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Disposable PVC Plastic Gloves (Examination — Powder-Free)
Gloves

Disposable PVC Plastic Gloves (Examination — Powder-Free)

Pack Sizes Available

100 per box (standard size S, M, L, XL) — the global standard for disposable examination gloves

Product Description

The examination glove needs to do one job very well: go on quickly, fit reasonably, stay on through a clinical interaction, and come off cleanly without turning itself inside out and depositing whatever was on the outer surface onto the wearer's bare hand. PVC examination gloves have been doing this job reliably for decades. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) gloves — often called vinyl gloves — occupy the practical middle ground in the examination glove market. They are less elastic than latex and less conforming than nitrile, which makes them less suitable for prolonged fine-motor procedures. But for the majority of examination-level clinical tasks — bed changes, non-sterile wound inspection, medication handling, specimen collection, patient hygiene, and general infection control use — PVC gloves are entirely appropriate, significantly less expensive than nitrile, and latex-free, which eliminates the latex allergy risk entirely for both patient and healthcare worker. The powder-free format has become the standard clinical specification. Powdered gloves were the historical format — the powder (cornstarch) made donning faster and easier. But in clinical environments, the powder carries proteins that accumulate on the outer glove surface and has been associated with airborne particle contamination of clinical environments, wound contamination, and post-surgical adhesion formation. The FDA banned powdered surgeon's gloves in 2016. For clinical use, powder-free is always the correct specification. The 100-glove box in four standard sizes (S, M, L, XL) is the global supply format for examination gloves. A box at every ward station, resupply on a standard schedule — this is the most fundamental consumable procurement pattern in any clinical facility, anywhere in the world. For medical glove importers, hospital PPE distributors, and examination supplies buyers — PVC examination gloves represent one of the most volume-intensive and steadily reordered product categories in clinical supply. Sara Wellness exports disposable examination gloves to international wholesale buyers. Box and carton quantities, multiple size options, and fifteen years of export experience on every shipment.

Technical Specifications

  • Material: PVC (polyvinyl chloride) synthetic polymer; powder-free (standard clinical specification — no cornstarch); transparent/clear; latex-free — no risk of Type I latex hypersensitivity; ambidextrous fit (one glove fits both hands)
  • Available Sizes: XS | S | M | L | XL; ambidextrous design; beaded cuff for rolled-off donning; clear/transparent for visual inspection of hand during procedure; snug-enough fit for examination-level tasks
  • Quality Standard: Medical-grade examination gloves: AQL 1.5 per EN 455-1 (European) or ASTM D5250 (US); tensile strength, elongation, and thickness per EN 455-2; biocompatibility per EN 455-3; shelf life marking per EN 455-4; FDA Class I exempt medical device (US); CE marked
  • Pack Size: 100 per box (universal examination glove pack format — confirmed from all major distributors); 1,000 per carton (10 boxes/case); size-specific boxes; bulk mixed-size cartons for institutional procurement with diverse size requirements
  • Applications: Non-sterile examination and general clinical tasks; patient hygiene and bed care; specimen collection and handling; medication handling; wound inspection (non-sterile); cleaning and disinfection tasks; food service and industrial use (appropriate for non-critical exposure tasks)
  • Not Recommended For: Sterile surgical procedures (sterile surgical gloves required); chemotherapy drug handling (ASTM D6978 rated gloves required); prolonged fine-motor procedures requiring high elasticity and tactile sensitivity (nitrile preferred); any use where latex-equivalent performance is required
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

PVC vinyl examination gloves are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a synthetic polymer. The PVC is processed with plasticisers (typically DEHP or non-DEHP alternatives) to create a flexible, workable glove material. Medical-grade PVC gloves are manufactured to EN 455 (European standard for medical gloves) or ASTM D5250 (US standard for PVC examination gloves) and undergo quality testing for physical properties (tensile strength, elongation, thickness) and freedom from holes (acceptable quality level, AQL). Medical-grade PVC gloves are safe for the majority of examination and non-sterile clinical procedures. They do not contain natural rubber latex, eliminating the risk of Type I latex hypersensitivity reactions in both healthcare workers and patients. PVC gloves are not appropriate for sterile surgical procedures (sterile surgical gloves with higher quality standards are required) or for handling chemotherapy drugs, where thicker gloves with specific chemical resistance ratings are needed.

The three main examination glove materials differ in elasticity, barrier properties, chemical resistance, and cost. Latex (natural rubber): highest elasticity and tactile sensitivity, best fit for dextrous procedures, but carries significant allergy risk (Type I latex hypersensitivity affects 1-6% of healthcare workers and up to 17% of surgical patients with repeated latex exposure). Nitrile (synthetic rubber): excellent elasticity, very good chemical resistance, latex-free, suitable for most clinical procedures including many involving chemical exposure, currently the most widely specified examination glove in developed healthcare markets. PVC vinyl: least elastic, lowest tactile sensitivity, adequate for most examination-level procedures, latex-free, lowest cost of the three. For budget-sensitive high-volume use where fine-motor dexterity is not required (bed care, general examination, specimen handling), PVC vinyl is a clinically appropriate and economical choice.

