An Introduction To

Disposable Glove Textures So You Can Get Your Best Grip

Designed to provide wearers with an impervious barrier layer, single-use gloves are essential when it comes to protecting the skin against contamination or infection. Unfortunately in the presence of fluids, especially oil, grease and blood, impermeable gloves can become very slippery and it can make handling small part, metal parts, instruments, tools, etc. dangerous. 

A textured glove surface can have a great impact on performance and productivity. Its main purpose is to help individuals securely grip dry and wet items in dry or wet conditions, and while you may be aware of how different applications call for different disposable gloves, how much do you know really about glove textures? We would like to explain the differences so you can make your best decision. 

TYPES OF DISPOSABLE GLOVE TEXTURES | 101

A glove’s texture comes from the glove mold or formers used in the glove manufacturing processes. Some gloves are only textured on the fingers or fingertips while others have a full texture (textured palms and fingers). 

Imagine the surface of a textured glove as a hill range. If the valleys are deep, the texture is more prominent and this allows more liquid to pass through the channels of the glove’s surface allowing wearers to make greater contact with the surface of an object.  The trade-off to glove textures can be tactile feedback.

• Smooth Texture: These are gloves that do not have any texture added to the outer surface. Smooth glove textures are common among vinyl type gloves and many latex gloves. Smooth gloves provide enhance tactility and are suitable for handling items in dry environments. Non-textured gloves are popular in hair care, food preparation, patient exams, beauty service and food service.
• Micro-Textured/Micro-Roughened/Microsurface Texture: This is the lightest form of texturing and is common among nitrile and latex gloves. These gloves have a surface that resembles fine grit sandpaper and is ideal for medical applications because they provide additional grip when exposed to slick blood or bodily fluids. A micro-texture surface is also ideal for holding fine or small items, precision equipment and tools without disturbing patients or procedures.
• Pronounced or Aggressive Texture: This texture is perhaps the most intense level of grip on a glove's outer surface.  Growing in popularity are gloves with raised surfaces such as a diamond grip, fish scale grip or honeycomb pattern grip placed throughout the fingers and palm region. Gloves with raised diamond textures are particularly useful for gripping fasteners, nuts, heavy tools, pipes, bolts, tools, equipment in the presence of water, paint, stain, oil, grease or blood/bodily fluids. Glove manufacturers produce gloves on pronouned textured formers which require more materials resulting in a thicker mil gauge that's typically slightly more expensive. The trade-off to the cost is a longer lasting glove with unmatched grip performance and greater protection against tearing, shredding and punctures.

Wearers of disposable or single-use gloves can’t always control the environment they're working in and selecting the right glove for the application is essential for a job well done. Texture is a key consideration when selecting the right glove for the job.

MDS has a vast selection of single-use gloves that includes vinyl, nitrile and latex gloves available with your preferred glove texture finish. All you need to do is tap the link and ...

+shop for Disposable Gloves here now

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