Matching the nitrile glove you use now: thickness, length, texture and grade

When a plant asks us for "the same nitrile glove you sell us now, but from another brand", the box usually tells you most of what you need. Six things decide whether a different glove will feel and wear the same. Check them on the box or the spec sheet of the glove you use now.

1. Thickness, in mil

Nitrile gloves are sold by thickness in mil (1 mil = 0.001 in), usually measured at the fingertip or palm. A thicker glove lasts longer and holds up better to tearing. A thinner glove gives more feel for small parts. Match the mil first. A change of even 1 or 2 mil is easy to notice on the line.

2. Length and cuff

Standard disposable gloves reach just past the wrist. Our 5 mil nitrile exam glove, for example, is 9.5 in long with a rolled cuff. If your people work in liquid or wash-down areas, check whether the glove you use now has a longer cuff, and match it.

3. Texture

Some gloves are textured only at the fingertips, others across the whole hand, and some are smooth. Texture gives grip on wet or oily parts. If your crew is used to a fully textured glove, a fingertip-only glove will feel slippery to them.

4. Exam grade or industrial grade

Exam-grade gloves are made and tested to the standard for medical exam gloves. Industrial-grade gloves aren't held to that standard. If your customers, auditors or food-safety plan call for exam grade, keep exam grade. If not, an industrial glove may do the job.

5. Powder, color and the box

• Powder-free is the norm now, and it is what most food, electronics and finishing work needs.
• Color can matter. Some plants use one color per area or task, or a dark glove so dirt shows less. Match it if your floor uses color to sort tasks.
• Box and case count. Most nitrile gloves come 100 to a box and are sold by the case, often 10 boxes. Compare price per glove, not per box.

6. Size

Sizes run XS to XXL, but they aren't identical between brands. Check our disposable and chemical glove size chart for the sizes we list on each glove.

Trial one box, then buy by the case

Before you switch a whole floor, have a few people wear one box through a normal week. If the glove holds up and they don't complain, buy by the case. We send spec sheets with quotes, and we can usually send or bring a sample of film, tape, gloves and abrasives. Ask on the quote form.

If you keep running short, tell us how many boxes you use a month. We can set it up as a standing order so you can reorder on a schedule instead of when the last box is open.

Where to start

• Disposable gloves
• Chemical-resistant gloves, for work that needs more than splash protection
• The work glove buying guide, for picking gloves by hazard

Send us the box label or part number of the glove you use now and your monthly count, and we will match it, usually within 1 business day. Send us your list.