If you work with adhesives and solvents, the right gloves matter. The wrong ones break down fast, and once the barrier's gone, your skin's exposed to whatever you're handling.
Why Chemical-Resistant Gloves Matter More Than You'd Think
General-purpose gloves are designed to stop dirt, splinters, and light moisture. The solvents and resins in contact adhesives, epoxies, and polyurethanes are a different problem. They can break glove material down quickly, and once that barrier's compromised, the chemical can reach your skin through the glove. A damaged glove can also hold it against your skin for longer than if you'd wiped it straight off.
The fix is simple in theory: match the glove to the chemical you're using. In practice, that means finding the best gloves for solvents and adhesives before you start a job.
Nitrile vs Latex Gloves for Chemicals: Which Wins?
For adhesive and solvent work, nitrile is the clear default:
● Nitrile resists oils, greases, many solvents, and most adhesive chemistries, including epoxies and polyurethanes, and it's tough enough for general workshop wear and tear. It's also latex-free, so there's no latex allergy risk to worry about. That's a big part of why it's the glove most workshops reach for first.
● Latex is comfortable and good for fine, detailed work, but it holds up poorly against oils and many solvents. That makes it a poor fit for anything beyond brief, light contact with adhesive chemicals.
If you're stocking one glove type for general adhesive and solvent handling, nitrile is the safer call.
Are Nitrile Gloves Resistant to Acetone?
Nitrile gives you protection against brief splashes of acetone, and not much more. Acetone and MEK are ketone solvents, and ketones get through thin disposable nitrile quickly, often within a few minutes. If you splash Glue Guru Acetone or MEK on a nitrile glove, take it off and put on a fresh pair rather than working on. For jobs with sustained contact, such as cleaning down equipment or soaking parts, you'll need a heavier chemical-rated glove. Get in touch and the Guru can point you to the right one for the solvent you're using.
So how long do nitrile gloves last against solvents? There's no single answer, as it depends on the solvent, its strength, and how long your hands are in contact with it. As a practical rule, one pair of nitrile gloves is usually fine for quick wipe-downs with milder cleaners like isopropyl alcohol and for general handling. For jobs involving sustained solvent contact, change gloves more often and check the product's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) rather than assuming one pair will see out the whole job. Many Glue Guru product pages include the SDS as a download, so it's easy to check before you start.
How to Choose the Right Gloves for Adhesive Work
A few things worth checking before you buy or hand gloves out on-site:
Check the chemical as well as the job. Most manufacturers publish a glove chemical resistance chart that tells you which materials hold up against which chemicals. That's handy if you're switching between adhesives, primers, and cleaners in the same shift.
Thickness vs dexterity. Thicker gloves resist chemicals longer but reduce feel, which is worth weighing up for detailed gluing work.
Disposable or reusable. Disposable nitrile suits quick jobs and frequent changes, while heavier reusable gloves suit longer, messier tasks.
Look for recognised standards. In New Zealand, gloves tested to the relevant AS/NZS 2161 standards can provide documented information about their design, performance, and suitability for specific workplace hazards. These standards cover areas such as general requirements, selection, use, maintenance, and protection against different risks.
Best Gloves for Epoxy, Polyurethane and Contact Adhesives
Most of Glue Guru's adhesives, including Woodlok polyurethane glues, CANTAC aerosol contact adhesives, and epoxies such as Glue Guru Rapid Cure and West System, are best handled with nitrile gloves. Nitrile stands up well to uncured epoxy and polyurethane, and it keeps skin oils off the surfaces you're bonding, which helps the adhesive perform better too. Gloves matter with polyurethane glue in particular, because it stains skin and is hard to remove once it cures.
Working with strong aerosol contact adhesives? Pair the gloves with decent ventilation. They'll protect your skin, but they won't do anything for what you're breathing in. In tighter spaces, a half-face respirator such as the 3M 6000 or 7500 series fitted with organic vapour cartridges adds that protection, and Glue Guru stocks both in its respiratory range.
PPE Requirements for NZ Trades
The general guidance is straightforward: not all gloves are the same, and it's on the workplace to match gloves to the chemicals in use rather than assume any pair will do. Under the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016, a business that needs its workers to wear PPE must provide it. That means checking a resistance chart or SDS for anything handled regularly, and swapping gloves out at the first sign of wear, swelling, or discolouration, which are all signs the material is starting to fail.
Good PPE for tradies works best as part of the daily routine. For NZ workshops handling adhesives and solvents every day, it's worth building glove checks into that routine rather than leaving it to guesswork on the day.
Nitrile Glove Sizing (And Why It Matters)
A glove that's too big loses grip and control. That's not ideal when you're handling a loaded glue gun or positioning a bonded piece before it sets. If gloves are too small, they tear faster and restrict movement over a long shift.
Stock a proper size range, small through to extra-large, rather than one-size-fits-most, especially where more than one person on the team reaches for the same box. Glue Guru's own nitrile gloves come in the standard S, M, L, and XL sizes, which cover most hands without needing a special order.
The Guru's Pick: Black Rocket Nitrile Gloves
For general adhesive and solvent handling, Black Rocket Nitrile Gloves are Glue Guru's go-to. They're 100% nitrile, latex-free and powder-free, and fully textured for grip, in a 100-pack available from small through to extra-large in the gloves range, so there's no excuse for the whole team not to have a proper fit. A full box keeps the per-pair cost down for teams going through gloves regularly, and they're a solid match for most of Glue Guru's adhesive range.
The same gloves suit anyone handling resins and adhesives day to day, from joinery and engineering workshops to prop-makers and set-builders in film and TV production. They're listed in Glue Guru's Film/TV production range alongside hot melt, masking tape and respirators used on set.
Not sure which glove suits the adhesive you're using? Get in touch. The Guru's happy to match the right glove to the right glue.