How to Choose the Best Boxing Gloves
A lot of people face challenges when it comes to choosing boxing gloves. This is because there are several types of boxing gloves. If you are not experienced in boxing, you might not know which type of boxing gloves to go for.
When it comes to choosing boxing gloves, you ought to go with boxing gloves that suit the purpose for which you intend to use them. Do you want to focus on cardio exercising in the gym, boxing with an opponent or hit the heavy bag? The answer to this question is the first step in determining the kind of boxing gloves you need to get.
This complete guide to boxing gloves will answer all the questions you have about boxing gloves.
Types of Boxing Gloves
The first thing you need to know when you are looking to buy new boxing gloves is the different types of boxing gloves that are available in the market and what they are used for. This will give you an idea of which boxing gloves to go for depending on what you need to use them for. Generally, there are three types of boxing gloves.
Sparring Gloves
Sparing gloves are the kind of gloves that are used when you are boxing an opponent. These boxing gloves have laces around the wrap-around area of the gloves in order to protect boxers from bruises and cuts.
Normally, these types of boxing gloves are measured in ounces. Fighters weighing 100- 126lbs are advised to have 12-14 ounces gloves, those weighing 126-160lbs are advised to have 14-16 ounces gloves. The fighters weighing more than 160lbs are advised to have 16-18 ounce gloves. The gloves with more weight tend to produce a higher shock absorbance.
Training Gloves
Training gloves are considered hybrid gloves. These can be used for either bag work or sparing but not both. They can be used for both purposes because they are strong and they provide a lot of shock absorbance.
However, a boxing glove that has been used for bag work should not be used for sparring since the bag reduces the padding and makes the punching surface rough. This makes it unsuitable for sparring.
Bag Gloves
Bag gloves are the kind of gloves that are designed to be specifically use for bag work. They have a wrap-around kind of closure in order to facilitate easy wearing and taking off of the gloves. They have a hard protective material to protect your fist from bruises. However they cannot be used for sparring because they do not offer the required resilience for this purpose.
Professional Fight Gloves
Professional fight gloves are used by boxers for their fighting championships, which have smaller padding but more compact so as to fight with the opponent. It’s not advised for amateur or newbies, as it could hurt the hands.
Cardio Gloves
Cardio gloves have a thicker padding so as to absorb impact when hitting heavy punching bags and mitts. Since they usually don’t last long, it’s not advised for hard training or if you plan to go for a serious transition to boxing.
Muay Thai Gloves
Muay Thai Gloves (kick boxing gloves) are similar to training and sparring gloves, but they are more flexible so that Muay Thai boxers can use freely their hands and punch the opponents during fights.
Material Used
The type of material to go for is another challenge a lot of people face when they decide to get new boxing gloves. Material is very important when you are choosing boxing gloves. This is because it determines the durability and quality of your gloves.
There are two common materials that are used in making boxing gloves; vinyl and leather.
Leather is the best choice when you want high quality durable gloves. It is however possible to get high quality vinyl gloves. The best thing about leather gloves is the fact that they can be used for any kind of boxing.
Vinyl on the other hand can only be used for cardio exercises since it might not be able to withstand all the impact.
Leather is more expensive than vinyl. However, when it comes to boxing gloves, you get exactly what you pay for. You can therefore be assured that you will be getting high quality durable gloves if you buy leather.
How to Choose the Right Type
The process of buying gloves is very different from the one you would use in buying other sporting gear. Normally, you would go to your nearest sports store and select the boxing gloves that standout the most for you or the ones that are the most affordable.
However, the normal buying process does not work when it comes to boxing gloves. Before you decide to make a purchase, it is very important to talk to your instructor.
Based on the activity you intend to get into your instructor will suggest the best gloves to go for. You might have to spend a lot of money on the gloves but it will be worth it since they will offer you the protection you need.
Therefore, to choose the right gloves, you need to consider your activity. If it is martial arts, go for a flexible type of glove. If it is bag work, go for a boxing glove that has a thick padding and if you are competing in a ring you might want to go with a light kind of glove.
How to Choose the Right Size
A lot of people assume that glove size and weight is one and the same thing. This is not the case. In some cases, you might find a glove whose weight corresponds with the size but this is not always the case.
The weight of a boxing glove is very important for a number of reasons. Normally, you pick glove weight depending on the activity you intend to use it for. However, size is selected based on fit and how comfortable you feel wearing the glove.
Glove size is normally small, medium or large. e
- 8 and 10 oz. are normally used by competitive boxers
- 12 oz. boxing gloves are common for women and those with small hands
- 14 oz. is for the average sized people
- 16 oz. is for all sizes; and
- 18 oz. and 20 oz. are for the heavy class fighters.
