Reviews You Can Rely On

The 5 Best Disposable Gloves

We tested disposable gloves from Ammex, MedPride, Curad, and more to uncover the best and most durable models
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Best Disposable Gloves Review
Credit: Laura Casner

Our Top Picks

By Buck Yedor ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Aug 23, 2023

The Best Disposable Gloves


Tired of cheap gloves tearing on you while doing messy kitchen, house, or car work? Our review team researched the top-selling disposable gloves available today and purchased nine of the best to compare in a series of comprehensive tests. After using them in real-life situations, we determined the durability, comfort, fit, ease of use, temperature resistance, and versatility of each pair. We got our hands dirty, so you don't have to. Our results can help you find the right pair of gloves for your unique needs.

If you need heavier-duty gloves for cleaning, check out our picks for the best cleaning gloves. For other cleaning-related items, check out our write-ups of the top sponges and best cleaning brush for tackling dishes. We've even tested the top-rated trash bags to determine which products are up to your dirtiest tasks.


1

Best Overall Disposable Glove


Ammex Gloveworks Industrial Green


Material: Nitrile & Powder Free | Rating: Non-Sterile & Non-Medical
REASONS TO BUY
Grippy
Durable
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Reduced tactile sensitivity

The Ammex Gloveworks Industrial Green gloves are up for just about any tough task. Of all of the gloves we tested, their thick nitrile material resisted cuts and punctures the best. The outside is textured with small bumps that greatly increase friction when working with wet or greasy materials, thereby reducing the risk of dropping whatever you're holding. Given the extra thickness of the gloves, they offer a relatively decent amount of temperature resistance. That, combined with their gippy outers, makes them great for dishwashing or automotive work.

These gloves are quite thick, and if you are performing delicate tasks that require serious dexterity and tactile sensation, they might give you some trouble. While they slide on easily, it takes a bit of tugging to get them off. All in all, these were the most versatile and rugged gloves we tested and are ideal for kitchen, cleaning, automotive, or any other messy work you find yourself doing.

disposable gloves - the gloveworks model are our top choice, based on their durability...
The Gloveworks model are our top choice, based on their durability, comfort, and versatility.
Credit: Buck Yedor

2

Best Bang for the Buck


Ammex Gloveplus Industrial Clear


Material: Vinyl & Powder Free | Rating: Non-Medical & Non-Sterile
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Good temperature resistance
REASONS TO AVOID
Baggy fit
Poor durability

The vinyl Ammex Gloveplus Industrial Clear gloves are versatile and an affordable option great for food service work and cleaning. These gloves proved to offer some of the best protection from hot water, making them great for washing dishes and general cleaning. The larger fit allows you to slide them on and off without a struggle, ideal for food service tasks where you might be changing pairs quite frequently.

On the downside, the baggy fit and thick vinyl noticeably reduce finger dexterity and tactile sensitivity. These gloves are also highly susceptible to puncturing and tearing. However, these are great for those seeking an affordable glove that doesn't need to be approved for medical exam use.

disposable gloves - the gloveplus vinyl gloves are super thin and slide on easily.
The Gloveplus Vinyl gloves are super thin and slide on easily.
Credit: Buck Yedor

3

Best Nitrile Exam Model


MedPride Powder-Free Nitrile Exam


Material: Nitrile & Powder Free | Rating: Non-Sterile
REASONS TO BUY
Form fitting
Good tactile sensitivity
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor temperature resistance
Expensive

The MedPride Powder-Free Nitrile Exam gloves are your basic nitrile exam gloves that hit the sweet spot between durability, comfort, and price. They are incredibly form-fitting and nonrestrictive, molding over our tester's fingers perfectly, leaving no dead space above the webbing between their fingers. These gloves felt thicker than the other nitrile exam gloves we tested and proved to be more cut and puncture resistant.

