Boxing gloves are workout gear that will prevent your hands from sustaining injury during boxing. Boxing is an exhilarating and highly competitive sport. Punching the bag can be a great way to take out some stress and frustration at the end of a long day, and on top of that, it is a fantastic total body workout, incorporating cardio and strength training in a way that doesn’t feel like exercise.
It disciplines your mind and your body while keeping your reflexes at the peak of their abilities. On top of all that, you are prepared to defend yourself when necessary thanks to the style of training. The best way to prepare yourself for this is to have the right gear.
Best Boxing Gloves
1. Sanabul Essential Gel Boxing Gloves
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The Sanabul Essential Gel Boxing Gloves are made from leather and engineered specifically for martial arts, from punching bags to boxing matches, and even kickboxing cardio classes. The gel foam offers some great protection from impacts, offering additional softness and preventing your hands from being injured.
The arch is designed along the longitudinal line, which is an ergonomic decision to follow your hand’s natural curve, so that you can close your fists properly before striking your opponent, preventing injury.
The gloves close using a Velcro system that allows you to customize your fit for security. This allows them to be snug during training without cutting off circulation or sliding around and affecting the impact of your strikes. The mesh pam is designed to allow airflow, allowing breathable gloves and preventing too much mold and odor build up inside of them.
The leather material is extremely durable. On top of this, the added bonus is that leather is very easy to clean. This will make it easier for you to maintain your gloves, allowing them to last for a very long time. They even come in a wide variety of colors, so you can match your gloves to your gear and pick your favorite. Their sizing ranges from 8 to 16 ounces, adding the right amount of buffer and protecting for whatever you may need from your workout gloves.
2. Everlast Pro Style Training Gloves
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Everlast is a globally trusted brand and the foremost authority in boxing. In fact, their founder got into boxing thanks to Jack Dempsey, who asked the company’s founder to construct a protective headgear that could handle multiple rounds of intense boxing. These gloves were the ones the fighter wore when he won the world heavyweight championship. They continue to remain at the top nearly a century later.
These gloves use C4 foam technology. This will maximize your ability to grip within the glove while offering cushioning and support to your hands and wrists while you execute powerful strikes. Their Pro Tex 3 offers a stabilization technology system that offers wrist support thanks to their tri-collar panel. The curved design follows the anatomy of your hands, which means they are ergonomic and offer perfect grip and fit.
One of the great things this glove does for hand protection is to prevent your wrists from hyperflexion injury in a fight. The extended wrist support eliminates your need to wrap the wrists in a fight, offering enough stability on its own.
3. Elite Sports Boxing Gloves
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The Elite Sports Boxing Gloves are extremely lightweight thanks to being constructed with high quality PU leather. Their ergonomic design curves along with your hand’s natural movement, which means that your gloves won’t be fighting your hands when you form a proper fist during your strike training. This allows you to focus entirely on your match.
They also offer impact foam that has been infused with triple-density gel, which is increased further for kids sizing. This protects you from impacts during a spar, allowing you to stay safe while you reach your goals and learn to counter different strikes. The material used in their women’s gloves is also shock absorbent, minimizing the impact to your wrists and hands and also to your opponent’s face.
The gloves are also very easy to clean and maintain, so your fit is comfortable and free of tension without being difficult to clean. The mesh cooling palm uses 3D cooling technology for superior ventilation. The Velcro and elastic wrist enclosure also help to avoid sprain or injury when training and sparring.
4. Fairtex Muay Thai Style Training Sparring Gloves
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The Fairtex Muay Thai Style Training Sparring Gloves are designed for Thai style boxing and are made by hand in Thailand. Every pair is artfully and skillfully crafted for a great fight. These gloves have a great ergonomic design and their unique contouring allows for a very tight fit in the hand compartment. This keeps your gloves snug and secure, so they don’t slip or cause you to lose focus and punch weakly. Their premium leather construction is easy to clean and maintain.
