The short answer
Polyurethane for dry fine work, nitrile where there is oil and abrasion, nitrile foam for damp and oily parts, latex for coarse grip in the dry. Choosing wrong does not show up in the standard, it shows up when the glove is worn through after two weeks.
Polyurethane (PU)
Thin, flexible and breathable. A PU coating sits so close that small screws can still be felt. Its strength is touch, not endurance: under heavy abrasion and sharp edges it wears through quickly, and it only holds up so far against oil.
- Good for: assembly, electronics, order picking, precision engineering, quality control
- Poor for: oily workpieces, heavy abrasion, work with chemicals
Nitrile
The standard in metalworking. Nitrile resists abrasion, stands up to oils and greases and lasts considerably longer than PU. In exchange it is thicker and touch suffers. The smooth version grips well on dry parts and turns slippery on oily ones.
- Good for: metal fabrication, workshop, warehouse, construction supply, maintenance
- Poor for: work where millimetres of fingertip feel matter
Nitrile foam
Nitrile with an open-pored surface. The pores take up the film of oil and carry it away so the coating underneath still grips. That is the difference on an oil-smeared workpiece. Foam is also softer and tires the hand less than smooth nitrile.
- Good for: oily and damp parts, machining, assembly in production, long wear
- Poor for: work where the surface must stay clean
Latex
The best grip on rough, dry surfaces and very elastic. Latex is a natural product and contains proteins that can trigger allergies, which is why many buyers have moved to nitrile. Against oil it holds up poorly.
- Good for: construction, stone and slabs, landscaping, waste handling, coarse gripping
- Poor for: workplaces with latex allergies, oily environments
How far the coating reaches
Besides the material, the extent matters. Palm-coated only means a breathable back of the hand and a cooler hand, but no protection when the glove is pulled across an edge. A three-quarter or full coating protects more and breathes less. Every product page states which version a model has.
Frequently asked
- Which coating lasts longest?
- Nitrile, clearly ahead of PU and latex. If consumption is the main problem, moving from PU to nitrile almost always pays off, even at a higher unit price.
- What do I use on oily parts?
- Nitrile foam. The open pores take up the film of oil, while smooth nitrile slips on it.
- Are coated gloves chemical resistant?
- No. Coated knitted gloves are tested for mechanical risks to EN 388, not for handling chemicals. That requires chemical protective gloves to EN ISO 374.
- How do I see the coating in the catalogue?
- Every product page states it under the technical data, and the catalogue can be filtered by material.
Which one suits your work?
Tell us what is being gripped and what it looks like: dry, oily, sharp-edged. We will suggest two models and send samples.
Christoph Scabell
Safety equipment sales, ES Handels- und Servicegesellschaft
Not sure this model fits? Give us a call, test samples are free of charge.