Whether it’s daily commuting, outdoor work, or special industry needs, the right pair of Gloves & Mittens can always help us resist external harm and improve the user experience. However, in the face of a variety of styles and materials on the market, many people will fall into the difficulty of choosing: should they choose latex or nitrile? Can’t take into account touch screen function and warmth? What is the essential difference between gloves in medical and kitchen scenarios? Today’s guide starts from the core issues that everyone is most concerned about, and takes you from basic cognition to in-depth understanding, and easily choose gloves that meet your needs.
1. First understand the core: materials and functions, choose the right foundation without stepping on the pits
The core value of gloves is determined by materials and functions, and the characteristics of different materials directly affect the applicable scenarios and user experience of gloves. We first clearly compare the core advantages and scope of application of common materials through the table, and then explain them based on specific functional requirements.
Material type | Core strengths | corresponding functions | Applicable scenario reference |
|---|---|---|---|
Latex | Soft fit, good elasticity, strong chemical resistance | Foundation protection, anti-slight corrosion | Daily cleaning, light chemical operations |
Nitrile | Oil and solvent resistance, no risk of latex allergy, and excellent wear resistance | Oil resistance, acid and alkali resistance, and cutting resistance | Mechanical maintenance, chemical industry, oil pollution operation |
PVC | Low cost, good waterproof and easy to wear | Basic waterproofing, daily protection | Home cleaning, catering assistance |
Genuine leather | Breathable and wear-resistant, with good texture and fit the hand | Non-slip, warm and stylish | Driving, business travel, daily warmth |
Cashmere/wool | Excellent warmth, soft and skin-friendly | Cold, light protection | Autumn and winter daily and outdoor light activities |
Combined with functional requirements, the requirements for functions in different scenarios vary greatly. For example, for friends who often ride to work, cycling gloves or leather driving gloves are the first choice, which usually have an anti-slip coating to improve grip stability, and the leather material can also take into account breathability and wear resistance; If you are engaged in fitness sports, sports fitness gloves should focus on the design of palm anti-slip and wrist support to avoid slipping or spraining during exercise; If it is a special industry such as chemical industry and machinery, anti-cut gloves, anti-static gloves, oil-resistant acid-alkali resistant gloves are just needed, the material of this type of glove is usually specially treated, such as anti-cut gloves will use ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, according to EN388 anti-cutting grade, the higher the grade, the stronger the protection.
Here is a real case: I used to purchase gloves for a mechanical processing factory, and I initially chose ordinary cotton gloves, but in less than a week, many employees’ hands were scratched by metal corners. Later, it was replaced with nitrile gloves that meet the EN388 level 5 anti-cut standard, which not only solved the scratch problem, but also adapted to the oil environment of the workshop, and the service life was increased by 3 times compared with ordinary gloves. This also shows that the gloves of the contestants cannot only look at the price, but the key is to fit the functional needs.
2. Accurate matching: use scenarios and crowds, say goodbye to “one-size-fits-all”
The needs of Gloves & Mittens vary significantly between different scenarios and groups, and choosing the right gloves for the scene and crowd can truly exert their value. We have sorted out the core needs and recommended options by scenario and crowd:
1. Professional industry scenarios
- Medical scenario: The core need is sterility and anti-cross-infection, and it is recommended to choose medical examination gloves, laboratory sterile gloves, and dental disposable gloves. These gloves must meet FDA medical certification standards, the powder-free design prevents powder from entering human tissues, and the low-protein latex material reduces the risk of allergies. For example, in dental clinics, due to the need for frequent contact with patients’ oral secretions during operation, disposable sterile latex gloves are standard, and attention should be paid to choosing a size that fits the hand shape to avoid slippage during operation.
- Catering kitchen scene: The core needs are food-grade safety, thermal insulation, and waterproofing, and kitchen baking gloves, barbecue insulation gloves, and food-grade gloves are recommended. Food-grade gloves need to pass SGS testing to ensure that there are no harmful substances precipitating, and it is recommended to choose materials that are resistant to high temperature ≥ 200°C, such as a combination of silicone coating + cotton lining, which can not only insulate but also waterproof and oilproof.
- Industrial construction site scenario: The core requirements are anti-smashing, anti-puncture, anti-slip, mechanical maintenance gloves and construction site safety gloves are recommended. Construction site gloves usually add rubber protective pads on the back of the fingers and palms to improve anti-smashing and anti-slip performance, and some styles also use extended sleeves to protect the wrists.
