# Nitrile vs Latex vs Vinyl Gloves: A Commercial Buyer's Comparison > Seven disposable gloves compared side by side: material, thickness, price per glove and what each maker's listing says about food and latex. - **URL:** https://janitori.com/blogs/the-clean-room/nitrile-vs-latex-vs-vinyl-gloves **In this guide** - [What Is the Difference Between Nitrile, Latex and Vinyl Gloves?](#diff) - [Is Latex Still a Safe Choice for Kitchens and Janitorial Work?](#latex) - [Which Glove Costs Less Per Use?](#cost) - [Are Nitrile Gloves Worth More Than Vinyl?](#vinyl) - [How Do You Choose the Right Glove for the Job?](#choose) Buyers searching “nitrile vs latex gloves” usually want one answer: which disposable glove to stock. This guide compares seven live glove listings from our store side by side on material, thickness, price per glove and what each maker prints about food and latex. Latex-allergy statements come from the [CCOHS fact sheet on latex allergy](https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/latex.html) and the [CCOHS glove-selection fact sheet](https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/ppe/gloves.html); prices are CAD for the box of 100 on 2026-11-04 and change, so check the listing before you order. **Key takeaways** - In our live listings a 4-mil vinyl box of 100 costs $6.39 (about $0.06 a glove) against $19.30 for 4-mil nitrile (about $0.19) and $21.70 to $25.70 for 5-mil latex. - The CCOHS says latex protein can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled from glove powder, lists food service workers, housekeepers and janitors as at risk, and tells employers to use non-latex alternatives. - Every nitrile and latex listing compared here is powder-free and rated 4 to 5 mil, so the real differences are allergy risk, price and the food statement printed by the maker. - None of this is our testing: product statements are quoted from live listings on 2026-11-04, and a maker's food statement is where to start a letter-of-guarantee request, not the end of it. ## What Is the Difference Between Nitrile, Latex and Vinyl Gloves? The difference is the material and what it does to the hand and the budget: nitrile and vinyl are sold as latex-free options, latex is natural rubber, and in the listings below all seven are powder-free. | Glove listing | Material | Mil | Box of 100 / per glove (CAD) | What the listing says (as printed) | [PIP disposable](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/pip-disposable-gloves-nitrile-4-mil-powder-free-blue) | Nitrile | 4 | $19.30 / $0.19 | “Contains no natural rubber latex proteins; complies with FDA food handling requirements, 21 CFR 177.2601; accepted for use in Canadian food processing facilities” | [Ansell TouchNTuff 92-675](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/ansell-touchntuff-92-675-gloves-nitrile-5-mil-powder-free-blue) | Nitrile | 5 | $26.50 / $0.27 | “Provides three times the puncture resistance of competitive latex or vinyl gloves; accepted for use in Canadian food processing facilities” | [Ansell TouchNTuff 69-210](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/ansell-touchntuff-69-210-gloves-latex-5-mil-powder-free-natural) | Latex | 5 | $25.70 / $0.26 | “Accepted for use in Canadian food processing facilities; Caution: This product contains natural rubber latex which may cause allergic reactions in some individuals” | [Ansell TouchNTuff XT 69-318 (textured)](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/ansell-touchntuff-xt-69-318-gloves-latex-5-mil-powder-free-natural-class-2) | Latex | 5 | $21.70 / $0.22 | “Accepted for use in Canadian food processing facilities; Caution: This product contains natural rubber latex which may cause allergic reactions in some individuals” | [Superior Glove Works disposable](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/superior-glove-works-ltd-disposable-gloves-vinyl-4-mil-powder-free-white) | Vinyl | 4 | $6.39 / $0.06 | “Ideal for food or general industrial applications” | [Medicom examination grade](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/medicom-examination-grade-gloves-vinyl-4-mil-powder-free-clear-class-2) | Vinyl | 4 | — | “A great alternative to latex; ideal for delicate processing requiring control and manipulation of particulate matter” | [PIP examination](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/pip-examination-gloves-vinyl-5-mils-powder-free-clear-class-2) | Vinyl | 5 | — | “Latex-free; ideal for first aid, janitorial, food industry or other functions where disposable gloves are recommended” Thickness is in mil (thousandths of an inch) as printed in each title. The