With the following overview we would like to give you a little guide on which vinyl gloves materials are best for which activity or industry. However, protective equipment must always be common in accordance with its instructions for use or after consulting the manufacturer.

Material properties of vinyl gloves

Nitrile gloves come from synthetic rubber, latex gloves come from natural rubber. They are very similar in their properties. Both materials are particularly comfortable to wear tactile sensitivity and tear resistance. In addition, both have plasticizers and vulcanization accelerators.

While nitrile gloves also have extraordinary puncture resistance and chemical resistance and are a good alternative for latex allergy sufferers due to the lack of latex proteins, the grip, elasticity and elasticity of latex gloves are slightly better than nitrile gloves.

Which material is common for vinyl gloves?

Vinyl gloves come of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and TPE gloves come of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE for short). Both materials give the wearer a good sense of touch and have an extensibility of up to 300%. Neither material contains latex proteins or vulcanization accelerators.

However, vinyl gloves contain plasticizers, which is not the case with TPE gloves. These gloves come from a vinyl-nitrile mixture. Compared to vinyl gloves, Vitril gloves have better tear resistance and chemical resistance thanks to the nitrile content.

Use in medical facilities

Medic wraps bandage around wrist

In the medical field, examination gloves can be common to protect residents, patients and accident victims as well as to protect all employees when working with contaminated material and chemicals. TPE gloves are not at all suitable for the medical sector. Vinyl gloves can be common in hospitals, clinics, emergency services, old people and nursing homes, mobile care services, medical and dental practices.

Use in other industries

Craftsman is well protected by suitable PPE

Disposable and reusable gloves are predestined for all areas of industry, the hotel trade, gastronomy and building cleaning, in which the protection of both employees and products must be guaranteed. TPE gloves can be worn in hotels, restaurants and the food processing industry. Vinyl and virile gloves are also possible in building cleaning. Latex gloves are also common there, but also in industry.

Why are disposable gloves becoming scarce?

Due to the increased demand on the world market for hygiene articles and protective equipment, we have already noticed significant changes in the market for products such as mouth guards and disinfectants. These changes now also affect the sale of vinyl gloves.

World market demand exceeds production volume

Currently, there is a significantly increased demand on the world market compared to a production volume of single-use gloves that is far too low. While products such as mouth guards can be manufactured relatively easily by non-specialist producers, the production of gloves is much more difficult.

Due to the complexity in the construction of a production line, the bottlenecks are not easy to eliminate as quickly as we have seen with other products. By the end of the year, manufacturers expect that around 10-20% of production capacities can increase. However, even this increase cannot even come close to meeting current needs.

Vinyl gloves are geared towards bestsellers

In order to make the best possible use of capacities, manufacturers are switching to only producing top-selling vinyl gloves. Above all, this means restrictions in the availability of colors. As of today, we are assuming that some color variants will no longer produce during the ongoing delivery bottlenecks and that we will therefore no longer be able to supply you with them.

Availability of raw materials

A larger production volume inevitably requires more raw materials. However, the raw materials that are common to manufacture disposable gloves are only available in limited quantities. This factor also limits the market.

Lockdown of different countries

Another factor that regulates the availability of vinyl gloves is long-lasting lockdowns in production countries, which lead to lower production volumes. In addition, lockdowns also affect supply chains and thus the entire procurement situation.

What does that mean for you now?

When supply and demand are no longer in harmony, a market reacts with changes in order to restore this harmony. As a retailer, we have to accept and accept these changes and, in some cases, pass them on to you:

Prices rise significantly

Unfortunately, we have to increase the price of all disposable gloves significantly. This is due to the significantly higher procurement costs. Due to the ongoing supply bottlenecks, further price increases are to expect until the beginning of 2021.

Purchase quantities of vinyl gloves are limited

Since a timely relaxation of the market is currently not foreseeable, we will have to limit the purchase quantities per customer to protect all customers.

This limitation applies not only to the purchase quantity of individual products but also to the combination of different types and colors of vinyl gloves. Only in this way is it possible for us to supply as many customers as possible for as long as possible.

No relaxation in sight for the time being

Currently, our manufacturers are uniformly assuming that the delivery bottlenecks for gloves will persist until at least the end of 2021 and will even worsen in the meantime. This is a snapshot and the development strongly depends on whether there is, for example, a second wave. Every negative change in the pandemic also means an additional tightening of the procurement situation.

Scope of vinyl gloves application

In medical practice, powdered and powder-free non-sterile gloves are common:

• when examining the patient by doctors (examination gloves);
• to perform injections;
• when taking material for laboratory tests (blood, sputum, urine, etc.);
• when working with all types of biological material;
• during processing, cleaning, disinfection of medical equipment and instruments;
• and etc.

A huge number of them are common by the staff of hospitals, clinics, and outpatient clinics. A pair of gloves is common for one manipulation or service of one patient, after which it send for disposal.

How do vinyl gloves go from here?

We assure you that we will do everything we can to continue supplying you with vinyl gloves. We keep an eye on the market and work flat out on solutions.

Should the procurement situation relax, we will respond with appropriate price reductions and loosening of the purchase quantities. Until then, however, we ask for your help and understanding for this difficult situation.