2. The needs of different groups of people
- Children’s group: The core needs are safety, warmth, and fit the hand shape, and it is recommended to wear children’s ski gloves, student warm gloves, and parent-child mittens. Children’s gloves need to comply with CPSIA child safety certification, avoid the use of small parts to prevent accidental ingestion, give preference to soft knitted or fleece materials, and ski gloves should take into account both waterproof and windproof to ensure that children’s hands are warm and dry when playing.
- Women: The core needs are fashionable, warm, and portable, and women’s fashion gloves, knitted touch screen mittens, and bow knitted gloves are recommended. Fashionable gloves will incorporate decorative elements such as embroidery and nail beads, while taking into account practicality, such as the touch screen function can meet the needs of daily use of mobile phones, and the cashmere material improves warmth and texture.
- Elderly group: The core needs are warmth, non-slip, and easy to wear, and thickened warm gloves and wool mixed finger gloves are recommended for the elderly. It is recommended to choose thickened fleece materials for gloves for the elderly, the wrist design is looser and easier to wear, the palm of the hand adds anti-slip lines to avoid slipping when holding items, and some styles can also add reflective strip design to improve the safety of night travel.
3. Details plus points: style and structure, adapt to different usage habits
The style and structure of the gloves may seem like details, but they directly affect the ease of use. Different styles of design have their own specific adaptation scenarios, let’s talk about them in detail:
From the perspective of finger design, full-finger gloves have the strongest warmth and protection, suitable for autumn and winter daily life, outdoor work and other scenarios; Half-finger out-finger gloves take into account both protection and operational flexibility, suitable for fitness, cycling, outdoor work and other scenarios that require flexible hand operation; Mitten gloves are better in warmth than split fingers and are suitable for outdoor activities in extremely cold weather, such as skiing and snow hiking, while split finger gloves are more suitable for scenarios that require fine operation, such as using mobile phones for daily commuting.
In terms of structural design, the wrist strap adjustment gloves can adjust the tightness according to the thickness of the wrist to improve the fit, avoid cold wind in, and are suitable for autumn and winter outdoors; Extended sleeve gloves can protect the arm area, suitable for chemical, medical and other scenarios that require comprehensive protection; Touch screen conductive cloth gloves are the mainstream style at present, and their fingertips are made of conductive fibers, which can operate mobile phones without taking off the gloves to meet daily commuting needs; The removable double-layer gloves are both warm and flexible, with a waterproof and windproof outer layer and a fleece warmth on the inside, which can be removed and used separately to suit a variety of scenarios.
Here is a practical suggestion for everyone: if it is used in multiple scenarios on a daily basis, give preference to touch-screen conductive cloth gloves or folding flap gloves, and the folding flap style can open the fingertips when you need to operate delicately, taking into account protection and flexibility; If it is for special occasions, such as skiing, choose professional mitten ski gloves, focusing on windproof, waterproof and warm performance.
4. Four-season adaptation: choose according to the season, comfortable all year round
Under different seasons and climatic conditions, the core of glove selection is different, and the core principle is “adapt to the climate and take into account the needs”. We have sorted out the adaptation options and key points by season:
Season/Climate | Core requirements | Recommended style | Key points of purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
Spring and summer seasons | Sun protection, breathable, light and thin | Spring and summer ultra-thin breathable gloves, ice silk sunscreen gloves, mesh cycling gloves | Ice silk material is preferred, sun protection index UPF≥50+, mesh design improves breathability |
Autumn and winter | Warm, windproof, touch screen | Autumn and winter fleece warm gloves, windproof and waterproof ski gloves, fleece touch screen gloves | Choose cashmere or 3M cotton as the fleece material, and give priority to windproof and waterproof coatings to ensure touch screen sensitivity |
Extremely cold weather | Strong warmth and cold resistance | Extreme cold down gloves, 3M cotton mittens, electric heating gloves | The filling material is preferential down or 3M cotton, which can be used normally at minus 20°C, and the electric heating model pays attention to battery life |
Rainy season | Waterproof and non-slip | Waterproof rain gloves in rainy season, double-layer waterproof gloves, and removable gloves with inner liners | The outer layer is made of PVC or rubber to ensure seamless waterproofing, and the inner liner is removable for easy cleaning |
Universal in all seasons | Thin, protective, and portable | Four-season universal ultra-thin nitrile gloves, anti-static gloves for air-conditioned rooms | The material is thin and breathable, the nitrile model pays attention to the powder-free design, and the anti-static model complies with the IEC 61340 standard |
For example, for friends who commute by bicycle in summer, ice silk sunscreen gloves are a must-have, which can not only resist ultraviolet rays and avoid hand tanning and aging, but also ensure that the hands are breathable and not stuffy during cycling; For those who work outdoors in the north in winter, extreme cold down gloves or electric heating gloves are more suitable, and the gloves made of 3M cotton have strong warmth and can effectively protect their hands in an environment of minus 20°C; For office workers who often work in air-conditioned rooms, air-conditioned room anti-static gloves can avoid static interference while alleviating dry hands.
