Laboratory glove boxes (or gloveboxes) are used to either protect sensitive materials from the outside environment (isolation) or to protect the user from infectious samples or radioactive materials (containment). Glove boxes create a stable, sealed environment for work that involves hazardous materials, chemicals, or samples that react readily with air. A clear panel allows the contents to be seen, while the gloves themselves allow them to be manipulated. Smaller, secondary chambers called antechambers allow items to be added or removed without exposing the inside of the glovebox to the atmospheric conditions.

Inert atmosphere isolation glove boxes are the most commonly used type of glove box. The main chamber of such a glove box is generally filled with an inert gas, usually Argon or Nitrogen, to create an environment that is completely isolated from the atmosphere outside the glovebox.

Once all the air in the system has been displaced with the inert gas, the chamber of an inert atmosphere isolation glove box is sealed and maintained at an overpressure to ensure that no gasses leak into the system. By comparison, containment glove boxes operate at an under pressure to ensure that nothing escapes from the system into the outside environment.

Gloveboxes are one of the most critical pieces of equipment that can be found in any laboratory. They provide researchers with the means to work in an environment that is completely inert, eliminating the presence of reactive species such as oxygen and water. This is crucial for applications where the presence of small quantities of these elements can result in significant chemical or physical changes in the properties of the materials being used. Common uses for inert atmosphere glove boxes include chemical synthesis, organic electronics, additive manufacturing, materials handling and storage, development of battery technology, and perovskite electronics