The US FDA banned powdered surgeon's gloves in 2016 and has issued safety communications on powdered examination gloves due to documented risks. Cornstarch powder added to facilitate donning carries proteins including latex proteins (from the glove surface) that can become aerosolised in clinical environments, contributing to airborne latex sensitisation in healthcare workers. In surgical settings, glove powder has been associated with wound contamination, post-surgical adhesion formation, and granuloma development. The ASTM and EN examination glove standards now strongly favour powder-free specifications. For clinical procurement, powder-free PVC gloves are always the appropriate specification. Powdered variants remain in use in non-clinical settings including food service and industrial applications where the clinical concerns do not apply.

AQL (Acceptable Quality Level) for medical examination gloves is the maximum acceptable percentage of defective (pinholed) gloves in a batch at a specified sampling confidence level. Medical-grade examination gloves must meet AQL 1.5 or better per EN 455-1 (European) or ASTM D5250 (US) standards. AQL 1.5 means that no more than 1.5% of gloves in a production lot are allowed to have detectable pinholes. Surgical gloves have a tighter specification: AQL 0.65 or better. Many premium medical PVC gloves now quote AQL 1.0. When sourcing examination gloves for clinical use, buyers should specify AQL 1.5 minimum and request batch certificate documentation. Industrial and food-service grade PVC gloves are often sold to looser AQL specifications (AQL 2.5 or 4.0) and should not be substituted in clinical environments.

Medical examination gloves are universally packed at 100 gloves per box (50 pairs for paired use, or 100 individual ambidextrous gloves). Ten boxes of 100 (1,000 gloves total) make a standard carton. This is the industry-standard pack format used by all major examination glove manufacturers and distributors globally. Hospital consumption varies enormously by ward type and patient volume. A 30-bed general medical ward at 90% occupancy with average 4 glove pair uses per bed per shift across 3 shifts uses approximately 650 gloves per day (roughly 7 boxes). An ICU with higher-frequency patient contact uses proportionally more. Procurement managers typically calculate monthly consumption by ward and maintain a 4-6 week stock buffer. For export buyers, Sara Wellness supplies both box quantities for smaller orders and full carton quantities for institutional and wholesale procurement.

Standard medical-grade PVC vinyl examination gloves are not recommended for handling chemotherapy drugs or other hazardous drugs (antineoplastics, reproductive toxins, narcotics) without specific validation. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and NIOSH guidelines specify that chemotherapy gloves must be tested and rated for chemotherapy permeation per ASTM D6978. Standard PVC examination gloves are not tested to this standard and may allow permeation of certain chemotherapy agents that would not be detectable to the handler. For chemotherapy preparation and administration, chemotherapy-rated nitrile or neoprene gloves (or double gloves with a chemotherapy outer glove) should be used per your facility's pharmacy hazardous drug safe handling policy. For general examination and non-drug-handling clinical tasks, standard PVC examination gloves are appropriate.

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The examination glove is so ubiquitous in clinical practice that its absence is what gets noticed. Every patient contact. Every blood draw. Every dressing change. Every examination that involves any fluid, any mucous membrane, any compromised skin. The glove is the last physical barrier between the clinician and the patient, and between the patient and every pathogen that might be carried on a clinician's hands. It does a very simple job, and it must do that job reliably a thousand times a day across an entire hospital. Examination gloves for clinical use are available in nitrile or natural latex formulations, powder-free, designed for the single-use procedures that constitute most clinical hand contact. The shift to nitrile over the past two decades has been driven by latex allergy prevalence — both among healthcare workers who develop occupational latex sensitisation from repeated exposure and among patients with pre-existing latex allergies — and nitrile now accounts for the majority of examination glove volume in markets with well-developed healthcare procurement systems. Nitrile examination gloves are manufactured from acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, a synthetic polymer that provides excellent mechanical strength, chemical resistance to most common clinical disinfectants and patient fluids, and a tensile force at break that meets international standards for examination grade hand protection. Nitrile is particularly resistant to puncture compared to latex, an important property during procedures where needles, scalpels, or suture needles are managed in the same sterile field. The glove is powder-free — talc-free — which eliminates the contamination and inflammatory response risks associated with powdered gloves, which have been effectively phased out of clinical markets. The pre-powdered inner surface of modern powder-free nitrile gloves is achieved through a polymer coating on the inner surface that provides donning slip without loose powder. For hospital procurement offices and healthcare distribution companies, examination gloves are one of the highest-volume consumable categories in any supply chain. Indian glove manufacturing is a significant global production source, with DGCI-certified manufacturers producing to EN 455, ASTM D6319, and CE standards. Sara Wellness exports examination gloves to healthcare distributors in international markets.