Choosing the right gloves for our tasks is incredibly important. It ensures that we follow proper safety measurements when handling chemicals or objects with the risk of hurting our hands. Furthermore, suitable gloves provide comfort, dexterity, and easy use that make our work easier.
Many users are caught up choosing between nitrile vs vinyl gloves, as they are not aware of the many differences in their functions and applications. So, for a well-informed choice, read their detailed comparison below.
Table of Contents
Difference Between Nitrile and Vinyl Gloves
Fundamental features that differentiate nitrile gloves vs vinyl include:
- Nitrile gloves can resist various hazards, with a higher level of protection than Vinyl gloves.
- Nitrile gloves have better mechanical resistance and elasticity.
- Vinyl gloves are a bit safer for people who might be triggered by contact allergies. They do not have accelerators in their formula like nitrile.
- Vinyl gloves are available at a lower price than nitrile pairs.
Indeed, there are more to these functional gloves that make them ideal for particular purposes and circumstances. Let’s discover further information about each type of glove.
What Should We Know About Disposable Nitrile Gloves?
Nitrile pairs first made their appearance in the mid-1990s and rose to popularity throughout the rest of the decade and into the next. They are considered the perfect alternative for latex gloves that do not offer strong protection against chemicals.
1. Production
Nitrile is actually a synthetic rubber formulated from butadiene and acrylonitrile monomers. The mixing, blending, and stabilizing process for nitrile involves the use of carboxylic acid. Then, the end result is an elastic and thin layer that makes a nitrile pair.
2. Features
Nitrile gloves are prevalent in the market due to various reasons. There are significant advances in developing and testing nitrile gloves to meet different settings’ requirements.
Over time, they have been made to be more elastic to increase finger sensitivity while not compromising protection capability. Many of their incredible attributes are:
- Latex-free, thus suitable for those who are allergic to latex.
- Waterproof
- Comfortable and stretchy to wear
- Long-lasting and durable
- Resistant to microbial substances and chemicals
- Good puncture resistance
- Various colors, sizes, thicknesses
3. Applications
- Surgery – Disposable nitrile gloves are indispensable in surgical operations. Pairs rated as surgical-grade gloves can shield against microorganisms such as fungi, viruses, and bacteria.
- With such a pair, we can prevent the transfer of bodily fluids containing bacteria, protecting both surgeons and patients from infection. These gloves are also used in examining patients. Many manufacturers produce and test nitrile exam gloves for this medical process.
- Automotive work – Nitrile gloves, especially reusable ones, are popular in industrial applications. They are resistant to petroleum products, including oils, greases, and fuels. By wearing a long nitrile pair, we are free from grease marks and red skin after tasks.
- Food processing and pharmaceuticals – Nitrile disposable gloves are worn to prepare, cook, and serve food. They are also applicable in handling medicines, thus popular among pharmacists while distributing prescription pills to patients.
- In detail, nitrile can keep weak acids like nitric acids and sulfuric acids, often available in medicine and food processing substances, from hurting our skin.
- Cleaning – We should also know about nitrile gloves’ protection against several types of organic solvents and weak caustic substances. Those chemicals are often found in cleaning products, including ones for laboratory equipment.
Therefore, people can wear nitrile gloves to clean their house and use tested pairs to handle laboratory equipment.
What Should We Know About Vinyl Gloves?
Vinyl gloves, on the other hand, are available for use at a lower price, especially when bought in bulk. These models are a tad less durable and stretchy than their disposable counterparts. However, they work wonders in various types of tasks.
1. Production
Vinyl, like nitrile, is also a synthetic rubber. These pairs are made by polymerizing a Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) substance and adding plasticizer. Unlike Nitrile gloves that are made from two types of monomers, vinyl pairs are formulated with PVC monomers as the main materials.
2. Features
There are many notable attributes that make vinyl gloves widely used among workers, and not just their price.
- Latex-free
- Resistant to water
- Content no allergy-triggering substances
- Flexible enough for use
- Featuring a loose and comfortable fit
- Resistant to several mild solvents, ideal for low-risk work
3. Applications
- Food preparation – These gloves are widely used for washing fruits and preparing simple food. You can purchase an affordable package of vinyl gloves for household use since they can keep moisture out well.
- Painting – Due to its resistance to water, this pair can be worn when we paint to avoid staining our hands in the process. Also, because it is rather loose and comfortable to wear, it will not hinder our actions.
- Dyeing – Spa workers can wear vinyl gloves for dyeing their customers’ hair or painting their nails. These disposable gloves are the perfect pick for such low-risk and simple tasks.
- Cleaning – When we clean around the house or wash our dishes, donning vinyl gloves also helps a lot. We can put a pair on when hand-washing clothes, too, if detergents and soap often irritate our skin.
Which Is Better: Nitrile or Vinyl Gloves?
When choosing between vinyl gloves vs nitrile gloves or any other types of disposable gloves, there is no definite answer to which one is always the better choice. You have to consider several things to make the right decision:
- Chemical types – When dealing with highly-corrosive substances, we should go for gloves with better protection against chemicals. In that case, it is better to choose nitrile gloves. Meanwhile, a vinyl pair will suffice for low-risk performances involving mild detergents.
- Temperature ranges – When the temperature is extreme, you might want to pick a tough glove that is not disposable. Make sure to check the function of the pair before purchase.
- Physical hazards – It is common that we handle sharp tools in industrial applications. Therefore, based on the level of physical hazards, we should choose a pair that can resist punctures and cuts well.
- Infectious biological substances – To reduce the chance of biological substance transfer and infection, we must wear a thick and functional pair. Make sure to check the certifications on the gloves to determine if they can handle the hazards.
FAQs
When should you not use nitrile gloves?
Nitrile gloves, of course, cannot be used in every situation. Here’re some case where you might want to avoid wearing them:
- Concentrated acids in laboratories
- Ketones and Acetates
- Extremely-corrosive and toxic chemicals
- Aromatic solvents
Actually, when handling these substances, vinyl or nitrile gloves are not the ideal choice. It would help if you went for either Butyl, Neoprene, or Viton gloves.
Do hospitals use vinyl gloves?
Yes, they do. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or Vinyl gloves are usable as exam gloves. They are among the disposable pairs used in hospitals, including latex and nitrile.
Conclusion
All in all, you are the one who decides between nitrile vs vinyl gloves, which ones should work the best for your current needs. Through the above information, you should know the applications for each type of gloves and their functions that make them desirable in those tasks.
Make sure to choose a suitable pair and work safely. If you have any questions or suggestions, reach out to us via our contact page. And feel free to share this article with those wondering which gloves they should wear for their work. Hopefully, it will help them!
This is Edward Manning, the editor in chief of Construction Informer. Quite a bit of my time is spent researching the market and interviewing experts in the field so that I can give you reliable information.