They also use a Fairtex formulated foam filling system to pad your hand and knuckles. This system also allows the shock to be diffused and disbursed, so one part of your hand never takes an inordinate amount of impact. These gloves also include Velcro wrist straps. This allows a customized fit that won’t slide around or cause any injury to your wrists. They come in sizes 8 to 16.
5. Venum Elite Boxing Gloves
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The Venum Elite Boxing Gloves are designed using a premium leather construction from Skintex leather. They have a mesh panel stitched into them underneath the fists which allows for thermal regulation and airflow, preventing your hands from sweating or overheating during a match and allowing ventilation to prevent mold and odors.
The triple-density foam serves to reduce impacts on your wrist and knuckles. This diffuses and absorbs the shock, so you don’t end up with a strain injury. It also reinforces the palms so you get maximum value in shock absorption. The thumb is 100% fully attached. This allows you to form a proper fist when striking and minimizes the risk of injuring your thumb during a spar. The long cuffs also protect your wrists, allowing you to train for longer periods of time.
These gloves can be used by both beginners and advanced boxers.
6. Trideer Pro Grade Boxing Gloves
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Trideer Pro Grade Boxing Gloves are made to use in a wide variety of training situations, including boxing, kickboxing, bag work, sparring, Muay Thai, and more.
These gloves are designed with PU leather so they are durable and easy to clean and maintain. Thanks to their widened design, they offer a lot of additional stability for your wrists – which makes it easier for you to throw punches and strike with precision.
The multi-density foam offered incredible shock absorption, protecting you and your sparring partner from injury when you strike heavy blows. The mesh center keeps your hands dry in matches, so sweat won’t affect your grip. The ergonomic design follows the curve of your hands so you can maintain a proper fist. These gloves come with a lifetime of superior customer service. You can also make a return within 30 days with no questions asked.
The leather resists hydrolysis, tearing, and corrosion. The foam is moisture-proof, anti-seismic, and resists chemical corrosion. The interior is made from soft cotton that protects your hands without offering friction.
7. RDX Boxing Gloves
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The RDX gloves are less well-known, but well worth the higher price. They are made for training, sparring, kickboxing, and Muay Thai. They also work really well for heavy bag strikes, focus pads, grappling, and speed ball punching.
These gloves are made from cowhide leather, which is extremely resilient and unbreakable while remaining sturdy and stable. The max-shock foam offers superior cushioning, too. These support your fist and fingers without transferring powder. This plus the solid padding makes them perfect for use in kickboxing.
These gloves have also improved their closure system, offering Takka straps that allow you to grip without your gloves slipping. The design also lets you remove them and put them back on quickly and perfectly aligning your wrists, giving you even more control with each strike.
The materials include sweat wicking technology which allows them to be used without worrying about sweating through them and trapping it, causing the grip to slip. The technology even allows for great airflow and ventilation, which also lets them dry out quickly between matches.
8. ZTTY Pro Grade Boxing Gloves
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These ZTTY gloves are created for kickboxing, Muay Thai, punching bags, and sparring for both men and women. These gloves are made from PU leather which helps to protect your hands as you strike without being destroyed. They also have a 3-layer triple density foam, which supports your wrists and hands while diffusing the force fo your blow for your opponent and absorbing the shock itself, protecting your fingers and knuckles.
The mesh palm makes them extremely breathable, allowing them to dry quickly and preventing sweat from building up as you fight and train. These gloves even come in a variety of colors, so whether you like pink or yellow, black or blue, you can find a pair that compliments your style.
The curved design protects your thumbs, too. This allows you to form a fist more freely while protecting you as you strike. For their heavy bag training, they even add a fourth layer of foam to allow your gloves to withstand the impact without damaging your wrist.
9. Brace Master MMA Gloves
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Brace Master MMA Gloves are made for both men and women and are suitable for UFC fighting, MMA spars, punching bags, kickboxing, sparring, heavy bags, and Muay Thai.
