Guide

Glove Coatings Compared: Nitrile, PU, Latex, and PVC

By the Innovative Gloves & Safety technical team. Published August 2026, last reviewed August 2026.

For grip on oily or greasy parts, a sandy or foam nitrile coating is almost always the right call: nitrile shrugs off the petroleum oils that break latex down, and the texture channels oil away from your palm. Reach for polyurethane on fine, dry precision work, latex for maximum dry grip in cold or wet (not oily) handling, and PVC for waterproofing and chemical splash. Match the coating to the surface and the conditions, not to the price tag.

What does the coating actually do?

On a coated work glove, the shell yarn and the coating do two different jobs. The shell (HPPE, a steel or fiberglass blend, cotton, or a synthetic knit) sets the cut level and the fit. The coating bonded to the palm and fingers sets the grip, the abrasion life, and much of the feel. So the honest way to spec a glove is to pick the shell for the hazard and the coating for the surface you are gripping and the conditions you are gripping it in.

Nitrile vs PU vs latex vs PVC: the quick comparison

Scale Poor Fair Good Very good Excellent

General guidance for palm-coated knit work gloves. Exact grip and life vary with dip weight and shell, so trial a sample on your own parts.
Coating	Dry grip	Light oil	Heavy oil	Dexterity	Abrasion life	Best for
Polyurethane (PU)	Very good	Fair	Poor	Excellent	Fair	Fine, dry precision and assembly
Foam nitrile	Very good	Good	Fair	Very good	Very good	General handling, light-oil parts, all-day wear
Sandy nitrile	Very good	Very good	Excellent	Good	Very good	Oily or greasy metal, machining, slick parts
Smooth nitrile	Good	Fair	Poor	Good	Very good	General purpose, dry to light oil
Latex	Excellent	Poor	Poor	Good	Good	Dry grip, cold and wet (water) handling
PVC	Good	Good	Good	Poor	Very good	Wet, chemical splash, cold outdoor work

Why does nitrile win on oily metal?

Petroleum oils swell and weaken natural-rubber latex, so a latex palm turns slick and wears out fast on greasy parts. Nitrile is oil-resistant, so it keeps both its grip and its structure. Texture then decides how much oil it moves. A sandy finish has thousands of micro-points that bite through the oil film and channel it off the contact patch, which is why it is the usual first pick for heavy oil and slick metal. A foam or micro-foam finish soaks up a thin film for grip while keeping more fingertip feel. Rule of thumb: heavy or constant oil goes to sandy nitrile; a light film plus fine work goes to foam nitrile.

Nitrile textures, from smoothest to most aggressive grip.
Texture	Grip strength	Best surface	Feel
Smooth	Moderate	Dry, light handling	Closest to bare hand
Foam / micro-foam	Strong	Light oil, all-day wear	Soft, breathable, good fingertip feel
Sandy	Strongest	Heavy oil, wet, slick metal	Rougher, most aggressive

When should you pick PU, latex, or PVC instead?

Polyurethane is the thinnest, most sensitive coating, so it wins dry precision work: electronics, small fasteners, inspection, and assembly where you want to feel what you are holding. It is slick once real oil is involved. Latex gives the strongest dry grip and holds up in cold and wet (water) handling like construction and cold storage, as long as there is no oil and nobody on the line has a latex allergy. PVC trades dexterity for waterproofing, chemical-splash resistance, and cold-weather durability, which is why you see it on longer gauntlet styles for wet and outdoor work. PVC handles many acids and bases but not solvents like ketones, so check permeation data for your specific chemical or ask us.

Does the coating change the cut rating?

Not directly. Cut resistance comes from the shell yarn and its ANSI cut level, not from the coating. What a coating does is add abrasion life and let you run a thinner, higher-dexterity cut shell while keeping grip. If a job needs both cut protection and oily grip, that is a spec, not a compromise: pair a cut-rated HPPE shell with a sandy or foam nitrile palm. Several of our A4 to A6 cut-resistant lines are built exactly that way. If you are reading an imported glove's markings, our EN388 guide shows where the coating and cut scores live on the label.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best glove coating for oily or greasy parts?
Sandy or foam nitrile. Nitrile resists the petroleum oils that degrade latex, and the texture channels oil away for grip. Use sandy nitrile for heavy oil and foam nitrile when you need more dexterity on a lighter film.

Is nitrile or polyurethane better?
It depends on the surface. Nitrile wins on oil, wet, and durability; polyurethane wins on thin, dry, high-dexterity precision work. PU turns slick once oil is involved.

Why do latex gloves lose grip on oil?
Petroleum oils swell and break down natural-rubber latex, so the palm goes slick and wears out. Nitrile is oil-resistant and keeps its grip.

Which glove coating is most durable?
PVC and nitrile last longest against abrasion. Polyurethane usually wears through first because it is the thinnest coating. Real-world life also depends on the dip weight and how the glove is used.

Can one glove give both cut resistance and oily grip?
Yes. Pair a cut-rated HPPE shell with a sandy or foam nitrile palm. Tell us the hazard and the surface and we will spec it and send a free sample.

Not sure which coating fits your parts? Tell us the surface, the conditions, and your current glove, and we will spec a line and ship a free sample to test on the floor.