At Edmonton Fasteners, we believe in keeping hands healthy and protected. While we're not a skincare shop, we pride ourselves on offering hundreds of products designed to shield your hands from the rigors of daily tasks. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to protect your hands is by wearing the right pair of gloves. From burns and cuts to chemical exposure, gloves are an essential tool for anyone who works with their hands. We carry top-quality brands like Ansell, Bob Dale, Mechanix, Impacto, Milwaukee, Rigid, Superior, and many others. Today, we'll explore the different types of gloves, their materials, intended uses, and more. Whether you call them work gloves or safety gloves, these tools ensure your hands stay safe and functional during any task.

Materials

Let's start by discussing the various materials used in making safety gloves. You might notice that gloves come in different thicknesses, textures, and levels of flexibility. Here are some of the most common materials and their specific applications:

Leather

Leather gloves are typically crafted from cowhide, pigskin, or goat skin. Many people prefer leather because it's breathable, soft, flexible, and highly durable. Among these, cowhide is the most popular due to its superior abrasion resistance. Leather gloves are ideal for activities such as woodworking, landscaping, and outdoor labor.

Canvas

Made from the same tough fabric used in heavy-duty backpacks, canvas gloves are thick, resilient, and capable of withstanding sharp objects. These gloves offer excellent protection against cuts and blisters caused by strenuous work. Additionally, canvas gloves can be treated to become water-resistant.

Latex

Latex gloves are widely used across multiple industries, including food service, healthcare, automotive, and janitorial fields. With the ongoing pandemic, latex gloves have become increasingly popular for everyday use, such as grocery shopping. Latex is renowned for its ability to protect against bacteria, viruses, and bodily fluids. It's strong, thin, flexible, grippy, and provides excellent liquid and chemical resistance. Derived from rubber trees, latex gloves should not be used by individuals with latex allergies, even if they don't consume the gloves.

Nitrile

Nitrile gloves are often compared to latex gloves due to their similar appearance and functionality. Both are thin, stretchy, and disposable, commonly used in environments requiring latex-like protection. However, unlike latex, nitrile is a synthetic rubber compound. It outperforms latex in terms of puncture resistance and offers enhanced protection against oils and chemicals.

Polyurethane

Polyurethane gloves provide exceptional protection against oils, chemicals, solvents, cuts, and abrasions. They also offer superior grip for the wearer. Typically, polyurethane is coated onto fabric gloves to enhance durability without sacrificing flexibility or comfort.

PVC

PVC, short for Polyvinyl Chloride, is one of the world's most widely produced synthetic plastics. PVC gloves deliver unmatched grip, even in wet or oily conditions.

Cuffs

Do you ever consider cuffs when thinking about hand protection? While it may not seem obvious, the right cuff design can significantly reduce the risk of injury. Below, we outline several cuff options available for safety gloves.

Knit Wrist Cuff

As the name suggests, this cuff is knitted and fits snugly around the wrist. Its tight fit prevents dirt and debris from entering the glove. Knit cuffs are commonly found on leather, cotton, winter, and dipped gloves.

Ranch Cuff or Safety Cuff

This type of cuff is quite popular. It offers a loose fit and better ventilation, helping to prevent overheating by allowing airflow. Ranch cuffs are great for keeping gloves securely on your hands while remaining easy to remove when necessary.

Slip-On Cuff

Just as the name implies, this cuff allows your hand to slide easily into the glove. It has no seam between the glove and the cuff, making it ideal for jobs that require frequent glove removal.

Long Cuff (Gauntlet)

Gauntlet cuffs are long and loose, providing additional wrist and forearm protection. Although they cover more area than other cuffs, their loose fit and lack of fasteners often make them just as easy to take off as slip-on cuffs.

And there you have it—a concise guide to selecting gloves based on material and cuff type. Be sure to follow Edmonton Fasteners on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for more tips and updates. Stay safe and happy gloving!