high-level of allergenic reactions as opposed to Latex gloves. These gloves only offer standard barrier protection and should NOT be used in high risk environments.
3. Nitrile gloves: made from non latex synthetic chemical resistant material. These gloves are perfect for nurses and doctors because it works great in harsh and sensitive environment. Nitrile gloves offer up to 4x protection than latex gloves and have zero threat of latex allergy. They have excellent durability, strength and are good against tearing and puncturing.
Hopefully, this article should help you easily make a decision as to which gloves should match your intended usage. It is important to note that there are several factors to help you choose further. Apart from the basic knowledge of how these gloves are different from each other, your personal preference and confidence on your chosen brand should also be considered. There are several gloves that have not been approved for medical procedures such as surgery or even body piercing and tattooing. Always look for gloves that are TGA approved for added security.
