The Best Disposable Glove Colors: A Comprehensive Guide

Summary – Disposable glove colors are up to the user, with the general points listed below, and aren’t related to fashion. Gloves can be dyed any color according to the manufacturer’s specs.

7 Most Common Disposable Nitrile Glove Colors

Disposable gloves come in many different colors. Manufacturers add a dye that doesn’t impact the strength of the material. You may be wondering what color correlates to which application. Which glove color is right for you? Let’s find out…

1. Blue Disposable Gloves

Blue gloves are the most common across all medical and scientific applications. They match much of the disposable apparel worn by doctors and nurses. Essential medical exams and nurses who administer vaccines use blue gloves because they are easy to supply and inexpensive. However, blue gloves—unless otherwise specified—don’t protect against chemotherapy drugs and other highly corrosive substances. For this reason, blue gloves are ideal for basic medical and scientific applications.

2. Black Disposable Gloves

Black nitrile gloves are used by mechanics, law enforcement, and other industrial applications that benefit from quickly spotting white substances. Postal workers famously use black nitrile gloves to test illicit materials found in mailrooms. Tattoo artists love black nitrile gloves because they easily hide ink stains and can withstand tearing.

3. Orange Disposable Gloves

Orange nitrile gloves are favored by auto mechanics for their ability to reveal dark grease and oil stains. They are prominent in tight spaces as well. Petroleum workers consider Grabber Orange Nitrile Gloves a mainstay for their applications. These aren’t your average gloves – nitrile is effective against a broad range of chemicals and is 100% latex free.

4. Pink Disposable Gloves

Pink exam gloves by Generation Pink support the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The NBCF has provided over 1.7 million resources to women in need. Every purchase of pink exam gloves supports the NBCF’s mission to educate women on breast health, treat those with cancer, and provide research grants for a cure. Pink gloves are exclusively used by doctors, nurses, and other health professionals who wish to support the NBCF's mission.

5. Purple Disposable Gloves

Purple nitrile exam gloves are rated to be suitable for chemotherapy applications and are considered friendlier to patients. Some find that blue is too closely associated with cold hospital exam tables, so patients are more receptive to purple and pink gloves. Competitors’ purple exam gloves may not be suitable for chemotherapy, but purple gloves from Harmony are ideal for such applications.

6. White Disposable Gloves

White gloves are typically made from latex. Natural latex rubber is white in the manufacturing process, and while synthetic glove materials like nitrile can be dyed any color, latex remains natural. Since latex can already cause allergies, adding a dye may worsen reactions. White gloves, whether latex or nitrile, are useful as a base layer to detect tears when double gloving. Cleanrooms favor white gloves because they allow for the easy detection of contaminants. EMTs may also use white gloves, although blood quickly shows on all light-colored gloves.

7. Green Disposable Gloves

Green disposable gloves are used by healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, at-home care professionals, and surgeons. Green nitrile gloves allow medical facilities to color-code their gloves for different uses and sizes. Hospitals and exam rooms may have dispensers with varied glove colors for different usages and protective levels—for example, one compartment may hold size medium gloves and another box large.

Double Gloving and Glove Colors

Doctors often double-glove in highly infectious situations to protect against tears. By wearing a white glove as a base layer and a second purple exam glove over it, any tear or abrasion will be quickly visible as the white shows through the purple layer. Double gloving is effective against bloodborne pathogens and other infectious materials, reducing exposure by as much as 87%.

Conclusion – What Do the Colors of Disposable Gloves Mean?

The traditional glove colors were simple—latex gloves were naturally white, and latex alternatives were blue. However, because synthetic glove materials can be made in any color, the choice is ultimately up to the consumer. Laboratory and cleanroom environments use different glove colors to prevent cross-contamination. For instance, a white glove may have a lower ISO rating than a blue glove, allowing employees to easily distinguish between them.

Some individuals may be allergic to specific dyes used in nitrile glove manufacturing. To mitigate this, purple exam gloves can be beneficial for those with sensitivities to blue dyes. Blue #2 is commonly used in medical exam gloves and can cause reactions in a small portion of the population.

Where to Buy Colored Disposable Gloves?

Looking for disposable gloves? Harmony has 16+ years of experience providing the ideal personal protective equipment to hospitals, cleanrooms, industrial manufacturing facilities, and research centers. Browse our extensive selection of gloves in our disposable gloves category and find the perfect pair to suit your needs.