When you need a glove to get the job done, how do you choose?
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It’s easy to think that disposable gloves don’t require much thought. After all, you’ll pull them on for a quick task and then take them off. In theory, any glove could do the job. In practice, though, various qualities of the glove will dramatically impact how it handles various tasks.
For more and more industries that require durable, flexible, single-use hand protection, disposable nitrile gloves are the leading choice. But the choice of material isn't the only quality that matters. The thickness of the gloves you're using can also be a major factor in how well they perform.
So how thick should nitrile gloves be? Here's how to choose the right glove thickness for nitrile gloves.
This chart gives you a basic overview of the various nitrile gloves thicknesses, the benefits of each, and how they’re used. For more information, check out the next section on nitrile gloves for various industries.
Thickness Benefits Used For 2 to 3 Mils Thin Cheap, Good tactility Food service, beauticians, janitorial 4 to 5 Mils Medium Good balance of feel and toughness Medical, law enforcement, first responders 6 to 8 Mils Thick Extra chemical and puncture resistance Tattoo artists, lab workers, pest control 9 to 10 Mils Very Thick Max chemical and puncture resistance Contractors, hazardous cleanupHow thick should nitrile gloves be? The answer likely depends on your industry. The right balance of tensile strength versus tactile sensitivity is impossible to determine without knowing the work you do.
Here are a few examples of jobs well-suited to different nitrile glove thickness levels:
These thinner nitrile products are affordable yet durable choices for those like food service workers. If you just need a basic barrier and a glove you can shed quickly, these will help you avoid mess or cross-contamination.
This nitrile glove thickness range is thick enough to withstand punctures but still thin enough to retain tactile sensitivity. Gloves in this category are appropriate for jobs where you need to worry about exposure to bodily fluids or other infectious materials. If you're working in a healthcare setting, make sure to look for medical grade gloves.
Thicker gloves like 6 mil to 8 mil provide some extra puncture and chemical resistance for jobs involving sharp edges, harsh abrasion, and caustic materials. These are often considered industrial grade disposable gloves.
For industrial workers, the biggest priority is puncture protection, so they’ll reach for the thickest nitrile gloves they can. These 9 mil to 10 mil heavy duty gloves may also be a good idea for those working with extremely dangerous chemicals.
Keep in mind that the recommendations above are only general guidelines. The specific needs of your job might dictate a need for thicker gloves than standard in your field. If you have questions about your specific industry, reach out to your nitrile gloves supplier, who should be able to find the perfect glove for your situation.
It's a common misconception that the glove's material or thickness determines whether it counts as a medical or industrial grade glove. In reality, a glove's grade has much more to do with the level of quality control backing it.
Industrial grade gloves generally have to meet an acceptable quality level (AQL) of 3.0 to 4.0, meaning less than 3-4% of a batch can have manufacturing defects. The FDA mandates an even stricter standard of 2.5 for medical grade gloves.
This doesn't necessarily mean that industrial grade gloves are lower quality or less protective than medical gloves. In fact, they're often quite a bit thicker and tougher, because the need for resistance to tears, abrasions, and punctures is greater when you're working with machinery.
However, it's considered less critical if industrial nitrile gloves contain small pinholes or other defects. Those tiny openings matter more for hospital gloves, where there's considerable danger of infections being transmitted through microscopic amounts of bodily fluids.
10 mil nitrile gloves are considered the thickest standard nitrile glove you can normally buy. You can purchase thicker nitrile gloves of 11 mil and above, but they are expensive, don't offer good tactile feel, and are hard to take on and off.
The thickness of any type of disposable glove can have a considerable impact on the kinds of jobs it can handle. It’s especially important with nitrile gloves, which are renowned for their durability but often used in jobs where flexibility matters almost as much. So how can you tell when you need a thin vs. thick nitrile glove?
A thin glove is more economical and cost-effective since it requires less material to produce. It also provides greater tactile sensitivity, which is important for tasks that require great precision. The thickest nitrile gloves may not be the best choice for doctors or nurses, who need to be able to feel for subtle swellings or texture differences during patient exams.
Thinner gloves also feel lighter on the hands, which is pleasant for people who stay in their gloves for a while, have sweaty hands, or only need a basic protective layer (depending on how the glove fits).
A thick glove uses more material, increasing the cost, but also making the glove much stronger. These are the gloves that can protect your hands without ripping or tearing while you're performing rough work. In the case of nitrile, thicker gloves are also more puncture and chemical resistant.
This makes thick gloves a great choice for those with jobs that call for a great deal of puncture resistance (like medical professionals or industrial workers), chemical resistance (like lab workers or cleaning staff), or both. That’s because there’s more material that has to be torn through. Having more material in the way also gives nitrile disposable gloves a longer breakthrough time (i.e. the time required for a chemical to seep through it).
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The flip side is that a thick nitrile glove is somewhat less flexible, which is something to keep in mind for quick, precise tasks requiring tactile sensitivity. Thicker gloves are also a bit harder to remove, which can be an issue for those who need to take them on and off quite easily (like food prep workers or doctors doing basic exams).
Nitrile glove thickness is generally measured in mils, where 1 mil = 0.001” gauge. A glove of 3 mil and below is considered thin. Gloves at 4 mils (like our HandCare blue nitrile gloves) or 6 mils (like our Advance Plus orange nitrile gloves) are considered medium thickness for nitrile gloves, ideal for those who need a balance of protection and dexterity.
For more information, please visit what are nitrile gloves made of.
