Whether you’re selecting reusable or disposable safety gloves, grip is one of the key concerns. After all, gloves aren’t much use if you can’t safely hold anything while wearing them (learn more about hand safety in Beyond Gloves: 7 Things to Do to Keep Your Hands Safe at Work).
Here's something that might surprise you: texture really doesn’t affect disposable glove grip that much. Gloves that are extremely textured can have next to no grip, while smooth gloves can offer the user high grip.
But if texture doesn't have a huge effect on grip, what does?
Surface Treatment
Surface treatment is perhaps the most important factor to look at.
There are two types of treatment that can improve glove grip:
- Surface chlorination changes the properties of the surface and creates a lower-tack shell around the glove (helpful, for instance, with ultra-sticky latex).
- Coating adds an entirely new layer to the glove. Manufacturers can control the level of grip a glove offers by adjusting the level of chlorination and the characteristics of the coating.
Glove Material
Material is another crucial factor to consider when it comes to grip. Natural latex rubber and polyisoprene tend to offer the best grips, while vinyl only provides a moderate grip.
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Glove Matrerial
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Grip
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Natural latex rubber
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Very High
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Polyisoprene
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Very High
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Neoprene
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High
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Nitrile
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High
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Vinyl
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Moderate
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Fit
Fit can play a role in the level of grip a glove provides (find out How to Keep Hands Safe from Cuts and Impact). No matter the level of surface grip a glove has, if it’s much too large for the wearer, it could easily slip down or off the hand altogether, posing a safety hazard. To offer good grip, a glove must fit properly and stay in place while the worker is wearing it.
Conclusion
As you can see, while texture might enhance the grip of a glove, it is far from the only factor you need to look at when assessing which disposable glove is right for you.