These gloves are ergonomically designed to follow the curvature of your hands. They are pre-bent in the finger and thumb area, helping you to form more precise fists as you strike. They can protect your knuckles and fingers so that you can maintain your focus in the spar.
They also come with a quick hook, locked wrist straps that come on and off quickly. This allows you to focus on your fight while knowing your wrists are locked and protected. The mesh palm increases the breathability of your gloves, allowing moisture to be wicked away quickly and your gloves to dry without holding in all that sweat.
The infused gel foam padding dissipates shocks quickly, providing support for hands during training and protecting your wrist. It can even be quickly wiped clean with water and a cloth so your sweat won’t damage the gloves and make them have a bad odor.
10. Hayabusa S4 Boxing Gloves and Hand Wraps Kit
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The Hayabusa S4 Boxing Gloves and Hand Wraps Kit are ideal for bag and mitt training. You can use them in fitness boxing and combat fitness training for support and padding while you train. They even include a kit to help you wrap your hands.
These gloves use an ergonomic design that contours to the natural shape and curve of your hand. This allows you to fully close your fist while the padding absorbs the shock. The gloves also include a single splint to align your wrists properly and support them during training, adding power and precision to your punches while decreasing the likelihood of injury.
The Velcro strap is completely adjustable. It offers a customizable fit that secures your glove in place and works with the split to keep your wrists aligned and prevent them from folding in and getting injured. The mesh palm wicks away sweat and prevents your gloves from collecting sweat and slipping off your hands.
How We Ranked
There are a ton of different sparring and boxing gloves on the market. It can be difficult to know which ones to buy, especially as prices vary greatly. We looked at a variety of different factors when determining which gloves were worthy of a place in our 10 best gloves. First, we looked at the padding. It was important that the padding be able to absorb the shock of the impact, so that it was not transferred to your wrists and hands. Highly ranked gloves, like the RDX Boxing Gloves and Elite Sports Boxing Gloves, have at least 3 layers of foam padding that has been infused with gel to absorb the shock and diffuse it before it reaches your hand.
Next, we looked at the material of the glove itself. While the padding needs to be able to absorb the shock and impact the exterior needs to be stiff and durable, like the material found in our number 1 pick Sanabul Essential Gel Boxing Gloves. This allows you to form a precise strike against bags without the glove falling apart while in use or glancing off the material too quickly and causing your wrist problems.
Speaking of your wrist, we also looked at the way the glove protected this area. Some of our best gloves, like Fairtex Muay Thai Style Training Sparring Gloves have a hook system and Velcro fastening. This will allow you to set the grip firmly, offering protection and stability to your wrists without worrying about being injured. It also allows you to quickly remove or put on the gloves as needed.
Thirdly, we looked at sweat-wicking material, which allows for airflow in a fight. Without your hands getting sweaty, you can keep a better grip with the gloves and form more precise strikes. It will also keep your gloves themselves drier. The airflow prevents sweat from pooling inside the gloves and degrading the foam and materials within, allowing you to keep your gloves for longer without replacing them.
We also evaluated the cost of these gloves. None of these gloves cost too much money, and most of them can be purchased for under $30. This way, you are able to purchase high quality gloves without breaking the bank.
Finally, we looked at the shape of these gloves. A lot of gloves feel very stiff and awkward and get in the way of your training. They can lead to bad habits and improperly formed fists by fighting with the one who is wearing them and resisting instruction. The best gloves on our list, like Everlast Pro Style Training Gloves were all ergonomically designed to follow your hand’s natural shape and curve. This means that you will be able to form proper fists without the material resisting you, protecting your fingers and aiming and striking with precision.
After all this, we determined the top 10 best boxing gloves on the market.
Benefits
Boxing gloves can help improve overall health. Boxing is an extremely healthy form of exercise that requires total body fitness. It is demanding but works your heart, lugs, arms, and every body muscle. It can easily increase your life expectancy, reduce your weight, and improve your mental health (1).
