A complete powder-free nitrile exam glove datasheet should state the material, grade, color, powder content, shape, cuff, surface finish, shelf life, AQL, force at break, elongation, dimensions by size, standards and packaging. If any of these lines are missing, ask the factory before you place an order. Below we walk through each specification using the real KG-1101 3.5g datasheet from our production line as the worked example.
Why Does the Datasheet Matter More Than the Brochure?
Importers often compare gloves on two numbers: price per box and gram weight. Both matter, but they do not tell you whether the glove will pass inspection in your market or survive a long sea voyage plus warehouse time. A proper specification sheet is the document your quality team, your customs broker and, in regulated markets, your local registration file will all refer back to. When a factory can hand you a one-page datasheet with measured values and tolerances, that is also a signal that the line runs under a documented quality system. Our plant in Taishan, Guangdong operates under ISO 13485, and the values below come from the same sheets we issue with export shipments.
What Do the General Description Lines Mean?
The top block of a nitrile glove datasheet defines what the glove is made of and how it is built.
Material: nitrile, latex-free. Nitrile butadiene rubber is the standard alternative to natural rubber latex. It removes the latex protein allergy risk for the wearer and offers better resistance to oils and many chemicals. "Latex-free" should be printed explicitly, because many tenders and hospital purchasing rules require the wording.
Grade: medical and food. A medical grade glove is manufactured and tested as an examination glove, referenced against standards such as EN 455. A food grade statement, typically tied to EN 1186 food-contact testing, means the same glove can be sold into food processing and catering channels. One SKU carrying both grades simplifies your inventory.
Color. Blue is the industry default for nitrile because it is easy to spot against skin and food, and fragments are visible if a glove tears during processing. Color is cosmetic, but for food buyers it is a practical requirement, so it belongs on the datasheet.
Powder content: powder-free. Older exam gloves used cornstarch powder to make donning easier. Powder can carry latex proteins into the air, contaminate wounds and food, and interfere with some laboratory work, so most regulated markets now expect powder-free as the default. We cover this in the FAQ below.
Shape, cuff and surface finish. Ambidextrous means one glove fits either hand, which doubles picking speed and halves SKU complexity versus handed gloves. A beaded cuff is a rolled rim that strengthens the cuff edge and makes the glove easier to pull on without tearing. The surface finish line tells you about grip and donning treatment: "textured fingertips" adds grip where you hold instruments, and "surface-chlorinated" means the glove was washed in a chlorine solution to reduce surface tack so it dons smoothly without powder.
What Do the Physical Property Numbers Mean?
This block is where quality is actually measured.
AQL 1.5. Acceptable Quality Limit defines the maximum defect rate for pinholes in a sampled batch. AQL 1.5 is the common requirement for medical examination gloves: the lower the number, the fewer leaking gloves you should expect per hundred.
Force at break. Measured in newtons, this is the tensile force needed to snap a standard test strip cut from the glove. Our KG-1101 3.5g nitrile gloves are specified at 6 N or more, both unaged and after accelerated aging. The aged value matters: it predicts how the glove performs at the end of its shelf life, not just fresh off the line. Heavier variants go higher; the 5.0g KG-1101 is specified at 7 N.
Elongation. A value of 400% means the test strip stretches to five times its original length before breaking. High elongation is what lets one glove size fit a range of hands and resist tearing at the cuff during donning.
Shelf life: 5 years. Nitrile degrades slowly through oxidation, and heat accelerates it. A stated five-year shelf life, backed by the aged physical values above, tells you the manufacturer has tested the glove after aging, not just at production. Our datasheets also state an application temperature limit of 40 degrees C, which is worth noting for warehouses without climate control.
Worked Example: The KG-1101 3.5g Datasheet
Here is the full specification block exactly as it appears on the KG-1101 3.5g sheet, so you can use it as a checklist against any supplier quote.
| Specification | KG-1101 3.5g Value | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Item code | KG-1101 | Matches the code printed on the box |
| Material | Nitrile, latex-free | “Latex-free” printed explicitly |
| Grade | Medical grade, food grade | Both channels covered by one SKU |
| Color | Blue | Industry default, visible against food |
| Powder content | Powder-free | Required by most regulated markets |
| Shape | Ambidextrous | One glove fits either hand |
| Cuff | Beaded cuff | Resists tearing during donning |
| Surface finish | Textured fingertips, surface-chlorinated | Grip plus powder-free donning |
| Shelf life | 5 years | Backed by aged physical values |
| AQL level | 1.5 | Medical examination standard |
| Force at break | ≥6 N | Unaged and after aging |
| Elongation | ≥400% | Before and after aging |
| Standards | EN 455, EN 374, EN 1186 | Medical, chemical, food contact |
| Packaging | 100 pcs/box, 10 boxes/carton | Basis for carton and container math |
How Should Dimensions Be Stated by Size?
A serious datasheet gives length, width and unit weight per size, with tolerances. Gloves are normally sold by gram weight at size M, so the width table is how you confirm the glove will actually fit your end users.
| Size | Median Width (mm) | Unit Weight (g) | Length (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | ≤80 | 2.9±0.3 | ≥240 |
| S | 80±10 | 3.2±0.3 | ≥240 |
| M | 95±10 | 3.5±0.3 | ≥240 |
| L | 110±10 | 3.8±0.3 | ≥240 |
| XL | ≥110 | 4.1±0.3 | ≥240 |
Thickness is stated at three points on the 3.5g glove: 0.05±0.01 mm at the cuff, 0.06±0.01 mm at the palm and 0.09±0.02 mm at the finger. Thickness scales with gram weight across the range: the 3.0g KG-1101 is the lightest option for short-duration and food tasks, while the KG-1303 6.0g heavy duty nitrile is the medical and chemo grade option for extended wear.
What About Standards and Registration?
The standards line lists the test frameworks the glove is built to: EN 455 for medical examination gloves, EN 374 for chemical and microorganism protection, and EN 1186 for food contact. For regulated markets, ask the factory for its registration status in writing. Our nitrile glove products carry FDA and CE registration information, which our export team can supply together with the ISO 13485 certificate and test reports when you prepare your import file.
FAQ
Why powder-free instead of powdered?
Powdered gloves use cornstarch to ease donning, but the powder can carry allergens, contaminate wounds and food, and is restricted or unwanted in most medical and food markets. Powder-free gloves achieve easy donning through chlorination or polymer coating instead, so one powder-free SKU covers more channels.
What is chlorination?
Chlorination is a wash in a dilute chlorine solution during manufacturing. It reduces the natural tack of the nitrile surface so the glove slides onto the hand without powder. A surface-chlorinated glove feels smoother inside and leaves no residue on the wearer or the work.
How long do gloves last in storage?
KG-1101 nitrile gloves carry a stated shelf life of 5 years. Keep cartons in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources, below the 40 degrees C application temperature limit on the datasheet. Aged force-at-break and elongation values on the sheet show how the glove is expected to perform at the end of that period.
What size should I order?
Match the wearer’s palm width to the datasheet: about 80 mm for S, 95 mm for M and 110 mm for L. Most distributors stock M and L as the volume sizes with S and XL as complements. If you are unsure, ask for a sample box in two sizes before committing to a container.
Need a datasheet, samples or a quotation for any of the gloves above? Contact our export team and we will send the full specification sheets. You can also browse the range directly: KG-1101 3.5g, KG-1101 5.0g and our MXGUARD powder-free nitrile exam gloves.