While the MedPride nitrile gloves fared better than most, it's important to keep in mind that none of these gloves are actually puncture-resistant. These also offered very little protection from hot water. Overall, these gloves are ideal for folks seeking a durable nitrile glove that offers good dexterity and tactile sensitivity.

disposable gloves - the med pride are decently comfortable and offer mid-range durability.
The Med Pride are decently comfortable and offer mid-range durability.
Credit: Buck Yedor

4

Excellent Latex Model


Curad Latex Exam


Material: Latex & Powder Free | Rating: Non-Sterile
REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable against skin
Cut resistant
REASONS TO AVOID
Semi-restrictive
Some durability issues

The Curad Latex Exam gloves are a comfortable and durable option for people without latex sensitivities. The smooth latex feels soft against the skin and slides on with no issue. They offer fairly good protection against punctures and cuts. While they are thick enough to withstand some abuse, they aren't so thick as to significantly diminish your tactile sensations.

These gloves proved to be durable in use, though our testers did rip a few when trying to pull them on. They offer some protection against hot temperatures but wouldn't be our first choice for an extended stint of dishwashing. These comfortable gloves are great for medical exams, cleaning, kitchen work, and any other messy work — as long as you're okay with latex.

disposable gloves - the curad latex exam gloves are silky smooth and highly comfortable...
The Curad Latex Exam gloves are silky smooth and highly comfortable, so long as you don't have a sensitivity to latex.
Credit: Buck Yedor

5

Best Vinyl Exam Model


Basic Vinyl Synthetic Exam


Material: Vinyl & Powder Free | Rating: Non-Sterile
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Smartphone and trackpad compatible
REASONS TO AVOID
Difficult to get on
Mediocre durability

The Basic Vinyl Synthetic Exam is one of the more affordable exam gloves in our lineup. The thin vinyl doesn't hinder your ability to use touchscreens and trackpads but still offers some protection against hot water.

Putting on these gloves is difficult as they don't have a ton of stretch, which also noticeably reduces hand dexterity. Whether or not they would tear at the wrist while slipping them on during testing was a hit or miss. Moreover, resistance to punctures and cuts is mediocre at best. Still, these gloves are ideal for those avoiding latex who need exam gloves that are more affordable than most nitrile options.

disposable gloves - the basic vinyl exam gloves don't have a ton of stretch but are...
The Basic Vinyl Exam Gloves don't have a ton of stretch but are quite affordable.
Credit: Buck Yedor

6

A Quality Nitrile Option


Dre Health Nitrile Exam


Material: Nitrile & Powder Free | Rating: Non-Sterile
REASONS TO BUY
Form-fitting
Good tactile sensitivity
REASONS TO AVOID
Runs small
Poor temperature resistance

The Dre Health Nitrile Exam is another quality non-latex option. These nitrile gloves are durable and comfortable, and they offer above-average puncture and cut resistance. The nitrile material is form-fitting, moves well with your hands, and does little to diminish tactile sensitivity.

The biggest shortcoming is the sizing. These exam gloves run incredibly small, even compared to the other Dre Health gloves we tested. In line with the other nitrile models, we found these do not offer any real significant protection from hot water but are otherwise great for just about anything requiring disposable gloves.

disposable gloves - be sure to size up with the dre health nitrile gloves, as they run...
Be sure to size up with the Dre Health Nitrile Gloves, as they run quite small.
Credit: Buck Yedor

7

A Well-Priced Option


Dre Health Advanced Synthetic


Material: Vinyl Nitrile Blend & Powder Free | Rating: Non-Sterile
REASONS TO BUY
Durable
Less expensive than 100% nitrile
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor puncture resistance
Not as stretchy as 100% nitrile

The Dre Health Advanced Synthetic gloves are made from a proprietary blend of nitrile and polyester. This proprietary mix of materials seeks to capture the best of both worlds. These gloves are more form-fitting and give you far more sensitivity than pure vinyl gloves.

Given the high vinyl content, these gloves are less durable and stretchy than pure nitrile gloves. We found them more puncture-resistant than vinyl but less so than pure nitrile models. All in all, they're an affordable option offering many of the same benefits you get with nitrile gloves yet at a reduced price.

disposable gloves - the dre health synthetic offers a good mix of the comfort and...
The Dre Health Synthetic offers a good mix of the comfort and dexterity of nitrile, with the affordability of vinyl.
Credit: Buck Yedor

8

A Thin, Sensitive Nitrile Model


Wostar Multi-Purpose Nitrile


Material: Nitrile & Powder Free | Rating: Non-Sterile
REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable
Good tactile sensitivity
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor temperature resistance
Hard to get on

The Wostar Multi-Purpose Nitrile are the thinnest nitrile option we reviewed. These thin and comfortable gloves offer tremendous tactile sensitivity without compromising durability. Though they weren't the highest-performing pair regarding durability, they still provided good puncture and cut resistance considering their thinness. They conform to your entire hand well and barely restrict normal hand movement.

