Glove Calculator: How Many Gloves Does Your Crew Use?

Glove calculator · 20 seconds

How long does a carton last you?

Tap in your numbers. I'll do the maths.

8weeks a carton lasts30pairs a week
3
2
Pairs one job takes The pair sees the job out.Oil, grease, grout: one swap.Sewage, chemicals, raw meat.
Days worked a week
See my boxes and pick
  • 4.9 rating
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  • 3 million gloves sold through Hygiene Hub
★★★★★

“I do auto detailing and I am used to using at least 3 pairs of gloves per interior, now with this product, I use 1 pair per car for interior and exterior. Strong, easy to put on, overall great stuff.”

NoirFinishDetailingVerified buyer

Step 1 · Your numbers

Boxes, cartons and when to reorder

Your crew of 3 goes through a carton every 8 weeks, about 2 months.That's about 6 cartons a year.

260gloves a month 5.2boxes a month

Reorder when you're down to 3 boxes. That's about two weeks' worth, so nobody hits the last pair mid-job.

What I see: a typical small mechanic workshop gets through a carton in about 2 to 3 months.

My pick for you

10 boxes (1 carton)

The smallest bundle that lasts your crew 7 weeks or more, so you're not reordering every few weeks. At your rate it lasts 8 weeks.

3boxes2.5 weeks 7boxes6 weeks 10boxes · 1 carton8 weeks 20boxes · 2 cartons17 weeks See Grip-X

Worked examples

The sliders need JavaScript to do the maths, so here it is done for you: 2 jobs a day each, one pair a job, 5 days a week. Messy jobs? Double it. Filthy? Triple it.

Crew Pairs a week Boxes a month A carton lasts
Just you 10 1.7 about 6 months
2 people 20 3.5 about 3 months
3 people 30 5.2 8 weeks
5 people 50 8.7 5 weeks
8 people 80 13.9 3 weeks
20 people 200 34.7 6 working days

Step 2 · The rip tax

What split gloves are really costing you

A pair that splits mid-job is a pair you paid for, binned early, plus the strip, wash up and glove up again. Put in your own number. It uses your crew and days from above.

1

Rips add 50% on top of the pairs your crew really needs.

Still on vinyl? In a 2,000-glove study, vinyl gloves failed 12% to 61% of the time after simulated use, against 1% to 3% for nitrile.1

780extra pairs a year your crew bins before the job's done

That's 1,560 gloves, about 31 boxes, gone to rips.

Step 3 · When to swap

Good swaps beat rip swaps

The calculator counts the swaps you choose to make. Those are the ones that look after your hands, and Australia's numbers say hands cop it.

78%of irritant dermatitis cases at a Melbourne work-skin clinic involved the hands2
37%of Aussie workers surveyed had a chemical on their skin at work in one week3
2 hrsa shift in waterproof gloves counts as wet work4
23face touches an hour in a UNSW study5
People touch their faces about 23 times an hour.5 Wear one dirty pair from the drain to the ute and it goes everywhere your hands go.

Before you keep working in that pair, run the check

  1. Split, holed or peeling?

    Bin it

    That's a rip swap, the one you didn't choose. Give every pair a once-over for rips before you start.6

  2. Splashed with a chemical?

    Swap it now

    Disposable gloves are for splashes and incidental contact. UC Berkeley's safety team says to remove and replace them straight away when a chemical spills or splashes on them.6

  3. Going from dirty to clean?

    Fresh pair first

    Your phone, the steering wheel, your smoko. WorkSafe Queensland's sewage advice is to keep contaminated hands and gloves off your face.7

  4. Two hours in and sweaty?

    Dry hands, fresh pair

    More than 2 hours a shift in waterproof gloves counts as wet work,4 the top cause of irritant dermatitis in the Melbourne clinic data.2 Australia's wet work guidance suggests cotton liners under gloves, changed when they get damp.8

  5. Raw meat, then ready-to-eat?

    New pair

    The NSW Food Authority's rule for food handlers in gloves: a new pair before ready-to-eat food after raw, and after the toilet, smoking, eating or touching your hair.9

None of the above? Keep working in it.

