Using Gloves: Latex vs Nitrile
by Rodney Tatum
What kind of gloves should I purchase? Latex or Nitrile?
Latex gloves are actually designed more for use in the medical field and service industry for viral and bacterial safeguards. Being designed more for surgical activities, you will have a greater sensitivity to objects and instruments (remotes and cell phones, etc). That does not mean that I prefer them for protecting myself against viruses. Nitrile gloves are designed more use with skilled labor. Nitrile gloves can hold up to/withstand exposure to oils and chemical solvents that can more easily destroy latex gloves. For detailing activities, other physical activity, or simply long term wear being durable is absolutely more important than having slightly more hand sensitivity. And for all around safety you do not want you gloves to tear on you repeatedly.
Advantage nitrile gloves!
Latex gloves still have a place. Very intricate activities are performed much more easily with latex gloves. Touching sensitive areas or even performing basic household activities, I often wear latex gloves, and change them more frequently. Nitrile gloves are a great option when it would be very inconvenient for your gloves to tear.
Overall if I had to choose, I would prefer a pair of nitrile gloves. Keep in mind supply of nitrile gloves will diminish faster than that of latex gloves.
As someone who wears gloves every day I recommend nitrile gloves. The better brands have increased their tactile sensitivity to be comparable to latex. Latex has the drawback of potentially creating contact dermatitis rashes due to the inherent interaction of your skin and surface proteins present in the latex. Nitrile is synthetic and doesn’t have this problem.
Latex gloves are no longer used in most medical facilities due to the significant risk of unknown latex allergy in patients. Nitrile gloves are almost exclusively used instead. Other latex-containing products (catheters, bags, tourniquets, etc.) have been replaced with other less-allergenic alternatives.
What George said. You’d be hard pressed to find a latex glove in just about any hospital.
Nitrile gloves that are approx 3-3.5 mils thick have pretty decent “feel”.
5 mil gloves are tougher and above 5, they lose feel but are REALLY tough.
If you’re like me and a couple boxes of gloves will last you a year, don’t store them in the garage or your trunk.
They won’t get brittle if you keep them in the house.
I was a chef with a well known food service company. I got emphysema due to the latex protein being carried in the air by the powder and inhaled. At the time (1998 ) not much was known about this connection.