5. Quality assurance: Identify standards and certifications, and avoid inferior products
The standards and certifications of gloves are the “touchstone” of quality, especially in special scenarios such as medical, food, and industry. We’ve compiled common core certifications and standards to help you quickly identify quality products:
- Medical field: FDA medical gloves and CE certified protective gloves are the core standards, FDA certification ensures that the gloves meet medical-grade safety requirements and are free of harmful substances, and CE certification indicates that the product meets EU safety standards and is suitable for use in medical protection scenarios. In addition, powder-free latex low-protein certification is also important to reduce the risk of latex allergy.
- Industrial field: EN388 anti-cut grade is the core standard of anti-cut gloves, the grade is from level 1 to level 5, the higher the grade, the stronger the anti-cut performance; The anti-static IEC 61340 standard is for anti-static gloves, ensuring that the surface resistance of the gloves meets the requirements, can effectively release static electricity, and avoid the impact of static electricity on electronic components or chemical products.
- Food field: Food-grade SGS testing gloves are the key, SGS testing can ensure that the gloves are free of heavy metals, no harmful additives, can directly contact food, suitable for kitchen, catering and other scenarios.
- Environmental protection and safety field: environmentally friendly degradable gloves, phthalate-free PVC gloves, REACH environmental protection certification is suitable for enterprises or individuals who pay attention to environmental protection, phthalate-free PVC gloves avoid harmful substances such as phthalates, safer and more environmentally friendly; Child safety CPSIA certification is a must-have certification for children’s gloves to ensure that the product meets the safety requirements for children’s use.
Here is a reminder that when buying gloves, be sure to check the product’s certification, especially gloves used in special scenarios. For example, some customers bought uncertified food-grade gloves cheaply, but found that the gloves had a peculiar smell when used, and after testing, heavy metals were found to exceed the standard, which not only affected food safety, but also may endanger health. Choose products with authoritative certifications, although the price may be slightly higher, but it is more assured to use.
6. Procurement perspective: Yigu’s product selection suggestions
As a senior purchasing agent, I give you a few suggestions from the perspective of supply chain and practical application: First of all, when purchasing in bulk, give priority to manufacturers with complete certification qualifications, and require test reports to ensure that the products meet the needs of the scene, such as medical gloves must provide FDA certification, and children’s gloves need to provide CPSIA certification. secondly, choose the material according to the frequency of use and the intensity of the scene, and the industrial gloves used frequently can choose nitrile material, which is more cost-effective and durable; Everyday civilian gloves can be made of knitted or PVC material, taking into account both cost and practicality. Finally, pay attention to the design of details, such as the reinforced stitching of construction site gloves and the conductive fiber coverage of touch screen gloves, which directly affect the service life and user experience of the product. In addition, seasonal procurement should be planned in advance, such as autumn and winter warm gloves can be stocked in summer to avoid the risk of price increases and shortages during peak seasons.
7. FAQs of FAQs
- Q: How to choose latex gloves and nitrile gloves? A: If it is daily cleaning, light protection, and no latex allergy, you can choose latex gloves, which are soft and fitting; If it is an oil stain, chemical scene, or latex allergy, prefer nitrile gloves, which are resistant to oil and solvents, and have a low risk of allergies.
- Q: What should I do if the sensitivity of touch screen gloves is poor? A: Choose a style made of conductive cloth or conductive silicone on your fingertips, and avoid choosing gloves with too thick fingertips; Ensure that your fingertips are dry when using to avoid oil or water stains affecting sensitivity.
- Q: How to choose the size of children’s gloves? A: Measure the width of the child’s palm (the distance from the base of the thumb to the base of the little finger), corresponding to the product size chart selection; Give preference to slightly looser models that are convenient for movement and allow space for growth, while paying attention to the design without small parts.
- Q: How to judge the grade of industrial anti-cut gloves? A: Check the EN388 anti-cut rating on the product label, from 1 (minimum) to 5 (highest); According to the operation scenario, for example, the scene of contact with sharp metal corners is selected at level 4-5, and the scene with light cutting risk is selected at level 2-3.
- Q: How to maintain waterproof gloves? A: Clean it in time after use to avoid oil residue; dry naturally, do not expose to the sun; Avoid folding when storing to prevent coating damage; If the coating cracks, water leakage, etc., replace it in time.