Nitrile gloves typically cost around $0.10-0.18 per glove, though the exact price can vary a lot depending on things like thickness, style, and manufacturer. Where you shop for nitrile gloves also matters, as some sellers are able to offer much better prices than average. We’ll help you understand the factors affecting the price of nitrile gloves so you can find the best possible deal.
We’ve been supplying businesses and consumers with disposable gloves since the early 90. In that time, we’ve seen just how much their prices can change based on how they’re sourced, packaged, and sold. And we’ve figured out how to get top-quality, medical-grade nitrile rubber gloves into our customers’ hands at bargain prices. Keep reading for our definitive guide to getting the best price for nitrile gloves.
At a glance:
Nitrile Glove Price Guide
How much should you usually expect to pay for nitrile disposable gloves? The answer depends on a lot of factors, but one of the most important is how many you’re buying at once. Most sellers will offer at least a slightly lower price when you buy nitrile gloves in bulk.
How Much Does a Box of Nitrile Gloves Cost?
A standard-size box of nitrile gloves, containing 100 gloves, usually costs between $11 and $18 ($0.12-0.18 per glove). You can sometimes find them for less, but this is usually only a temporary sale.
How Much Does a Case of Nitrile Gloves Cost?
You can often start to find better deals when you purchase nitrile gloves in cases of 1000 or more. A case of nitrile gloves will most often cost around $75 to $140, giving you a price per glove of roughly $0.08-0.12.
How Much Do Bulk and Wholesale Nitrile Gloves Cost?
If you have a large need for personal protective equipment and you’re willing to buy multiple cases of nitrile gloves, you may be able to get even larger discounts. Nitrile glove suppliers are often happy to work out deals with long-term clients or people placing substantial orders.
The terms of wholesale pricing deals often depend on a variety of factors, such as the range of styles and sizes needed and the frequency of restocking. This makes it hard to estimate an average price for bulk nitrile gloves. That said, it’s not uncommon to find suppliers willing to sell nitrile rubber gloves for $40-60 per case (or $0.04-0.06 per glove) at wholesale quantities.
What Else Affects The Cost of Nitrile Gloves?
Quantity isn’t the only thing that can affect the nitrile glove price consumers pay. Other notable factors include:
Nitrile Glove Thickness
The average nitrile glove prices listed above are typical for gloves with a thickness of 4-6 mils, which is fairly standard for medica gloves. But some jobs may call for more puncture resistance or durability, which means thicker nitrile gloves. These require more material, so they tend to cost a bit more.
You can expect to pay $16-20 per box ($0.16-0.20) for gloves in the 7-8 mil range. 9-10 mil nitrile gloves cost even more — $20-35 per box ($0.20-0.35 per glove) is typical.
Nitrile Glove Quality
It’s easy to assume disposable nitrile exam gloves are more or less interchangeable, but that’s not the case. Some brands are made with better materials, more reliable manufacturing processes, or better quality control. Low-quality nitrile gloves may cost less, but they’re also more likely to rip or cause irritation.
Glove sellers may also charge more for certain specific features. For example, some nitrile gloves have textured surfaces to enhance your grip. Others are powder-free or made without chemical accelerators so that they can be used even by people with rare glove allergies. These can all increase the cost of nitrile gloves.
Where You Buy Nitrile Gloves
You may also pay significantly more or less for nitrile gloves depending on where you purchase them. For example, big box stores like Home Depot often charge more per box of nitrile gloves because they’re only selling in quantities of 10-100 at a time. And large suppliers may charge a higher markup for small orders because their business model focuses on large repeat clients.
Take a look at this article for more information on where to buy nitrile gloves. It gives some tips on finding the best nitrile glove pricing without sacrificing quality and customizability.
Why Are Nitrile Gloves So Expensive Lately?
Nitrile exam gloves have always been more expensive than other kinds of disposable gloves. They’re latex-free, which reduces the risk of allergic reactions, and they offer better tear resistance and a more comfortable fit than vinyl gloves.
However, there’s no denying that the standard nitrile glove price has gone up substantially over the last few years. There are a few important factors behind this shift:
Cost of Raw Materials
Shifts in the price of the raw materials needed to make synthetic rubber have boosted the price of nitrile gloves. For a dramatic example, look at 2017, which saw severe flooding in Malaysia that disrupted local industries. Since that region is one of the world’s primary producers of butadiene — a key ingredient for nitrile disposable gloves — the price spiked dramatically. The cost has come back down somewhat since then, but events like these can make nitrile glove pricing hard to predict.
Supply Chain Issues
Other changes around the globe have impacted shipping speeds, factory operations, and other elements of the supply chain behind the disposable glove industry. Delays at ports caused by the war in Ukraine, for instance, impacted one of the world’s largest manufacturers of nitrile gloves in 2022. Other changes, like parts shortages and fluctuations in the price of oil, continue to make nitrile glove prices somewhat volatile.
Public Health Concerns
Rising and falling demand can also play into the average nitrile glove price. We saw this play out on a huge scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since nitrile gloves are hypoallergenic, puncture-resistant, and capable of standing up to harsh chemicals, they’ve long been a go-to choice for personal protective equipment among doctors and nurses. The global health crisis meant these professionals were going through disposable nitrile exam gloves much faster than before.
At the same time, businesses that normally didn’t need to use disposable gloves suddenly had to worry about spreading the virus. And the general public was also looking for ways to protect themselves. These users tend to choose nitrile gloves for the same reasons health workers do. The resulting surge in demand is a big part of why nitrile gloves are so expensive compared to where they were a few years ago.
How Can You Find Cheap Nitrile Gloves?
The best way to save on the cost of nitrile gloves is to buy them in bulk from suppliers who offer discounts based on quantity. Trying to buy cheap in small batches will likely mean you end up with flimsy, poorly-fitting gloves. Purchasing wholesale lets you save money while still ensuring your workers and customers stay safe.
For the best combination of affordable prices and superior protection, shop for nitrile gloves at Gloves.com. We stock only trustworthy brands whose quality control standards are verified by third-party labs. Get in touch with our sales representatives to work out a nitrile glove pricing plan that fits your needs!
