Exam glove product attributes

Exam gloves are a commodity until a buyer has to justify a substitution. Material, thickness, length and testing claims decide whether a glove is acceptable for a given task, and supplier files present them inconsistently. Thickness is given in mil or millimetres, at the palm or the fingertip, sometimes as a range, and a single "3 mil" can describe either location.

Testing claims are the second trap. Each material has its own ASTM specification, chemotherapy drug permeation testing lists specific drugs and breakthrough times, and "chemo-rated" in a product name does not show which drugs were tested. Packaging multiplies records too: gloves are sold by the box and the case, each size is its own SKU, and GTINs differ at every packaging level.

A buyer needs the material, size, thickness at a stated location, length, powder status, sterility and any drug or chemical testing. Each should be stored in a separate field sourced from the manufacturer's specification sheet or regulatory documentation, never from a product title or a marketing headline.

The exam gloves attribute template

18 candidate fields in 4 groups, ordered the way a record gets built: identify the item, capture its specifications, then record fit and the evidence behind any claim. 10 are marked Core: without them the item cannot be identified or filtered. Example values show the expected format only; they do not describe a real SKU.

Identity

Which exact item, variant and pack this record describes.

Check before use: Preserve leading zeros and punctuation, validate against the manufacturer record, and check the GTIN check digit and packaging level before linking.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Packaging / Selling Unit packaging_selling_unit	Text	Core	100/box, 10 boxes/case (1,000/case)
Manufacturer Part Number manufacturer_part_number	Identifier	Core	EG-3240-L
GTIN-14 / UPC gtin_14_upc	Identifier	Core	10841234632400

Technical specifications

Measured or rated values that must travel with their unit and test conditions.

Check before use: Store the number and unit separately. Convert only when the source unit and test conditions are known.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Palm Thickness palm_thickness	Number · mil	Core	2.4
Glove Length glove_length	Number · mm	Core	240
Fingertip Thickness fingertip_thickness	Number · mil	Buyer decision	3.2

Selection attributes

The type, material and option choices buyers filter and compare on.

Check before use: Map supplier wording to a governed vocabulary only after checking the source text and which variant it applies to.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Glove Material glove_material	Controlled list	Core	Nitrile (NBR)
Size size	Controlled list	Core	Large (L)
Powder Condition powder_condition	Controlled list	Core	Powder-Free
Sterility sterility	Controlled list	Core	Non-Sterile
Surface Texture surface_texture	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Textured fingertips
AQL (Watertight) aql_watertight	Controlled list	Buyer decision	1.5
Accelerator Status accelerator_status	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Accelerator-free (manufacturer declaration)
Color color	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Cobalt Blue

Evidence & compliance

Listings, standards, classifications and origin claims that need a document behind them.

Check before use: Link the manufacturer document or label with its edition or date. Never copy a certification from a neighboring SKU.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Country of Origin country_of_origin	Controlled list	Core	Malaysia
ASTM Product Specification astm_product_specification	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	ASTM D6319
FDA 510(k) Number / Product Code fda_510_k_number_product_code	Identifier	Channel / evidence	K2XXXXX / LZA
Chemotherapy Drug Permeation (ASTM D6978) chemotherapy_drug_permeation_astm_d6978	Text	Channel / evidence	Tested per ASTM D6978; breakthrough times listed by drug

Normalize supplier values

The same value arrives in many spellings. Map each raw string to one governed value, and keep the raw text beside it so a reviewer can see what the supplier actually wrote.

Often missing from supplier files

These fields are commonly absent from price lists and basic feeds, even though the information usually exists in a datasheet, label or installation manual. Treat an empty value as a request for evidence, not as permission to fill it from a similar model.

• Chemo Drug Panel and Breakthrough Times
• Fingertip Thickness (separate from palm)
• Shelf Life / Date of Manufacture
• HCPCS Code
• Extractable Protein Content (latex gloves)

Questions the record must answer

Buyers and counter-sales reps choosing exam gloves ask questions like these. Each one needs a specific field, sourced for the exact variant.

• Is this glove tested for use with chemotherapy drugs, and which ones?
• Is this nitrile glove thick enough at the fingertips for cleaning chemicals?
• Is it accelerator-free for staff with chemical sensitivities?
• How many gloves are in a box, and how many boxes in a case?

From supplier file to record

1. Resolve identity first. Link the supplier SKU, manufacturer part number and packaging identifiers without merging distinct variants or pack sizes.
2. Extract with the source attached. Pull values from rows, tables and datasheets, keeping the raw text, unit and page or row reference.
3. Map to your classification. Assign the ETIM, ECLASS, UNSPSC or internal class your company licenses, and keep the supplier's original terms.
4. Review, sync and watch. Hold conflicts and safety-related values for a category expert, write approved values to ERP or PIM, and recheck when the supplier sends a new file.

For the full method, see how to build a category attribute template and the category catalog gap audit.

FAQ