• Glove categories are many and varied ; it's no secret that not all of them offer the same protection to your hands when you use them. To name a few, we're not going to use fireproof gloves if we need extra protection against cuts: that wouldn't make sense and would put us at risk ! But then, how do you select your gloves to protect yourself against possible complications ?

    Become familiar with the glove families and their advantages

    In concrete terms, there are two main families of gloves :

    • Reusable gloves, which are mainly used in the handling industry, known for their high resistance index. They are used to handle sharp or very dangerous objects ;
    • Disposable gloves, which are mainly used in the agri-food sector, where the health stakes are extremely high, or in the medical and biochemical sectors

    Let's look at the disposable glove family. They are essential to avoid spreading germs in your work environment. Let's remember that we are still living in an unprecedented health crisis, and that limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone's business. The best type of glove for this purpose is the latex glove. Indeed, these gloves offer several advantages : they are flexible and very resistant.

    However, not everyone reacts in the same way to this material. It is estimated that between 1% and 6.5% of the general population is intolerant to latex. Fortunately, there is another material that is less prone to rejection : nitrile.

    Nitrile gloves have the merit of offering exactly the same kind of protection, in addition to being much more resistant to the handling of chemicals !

    What about vinyl gloves, then, if you can already do everything with the other two mentioned above ? "Everything" is a big word : vinyl gloves are another option for people with a latex allergy, but they will be much more suitable for those who work in a less dangerous environment. We are talking about domestic chores such as cooking or cleaning.


    Note that these three types of gloves are available in powdered or non-powdered. The powder makes it easier to put on, but it is made of corn starch. Again, not everyone will react the same way, so it's important to know who you're dealing with.

    Choosing the right glove size

    Having gloves is good. Being comfortable in them is better ! To do this, here's a process :

    Measure one of your palms by wrapping it with a tape measure and folding it (when a palm is folded, it is wider) ;
    • Read your palm circumference and refer to the following table :

    Well in your environment, well in your head

    You now have all the cards in hand to make an informed choice. It is very important to keep in mind all the advantages and disadvantages that each type of glove offers you before selecting them.