What nitrile gloves: What Are Nitrile Gloves

What is a nitrile glove? The short answer

A nitrile glove is a disposable glove made from nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), a synthetic, latex-free rubber. Nitrile gloves are stronger and more puncture- and chemical-resistant than latex or vinyl, and because they contain no natural rubber latex they are safe for people with latex allergies. They are the most widely used disposable glove in medicine, automotive, food service and industry. This guide answers the core questions — what nitrile is, what nitrile gloves are made of, what they are used for, and what makes an exam-grade nitrile glove different — and links to our "+il("/blogs/guides/nitrile-gloves-complete-guide","complete nitrile gloves buyer's guide")+" when you are ready to choose.

Nitrile gloves are everywhere — in hospitals, repair shops, kitchens and labs — but "nitrile" itself is widely misunderstood. Below we break down exactly what the material is, how a nitrile glove is made, the jobs it is built for, and what separates a medical exam-grade nitrile glove from an industrial one. For hands-on product picks, pair this with our "+il("/blogs/guides/nitrile-gloves-complete-guide","nitrile gloves complete guide")+".

What is nitrile?

Nitrile is a synthetic rubber called nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) — a copolymer produced by combining two monomers, acrylonitrile and butadiene. First developed in the 1930s (originally as Buna-N), it was engineered as an oil- and chemical-resistant alternative to natural rubber. The ratio of the two components is what gives nitrile its signature behavior:

• Acrylonitrile (ACN) content — higher ACN means greater resistance to oils, fuels and solvents, but a stiffer feel.
• Butadiene content — provides flexibility, stretch and tear resistance.

Glove makers tune this ratio to balance chemical resistance against comfort. Critically, nitrile contains no natural rubber latex, so it carries none of the Type I latex-allergy proteins that made natural rubber gloves a workplace hazard. That single property — latex-free protection — is why nitrile overtook latex as the dominant disposable-glove material.

What is a nitrile glove?

A nitrile glove is a thin, disposable, single-use glove made from nitrile butadiene rubber. It is one of the three main disposable-glove materials — nitrile, latex and vinyl — and it sits at the top for durability and chemical resistance. Compared with the alternatives:

• vs latex — nitrile is latex-allergy-safe and roughly three to five times more puncture-resistant. ("+il("/blogs/guides/nitrile-vs-latex-gloves","full comparison")+")
• vs vinyl — nitrile is far stronger and more chemical-resistant; vinyl is cheaper but only suited to low-risk, short tasks. ("+il("/blogs/guides/nitrile-vs-vinyl-gloves","full comparison")+")

For a three-way breakdown see our "+il("/blogs/reference/nitrile-vs-latex-vs-vinyl-gloves","nitrile vs latex vs vinyl reference")+" and "+il("/blogs/how-to-guide/how-to-choose-disposable-gloves-nitrile-vs-latex-vs-vinyl","how to choose a disposable glove")+".

What are nitrile gloves made of?

Nitrile gloves are made of nitrile butadiene rubber latex emulsion plus a small set of processing additives, shaped by an industrial dip-molding process. The components:

How nitrile gloves are made (dip-molding):

1. Hand-shaped ceramic formers are cleaned and dipped in a coagulant.
2. The formers are dipped into liquid NBR latex emulsion, building a thin film.
3. The film is leached (washed) to remove residual chemicals and proteins.
4. The gloves are cured/vulcanized in ovens to cross-link the rubber.
5. They are chlorinated or polymer-coated for easy, powder-free donning.
6. Gloves are stripped from the formers, then sampled and tested to an AQL.

Because the rubber is cured with accelerators, a minority of wearers can develop Type IV allergic contact dermatitis — which is why "+il("/blogs/guides/best-accelerator-free-nitrile-gloves","accelerator-free nitrile gloves")+" exist for sensitive skin.

What are nitrile gloves used for?

Nitrile gloves are used wherever a strong, latex-free, chemical-resistant disposable barrier is needed. Their versatility is why one material spans so many industries:

A few stocked examples by use:

As an Amazon Associate, WC Safety earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are accurate as of the date shown and subject to change. Full affiliate disclosure.

What are nitrile exam gloves?

Nitrile exam gloves (nitrile examination gloves) are medical-grade nitrile gloves that meet ASTM D6319 and are FDA-cleared as medical devices. "Exam-grade" is a regulated quality tier — it means the glove has been tested to an acceptable quality level (AQL) for pinholes and barrier integrity, so you can rely on it as an infection-control barrier. Key points:

• Standard: ASTM D6319 governs nitrile examination gloves; exam gloves are FDA 510(k)-cleared Class I/II medical devices.
• AQL: the acceptable quality level (often 1.5 or lower) caps the allowable pinhole rate — lower AQL means a more reliable barrier.
• Powder-free: the FDA banned powdered exam gloves in 2017, so exam nitrile is powder-free.
• vs industrial-grade: industrial nitrile gloves skip the medical certification — fine for shop work, not for clinical barriers.

Exam gloves serve clinics, dentistry, labs, tattoo studios and any task needing a verified barrier. Chemo-rated exam gloves (tested to ASTM D6978) add protection for handling hazardous drugs. Compare options in our "+il("/blogs/guides/best-nitrile-exam-gloves","best nitrile exam gloves guide")+", and for skin-sensitive users see "+il("/blogs/guides/best-accelerator-free-nitrile-gloves","accelerator-free exam nitrile")+".

Further reading

• Nitrile gloves: the complete buyer's guide
• Nitrile glove thickness (mil) guide · Nitrile glove sizing guide
• Nitrile vs latex · Nitrile vs vinyl · Powdered vs powder-free
• Compare: nitrile gloves · all hand protection

Nitrile gloves: frequently asked questions

Is nitrile a latex or a rubber?

Nitrile is a synthetic rubber — specifically nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) — but it contains no natural rubber latex. That distinction matters: "latex" in glove terms means natural rubber latex from the rubber tree, which carries Type I allergy proteins. Nitrile is latex-free, so it is safe for people with natural rubber latex allergies. See our nitrile vs latex (latex-free) guide.

Related reference

Related on this site: nitrile glove sizing guide, nitrile glove thickness mil guide, nitrile vs latex vs vinyl gloves, anti vibration gloves guide, nitrile gloves: the complete buyer's guide, and how to choose disposable gloves: nitrile vs latex vs vinyl.

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WC Safety is an independent, affiliate-supported review site. It is not a retailer: it holds no inventory, takes no orders, and earns only from qualifying purchases through clearly marked links — which never changes what a product is rated to do. Standards language is taken from the regulation text directly, and ratings are reported as the manufacturer publishes them. We run no laboratory and perform no testing of our own. Where published sources disagree, we say so and plan on the conservative figure rather than the flattering one.

Our methodology

Figures come from the regulation and the published specification, in that order. Derated numbers are calculated, not estimated. Nothing here is presented as a measured result, because we measure nothing.

Researched and written by Steven Eaton, editor of WC Safety. Steven holds no safety certification and does not test products; this page compares what manufacturers and regulators publish, with the gaps in that record marked. Last reviewed August 2026.

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