Synthetic Hybrid Vinyl Is an Excellent Alternative, Especially for Food Service

Are you on the lookout for cost-efficient disposable gloves whose performance is up to par with today’s industry standards? With nitrile and latex being expensive and hard to come by due to material shortages, customers have turned to synthetic hybrid vinyl. Hybrid vinyl is proving itself to be an excellent alternative for millions of disposable glove users. Synthetic hybrid technology combines vinyl with elastomers to produce a disposable glove that is both versatile and value-oriented. With a better fit and feel than standard vinyl and a better price point than nitrile, these gloves can reduce hand fatigue, which is important in foodservice. While they’re a big hit in food service, they’re also a great fit for lightweight applications in industries like janitorial and sanitation, painting, nail and beauty, plumbing, and so much more.

They’re Not Your Usual Vinyl

Even after 25 years on the market, vinyl—also known as polyvinyl chloride, or PVC—generates skepticism from those who are convinced it isn’t durable, comfortable, has a strange fit, or smells funny. But, vinyl manufacturers are making tremendous strides, thanks to a renaissance for hybrids. These synthetic blends, which first appeared on the market more than a decade ago, highlight a number of attributes that make vinyl a great choice. Versatility, lower cost, and greater availability, while also combining several notable qualities exclusive to elastomers like nitrile: Better fit and feel greater comfort and stronger barrier protection. Adding synthetic rubber to vinyl gloves enhances their elongation rate, elasticity, and flexibility, while also increasing their tensile strength. Their higher weight and reduced permeability improve protection against chemicals, but not necessarily to a level equal to pure nitrile gloves.

They’re Just More Available

Since they’re constructed primarily from a material in PVC that doesn’t suffer from shortages, they can be produced in larger quantities that are often at a lower price point than gloves made from nitrile rubber. Some of these synthetic hybrid gloves are as follows:

Gloveworks Industrial Black Synthetic Vinyl Gloves (GWBKQV): Black is the market’s hottest color for cool-looking and professional gloves. This blend of synthetic rubber elastomers and vinyl polymers creates a soft, supple glove that delivers high elasticity and comfort. Versatile for lightweight tasks in fields such as foodservice and processing, nail and beauty, janitorial and sanitation, and much more.

Gloveworks Industrial Blue Synthetic Vinyl Gloves (GWQIV): Remarkable comfort, with nearly the fit and feel of nitrile. Made of synthetic stretch vinyl, a latex-free and powder-free blend of elastomers and PVC. The gloves reduce hand strain while sporting high tactile sensitivity. They give you dependable barrier protection for foodservice, janitorial and sanitation, nail and beauty, plumbing, and much more.

They’re Latex Free

Like nitrile- and vinyl-based gloves, hybrids contain no latex proteins and will not aggravate sensitivities to natural latex rubber. They have a better fit than poly or pure vinyl gloves, yet are still easy to take on and off, and are perfectly designed for frequent glove changes. Hybrid gloves are especially well-suited for foodservice and food processing as they are a natural fit for any application that requires a constant change of gloves.

Are synthetic vinyl gloves for everyone? Possibly not. Nitrile purists may be disinclined to deviate from their norm. But with prices rising and nitrile availability being limited, this is an excellent opportunity to see if synthetic vinyl will help meet all your disposable glove needs.