What difference does texture make on a disposable glove?

June 3, 2024

Glove School With The Glove Experts - Lesson 1
The three types of glove textures on disposable gloves

Did you know that race cars use smooth tyres, while tyres designed for off-road adventures have the deepest treads? There’s a good reason for that.

It is well-known that the more tread on a tyre, the better traction. A glove is similar. With more texture, the stronger the grip.

And just like a tyre, different texture types are best for specific applications.

There are three main glove textures – smooth, textured, and raised texture.

Let’s discuss each of their advantages.

Glove Texture 1 - Smooth

Smooth gloves have no texture, they prioritise touch sensitivity over grip strength. Without the added texturing process, smooth gloves are typically more cost-effective than textured gloves.

Some smooth gloves feature textured fingers for an enhanced hold on smaller items, commonly known as ‘finger textured grip’.

Glove Texture 2 - Textured

The allrounder for trade use. There are two types of textured gloves, textured or micro-textured.

This texture type mimics your hand’s natural grip, with a little upgrade.

The difference between textured & micro-textured is subtle. Textured gloves have a slightly rougher surface, enhancing grip in wet, dry, and slippery environments.

Micro-textured gloves also improve grip but have a finer texture that maintains good touch sensitivity.

Glove Texture 3 - Raised/Patterned

There are a few versions of raised textured gloves. The most popular is raised diamond texture (RDT). RDT provides incredible grip in any condition, channelling liquid into the grooves, the raised texture keeps your grip strong in wet, dry, and greasy environments.

Another popular version of raised texture is fish scale texture. Different types of raised textured gloves do similar jobs of strengthening your hold and preventing items from dropping or slipping when working in slippery conditions.