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Disposable gloves buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are looking at a dispenser box on amazon.co.uk and the stars are already high. They do not tell you whether the film will survive butter, paint or a snug cuff. This disposable gloves buying guide is the order for a box of about 100, before you trust a rating. The [Disposable gloves 100 comparison](/hub/medical-protection/disposable-gloves-100) holds the twelve listings and the prices. You choose the job, then the material, then one box you can return if the size is wrong. Peter F. used the listings dated 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are looking at a dispenser box on amazon.co.uk and the stars are already high. They do not tell you whether the film will survive butter, paint or a snug cuff.

Our top picks

Merrimen Merrimen black nitrile, large

Best overall

Merrimen Merrimen black nitrile, large
9.4/10about £5.99
View offer
by Amazon by Amazon blue nitrile, large

Best value

by Amazon by Amazon blue nitrile, large
9.2/10about £4.41
View offer
Farla Medical MediHands clear vinyl, medium

Alternative

Farla Medical MediHands clear vinyl, medium
9.0/10about £3.49
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the job, not the star rating
  2. 2.What a box of 100 actually contains
  3. 3.Size, and why several boxes feel small
  4. 4.Standards worth reading, and words that are not
  5. 5.When the order is settled

Start with the job, not the star rating

A short, dry food task can be clear vinyl or loose polyethylene. Raw meat, oil, salon chemicals and garage dirt point to nitrile. If ordinary nitrile keeps splitting, you want a stated heavy mil, which here is a 50-count. None of these listings is a sterile pair pack. White spirit on a brush is the wrong job for a vinyl box near £3.49. The Health and Safety Executive wants a chemical chart and a breakthrough time, which these listings do not include. The named boxes are on nitrile or vinyl gloves.

What a box of 100 actually contains

A box of 100 here is 100 single ambidextrous gloves, not 100 pairs. by Amazon, MediHands, PRAIMA, Merrimen, ABENA, 1ABOVE and PRO are boxes of 100. Safe Health is 1,000 at about £43.95. Brandon-super is 500 at about £9.99. The Real Touch is 50 at about £6.99. Buy the hundred first when reviews say the marked size feels small. The titles say powder-free and latex-free, and none is natural rubber latex.
Merrimen Merrimen black nitrile, large

Testsieger

Merrimen Merrimen black nitrile, large
9.4/10about £5.99
View offer

Size, and why several boxes feel small

UK reviews on MediHands medium, PRAIMA vinyl, 1ABOVE small, ABENA large and Real Touch large say the marked size feels small. Buy one size up in a single box before a case. Gloves.co.uk lists about 203 mm palm circumference for medium. That chart was not measured on these listings.

Standards worth reading, and words that are not

NHS Supply Chain points at BS EN 455, an AQL of 1.5, a force at break of 6.0 N for nitrile and 3.6 N for vinyl, and a powder limit. NHS Wales notes powder-free means residual powder at or below 2 mg per glove. None of these listings includes that report. Ignore Merrimen at 1 mm and Brandon-super at 0.7 mm. The Real Touch is where 8.5 mil and 0.22 mm agree. PRO’s 3.5 g is a weight, not a mil.

When the order is settled

If the job is ordinary dirt and a light film is enough, start with a large nitrile box of 100 and check the medium sibling on the live page. If the task is short and dry, clear vinyl is the cheaper film. If you need a thickness you can quote, use the 50-count that states 8.5 mil.

Common questions

Are a box of 100 gloves 100 pairs?
No. In this comparison a pack of 100 is 100 single ambidextrous gloves, so 50 pairs if you use one on each hand. The title count is the glove count, not a pair count. A case of 1,000 and a pack of 50 or 500 are different products that happen to sit in the same comparison.
Should I buy nitrile, vinyl, or the thin plastic gloves?
Buy vinyl or polyethylene for a short, low-risk task, and nitrile when the glove has to meet oil, raw meat, or household chemicals. The thin plastic pack here is Brandon-super, 500 pieces, and UK reviews say it fails under pressure. Neither vinyl nor a chemical-resistant nitrile bullet is a chemical chart.
What size if reviews say they run small?
Order one size up from the size you think you wear, in a single box, and try it before a case. Several UK reviews on these listings say medium and large feel small. A tape-measure chart is only a starting point, because these listings were not measured to that chart.
What does powder-free mean?
On a medical examination glove, powder-free means residual powder at or below 2 mg per glove under the notes NHS Wales publishes for EN 455-3. These food and DIY titles say powder-free without printing that test. Powder still matters because it contaminates food and spreads latex proteins when latex is present. This comparison is not latex.
Does a 4.6-star box mean EN 455?
No. Stars are the amazon.co.uk rating. EN 455, the AQL and the force-at-break figures apply when the product shows them. None of these listings includes that report. PRO’s EN 420 bullet is a different, more general claim, and it is still only a bullet.
Is 3.5 mil the same as 3.5 g?
No. Safe Health states 3.5 mil, which is a thickness. PRO’s title says 3.5 g, which is a weight, and the box of 100 weighs 430 g. Do not treat the gram figure as a mil. The Real Touch is the listing where 8.5 mil and 0.22 mm describe the same thickness.
When is a case of 1,000 a bad idea?
It is a bad idea before you know the size fits. Safe Health is medium only, at about £43.95, with 35 reviews on the UK line and written reviews that are not from the UK. A box of 100 that you can return teaches the size. The case is the refill after that.

Related pages

Disposable gloves for food prep

Best disposable gloves 100

Disposable gloves 100

How to use disposable gloves at home or in a kitchen

Nitrile or vinyl gloves for oil, food or a short job

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these twelve listings were read on 19 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.

  1. HSE latex allergies (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE choosing gloves (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE catering and skin (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. FSA Safer Food, Better Business handwashing (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. FSA E. coli cross-contamination guidance (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. NHS Supply Chain examination glove specification (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. NHS Wales medical glove notes (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. NHS England putting on and removing PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  9. Bromley food business FAQ (retrieved 19 October 2026)