Oil changes, brake jobs, engine work and detailing are hard on disposable gloves. Hands are wet or greasy, tools and parts rub at the fingertips, and a glove that slips or splits halfway through a job just slows the bay down. This guide covers what to look for in a shop glove and compares the nitrile gloves we carry for automotive work, so you can match a glove to each job instead of buying one box for everything.
What to look for in a glove for shop work
- Thickness (mil). A mil is one-thousandth of an inch. Thicker gloves hold up better on longer or rougher tasks, with a little less fingertip feel. Thinner gloves suit quick jobs with frequent changes. Our glove thickness and sizing guide explains the trade-off in more detail.
- Grip texture. Some gloves are textured at the fingertips only. Others are textured across the whole palm and fingers, which helps when you're holding oily parts, filters or tools.
- Fit. A glove that's too big bunches and slips. A glove that's too small stretches and is more likely to tear. Check which sizes a glove comes in before you stock it for the whole team.
- Cuff. A longer cuff covers more of the wrist when you're reaching into an engine bay.
Our nitrile gloves for automotive work at a glance
| Glove | Thickness | Grip | Sizes | Shop jobs listed on the product page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grizzly Grip Force Black Diamond Textured Nitrile Gloves 8 Mil | 8 mil, black | Raised diamond texture across the palm and fingers | L, XL | Oil changes, brake work, engine repair, detailing |
| Black TouchFlex Nitrile Gloves 5 Mil | 5 mil, black | Textured fingertips | S, M, L, XL | Oil changes, cleaning, mechanical repairs |
| Blue Nitrile Powder Free Gloves 4 mil | 4 mil, blue | Textured fingertips | S, M, L, XL | Automotive and mechanical tasks |
All three are powder-free, latex-free and ambidextrous, and all three are sold by the box of 100 or by the case of 10 boxes (1,000 gloves).
8 mil: heavy-duty jobs
The Grizzly Grip Force 8 mil is the heavy-duty option in this guide. It has a raised diamond texture across the entire palm and fingers, designed for grip on wet, oily or greasy surfaces, and an extended cuff for more wrist coverage. Its product page lists oil changes, brake work, engine repair and detailing.
Two things to know before you order:
- It comes in Large and XL only. If some of your techs wear Small or Medium, pair it with the 5 mil below.
- The box of 100 is counted by weight, as the product page notes.
5 mil: an all-round glove for most shop work
The Black TouchFlex 5 mil sits between the other two: thicker than a 4 mil glove and thinner than the 8 mil, with textured fingertips and a beaded cuff. Its product page lists automotive and detailing work: oil changes, cleaning and mechanical repairs.
It comes in Small, Medium, Large and XL, so it's the easiest of the three to stock for a whole team. Black also gives a clean, sleek look that's popular in detail shops.
4 mil: quick jobs and frequent changes
For short tasks where gloves come off and on all day, such as a quick inspection, topping up fluids or handling parts at the counter, a lighter glove can do the job. The Blue Nitrile Powder Free 4 mil has textured fingertips, comes in Small to XL, and lists automotive and mechanical tasks among its uses. Blue is also easy to spot if a glove or a torn piece ends up in the work area.
See every 4 mil option in 4 Mil Nitrile Gloves.
For dry handling: a coated knit work glove
Not every shop job needs a disposable glove. For parts handling, detailing and general maintenance, you may also want a knit work glove on hand. The Northstar Tactigrip Black PU-Coated Knit Safety Gloves have a textured coating on the palm and fingers for grip, an elastic cuff and a breathable knit back. They're sold by the dozen (12 pairs) in sizes Small to XXXL, and their product page lists automotive detailing and small parts handling.
What disposable nitrile gloves aren't for
- Heat. None of the gloves in this guide lists a heat or temperature rating on its product page. Don't treat them as heat protection around hot engine, exhaust or brake parts.
- Specific chemicals. Thickness alone doesn't tell you how a glove handles a particular product. Before you rely on any glove with a cleaner, solvent or other shop chemical, check the manufacturer's information for that glove and the label of the product you're using.
Setting up a glove station for the shop
- Pick a glove for each kind of job. One simple setup: a heavier glove for fluid and engine work, and a lighter one for quick tasks.
- Trial one box per size with the people who'll wear them. Note any tearing, slipping or doubling up over a normal shift or two.
- Move to cases of the glove and sizes that worked. Volume pricing is shown on each nitrile glove's product page and applies automatically in your cart. You can mix sizes, and every case counts toward the volume tier.
For help working out how many boxes or cases to keep on hand, see our glove reorder guide. Wondering whether colour matters? See Black vs Blue Nitrile Gloves.
Stock your shop
Compare the black 5 and 8 mil gloves side by side in Black Nitrile Gloves, or browse everything in Disposable Gloves. Not sure which glove fits your jobs? Try the Glove Finder, or contact us about regular or larger orders for your shop.
