A well-known proverb tells us, “necessity is the mother of invention.”

Many simple inventions, like the ballpoint pen, came about this way; someone demanded to have it done better.

And the first disposable gloves were indeed bourne of necessity. In 1889, a nurse pleading to protect her bare hands from chemicals insisted on having protective gloves. So, working with Goodyear, the first disposable rubber gloves were created.

But, rubber gloves (latex) had a drawback. A significant number of people were allergic to the proteins in this natural substance.

So, a glove that didn’t cause allergic reactions needed to be designed. The vinyl glove came along in the 1950s. However, it, too, had a downside. Vinyl is toxic and prone to leaks.

Then in the 1990s, the synthetic rubber known as nitrile was invented to address the shortcomings of latex and vinyl. Nitrile has remained the standard since that time. Yet nitrile also has weaknesses. It tears. Its thickness can dull touch sensitivity. And it doesn’t hold up well to many common chemicals.

After years of practically living in disposable gloves and being bedeviled by tear-too-often nitrile, another medical professional resolved to find a new type of disposable glove. It had to be more tear-resistant than nitrile. Ideally, it would be thinner than nitrile yet match or exceed the strength. In addition, the material had to be non-toxic.

That idea became a reality, even exceeding first conceived expectations.

This new product is called the Protospheric Stretch-Poly Glove.

When independently tested, this new era stretch-poly glove proved to be ten times more tear-resistant than nitrile. It is substantially thinner, permitting the wearer increased touch sensitivity combined with freer hand movement. This glove resists nearly all common chemicals that degrade or penetrate nitrile.

Today, care for the environment is being recognized as a duty when it comes to manufacturing. What happens after use? What toxins are involved? How much water is required? How much does the packaging and shipping impact the earth?

Protospheric gloves are a product designed to effectively protect human health – then be disposed of. We’ve yet to find a completely viable way around that disposable part. Yet we take a responsibility to ease our impact on the environment, formulating the stretch-poly gloves with inert, non-toxic components that can be recycled. Our manufacturing process is much kinder to the environment than other forms. It’s also a ligher, smaller, more easily shipped product.

But finally, there is the pragmatic aspect of cost. To safeguard healthy lives, we must make our protection not only superior but affordable – allowing more use and better use.

This is the Protospheric commitment.