Tires, basketballs, shoes, household appliances... all have one thing in common; they all contain at least some type of rubber. The two types of rubber are natural (from rubber trees) and synthetic (manufactured from petrochemicals); one of these two types is included in almost every product manufactured today. Some of the most common rubber and synthetic rubber products are discussed below, as well as some that might be surprising.

The most commonly used natural rubber product is latex, which is used in number of applications, many in the medical field. Because this is a natural substance, latex is suitable for many medical purposes that synthetic rubber is not. The only real problem with latex is that, as the use of the material has increased, so have the number of people with serious, even life threatening allergies; this has led to more exploration into the area of hybrids of natural and synthetic rubber.

Synthetic rubbers, because there are so many different types, have thousands of applications, if not more. Some of those products include car tires and other automotive products, soles of shoes, sports equipment (i.e. basketballs, volleyballs), tubing of nearly every type, and even flooring.

Of course, these are just a few of the rubber and synthetic rubber products manufactured today; more complete lists can be found online. Knowing which products contain which type of rubber is especially important if you are one of the many who suffer from latex allergies; this is also helpful information in determining if you have a latex allergy, as well.