These gloves are a little hard to get on, but once they are on, they fit well. The thin nitrile material offers almost no protection from hot water. These gloves are ideal for people looking for an extremely thin pair of gloves that maximize tactile sensitivity.

disposable gloves - the thin wostar nitrile offers great tactile sensitivity.
The thin Wostar Nitrile offers great tactile sensitivity.
Credit: Buck Yedor

9

Ideal for Food Service


Clinivex Disposable Vinyl


Material: Vinyl | Rating: Non-Medical
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Easy to get on and off
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor durability
Restrictive

The Clinivex Disposable Vinyl slide on and off without much issue. They run fairly true to size, and if anything, a little large. Through our testing, we discovered that erring on a larger size is always a good choice because gloves that are too small often end up tearing.

The thick vinyl has minimal stretch and is somewhat restrictive when performing delicate tasks. These gloves offer mediocre cut and puncture resistance and little protection from hot water. They're ideal for cleaning or food service work where you'll be running through gloves all day long, and dexterity isn't as important.

disposable gloves - the clinivex vinyl are an affordable option, good for house cleaning...
The Clinivex Vinyl are an affordable option, good for house cleaning and kitchen work.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Why Trust GearLab


Our team began by researching the top-selling disposable gloves available today. We then narrowed the selection down to nine types that looked most promising. We independently purchased all nine to compare them in a series of controlled, side-by-side tests.

We cleaned our house, worked on our cars, and did our best to put...
We cleaned our house, worked on our cars, and did our best to put these gloves through real world abuse.
We tore a lot of gloves trying to find the most durable.
We tore a lot of gloves trying to find the most durable.
Nitrile gloves are a great all purpose option.
Nitrile gloves are a great all purpose option.

Buck Yedor heads up our disposable glove testing. Between his time spent working in commercial kitchens and as an emergency medical technician, Buck has spent a lot of time wearing disposable gloves. He knows the importance of having a comfortable, durable pair that can keep your hands clean during the messiest jobs.

disposable gloves
Credit: Laura Casner

Analysis and Test Results


After receiving all the gloves, we put them to work to see how they stacked against one another. We looked at durability, fit, comfort, ease of use, temperature resistance, and the versatility of each pair.

disposable gloves
Credit: Laura Casner

Durability


Durability takes into account how easily the gloves tear, cut, and puncture. Gloves are most likely to tear when being pulled on. Throughout our testing, we made sure to try on at least five of every glove and note how often they tore. To test for cut and puncture resistance, we used a box cutter to see how well each pair resisted damage. The Ammex Gloveworks Industrial Green is far and away the most durable. The thick nitrile was highly durable. Both the MedPride Powder-Free Nitrile Exam and the Wostar Multi-Purpose Nitrile offered excellent durability.

disposable gloves - the thick gloveswork gloves proved to be quite puncture resistant.
The thick Gloveswork gloves proved to be quite puncture resistant.
Credit: Buck Yedor

The Clinivex Disposable Vinyl and the Ammex Gloveplus Industrial Vinyl Clear had some of the worst puncture resistance. The latex options like the Curad Latex Exam seem to offer protection somewhere between Nitrile and Vinyl.

disposable gloves - the nitrile was consistently more cut resistant than vinyl.
The Nitrile was consistently more cut resistant than Vinyl.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Comfort & Fit


A big part of how comfortable gloves are is how much they stretch and conform to your hand. Across the board, we found that nitrile gloves offered the greatest amount of stretch and conformity. If you need high amounts of hand dexterity and a close fit, the MedPride Powder-Free Nitrile Exam and the super-thin Wostar Multi-Purpose Nitrile were extremely comfortable. Our testers also enjoyed the feel of the latex Curad Exam. The latex feels soft and almost slippery against the skin.

