Why do staff double-glove?

Outside specific surgical protocols, double-gloving usually signals a fit or quality problem — a glove that tears on donning, a cuff that rolls, or a gauge so thin staff do not trust it.

How are examination gloves sized?

By palm width measured across the knuckles, excluding the thumb. Stocking only medium and large leaves staff at both extremes using the wrong size.

Do powder-free gloves reduce waste?

They reduce residue and contamination and are the clinical standard. The bigger waste saving usually comes from correct sizing and wall-mounted dispensers that release one glove at a time.

Buyer's Guides

Glove Sizing and Fit: Cutting Waste and Double-Gloving

Poorly fitting gloves tear more, get double-gloved and cost more per task. How to size a glove range properly and reduce consumption without reducing protection.

OMS Clinical Team

Product Specialists

17 July 20264 min read

Why double-gloving happens

Double-gloving is standard practice in some surgical settings. Outside those, it is usually a symptom: a glove that tears on donning, a cuff that rolls, or a material so thin that staff do not trust it. Each of those doubles consumption for the same clinical task.

Gloves too small — tear at the web between thumb and finger

Gloves too large — loose fingertips reduce dexterity and grip

Cuffs too short — gap at the wrist during movement

Gauge too thin for the task — prompts a second glove

Sizing a range properly

Examination gloves are sized by palm width. A team stocked only in medium and large will always have staff at both extremes reaching for the wrong size.

Size	Approx. palm width	Typical share of a mixed team
XS	Under 70mm	5–10%
S	70–80mm	20–25%
M	80–95mm	35–40%
L	95–110mm	20–25%
XL	Over 110mm	5–10%

A dispenser box of examination gloves at a clinical point of use

A practical sizing exercise

Measure palm width across the knuckles, excluding the thumb

Record sizes for the whole team rather than estimating

Order to the actual distribution, not an even split across sizes

Place XS and XL at the points of use where those staff work

Review consumption after one month and adjust the mix

Buying a slightly better glove that is used once beats buying a cheaper glove that is used twice.

OMS Clinical Team

Reducing waste at the dispenser

Wall-mount dispensers so gloves are taken one at a time

Keep boxes away from sinks — damp gloves stick and are discarded

Avoid open boxes on trolleys where gloves are pulled in handfuls

Standardise on powder-free to reduce residue and contamination

Optimised Medical Supplies stocks nitrile, latex and vinyl examination gloves in XS to XL, all CE or UKCA marked. Talk to our team about sizing a full range for your site.

Frequently asked questions

Why do staff double-glove?: Outside specific surgical protocols, double-gloving usually signals a fit or quality problem — a glove that tears on donning, a cuff that rolls, or a gauge so thin staff do not trust it.
How are examination gloves sized?: By palm width measured across the knuckles, excluding the thumb. Stocking only medium and large leaves staff at both extremes using the wrong size.
Do powder-free gloves reduce waste?: They reduce residue and contamination and are the clinical standard. The bigger waste saving usually comes from correct sizing and wall-mounted dispensers that release one glove at a time.