7 years to find the right boxing gloves
How to Choose the Right Boxing Gloves I have been training in boxing and kickboxing for the past 7 years and found it difficult choosing the right type of gloves for my training. The right boxing glove should fit you like, well, a glove. Finding the right gloves for you, however, depends on more than just picking the right weight or size – intended use, material and even colour should all be taken into consideration when choosing your new pair of boxing gloves. Choosing the Right Weight Boxing gloves serve many different purposes, which is why they come in many different weights. Their main purpose is to protect the boxer’s hands and minimise the damage done to the opponent’s (Tim's) face when hit. You want to minimise the damage done to your hands and face, as training usually lasts longer than a match Training with extra heavy gloves will speed up your punch during competition, when you will be using lighter gloves Recommended uses for different sizes: 8 - 10oz: ideal for competitive boxing fights 12oz: the recommended general training glove size 14oz: ideal for sparring or general training 16oz: the size most gyms require for sparring 18 - 20oz: usually for larger heavier weight classes for training
Types of Boxing Gloves There are generally four main categories of fighting gloves: Bag Gloves Bag gloves are perfect for punching the bag. You can choose from fully padded, regular-sized gloves that have extra padding and shock absorption and smaller, lighter, less padded gloves designed for speed bag work. Training Gloves Training gloves are used during general training, which can include punching the pad, bag work and even sparring. These are the gloves that you will be using most of the time and as such, they should be carefully considered before choosing.. Sparring Gloves Even though you can spar with your training gloves, if that is your preferred method of training, these are better suited for the job. They are very well padded, for both your safety and your partner’s. Competition Gloves The name says it all. These gloves are usually lighter for speed, less fatigue and, yes, if you want your opponent to really feel the strikes. Specific competitions usually have only specific gloves allowed, though, so it is imperative that you make sure that you are clear on your competition's rules. Choose the Right Material Most often boxing gloves are made of either leather, vinyl or some blend of both. My first pair were Vinyl These gloves are the cheapest and therefore perfect for beginners and children that are interested in starting boxing training. They typically don’t stand the test the time, so once your training gets more serious, you may need to transition to a more solid pair of boxing gloves. From there onwards I chose Polyurethane Leather Polyurethane leather is an artificial alternative to leather, with all the benefits of real leather. It has the same durability and the same genuine looks, but at a significantly lower price than the real thing. Genuine Leather The priciest (and the best quality) boxing gloves are made of real leather. They are the most durable and actually grow with the boxer, gradually moulding to your hand shape and becoming like a second skin. This ensures that you get a pair of gloves that are specifically yours.
My personal choose out of all the ones I have tried are my 14oz full leather Fumetsu gloves, these Boxing Gloves from Fumetsu are ideal for bag and pad work, I choose to use them for sparing, they sport double Velcro fastening for extra wrist support. I keep a second pair of Adidas 14oz gloves for bag and pad work.
So when choosing gloves try not to skimp on price as this reflects in the quality and durability of the glove, when it comes to cheep gloves there cheep for a reason.
Credit to wikipedia for glove type descriptions.