A thicker nitrile glove, measuring 7 mils or more, would be unusually rugged for household use but could be well-suited to heavy-duty manual labor. (Our Dark Light black nitrile gloves are good examples.)
However, keep in mind that the thickness of a nitrile glove isn’t uniform. In fact, thickness changes depending on what part of the hand you measure.
Nitrile gloves are generally made by dipping a hand-shaped mold in a vat of liquid synthetic rubber and letting it dry upside down. Since the fingertips are the lowest point, a little bit more of the material tends to pool there, making them the thickest parts of the glove. The wrists, in contrast, are usually the thinnest part of the glove.
Any measurement of glove thickness is usually based on the thickness of the fingers. This makes sense, because your fingers will often have the most contact with various surfaces and are thus most susceptible to punctures and tears.
The fingertips are also usually the most important area for feeling the consistency, texture, and shape of whatever you're handling. That's one reason that thinner gloves provide greater tactile sensitivity.
No matter what nitrile gloves you and your team need to get the job done, we offer a great selection that you can count on to tackle your biggest tasks. Our collection of nitrile gloves includes every size from extra-small to XXL - not to mention thickness options from 2 mils to more than 10 mils.
Check out our nitrile gloves product page and find the hand protection your job demands.
Nitrile disposable gloves are the go-to option across many industries and stand as vital guardians of safety and hygiene for personal use, small businesses and huge corporations.
Best known for being the best alternative to latex gloves, since they are comfortable, stretchy, puncture resistant, and latex-free. With resistance against many harsh chemicals and durability against potential hazards, the robust protection of nitrile gloves for those hands-on tasks in local workshops and businesses.
Nitrile gloves are made from a synthetic rubber known as nitrile. To get technical, it's a copolymer derived from acrylonitrile and butadiene. This combination results in a durable, resilient material that provides a high level of resistance to many common chemicals which makes it an ideal choice for several industries.
A great alternative to latex gloves, latex-free nitrile gloves are also form-fitting to provide superior grip and prevent gloves from falling off while in use. Nitrile gloves can be made in many colors, so they can be used for color coding to add additional safety in the workplace.
The manufacturing process of nitrile gloves involves 4 key steps.
Nitrile gloves have many advantages over other materials like latex and vinyl, here's a quick overview of the top qualities of nitrile gloves:
They are! Latex vs Nitrile Gloves is a widely debated topic, and the fact is that nitrile gloves are the most common replacement for latex gloves. Unlike disposable latex gloves, which are derived from natural rubber, nitrile gloves are made from a synthetic rubber compound, minimizing the risk of allergic reactions.
Latex allergies are increasingly common and can manifest as skin irritation, respiratory symptoms, or, in more severe cases, anaphylaxis. It's especially important to make sure you have nitrile gloves on hand at medical facilities, not only for your staff but for any patients who come in with latex sensitivities and allergies.
Nitrile exam gloves are widely seen as the most popular option for medical gloves, due partly because of the above-mentioned latex-free feature. This along with their durability, comfort and protection make them a perfect choice for hospitals, dentists, doctor's offices, nursing homes and more. It's important to note that not all nitrile gloves are medical grade - so you need to make sure you select an option that's labeled as either exam grade or medical grade before using them for medical care.
Yes! Nitrile gloves are safe for food handling and all of our gloves are FDA approved for food contact, so you can use nitrile gloves for food prep and for cooking. The comfort and durability of nitrile gloves makes them a versatile option for everything from food prep, cooking and serving. Nitrile gloves hold up really well to oils, fats and greases which even makes them a good option for prepping poultry and fish.
One of the biggest perks of Nitrile gloves is that they have a strong resistance to many common chemicals including oils, acids, bases and many solvents. This resistance is important to provide protection on the job for many jobs including mechanics, pest control, manufacturing, lab work and healthcare. Check out our Chemical Resistance Chart for a more detailed look specific chemicals, and how they hold up against nitrile, vinyl and latex gloves..
Nitrile gloves come in a lot of different styles, with different textures, thicknesses, powdered and powder-free. It can be hard to know which glove to choose! Lets take a look at the most important things to consider when making your choice.
Our Nitrile Gloves selection has options as thin as 2.5 mils up to a thick 6 mils. With such a big range it can be tough to choose. The rule of thumb is the heavier duty the task - the thicker glove you should pick for optimal protection, but lets break down the pros and cons in a bit more detail:
Nitrile gloves typically come in two key styles - powdered nitrile gloves and powder-free nitrile gloves. The main benefit of powdered nitrile gloves is that the powder reduces friction, which makes them easier to pull on, especially if your hands are damp or sweaty. However powdered gloves can cause cross-contamination and are banned for medical use in the US. All of our nitrile gloves are powder-free, which is the more widely popular option. Powder-free nitrile gloves reduce the chance for powder-related allergic reactions, and ensure a clean work space with no cross-contamination, especially when prepping food and dealing with possible food allergens.
Textured gloves are designed to have a slightly raised surface to provide additional grip. Sometimes the glove will have a small barely visible texture on the entire glove, and others will have texture just on the fingers. We recommend using textured gloves for tasks where grip is a priority. Anything where it's important to be precise such as lab work, manufacturing, and detailed art work. Essentially textured nitrile gloves are for you if you need an added layer of confidence and control for tasks that need precision.
Nitrile gloves stand as versatile and indispensable tools across a myriad of industries, embodying a balance of durability, flexibility, and chemical resistance. So, whether you're a chef, nurse, mechanic or industrial worker, nitrile gloves have got you covered, making sure you stay safe and do your job well. From an enhanced grip, to food safe, to medical grade we've got you covered!
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