Question from guspvt
Hi Debra!
Winter is coming and I’d like to buy a pair of gloves that I can use with iPhone / iPad touch screens without having to remove them first. With regular ones, the screens don’t work as we touch them because the materials of the gloves block the natural bioelectricity in the skin, stopping the capactive screen from responding.
So, I’ve found one pair of gloves, which seems to get the best reviews from buyers, called AGloves. This company makes two models that I’m interested in:
One made of: 60% Polyester, 29% Nylon, 7% Silver Nylon, 3% Spandex, 1% Acrylic
The other one made of: 68% Acrylic, 15% silver yarn, 12% spandex, 5% rubber thread
I’m very concerned about this silver coating fiber, as I don’t know if there are nano particles and if they might be absorbed in the skin from prolonged use. What are you thoughts? I really don’t want something of high toxicity in contact with my hands for over 12 hours per day (I really wish good cotton/flannel gloves didn’t have this issue). Which one of the two do you think is better overall?
Debra’s Answer
Metallic fibers are made of
Solid gold and silver filaments have been used since ancient times as yarns for fabric decoration. Today most metallic yarns have some component of plastic and are made from less valuable metals, such as aluminum.
Metallic yarns are often coated with transparent films, often made from polyester, to minimize tarnishing.
Since the ingredients list says “silver yarn” and the silver is probably added for function, not decoration, I think it’s likely that it is a solid silver filament. If it doesn’t tarnish, it likely has a polyester film coating, so your skin would be touching polyester rather than silver.
I’m not concerned about silver nanoparticles here. I don’t like the idea of all these synthetic fibers, though. Not super toxic in relation to other exposures, but not the best option either.
I saw a friend of mine using a special pencil to tap her iPhone. Could you use that and wear cotton gloves?