Boxing gloves will build your muscles, while protecting you from injury. Boxing requires total muscle strength. To fight, you must keep your hands up at all times, protecting your face from blows your opponent may land. This improves your strength and tones your muscles, especially when combined with landing blows and making very rapid strikes.
Boxing gloves can help improve your mental health. Boxing can reduce your stress and allow you to safely relieve tension in a controlled environment. It allows you to focus on the fight rather than the things stressing you out and produces endorphins, which elevate your mood.
Boxing gloves can help with weight loss. Boxing is a very intense workout, which requires you to train your muscles and be moving constantly, offering a great cardio workout as well (2).
Boxing gloves protect you from injury. They are able to protect your hand from cuts and injuries and absorb the shock of blows. This makes them ideal for training with heavy bags and speed bags because you can work to improve your precision and strength without cutting your hands up, which allows you to train harder for longer periods of time.
Side Effects
Boxing gloves can improve the chance of causing brain injury. The purpose of the glove is to protect your hands. A lot of people mistakenly believe that it also reduces the impact on your opponent. While that is certainly true of blows landed on the body, and of the bruising itself, it is not true of strikes to the head.
The thing that causes brain injury isn’t the strength of the punch as much as the speed and impact. Boxing gloves are actually able to increase that impact speed when it comes to the head, which is why the type of glove used in fights is heavily regulated. The good news is that gloves have been redesigned and more studies are being performed. The issue is under debate because other studies show that gloves have been designed with the impact reduction in mind when it comes to blows to the head (3).
Boxing gloves can cause injury. Fighting definitely comes with some massive risks, especially in boxing because it is legal to strike your opponent’s head and face. This means that you must be very careful when it comes to safety padding and control. You do not want to increase your risk of brain injury (4).
When you wear the wrong gloves, and the padding can’t properly protect you, then you run the risk of getting a Boxer’s Fracture. This injury happens when you strike hard objects with a lot of force, and the likelihood of getting it increases with each blow. Wearing the wrong glove can increase your risk of this injury (5).
Wearing boxing gloves that are cheaply made will also put you at an increased risk of injury. Beginners often buy the cheapest gloves because they’re not sure if they want to continue the hobby. The problem with this is that they often skip out of protection and support when they are made. Some of them even cause your form to suffer thanks to bad angles and no wrist support (6).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do boxing gloves cost? The price of gloves varies greatly. Some cost upwards of $100 while others cost less than $10. The quality varies with the cost, naturally. If you want a good balance of quality to affordability, then I would advise you spend a minimum of $15, but you don’ need to spend more than $30 for a pair that will work in training. As you advance in the sport and need gloves that fulfill regulations for matches and heavier bags, you should expect to spend a little more, but you should never have to spend more than $60 to $75.
How do you clean boxing gloves? To clean gloves, you need to open them and let them dry out after a workout instead of putting them back in a bag. Wipe them down with a cloth and water after each workout then leave them to dry. You can also condition and air dry them for better results and to increase their lifespan.
What size boxing gloves should I get? Boxing gloves are sized by weight. Gloves weigh anywhere from 6 ounces to 20 ounces depending on the size and weight of the fighter and how much protection they will need.
To find the right glove for your needs, you will need a few different measurements. You will need to know your height, your weight, and the circumference of your dominant hand. To measure your hand effectively, you will need a fabric measuring tape. You will be wrapping it around your hand below the knuckles. The tape will meet in the center of your palm, which will make it easy to see the number. If you don’t have a fabric measurer, use a piece of string. Cut the string where it meets, then measure it against your measurer or ruler.
If the targets for suggested sizing don’t match up for the same size, and sizing is in question, then use the circumference of your hand as the ultimate authority. It will offer the best fit.