disposable gloves - med pride nitrile gloves are some of the most comfortable on skin...
Med Pride nitrile gloves are some of the most comfortable on skin gloves we tried.
Credit: Buck Yedor

The Basic Clear Vinyl have a baggy fit and doesn't conform to your fingers very well. All of the vinyl gloves we tested had very little stretch, making them fairly uncomfortable for tasks requiring high dexterity.

disposable gloves - the dre health synthetic gloves are comfortable and form-fitting...
The Dre Health Synthetic gloves are comfortable and form-fitting, but a little more restrictive than other Nitrile options.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Ease of Use


Ease of use is just how well you can get your hands in and out of a glove. All of the gloves we tested are powder-free, so their ability to glide over your skin is a function of material choice and stretch. The Curad Latex Exam were some of the easiest to pull on. Vinyl also proved to be an excellent option for quickly getting gloves on with minimal fuss. The less form-fitting and stretchy a glove is, the easier it is to get on. This obviously has some downsides, but if you take your gloves on and off frequently, it's something to consider.

disposable gloves - the thick nitrile and built-in texture on the glovework's heavy-duty...
The thick Nitrile and built-in texture on the Glovework's Heavy-Duty make them great to work with but require a little more effort to remove.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Nitrile options like Wostar Nitrile 2.5 Mil ultimately have the best fit but are hard to get on.

disposable gloves - the added stiffness of the nitrile vinyl blend makes pulling the dre...
The added stiffness of the Nitrile Vinyl blend makes pulling the Dre Health Synthetic gloves on quite easy.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Temperature Resistance


None of the gloves in this review are specifically “dish” gloves, which are typically thicker and thus more durable and offer better insulation. For home use or cleaning, however, having a little extra protection from hot water can be a welcome characteristic in a glove. The Ammex Gloveworks Industrial Green offers the most protection against hot water. These thick gloves are also nicely textured, which makes holding onto wet and greasy dishes even easier. The Wostar Nitrile 2.5 Mil and the Clinivex Clear Vinyl gloves are too thin to offer any substantial protection against hot water.

disposable gloves - the ammex gloveplus industrial clear offered decent protection from...
The Ammex Gloveplus Industrial Clear offered decent protection from hot water.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Versatiity


Our versatility metric refers to how many jobs or tasks the gloves can handle. Can the glove be used for medical work, food service, automotive, or general cleaning? The Ammex Gloveworks Industrial Green is the most versatile because of its durability, comfort, and stretch. However, they aren't ideal for medical exam work. They are relatively thick and reduce tactile sensitivity by a considerable amount. The MedPride Powder-Free Nitrile Exam and Wostar Multi-Purpose Nitrile were the next most versatile. These options are appropriate for medical exams and ideal for cleaning, food service, and anything else that requires a thin glove.

disposable gloves - the well fitting, comfortable, and durable med pride nitrile gloves...
The well fitting, comfortable, and durable Med Pride Nitrile gloves were highly versatile and excelled at many tasks.
Credit: Buck Yedor

The Ammex Gloveplus Industrial Clear are the least versatile. Their baggy fit and poor durability pigeonhole them into household cleaning or light food service work. The Dre Health Nitrile Vinyl Blend exists somewhere in the middle. They are more durable and comfortable than vinyl gloves but don't offer the dexterity and comfort of fully nitrile gloves.

disposable gloves - the unique texture of the gloveworks heavy-duty made them great for...
The unique texture of the Gloveworks Heavy-Duty made them great for working with wet or greasy items.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Conclusion


After rigorously testing nine of the market's best-selling disposable gloves, our review team discerned each pair's best and worst qualities. We got our hands dirty in our test kitchen to see how durable, comfortable, temperature resistant, and versatile they were. Our comprehensive breakdown will hopefully help you decide which type of glove suits your unique needs and budget.

disposable gloves - nitrile gloves are highly versailte good for everything from medical...
Nitrile gloves are highly versailte good for everything from medical exams to house cleaning.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Buck Yedor