Your size will therefore be determined by which level of training you are in and sometimes by your body weight. Thus, it is important to discuss glove sizes with your instructor as well. This will enable you to get gloves that not only have a perfect fit, but also gloves that will offer you maximum protection when you are boxing.
Comparison of Good and Bad Boxing Gloves
Quality
[pullquote]Quality is very important when you are buying boxing gloves. You need to be sure that the boxing gloves you have decided to go for will last you a long time and will serve the purpose for which you have bought them for. [/pullquote]
It is not always easy to tell a bad boxing glove from a good one when they are both new. However, there are certain things that can make this easy for you. First and foremost, a good boxing glove will have high quality material and a bad one will generally have a bad material.
A good material is the one that can withstand a lot of impact without wearing out too fast and one that offers you maximum protection. There are two materials that you will commonly find; vinyl and leather.
If you have the money to spend, it is always advisable to go for leather over vinyl. Leather is a high quality material and it is very durable. Although there are some vinyl boxing gloves that are of good quality, it is not always easy to tell which one is of high quality and which one is not. Therefore, it is always great to go with an option you are sure of like leather in this case. A good boxing glove will also have the right amount of padding. The main reason why people wear gloves for bag work, sparring and cardio exercises is to protect their hands from injuries.
Padding
Padding is therefore a very important part of a boxing glove. When you have a good pair of boxing gloves, you should not be able to feel any type of pain in your hand when you hit a bag or when you are fighting your opponent.
A bad pair of boxing gloves does not protect you from feeling the impact. It is always advisable to go for a pair of boxing gloves that are from a reputable brand. This is because you can trust the quality of boxing gloves you are getting. It might also help to read our reviews on the boxing gloves you intend to get. This will give you an idea of what to expect based on other customers’ experiences.
Fit and Size
The other thing that should tell you whether a pair of boxing gloves is good or bad is how secure they are in your arm when you use them. A good pair of gloves should not come off when you are using it if the fit and size was chosen correctly. A good way to test this out is to wear the gloves and try a boxing motion. If the gloves are still tight on your hands, they are good.
Lace-Up or Velcro
In addition, it is important to check the closure type to ensure it is one you would like; do you prefer lace-up to Velcro? The answer to this question will enable you to know whether to examine the boxing gloves more objectively. Comfort is another thing that will help you differentiate a bad boxing glove from a good one.
Comfort
A good boxing glove will generally be very comfortable. This is something you need weather you are doing bag work, cardio exercises or sparring. It will enable you to perform well on your chosen activity and most importantly, it will help you enjoy your activity.
Comfort is also great in ensuring you do not suffer injuries. This is because if you are uncomfortable, you might move your fingers a lot when boxing, which might result into injury. Therefore, it is very important to ensure the comfort is great before you decide to go for any type of boxing gloves.
Does Color Matter?
The color of the boxing gloves you choose sometimes matters and sometimes not so much. For instance, if you are looking for boxing gloves to do bag work in your home, any color will do.
Most people choose to go for boxing gloves that have their favorite colors. When it comes to professional boxing, it is the promoter who gets to choose the boxing colors.
In armature boxing, there are mainly two colors that are commonly used; blue and red. This helps the judges in differentiating the competitors for the purpose of scoring. Therefore, if you are looking for a pair of boxing gloves, go for a color that suits you if they are not for professional boxing purposes.
Proper Boxing Glove Maintenance
There is one common mistake that a lot of people make. Most people throw their boxing gloves into a gym bag immediately they are done boxing and leave it there until their next session. This is the worst thing you can do to your pair of boxing gloves.
[pullquote]It is very important to let your boxing gloves air dry after use. This enables the sweat to dry up preventing growth of fungus and foul smell from forming. [/pullquote]Apart from letting your boxing gloves to air dry, it is also advisable to buy some deodorant to eliminate the foul smell that forms due to sweat build up. This is not only hygienic but it also increases the lifespan of your boxing gloves.
Men and Women Boxing Gloves
Are Men and Women Boxing Gloves the Same? In the past, the only thing that used to differentiate women’s boxing gloves from men’s boxing gloves is the size. However, since boxing is becoming a popular sport among women, there is a small difference between the two.
Women’s gloves are normally smaller compared to men’s gloves and it is rare to find them being measured in weight. This is because women tend to have smaller hands than men and might not be able to withstand too much weight. The weight aspect is however something that is expected to change since women are becoming more and more interested in taking boxing professionally.
Here are a few best boxing gloves for women:
Conclusion
In conclusion, will all these things in mind; you should have an easy time selecting the right boxing gloves for your activity. However, you should pay close attention to comfort, padding, material and durability. It is also important to be open to the idea of spending more for high quality boxing gloves. This is important because with boxing gloves, you always pay for exactly what you get. The high quality boxing gloves will normally be more than $90. Cheaper ones in most cases are not of very good quality.
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