Comparison · Disposable gloves
Three polymers dominate the disposable-glove box, and workplaces mostly choose by price history rather than merit. The short version: nitrile has quietly won for most work, latex survives on feel where allergy policy allows it, and vinyl's honest role is narrower than its market share.
The comparison
Nitrile — synthetic rubber — took the crown for good reasons: strong puncture resistance for a disposable, useful resistance to oils, fuels and many chemicals (the reason it dominates garages and salons alike), and no latex proteins, so it sidesteps the allergy problem entirely. Modern thin-mil nitrile closed the old feel gap.
Latex — natural rubber — still has the best stretch-and-feel of the three, which is why some clinical and precision users hold onto it. Its problem is well known: latex proteins drive Type I allergy, which can be severe, and sensitisation grows with exposure — which is why many healthcare and food employers have simply banned it in favour of nitrile.
Vinyl — PVC — is the budget option: looser fit, lower stretch, weaker barrier that degrades further with movement, and poor chemical credentials (some formulations also swell in contact with certain products, a known issue in colour chemistry). Its legitimate home is short, dry, low-risk tasks — food service handling, light cleaning — where cost per glove genuinely matters and the barrier demand is modest.
The verdict
| Job | Glove | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop fluids, oils, brake cleaner | Nitrile | Oil and fuel resistance; puncture strength |
| Healthcare & care | Nitrile (latex where policy allows) | Allergy policy increasingly decides — sector guide |
| Salon colour & wet work | Nitrile | Resists the chemistry vinyl swells in |
| Food prep, light and dry | Vinyl or nitrile | Vinyl's honest niche — short tasks, frequent changes |
| Named chemicals, sustained contact | Neither — EN ISO 374 rated | Disposables are splash kit; breakthrough times rule |
Buying notes
Questions
For most workplaces, nitrile: comparable dexterity in modern thin formulations, better chemical and puncture resistance, and no latex-allergy risk — the reason many healthcare and food employers switched entirely. Latex retains a following for its stretch and feel where allergy policies permit it.
Short-duration, low-risk, dry tasks — light food handling, housekeeping — where frequent glove changes and cost per unit dominate. They fit loosely, stretch little and provide a weaker barrier than nitrile or latex, so they're the wrong glove for chemicals, fluids or anything sustained.
Usefully so for splashes of oils, fuels and many everyday chemicals — one reason they rule workshops. But disposables are thin: for named chemicals and sustained contact, use gloves rated under EN ISO 374 in the right polymer and thickness, chosen from the manufacturer's permeation data.
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