Amateur boxing gloves come in 10 ounces, 12 ounces, and 16 ounce sizing. Lightweight boxers who weigh less than 141 pounds will use the lightest gloves. Welterweight fighters weigh up to 152 pounds. They will wear 12 ounce gloves. So will super heavyweight boxers over 201 pounds and most people in between. Masters Division fighters who are older than 41 will wear 16 ounce gloves.
Professional fighters have 2 different sizes. Welterweight fighters of 147 pounds and every class weighing less than this will wear 8 ounce gloves. Anyone in super welterweight, or 154 pounds, and above will wear 10 ounce gloves.
For training gloves, anyone who weighs less than 100 pounds will wear 6 ounce gloves. At 100 pounds, they switch to 8 ounce gloves. When you hit 150 pounds, you will need to wear 12 ounce gloves. The 10 ounce gloves in between may work for anyone between these weight ranges. Fighters weighing 175 pounds or more will want 16 ounce gloves. A 14 ounce size may be used by people within this range. More than that, and you can use 15, 18, or 20 ounce gloves.
The more accurate way to determine this is by hand circumference. A circumference of 6.5 inches calls for 10 ounce gloves. If you have 5.5 inches, you may want 8 ounce gloves, and smaller hands should use 6 ounces. For 7.5 inch hands, you use 12 ounce gloves, and 8.5 inches move up to 14 ounces. If your hands are 9.5 inches, you need 16 ounces, and more than that will work for 18 or 20 ounce gloves.
Can you reuse hand wraps? Yes, many hand wraps can be reused. However it’s recommended that you wash and dry them first so that bacteria does not build up and cause fungal infections.
Is boxing safer than UFC or MMA? Boxing is actually much more dangerous than MMA, mainly because many of the blows target the head, versus the body.
Does boxing make your hands bigger? No, boxing won’t make your hands bigger in size, but they may help increase its density and strength. However, it’s the heavy bag that can strengthen muscles and tendons in your hands, wrists and forearms, not boxing or sparing with a partner.
What kind of boxing gloves are there? There are several different types of boxing gloves. Bag gloves are meant for heavy bags, pads, and speed bag punching. These have less knuckle padding than other gloves so you can feel each punch and learn how they impact your target. You will be able to feel bad form this way.
Training gloves are the best option for beginners. They are made with enough padding to be used in sparring but can also be used on the pad to feel your punches. They offer plenty of support and although they aren’t specialized for any type of specific training they work well enough for all of them.
Sparring gloves are made just for sparring. These come with extra layers of padding so that both you and your partner are protected in a match. These are usually heavier than training gloves because of the extra padding and support. They are usually best at absorbing shock, too.
Competition gloves are designed for professional fighters. These have less padding in the area around the knuckles because they are made for fighting. Unlike sparring gloves, when you throw a punch with these, your opponent will feel it! These come in amateur and professional options, and the right sizing is determined by your weight class. Usually, they include white knuckles and red and blue coloring.
What is the point of wearing boxing gloves? The reason why boxers wear gloves is to protect their hands so that they don’t break them when throwing punches. This was the initial purpose for gloves late in the 19th century back when boxing was more of a hobby and people needed their hands for blue collar work.
Have boxers ever died in the ring? Yes, in fact over 500 boxers have died to date since the invention of the sport. Most deaths are caused by brain injuries as a result of repeated powerful blows to the head.
Recap
As with any combat sport, there are also a lot of risks. Failing to wear protection will only increase those risks and lead to injury. The quality of your gloves can make the difference between finger fractures and traumatic brain injuries and safety when training and fighting. Great gloves can help you have the kind of full body workout that will help you lose weight and stay in shape while toning muscles.
A great boxing glove should have adequate padding, a durable exterior material, mesh palms for improved airflow and circulation, and quick and easy to use wrist straps that lock your wrists into place. The padding should have enough layers to diffuse and distort the shock, and the design should follow your hand so that your grip stays proper and your strikes are precise.
For FitBugs #1 boxing glove recommendation, click here.