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Nitrile or vinyl gloves

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have already decided the box should be large, and the two listings in front of you are about a pound apart. Nitrile or vinyl gloves is the remaining choice, and the small gap hides a different way of failing. Nitrile is the film UK trade guides point at for oil and a longer messy job. Vinyl is the cheaper film for a short task that is not fatty. Peter F. compared the eleven large listings on 20 October 2026. This is not a chemical breakthrough test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and badges are on the [Disposable gloves L comparison](/hub/medical-protection/disposable-gloves-l).

You have already decided the box should be large, and the two listings in front of you are about a pound apart. Nitrile or vinyl gloves is the remaining choice, and the small gap hides a different way of failing.

Our top picks

Gloveman Gloveman clear vinyl gloves, large, 100

Best overall

Gloveman Gloveman clear vinyl gloves, large, 100
9.2/10about £3.97
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by Amazon by Amazon blue nitrile gloves, large, 100

Rank 2

by Amazon by Amazon blue nitrile gloves, large, 100
9.2/10about £4.41
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MediHands MediHands clear vinyl gloves, large, 100

Alternative

MediHands MediHands clear vinyl gloves, large, 100
9.0/10about £3.49
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What is different once the size is large
  2. 2.What this set actually costs
  3. 3.When to pick which
  4. 4.The pound and the job

What is different once the size is large

Size L does not make the two materials the same glove in a different colour. Vinyl is less elastic, and these review notes associate it with splits while you are still pulling it on, especially with damp hands. Nitrile stretches more and is the tougher disposable against oils. It still holes if you treat it roughly. One note found nail-varnish remover a weak point. No latex box remains. Latex-free is the right direction for a latex allergy. None prints an EN ISO 374 code. Black nitrile at about £5.99 is not tougher than blue nitrile at the same stated 0.1 mm, and the black listing says not waterproof. Powder and AQL sit on the large disposable gloves buying guide.

What this set actually costs

The entry band, about £3.49 to £3.99, is all vinyl. MediHands is about £3.49 with AQL 1.5 and EN 455 stated. Gloveman is about £3.97, 4.6 from 11,611 reviews, with AQL 1.5 and no thickness. Unigloves clear vinyl is about £3.59, stated 0.06 mm, with powder and AQL lines that conflict. The cheapest nitrile is the by Amazon blue box at about £4.41, 4.6 from 9,310 reviews, with no thickness. Unigloves nitrile GS0034 is about £6.55, stated 0.09 mm, with AQL 1.5. The cheap-end gap is about 92 pence, from MediHands to that by Amazon nitrile, and it buys a different failure, not a gauntlet. The 0.35 g and 0.45 g by Amazon weights are not plausible box weights.
Gloveman Gloveman clear vinyl gloves, large, 100

Testsieger

Gloveman Gloveman clear vinyl gloves, large, 100
9.2/10about £3.97
View offer

When to pick which

Pick nitrile for oil, paint or a longer messy job. Start with the by Amazon box at about £4.41 if a light film is acceptable, and move to Unigloves at about £6.55 if you want AQL 1.5 on an examination nitrile. Pick vinyl when the job is short and not fatty. Gloveman at about £3.97 is the best value. MediHands at about £3.49 also says EN 455. Skip vinyl for cheese, pastry and garage oil. That limit is on disposable gloves for food prep. Solvents need breakthrough data these boxes do not provide. Who should skip a named box is best large disposable gloves.

The pound and the job

If the job is oil, paint or long enough for vinyl to split, the extra money from MediHands at about £3.49 to the by Amazon nitrile at about £4.41 is the point of this page. If the task is two minutes and not fatty, Gloveman at about £3.97 is the best value and the jump to about £6.55 only buys a printed AQL on nitrile, not a gauntlet. If the safety data sheet names a material and a breakthrough time, neither film in this set is the right glove.

Common questions

Are nitrile gloves better than vinyl for a large hand?
Nitrile is the better film when the job is oil, puncture or a longer mess, including on a large hand. Vinyl is the better buy when the task is short and not fatty and you want the cheaper box. Large does not cancel that split. A tight large still fails, and several vinyl boxes in this set attract size-up comments.
Is the extra pound or two worth it?
At the bottom of this set the gap is about 92 pence, from MediHands vinyl at about £3.49 to by Amazon nitrile at about £4.41. That is worth it when the job is oily or long enough for vinyl to split. It is not worth it for a two-minute, non-fatty task you will bin immediately. The jump to about £6.55 buys a printed AQL on nitrile, not a gauntlet.
Which one splits first?
Vinyl is the film the review notes associate with splits while you put the glove on, especially if your hands are damp. Nitrile still tears on a harder job, and the by Amazon nitrile is described as thin. There is no percentage tear rate in this comparison. Treat a split on the first glove as a reason to change material or size, not as bad luck you should force past.
Can vinyl do oily food?
Do not use vinyl on fatty food unless that box’s own line allows it. SMI Group UK and the Unigloves vinyl guide describe vinyl as a weak choice for oils and fats. In this set, Unigloves clear vinyl is the listing that says non-fatty food types. A food word on another vinyl title is not an EN 1186 test.
Are both latex-free in this set?
Yes. All eleven large boxes are described as latex-free, and no latex box remains. That is the right direction for a latex allergy. It is not a certificate that the glove resists the chemical on your cloth, and the Unigloves clear vinyl powder lines still conflict.
Does black versus blue change the material?
No. Black and blue nitrile at about £5.99 in this set share a stated 0.1 mm. Black hides dye and oil. Blue is easier to see in food. The black PRAIMA nitrile listing says the gloves are not waterproof, which is a listing limit, not a colour grade.
What thickness is actually listed?
Where the page states millimetres: Unigloves nitrile 0.09 mm, PRAIMA nitrile 0.1 mm, several vinyl boxes 0.11 mm, and Unigloves clear vinyl 0.06 mm. The by Amazon nitrile and vinyl pages do not state a thickness. A missing figure is not proof the glove is thick.
When is neither of them the right glove?
Neither is the right glove for a sterile procedure, a cytotoxic drug, or a safety data sheet that names a material and a breakthrough time. They are also the wrong glove for long immersion in a solvent. HSE expects you to avoid contact first, then match a chemical glove to the substance, which these household boxes do not do.

Related pages

Disposable gloves l

Best large disposable gloves for oil or short tasks

Large disposable gloves buying guide: size and powder

Disposable gloves for food prep, fat and handwashing

How to use disposable gloves on, off and when to change

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these eleven listings were read for a shelf date of 20 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.

  1. HSE glove selection (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. HSE latex in health and social care (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK regulating medical devices in the UK (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK timelines for CE-marked medical devices in Great Britain (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. NHS Supply Chain examination-glove clinical review, July 2018 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. SMI Group UK, gloves for food processing (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Unigloves UK disposable vinyl gloves guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. EasyGloves, how to measure your hand for gloves (retrieved 20 October 2026)