Reasons for the emergence of Nitrile and Vinyl gloves

Issues related to latex gloves such as easy tearing, powder presence, skin irritation have driven research into alternative glove materials. This has led to the development of gloves made from synthetic materials like nitrile, neoprene, or vinyl.

Initially, replacement solutions faced challenges due to issues regarding fit, flexibility, durability, and other related errors involving barrier functions against infections like needle punctures, leak resistance. After experimentation and refinement, the two most popular alternatives to latex gloves are vinyl and nitrile gloves. The quality of these gloves has been continually improved, especially Nitrile gloves, which have become the most common and preferred synthetic gloves today.

Characteristics of Nitrile and Vinyl gloves

Regarding vinyl gloves, despite being non-allergic, they are thin, less stretchy, lack snug fit, and are only suitable for specific industries like food, cooking, cleaning, and are not used in medical fields.

As for nitrile gloves, they address issues such as powders, reduced irritation, improved elasticity, and fit over time but are slightly pricier compared to latex gloves.

Market share development of different glove types over each stage

As of 2010, according to experts, latex gloves still accounted for 65% of total gloves sold in the dental industry, while nitrile gloves only held 35% but showed signs of continuous growth. As per Polaris Market Research, The global scale and market share of Nitrile gloves were valued at USD 7.28 billion in 2021, and are projected to reach USD 20.13 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period. The market is expected to be driven by increasing awareness of health and safety.