Disposable Glove Terms You Should Know

Finding the perfect pair of disposable gloves for your specific needs can be quite tricky. You need to properly identify the glove features that are useful to your task. We’ve laid out a list of technical terms that you will frequently come across when researching gloves. Understanding these terms will make glove shopping a breeze.

Medical/Exam Grade

Medical grade gloves are FDA approved for use in hospitals, nursing homes, or medical laboratories. They are generally used for non-surgical procedures such as medical examinations.

Surgical Grade

These gloves are FDA approved for use in medical or healthcare settings and procedures where there is a significant risk of exposure or contact with bodily fluids and bloodborne pathogens.

Food Grade/Food Service

Food service gloves are approved by the FDA for use in the food industry such as preparing food in restaurants and for use in food production facilities.

Industrial Grade

Designed to stand up to harsher chemicals, these gloves are very durable and are ideal for a variety of janitorial or heavy-duty industrial tasks.

FDA Approved

This means the gloves have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as safe for medical use.

USDA Approved

This means the gloves have been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture as safe for food handling.

Mil

Mil is a measure of glove thickness. 1 mil is equal to one thousandth of an inch or 0.001 inch.

Beaded Cuff

This refers to a rolled cuff style. The cuff is the part of the gloves on your wrist or arm.

Textured

The finish on the glove designed to allow for a tighter and firmer grip to prevent slipping when handling wet objects. Textured gloves have a pattern on the outside of the glove to give them a textured surface. This surface provides users with a quality grip to complete tasks with ease.

Low Allergens

This refers to the low levels of latex protein present in gloves that could potentially cause allergies.

Latex-Free

This means there is zero latex protein in the gloves, which is a known allergy to some people. These gloves are usually made from nitrile or vinyl, and do not cause allergies unlike latex gloves.

Tensile

Tensile is a physical property that relates to the durability of the glove. Tensile strength refers to how far you can stretch a glove without it ripping or tearing.

Color Coded

Color coding is an easy way to remember which type of glove is suitable for which task. It ensures that the appropriate disposable gloves is used for each of the multiple tasks in a workplace. For example, you can buy medical gloves all in blue color, industrial gloves all in black, and food service gloves all in white. This way it is harder to make mistakes when dealing with a specific task as you can easily check the color and know their case use.

Powdered

Powdered gloves have cornstarch added on the glove’s inner surface to help absorb perspiration. They are generally easier to put on than powder-free gloves. However, powdered gloves have been known to cause allergies in some people.

Powder-Free

Powder-free gloves don’t have cornstarch powder, but they have undergone a chlorination process. They are treated with a chlorine solution, rinsed, and dried to get rid of the powdered residue. Powder-free gloves are ideal for those that have allergies or sensitivities to powder.