Two suppliers quote the same description — 13-gauge polyester, nitrile coated, crinkle finish — and one is 30 percent cheaper. Either your specification is being interpreted two different ways, or the trade terms are different, or one quote is not for the same glove at all.
This is the cost structure of a coated glove, in the order the costs usually hide.
1. The liner
The liner is the largest single material cost and the easiest place to hide a difference.
| Variable | Cheaper | More expensive |
|---|---|---|
| Yarn | Recycled or lower-grade polyester | Virgin polyester, nylon, HPPE blends |
| Gauge | Coarser gauge, fewer needles | Finer gauge, denser knit |
| Construction | Single knit, short cuff | Terry loop, extended cuff, reinforced thumb crotch |
| Weight per pair | Lighter liner | Heavier, denser liner |
A 15-gauge nylon liner and a 13-gauge polyester liner can carry the same product name and behave completely differently in the hand. If a quote is much lower, ask for grams per pair — the one number that makes linen weight comparable.
2. The coating
Three variables, all invisible in a product description:
- Coating weight or pickup — how much compound stays on the glove. This is the biggest driver of both durability and cost, and it is routinely omitted from quotations.
- Coating formulation — nitrile is not one material. A standard nitrile, a foamed nitrile and a sandy nitrile behave differently in grip and feel, and cost differently.
- Number of dips — a single dip versus a double dip changes coverage, palm thickness and price.
Ask for coating weight per pair, or palm thickness in millimetres. If a supplier cannot give either, the price is not comparable with anyone else’s.
3. The dipping process and line time
Coating is a continuous process cost: line time, curing energy, compound make-up, and the labour to load and unload. Faster lines and shorter cure cycles reduce cost — sometimes legitimately, sometimes at the expense of coating adhesion.
Under-cured coating is the classic cheap-glove failure: it looks fine in the bag and starts to smell, tack or peel after a few weeks in a container.
4. Packaging
Packaging is a surprisingly large line item at low price points, and it is where quotes most often diverge:
- Polybag only, or polybag plus printed header card
- 12 pairs per polybag or 1 pair per bag
- Plain carton or printed carton
- Hang tag, sticker, barcode label
- Inner box per dozen
A buyer comparing a plain-carton quote against a printed-carton quote is comparing two different products.
5. Testing and certification documents
CE marking, EN 388 test reports, and any additional testing (chemical permeation, food contact, REACH declarations) carry a cost per model. A quote that includes test reports for your exact model is not the same quote as one that hands over a generic certificate from a different product.
6. Trade term
The same ex-works price becomes three different landed costs:
| Term | What the price includes | What the buyer still pays |
|---|---|---|
| EXW | Goods at the factory gate | Inland freight, export clearance, origin charges, freight |
| FOB | Goods loaded on board at the named port | Ocean or air freight, insurance, destination charges, duty |
| CIF | Goods, freight and insurance to destination port | Destination charges, duty, inland delivery |
Comparing an EXW quote with a CIF quote is the single most common source of “this supplier is cheaper”. Ask every supplier for the same term, and name the port.
7. Order quantity and payment terms
Price breaks with quantity, because setup costs spread. Payment terms also carry a cost: a supplier offering extended credit prices that credit into the unit price. A cheaper unit price against a higher deposit is not necessarily a cheaper deal.
8. Currency and timing
Compound and freight costs move. A quote dated six months ago is a different quote today. Ask for the validity period — a 30-day validity is normal; a 12-month validity on latex-based product usually means the risk is priced in.
How to compare two quotes properly
Build one comparison sheet with these rows for every supplier:
- Model code and specification sheet attached (yes/no)
- Liner: material, gauge, grams per pair
- Coating: type, coating weight or palm thickness, number of dips
- Cuff type and length
- Size range and size curve offered
- Packaging: pairs per bag, bags per carton, carton type
- Marking: printed logo method, label content
- Test reports included for this model (list)
- Trade term and named port
- MOQ and price breaks
- Lead time and shipping method
- Payment terms
- Quote validity date
Two quotes that match on all thirteen rows are comparable. Two that match on six are not.
The honest version of “why we are not the cheapest”
A factory with its own knitting and dipping lines runs on a fixed cost base. It cannot beat a trader who is clearing another factory’s overstock, and it should not try. What it can do is give the buyer a specification that will not change between the sample and the fifth container — and that is normally worth more than the last few percent of price.
Frequently asked questions
Why is one quote much cheaper with the same description? Usually a different liner weight, a lower coating pickup, a different packaging configuration, or a different trade term. Occasionally it is a different product entirely.
Should I always buy FOB? FOB gives the clearest comparison point and keeps freight under your control. CIF is convenient when you have no forwarder. Either is fine — as long as all suppliers quote the same term.
Does a higher price guarantee better quality? No. Price correlates with specification only when the specification is written down. Ask for grams per pair and coating weight; those two numbers explain most of the gap.
Related: private label marking and packing explains exactly what changes the price when you put your own brand on the glove.