How to choose boxing gloves?

BoxingGloves are regulation padded gloves used by boxing, Muay Thai, Kick Boxing and Full Contact fighters among other sports. They are one of the essential protections for the boxer since they soften the impact of blows during fights and prevent injuries . For this reason, and to help you with the choice of this important element, we have created this guide post so that you can find the most suitable boxing glove for you.

If you want to know the origin and history of boxing gloves, click here.

First of all, we will review the types of gloves that exist depending on the use that they are going to be given:

Types of boxing gloves:

1. Competition Gloves

Competition gloves are more personalized, smaller and more compact than any other glove. It is very important that competition gloves adapt to the athlete's hand . In lower categories, gloves require protection and differentiation by color. It is very important that Competition Boxing Gloves are approved by a National Federation.

Here we show you this example of an approved competition glove available at Buddha Fight Wear:

2. Training Gloves

As their name indicates, they are gloves used to perform different exercises during training , therefore, they are gloves manufactured in a more standardized way. Its design is designed for sparring activities (training with another boxer or assistant who receives the blows) or exercises with bags and so on. It is an essential element for every boxer.

To differentiate them from gloves for professional use, we can see that training gloves have a Velcro that helps the glove adjust to the boxer's wrist, while gloves for professional use have a tape. Training gloves have velcro instead of tape to make it easier to take them off and perform different activities .

View Complete Collection of Training Gloves

3. Sack gloves

The purpose of these gloves is for the athlete to achieve the final training objectives and perfect the technique . They are used to practice punches and movements with the punching bag, so it is advisable to have one of these as well. They have padding to cushion blows and injuries resulting from the hardness of the material with which the punching bag is filled.

4. Aerobics Gloves

Aerobics gloves are made of less resistant materials than bag gloves and have more varied designs. They are used for aerobic combat modalities or to hit the speed bag, which is a bag that is used to perform repetitive hits at high speed.

Depending on the materials it is made of:

1. Boxing gloves made of vinyl

They are the most economical and are designed for people who are starting out in the world of boxing . It is not the most recommended material since it wears out quickly with use and can damage the wrist and knuckles.

2. Gloves made of PVC

PVC gloves are quite inexpensive although their price is higher than vinyl gloves . These are hard gloves and not very comfortable. These gloves, like vinyl gloves, are also recommended for beginners.

3. Gloves made of Leatherette (PU)

In this type we can find three different qualities:

• Low quality leatherette: They have the same drawbacks as vinyl ones. Its price is quite affordable.

• Mid-range leatherette: It is a highly recommended training glove for beginners or for those who do not want to invest a lot of money in this element.

• High-end leatherette: They have a higher price than all the previous ones but they are also more comfortable and more durable . These gloves are recommended for both beginners and advanced users and for competition.

Here we show you this example of high quality gloves available at Buddha Fight Wear

4. Leather boxing gloves

The most used gloves are made from buffalo, goat and cow skins. Buffalo and goat skins are the cheapest. Cowhide is the highest quality and is recommended for all types of practitioners . They are the ones that fit best in the hand and withstand impacts best.

Here we show you this example of the best quality leather glove made in Thailand available at Buddha Fight Wear.

What to choose: Leather or Leatherette?

At Buddha Sports we recommend that if you are a beginner you choose the economical ranges of leatherette or synthetic leather gloves as they are perfect to start your training. In addition, they are economical and are available in a multitude of models and ounces.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for gloves for more frequent training and professional material, we recommend, without a doubt, leather gloves . At Buddha Sports you can find a very good range manufactured in the best factories in Thailand.

Boxing Glove Size

The size of boxing gloves is expressed in Ounce (28.35 grams). The Ounce, which represents the weight of the glove and its degree of protection, must be adapted to the weight of the boxer. At Buddha Sports we recommend that:

• 4 (113.4 gr), 6 (170.1 gr) or 8 Ounces (226.8 gr) for children between 6 and 12 years old.

• 10 ounces (283.5 gr) for women and men whose weight does not exceed 50 kilograms. These gloves are usually used for amateur and professional competition . It is characterized by having little padding which means less protection for the opponent and for oneself.

• 12 ounces (340.2gr) is the most popular measurement . It is recommended for women and men who do not exceed 70 kilograms. It is also suitable for low-weight professional wrestlers and for high-weight wrestlers who want to use it to hit bags, pads or mitts.

• 14 Ounces (396.9 gr) recommended for people weighing less than 80 kilos and 16 Ounces (453.6 gr) for people weighing less than 95 kilos. The 14 and 16 ounce gloves are recommended for hard training and moderate gloving since having more weight on your hands better protects your hands and wrists, strengthens your hands and shoulders, helps you reach the bottom, and improves speed.

• 18 Ounces (510.3 gr) are totally recommended for Sparring.

If you are still not sure which size is most convenient for you, we recommend that you talk to your trainer. He will indicate the most suitable Ounce for you.

Other factors to choose in a Boxing Glove

Closure types: Velcro or Strings?

There are only two types of closures for boxing gloves: Strings and Velcro.

Rope gloves are especially indicated for professional fights due to their comfort, placement and grip . They are also recommended for professional fighters or long training sessions, circuits and sparring . Before choosing this closure you must keep in mind that help is required to tie the laces, therefore they are not recommended for daily training (unless you have thin wrists since you can tie the laces only once and then you can put your hands in and out every time you use them)

Gloves with Velcro closure are the most popular and are quick and easy to put on. Velcro gloves are very practical and comfortable as they are easy to put on and take off. They are the ideal type of closure for daily training. However, it should be taken into account that the Velcro elastics can break the cotton hand wraps and offer a less efficient grip.

The quality of the filling

Boxing gloves are filled with layers of foam rubber and the price of a glove can largely depend on the quality of the filling itself. The denser the filling, the better absorption capacity it will have. In high-end gloves we can find gloves filled with gel layers in addition to foam layers whose function is to distribute the impact of the blow throughout the glove. These gloves are identified with the word Gel.

Format

We can find three types of formats in boxing gloves:

• Gloves that require the hand to be closed with Velcro

• Gloves that leave the hand half open. MMA gloves

• Gloves that have a folded thumb.

Choosing one or another format is a matter of taste. However, it must be taken into account that gloves that leave the hand half open require double effort since before hitting you must close your hand.

Perspiration and seams

Regarding this section you must keep in mind that:

• If the glove is double stitched you will ensure that it lasts longer

• To absorb perspiration from your hands and prolong the life of your gloves, it is advisable to use boxing bandages or fingerless gloves.

Boxing Glove Design

This aspect is simply aesthetic and subjective . Nowadays there are gloves in almost all colors and all types of prints. You can choose the one you like the most!

As color recommendations we can tell you that red is the classic color , and it is less visible to the human eye than other colors. Furthermore, blood is less visible in this color of gloves than in other colors. At Buddha sports we recommend that if you are sparring, you use gloves of a color other than red so that your coach can see the blows better.

If you are looking for a more innovative and creative design, here we show you Buddha's Fantasy Gloves, which are one of Buddha's best-selling lines.