Latex exam gloves are made from natural rubber latex and cleared by FDA as patient-examination gloves under product code LYY. As quoted in manufacturers’ 510(k) summaries, the latex specification (ASTM D3578) calls for more stretch than nitrile — at least 650% elongation, against 500%. Natural rubber latex can also cause allergic reactions, so FDA requires every device that contains natural rubber to carry this caution: “Caution: This Product Contains Natural Rubber Latex Which May Cause Allergic Reactions.” FDA also prohibits calling such a device “hypoallergenic.”
When you compare latex gloves, read the thickness and its location, the AQL, any coating the manufacturer states, and whether the box is powder-free — every legally marketed exam glove is. OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard requires employers to make alternatives readily accessible to employees who are allergic to the gloves normally provided — our nitrile and vinyl exam gloves are listed separately.
We carry Cranberry’s Cyntek latex exam glove — mint green, textured, with a lanolin and vitamin E coating, 4.3–5.1 mil as stated by Cranberry — and source other latex lines on request.