Step 4 · The right box

Heavy duty or light duty? Count the right box.

The calculator counts Grip-X: 50 gloves a box, because they're thicker. If a pair only has to last a few minutes, a 100-a-box light duty glove is the smarter buy. Plenty of crews keep both on the shelf.

Grip-X Black nitrile gloves box
Heavy duty

Grip-X Black

50 gloves a box · M to XXL · diamond-textured grip · chemical resistant · touch screen compatible

Best when the pair has to last the job.

See Grip-X
SE Premium Black nitrile gloves box
Light duty

SE Premium Black or Blue

100 gloves a box · S to XL · textured fingertips

Best when you swap every few minutes: interiors, kitchens and prep.

See SE Premium BlackPrefer blue? See SE Premium Blue

Counting SE Premium instead? A box holds 100 gloves, so halve the box numbers in the calculator.

From the crews

Workshops and crews who did the maths

Head mechanic at Hallam Hi Tech holding a box of Grip-X gloves in the workshop
★★★★★

“I am the head mechanic here in Hallam Hi Tech, weved used many gloves but these have stuck with us for last 2 years best quality lasts for days.”

Dinul de silvaHallam Hi Tech
★★★★★

“I bought one box out for the team to try everyone loved them so we bought another 20 really are the best and most durable disposable gloves on the market”

AlescogroupPlumbing
Tarents, founder of Hygiene Hub

Not sure your numbers are right? Hit reply on any of my emails with your crew size and what you're wearing now. I read every message myself, and I'll check the maths with you.

Tarents, founder, Hygiene Hub, Ravenhall VIC

Know your number. Don't run out.

Grip-X comes 50 to a box and 10 boxes to a carton.

See Grip-X Check everyone's size

Quick answers

Glove maths FAQ

What counts as a job?

Anything you'd glove up fresh for: a service, a callout, a pour, a clean. If one pair usually covers two quick jobs, count them as one.

Where does "a carton every 2 to 3 months" come from?

From what I see: a typical small mechanic workshop goes through a carton in about 2 to 3 months. Your crew might be quicker or slower, which is why the calculator runs on your numbers, not mine.

Can we stretch a pair by washing it?

No. Disposable means one go. UC Berkeley's glove guide says never to wash disposable gloves or wear them again, and to check every pair for rips before you start.6

Should I just order Large for the whole crew?

Please don't. Large is our best seller, and ordering all Large for a whole team is a common mistake. Ask everyone their size first, or send them to my size finder.

Sources

  1. Rego A, Roley L. In-use barrier integrity of gloves: latex and nitrile superior to vinyl. Am J Infect Control 1999;27:405-410. Abstract
  2. Cahill J et al. Occupational contact dermatitis: a review of 18 years of data from an occupational dermatology clinic in Australia. Safe Work Australia, 2012. Report
  3. Safe Work Australia. Australian workers' dermal exposures to wet work and chemicals: summary of three research reports, 2012. PDF
  4. Safe Work Australia. Contact dermatitis: overview. Page
  5. Kwok YL, Gralton J, McLaws ML. Face touching: a frequent habit that has implications for hand hygiene. Am J Infect Control 2015;43(2):112-4. PubMed
  6. UC Berkeley Environment, Health and Safety. Glove Selection Guide. Page
  7. WorkSafe Queensland. Infection risks from work with sewage. Page
  8. Australian Safety and Compensation Council. Guidance on the prevention of dermatitis caused by wet work, 2005. PDF
  9. NSW Food Authority. Health and hygiene requirements for food handlers. PDF

General information only. Follow the safety data sheet for what you're handling and your local regulations. The calculator is your own maths, not a usage guarantee.