statements are quoted from the listing text; we have not tested any glove, and a listing statement is not a certificate. ## Is Latex Still a Safe Choice for Kitchens and Janitorial Work? Not for everyone: the CCOHS says reactions to natural latex rubber are a serious concern for workers who become sensitized, and it names food service workers and housekeepers/janitors among occupations at risk. The same fact sheet says the allergenic protein can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled with powder, and that employers should use non-latex alternatives where they can. Both Ansell latex listings here are powder-free and say “Accepted for use in Canadian food processing facilities”, but each carries a natural rubber latex caution, so the call is yours and your staff's. ## Which Glove Costs Less Per Use? Vinyl, by a wide margin: the 4-mil Superior vinyl box of 100 is $6.39, about $0.06 a glove, against $19.30 (about $0.19) for the 4-mil PIP nitrile. Nitrile at 5 mil ($26.50, about $0.27) and latex at 5 mil ($21.70 to $25.70, about $0.22 to $0.26) sit in the same band. At 20 gloves per shift, 4-mil vinyl costs roughly $1.28 against $3.86 for 4-mil nitrile; prices vary by listing, so run the same arithmetic on your own volume. ## Are Nitrile Gloves Worth More Than Vinyl? Only if the task needs what the maker claims for it: the TouchNTuff 92-675 listing claims three times the puncture resistance of competitive latex or vinyl gloves, while vinyl listings pitch price and latex-free use. The PIP vinyl listing positions the glove for “first aid, janitorial, food industry or other functions where disposable gloves are recommended”, and the Superior listing says “Ideal for food or general industrial applications”. Neither makes a puncture claim, so test a sample for your task before you buy a case. ## How Do You Choose the Right Glove for the Job? Start with who wears them, then the food statement, then price: four steps cover it. - **1.** Rule out latex first: If anyone who wears or works near the gloves may be latex-sensitive, choose a non-latex glove; the CCOHS tells employers to use alternative non-latex products. - **2.** Read the food statement: For food contact, look for the maker's own food statement in the listing, then follow the paperwork steps in [our food-safe gloves guide](/blogs/the-clean-room/nitrile-gloves-food-safe). - **3.** Match thickness to the task: Mil is a thousandth of an inch. The seven gloves here run 4 to 5 mil; compare the same mil across materials before comparing price. - **4.** Divide the box price by 100: Cost per glove, not cost per box, is the number to compare; then multiply by gloves used per shift. ## Frequently Asked Questions ## Is nitrile better than latex? It depends on who wears the glove. Nitrile removes the latex-protein risk the CCOHS describes, while latex listings such as the [TouchNTuff 69-210](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/ansell-touchntuff-69-210-gloves-latex-5-mil-powder-free-natural) carry a natural rubber latex caution. The 92-675 listing claims three times the puncture resistance of competitive latex or vinyl gloves; that is the maker's claim, not our testing. ## Are vinyl gloves latex-free? Two vinyl listings say so in their own text: the [PIP examination glove](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/pip-examination-gloves-vinyl-5-mils-powder-free-clear-class-2) states “Latex-free” and the [Medicom examination glove](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/medicom-examination-grade-gloves-vinyl-4-mil-powder-free-clear-class-2) calls itself “a great alternative to latex”. Check each listing rather than assuming. ## Can you use latex gloves for food handling? Both Ansell latex listings in the table say “Accepted for use in Canadian food processing facilities”, with a natural rubber latex caution. The CCOHS lists food service workers among occupations at risk of latex allergy, so many kitchens choose non-latex. ## What does mil mean on a glove? A mil is one thousandth of an inch, so a 5-mil glove is 0.005 in thick. Listings show it in the title, for example the 4-mil PIP nitrile versus the 5-mil TouchNTuff. ## Related Articles - [Are Nitrile Gloves Food Safe in Canada? What the Listing Must Say](/blogs/the-clean-room/nitrile-gloves-food-safe) - [Garbage Bag Sizes: A Commercial Size Chart in Inches, Litres and Mils](/blogs/the-clean-room/garbage-bag-sizes) - [Childcare Cleaning: What to Clean, How Often, and With What](/blogs/the-clean-room/childcare-cleaning) [Shop Disposable & Chemical Gloves](https://janitori.com/en-ca/collections/disposable-chemical-gloves)