At a glance: cleanroom gloves are specified by particle shedding and ionic extractables, not just pinholes — ISO Class 5 (Class 100) allows no more than 3,520 particles ≥0.5 µm per m³. For electronics and optics choose nitrile or chloroprene; latex suits sterile pharmaceutical filling and surgery.

Cleanroom gloves are not ordinary examination gloves with a new label. What matters in a cleanroom is not just pinholes but how many particles and extractable ions the glove sheds onto your product. This guide explains how cleanrooms are classified, where latex gloves fit, and what to specify when you buy.

How Cleanrooms Are Classified

Cleanrooms are graded by the number of airborne particles allowed per cubic metre. Under ISO 14644-1, an ISO Class 5 room (the old US FED-STD-209E "Class 100") permits no more than 3,520 particles of 0.5 µm or larger per cubic metre. An ISO Class 7 room ("Class 10,000") allows up to 352,000. The glove itself must not be the source of contamination inside those limits.

Why Particle Shedding Matters More Than Pinholes

A standard examination glove is tested for pinholes (AQL), not for particle release. In a cleanroom, every flex of the hand can shed fibres, powder and polymer particles onto wafers, optical surfaces or sterile pharmaceuticals. That is why cleanroom gloves are specified by particle count, ionic extractables and non-volatile residue, on top of the usual AQL pinhole limit.

Latex vs Nitrile in a Cleanroom

Be honest about material selection. For electronics, semiconductor and optics cleanrooms, latex is usually the wrong choice: its natural protein content and particle profile can contaminate sensitive surfaces, and nitrile or chloroprene are preferred. Latex keeps its place where tactile sensitivity and tensile strength matter most, such as sterile pharmaceutical filling, surgery and high-touch aseptic work. Natural rubber latex routinely exceeds 18 MPa in tensile strength, which is why surgeons still choose it.

Key Specifications to State When You Order

  • Cleanroom class and particle limit (ISO 5 / ISO 7 and the relevant particle counts).
  • Sterile or non-sterile, and the sterilisation method (gamma or ethylene oxide) if sterile.
  • Packaging: cleanroom gloves should be double-bagged to preserve cleanliness during transfer.
  • Pinhole acceptance level: AQL 1.5 is the standard we run for examination gloves.
  • Powder-free only: powder is a contamination risk inside a cleanroom.

Our Factory Capabilities

Pacific Resource Global manufactures in Selangor, Malaysia under ISO 9001 and ISO 13485:2016. Our latex examination gloves weigh 5.0 g per piece, meet AQL 1.5 and pass online 100% electrical pinhole testing, with powder-free options certified to EN ISO 374-1:2016 Type B and EN ISO 374-4:2019 under CE EU PPE 2016/425 Category III.

Talk to Us About Your Cleanroom Spec

Tell us your cleanroom class and application at [email protected] and we will confirm whether latex is the right material and quote the correct specification.

Sources and standards

The requirements referenced in this article come from the following public standards and regulations:

Pacific Resource Global manufactures our glove product lines in Malaysia under an ISO 13485:2016 certified quality management system. To discuss specifications for your market, talk to our export team.