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Substitute Products for Rubber Gloves

Latex rubber gloves are a common trigger of allergic reactions and skin irritation known as contact dermatitis. A range of hypoallergenic substitutes are available for people with a latex sensitivity or latex allergy. For people with low sensitivity, hypoallergenic latex gloves with reduced amounts of latex may be a good choice. For people with more severe problems, synthetic rubber gloves made of nitrile or neoprene are good substitute products. Completely rubber-free gloves made of vinyl are also available.

  1. Reduced Latex Protein Gloves

    • Latex is a natural rubber made from the sap of certain plants. Allergic reactions to latex are triggered by latex protein, which is naturally present in latex rubber. Due to advances in rubber processing technology, products with reduced amounts of latex protein are now available on the market. These gloves have all the desirable properties of ordinary latex, such as resistance to solvents and good sensitivity. Hypoallergenic latex gloves are also powder-free, since the cornstarch powder used in powdered gloves can spread latex particles and become a problem for latex allergy sufferers.

    Nitrile Rubber Gloves

    • Nitrile is a synthetic rubber that shares many of the desirable properties of the natural rubber latex. Nitrile gloves, which are typically a little more expensive than latex gloves, are resistant to solvents, oils, acids and bases. The gloves can be made thin, allowing for good sensitivity, and still be highly resistant to punctures, tears and snags. They are good for household use, workshops and as examination gloves. While nitrile gloves may be identifiable by bright colors such as purple, there is no standard, so color alone is not a good way to tell what type of a glove it is.

    Neoprene Gloves

    • Neoprene is a synthetic rubber often used in latex-free gloves. Neoprene has the advantage of allowing very good sensitivity, and it is a common latex substitute for surgical gloves. It is the most expensive substitute for latex gloves. Neoprene is not an ideal choice for an environmentally-friendly latex substitute because the neoprene molecule contains chlorine. After disposal, the chlorine in neoprene can become a pollutant.

    Vinyl (PVC) gloves

    • A completely rubber-free substitute product is a type of vinyl called polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is a type of plastic commonly used for disposable gloves. Because they do not have the elasticity of rubber, they typically fit loosely and allow less sensitivity. PVC gloves are inexpensive and are adequate for many household uses such as food preparation. They are inferior as medical examination gloves because PVC is a less effective barrier to disease-causing pathogens than rubber. PVC is also considered hazardous to the environment during both manufacture and disposal.

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