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When choosing personal protective equipment (PPE) with use cases beyond the medical industry, you have various options at your disposal. This especially holds for protective gloves, which are available in different materials for a variety of settings.
With their overall availability and widespread usage, both latex and vinyl gloves stand front and center of this particular segment. But due to their popularity across various industries, it can be difficult for you to choose between these gloves and see which one of them suits your needs the best.
With that being said, it is not impossible to make this distinction. By keeping a few points in mind, you can quickly determine the efficacy of latex gloves and vinyl gloves for your specific use. See more, this allows you to find a better fit for your needs and budget alike.
Vinyl Gloves Are Cheaper and More Accessible Than Latex Gloves
Both latex gloves and vinyl gloves are disposable. This means that once you use them, you need to discard them. This brings more convenience to the table. But it also ends the tiny list of similarities that both types of gloves share between them.
However, it does bring forward affordability, where vinyl gloves remain a far more accessible option than latex gloves. This quality is especially significant in industries where gloves are worn for essential protection rather than excessive safety.
For instance, latex gloves are known to provide an excellent barrier to organic substances. Whereas vinyl gloves are ideal for low-risk situations. This clarifies that if you are working in direct contact with infectious bodily fluids, latex gloves are the better option. But if you are using protective gloves to handle non-hazardous materials, vinyl gloves are the superior choice.
This is why low-risk settings such as food and beverage handling or controlled environments prefer using vinyl gloves for their sheer affordability. This lowers the risk of cross-contamination for the wearer and handled materials alike. At the same time, it prevents the respective facility’s budget from being overrun due to excessive expenditure on disposable PPE.
Latex May Aggravate Allergies, Vinyl Does Not
One of the most significant differences between latex and vinyl gloves comes from their source material. While latex gloves are made from natural rubber, vinyl gloves are created from a synthetic thermoplastic called polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
This makes latex gloves a better option for those who don’t want to use plastics. With that being said, the natural material also comes at a massive disadvantage for a large segment of people. As such, it can cause severe skin, respiratory, and other critical bodily reactions for those who are allergic to latex.
On the other hand, vinyl gloves steer clear of these allergic reactions. Since the material is synthetic, it is safe to use by everyone. That is why vinyl gloves are often used by those who have a latex allergy or are unaware of their body’s response to the natural rubber material.
This also makes vinyl the preferred material of choice for low-risk industries that have employees use protective gloves frequently. Instead of testing every worker for a latex allergy, employers provide them with the safer alternative of using vinyl gloves.
Latex Offers More Dexterity But Carries Additional Disadvantages
With their stretchy material and snug fit, latex gloves can help you move your fingers without feeling like you are wearing any gloves at all. This provides excellent dexterity in your everyday activities and lets you handle your equipment and tools with ease.
That is why latex gloves are often preferred by those professionals who need to perform highly critical tasks with their hands’ careful movements. This especially holds for surgeons, dentists, and other medical experts who are aware of their patients’ latex allergies.
However, this quality of clinging to the skin also makes it hard to put latex gloves on. This aptly applies to individuals with damp or sweaty skin. Due to this reason, some latex gloves come with powdered cornstarch that can absorb excess moisture.
But this powder comes with its disadvantages. For one, it can be a big trigger against allergies. In many situations, this powder can also stick to the objects being touched and contaminate them as a result.
On the other hand, vinyl gloves come with a looser fit that is easy to don and lets you perform basic tasks. This makes it ideal for settings such as food and beverage handling, equipment transfer and storage, as well as sanitation and hygiene.
Vinyl Gloves Are More Easily Available Than Latex Gloves
While both latex gloves and vinyl gloves are widely available across various manufacturers and vendors, the latex material is comparatively hard to find. Some of this comparative scarcity comes from dependability on natural resources. The fast acquisition of latex gloves by healthcare facilities also doesn’t help their availability.
This is especially true during a pandemic such as a coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, where medical workers are in dire need of PPE that fits their specific uses. Since latex gloves offer more excellent protection from biohazards, this puts it right on the top of essential PPE that is required during this time.
That is why it’s easier to find a larger and more affordable supply of high-quality vinyl gloves than latex gloves. Suppose your overall use case is not related to high-risk medical situations. In that case, you can easily benefit from this accessibility and get your required supply of vinyl gloves in no time.
Vinyl is a Better Option for Many Non-hazardous Applications
The overall comparison shows that in non-hazardous or low-risk settings, vinyl gloves reign supreme as a better option. Through its qualities, it allows you to control your overall costs while also adhering to your specific industry’s safety standards.
As long as you are particular about your risk levels and desired applications, you can find these gloves at your primary vendor. You can also order them online to enjoy doorstep delivery. This brings an added convenience towards buying your required gloves.
