When it comes to healthcare, safety is paramount, and one of the best ways to maintain a protective barrier between you and your patient is by using medical gloves. They are essential personal protective equipment (PPE) used in medical settings to prevent infection, cross-contamination, and exposure to harsh chemicals, so knowing where to buy medical gloves is vital.
Medical gloves come in various thicknesses, sizes, and materials — primarily nitrile, vinyl, and latex.
Finding suitable gloves for the right tasks is essential to minimizing the risk of infection for you and your patients. Our comprehensive guide helps you understand the different types of medical gloves available and where to buy them to get the best price.
In this article, we'll cover:
Finding the Best Medical Gloves
“Medical gloves” is a blanket term for disposable gloves used in medical settings. There are three main types of medical gloves — exam gloves, surgical gloves, and chemotherapy gloves — and they each have different roles in the medical industry.
Exam Gloves:
Exam gloves are made from either nitrile, latex, neoprene, or vinyl and are offered in both sterile gloves and non-sterile varieties. Sterile gloves are used in more invasive medical procedures where medical professionals might come into contact with bodily fluids, non-intact skin, mucous membranes, or potentially infectious material.
Non-sterile exam gloves are used in less-invasive situations, such as routine medical exams, and simple medical procedures, such as taking blood or giving injections.
Surgical Gloves:
Surgical gloves are also available in nitrile, latex, neoprene, and vinyl. However, they are always sterile. Surgical gloves also have more precise sizing than exam gloves, offering the wearer higher sensitivity and better precision, which is especially important during invasive medical procedures like surgery.
Generally, surgical gloves are made to a much higher standard than exam gloves and are individually wrapped to ensure lasting sterility when in storage.
Chemotherapy Gloves:
Chemotherapy gloves are highly resistant to chemotherapy drugs, unlike exam and surgical gloves. Most chemotherapy drugs are powerful, and both those administering the drug and those receiving it should protect themselves with chemotherapy gloves during and after treatment.
Modern chemotherapy gloves are made from nitrile or latex and are designed to prevent extended exposure to chemotherapy drugs. They are not offered in vinyl because vinyl is considered more porous and doesn’t provide a sufficient barrier against powerful chemotherapy drugs.
Size — Does it Matter?
When it comes to medical gloves, size really matters. The better fitting your gloves, the more dexterity and sensitivity your hands have to perform intricate tasks such as surgeries or other medical procedures.
Additionally, gloves that are too small pose a higher risk of breaking, while gloves that are too big can slip off, defeating the reason for using them in the first place.
Medical gloves come in a range of different sizes, with surgical gloves offering the most precise sizing. Surgical gloves are used in the most invasive medical settings and during intricate tasks, where having the perfect fit is essential to doing the job safely and correctly.
Medical Glove Materials
Medical gloves are made from four primary materials — nitrile, latex, neoprene, and vinyl — with each material offering different levels of protection.
Nitrile gloves are puncture-resistant and protect the wearer from hazardous and corrosive materials, making them an excellent choice for surgical and chemotherapy uses.
Vinyl gloves are made from PVC and offer short-term protection from pathogens. However, they’re not particularly puncture-resistant and don’t offer sufficient protection for high-risk medical settings like surgeries or other situations where contact with bodily fluids might occur.
Latex gloves, similar to nitrile gloves, offer considerable protection against bodily fluids and hazardous chemicals while resisting punctures. These gloves are used in many different medical settings, but latex is associated with triggering allergic reactions and might not be suitable for everyone.
Where to Buy Medical Disposable Gloves
Specialized Online Retailers:
Medical gloves can be easily purchased from dedicated online retailers like Gloves.com, where we offer an extensive range of products for different roles in the medical field.
We guarantee the fastest delivery in the industry, and our repeat ordering system and bulk buying options mean you can find what you need precisely, at the right price, delivered directly to your door.
Gloves.com only stocks gloves that meet industry requirements from respected and established manufacturers worldwide. We’ve been in business and adding suppliers for over 20 years.
Whether you’re looking for latex gloves, nitrile gloves, or vinyl gloves, you can take advantage of free delivery on all orders over $99, a fast delivery guarantee, and samples so you can try them before you buy. Additionally, we will not be undersold, so if you find the same gloves for sale cheaper elsewhere, simply talk to a sales team member for price matching.
Online Medical Suppliers:
You can also purchase medical-grade gloves from various online suppliers of medical supplies. Retailers like USA Medical Supplies stock various medical supplies and PPE, including medical gloves.
Online medical suppliers are a convenient way to purchase all your medical supplies in one place at one time, and all supplies will likely meet industry requirements. Buying online is convenient, fast, and easy, and you can often organize repeat orders and bulk amounts.
However, prices on individual item types (e.g., gloves) will likely be higher than those offered by item-specific providers like Gloves.com. If they are lower, let us know, and we’ll meet or beat their price.
Drugstores
Your local pharmacy or drugstore (e.g., Walgreens) is another excellent place to pick up medical gloves in a pinch. Like major retail chains, they’re unlikely to stock a wide range of gloves, and those gloves are likely to be more expensive than if you’re buying online or in bulk.
Many drug stores offer delivery to your home or business and also have physical stores. With drugstores in every town and city, they’re a fast and convenient way to buy medical gloves.
Veterinary Suppliers:
Like those in the medical industry, vets also use medical-grade gloves. Veterinary suppliers like The Vet Store often stock various medical-grade gloves, including vinyl, nitrile, and latex gloves. Most veterinary suppliers will sell medical-grade gloves online and often in bulk at competitive prices.
There is no difference between medical-grade gloves used in the veterinary industry and those used in the medical industry, so there are no issues using them in a medical setting. Pet supply stores will also often stock medical-grade gloves in smaller quantities.
Major Retail Chains:
Large retail stores like Walmart, CVS, and Target all stock different types of disposable gloves. Most larger stores will also stock medical-grade gloves. However, the options available will be more limited than what you can find shopping online.
While you’re unlikely to find gloves in bulk or at the best price, these stores are a great backup. If you run out or need medical gloves after hours or in an emergency, they can often be ordered for pickup in-store or delivered to your home or business.
Amazon:
Online marketplaces like Amazon also stock medical-grade gloves. Like medical suppliers and glove specialists, they offer an extensive range, the option to buy in bulk, fast delivery times, and sometimes even competitive prices.
However, with so many different gloves stocked on Amazon, it can take time to find the specific ones that best meet your requirements. Additionally, sites like Amazon offer medical gloves from hundreds of different unvetted brands, so you can’t always be sure of the quality — or where they’re really coming from.
Whether you’re looking for chemotherapy gloves, exam gloves, or surgical gloves, choosing a reputable brand and supplier offers you peace of mind regarding maintaining safety standards in a medical setting.
Finding the right glove for the task at hand helps keep medical professionals and patients safe, which is paramount in all areas of medicine — whether you’re administering chemotherapy or simply taking a blood sample.
At Gloves.com, we offer a wide range of the best medical gloves made from vinyl, latex, and nitrile for the best prices in the market. All our gloves meet industry standards and are manufactured in the highest quality.
Buying medical gloves in bulk is one of the best ways to ensure a continuous supply of gloves while helping you save money in the long run. Gloves.com has a 100% money-back guarantee on both the best price and fastest shipping times, so when you order with us, you know you’re always getting the best price — no question.
Are you still trying to decide whether and where to commit to a bulk buy? Contact Gloves.com and receive samples to help you determine which gloves are suitable for you. We offer up to 50% off many bulk orders right now, making now a great time to stock up on your medical essentials.
