Whether you are a professional MMA fighter or a beginner who focuses on HIIT training at the gym, the type of gloves you put on determines your hands’ safety both on and off the ring.
Choosing your first gloves should be fun, but you always need to ensure that you have the right pair of gloves alongside other hand safety gear.
Some people think that they could use boxing gloves for MMA training, and despite their several similarities, some distinct differences set these two sports apart that you need to consider before you make your choice.
| Image | Product | Buy |
|---|---|---|
  | Pro Style Training Gloves (Black, 12 oz.) | Check Price |
  | Fairtex BGV1 Boxing Sparring Gloves | Check Price |
  | Sanabul Essential Gel Gloves | Check Price |
  | Venum Contender Boxing Gloves (8, 10, 12, 14, 16 oz.) | Check Price |
  | FightX Kids Boxing Gloves Junior 4oz, 6oz for boys and girls | Check Price |
Table of Contents
What to look for before purchase
The sizes
It is almost impossible to find a single glove that can fit both teenage and older boxers. So before buying your first gloves, you need to put in mind your wrists’ size, palms, and overall hand topography.
It would be best if you were also careful when selecting as you have to consider the size of your hand after putting on wrappers. Choosing a smaller design will force you not to use wrappers for additional safety.
Weight
The weight of boxing gloves differ by the function and type of the glove. Bag training gloves weigh much more than combat gloves owing to their extra padding to provide further protection for your hands as you use force on the bag.
Also, gloves worn during sparring are significantly heavier to increase protection for your sparring partner. Below is a lost of different weights of gloves you need to consider before your first purchase.
• Combat/Competition: 4-6 ounces
• Hybrid: 7-10 ounces
• Boxing Sparring: 14-16 ounces
• Bag Gloves: 10-16 ounces
Features of the gloves
Obviously, different types of gloves have a lot of differences between them depending on their use and weight. When selecting your gloves, consider features, such as cowhide leather for proper shock absorption or moisture-wicking gloves with high-density foam and high-quality engineered leather.
Research if they are made from quality material that can absorb moisture from your hands as you train. If you are too specific, consider the color of the gloves you train with to ensure you form a bond with your gloves. Besides, they’ll be your first line of defense in the ring.
Is the price important?
Many buyers must consider gloves that are within their budget while still maintaining high quality and utmost safety. However, as a rule of thumb, the cheapest gloves are not usually the best quality, so finding a common room between price and quality depends on your bargaining power and quality needs.
You should never sacrifice quality at the expense of a lower price because such gloves will damage your hands and will not last you long. Its always better to spend a little more on a good-quality glove that will keep you safe and help with your training.
| Image | Product | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Pro Style Training Gloves (Black, 12 oz.) | Check Price |
| Fairtex BGV1 Boxing Sparring Gloves | Check Price |
| Sanabul Essential Gel Gloves | Check Price |
| Venum Contender Boxing Gloves (8, 10, 12, 14, 16 oz.) | Check Price |
| FightX Kids Boxing Gloves Junior 4oz, 6oz for boys and girls | Check Price |
Key factors to consider when choosing your boxing gloves
Material used
When choosing your gloves, there is a choice between leather and synthetic leather gloves with distinct differences. 100% leather gloves are high in quality and price and are usually the best choice for professional boxers.
The tough material that makes the leather gloves will ensure that they maintain a longer shelf life if well taken care of. On the other hand, synthetic leather can be just as good, only that you can always feel the difference as it just feels cheap and low quality, especially if you have used 100% leather gloves before.
Additionally, watch out for the country of origin keeping in mind that the best gloves are mostly originate from Thailand, where the sport is highly prevalent.
Padding used
Different boxing gloves have different paddings, including foam, the most used padding. When padding is under question, the cheaper the glove, the less durable foam is used, just like the outer skin as earlier on discussed.
Cheap foam will serve you for a short time before becoming unsafe for use, so searching for a pair of gloves that are made of quality foam padding, especially for sparring and competition gloves, is of paramount importance.
Competition
Boxing competition gloves are usually lightweight and have minimal padding depending on the competition’s rules. Fingers are usually enclosed since holding or grappling an opponent is typically illegal.
When using competition gloves, it is advisable to use hand wraps before putting on your gloves because they are your first line of protection when you step into the gym or a ring.
Wrist Strap
When choosing your glove, ensure it has a solid Velcro wrist strap which usually helps keep your gloves tight around your fist and secure while in combat.
Can you use all boxing gloves on heavy bags?
When throwing some jabs and hooks at the heavy bag, it’s best advised to use the right gloves to avoid injuries. Repeatedly punching a heavy bag exerts incredible stress on your wrists and fingers, which can result in long-term injuries even after you have stopped.
So, whenever you shop for gloves, buy two pairs, one with extra padding to use on the heavy bag and one with minimal padding for fighting in the ring. You only get to use your lightweight gloves on the heavy bag whenever you want to strengthen your knuckles and wrists. Even so, be extra careful; otherwise, you would be heading straight towards injuries; and remember to wrap your hands before taking on the heavy bag.
Final Thoughts
If you are a newbie in the boxing gym, always seek advice from other athletes or your coach on the best gloves to buy before you proceed to punch anything or anyone. Ensure you follow the strict guidelines set for safety in the gym before you hurt yourself.
If you are unsure about the type of gloves to buy, buy the ones that are not so cheap because, despite the manufactures’ marketing strategy to convince you to buy them, you might still end up buying substandard gloves that will only take you so far before you buy new ones.
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