Product Evaluation

The traffic is light, you arrive on time, and your first patient is one of your all-time favorites. What could possibly ruin this seemingly perfect day (other than not having to work at all)? It doesn’t take much, according to hygienist Lydia Palmer, who readily admits to “hating when I put on a glove and it tears, breaks, or has holes!” Poor glove quality can also put a damper on Dr. Karen Guo’s day, especially when combined with a lack of dexterity while wearing that glove. After all, if your gloves don’t do their job, neither can you.

Fortunately, as the hygienists and dentists who participated in this DPS review can already attest, Cranberry has saved the day with its new Carbon Air Nitrile Gloves, made with a lighter formulation that provides unprecedented comfort, fit, tactile sensi­tivity, and tear resistance. The distinctive black color minimizes visible stains, while the Ultra 300 Saver Pack of 300 gloves per box reduces storage space and packaging waste.

“I love everything about these gloves,” said Palmer. “The fit and grip are great, and I never had to grab an extra glove due to quality issues. I knew I could count on them,” she told DPS. When Dr. Guo first started wearing the Carbon Air Nitrile Gloves, she said she frequently looked at the fingertips to make sure there wasn’t a tear because of how “gloveless” they felt. But she was most impressed with the “exceptional tactile sensitivity,” and re­ported, “That single attribute makes the Carbon Air Nitrile gloves a winner for sure!”

Donning/Doffing and Tear Resistance

“Nothing about these gloves needs to be im­proved,” said Amy Singletary, RDH, who found the Carbon Air Nitrile Gloves “easy to put on and take off, even after just having removed a pair between procedures.” She also reported “no issues like those I have with other gloves being damaged.” And, unlike her experience with other gloves that clump and can be difficult to remove from the box, she found that “these gloves even come out of the box with ease!”

Similarly, hygienist Corey Skriver “loves the ease of donning and doffing, even with moisture on the hands.” Noting that she “especially likes the ease of donning,” Maryann Olmsted, RDH, said, “Gloves are an integral part of my job, and I’m always looking for products that make my job easier.” She described the durability and tear resistance as “excellent and better than other gloves” and said she likely “used fewer gloves since I never had one tear.”

Frustrated by other gloves that frequently tear at the cuff, hygienist Jeanette Crofts was pleased that she “didn’t tear one cuff while putting on the Carbon Air Nitrile Gloves.” She also noted that wearing durable gloves that do not tear or break “makes life easier.” For Dr. April Detar, “the gloves did not tear as much as the gloves I am currently using,” but she still found that some gloves tore when she put them on too quickly.

Fit, Comfort, and Color

“The Carbon Air Nitrile Gloves have a great fit that’s true to size with minimal hand sweating,” noted Singletary. After using other gloves with fingers that were too long, Crofts was glad that she “didn’t have to push down the fingers because they fit perfectly.” For Dr. Amy Sherman, “the gloves fit amazingly well and have a great texture,” and Skriver “really likes the fit and comfort.” Pleased that “the gloves fit well,” Dr. Detar said, “The staff also liked the fit, which usually doesn’t happen.”

Calling the gloves “comfortable and really easy to put on,” Dr. Amanda Seay said she would recommend them to col­leagues if the price point is right. Sherman, who works with both children and adults, appreciates that the black color “doesn’t show blood or lipstick,” but hygienist Lynne Justice suggested that a different color might be better for a pediatric office.

Tactile Sensation and Grip

Along with its lighter formulation, Carbon Air Nitrile Gloves feature enhanced fingertip texture for superior grip, handling, and control. “Hands down, the tactile feel is what I liked most,” said Dr. Guo, explaining that tactile feel is her first priority when it comes to how gloves affect her ability to perform excellent dentistry. “These gloves provide exceptional tactile feel, especially when doing really detailed work,” she said. When grip counts, such as during extractions, the gloves provided her with a very secure feel with no slippage. “They gave me wonderful grip when using my handpiece, even when freshly oiled or when the handpiece got wet,” she added.

“I really love these gloves,” said Justice, explaining that “they provide excellent tactile sensitivity.” Skriver described the grip and tactile sensation as “great,” and Olmsted “likes the confidence the gloves gave me in terms of grip.”

Overall Satisfaction

Evaluator feedback was exceedingly positive, especially regarding the fit, grip, tear resistance, and tactile sensitivity of the Carbon Air Nitrile Gloves. Eager to purchase and recommend the gloves in the future, Singletary summed up her experience quite simply by stating, “This is a high-quality, great fitting glove.”