Buyer's Bible: Boxing Gloves

We are back with another addition to our Buyer's Bible, and this one certainly packs a punch!

This buyer's guide covers boxing gloves, providing you with a step-by-step guide on how to choose the right gloves for your boxing needs!

TYPES OF BOXING GLOVES

TRAINING GLOVES

These are the most common type of boxing glove, and the ones you'll see most regularly here at WFA. Training gloves are an excellent option for newbie boxers or seasoned fighters looking for a hybrid glove to use in a range of training scenarios. 

Easily spotted by their thick padding and strong wrist support, training gloves aren't necessarily built for any specific type of boxing training. Instead, they offer just enough support for some serious sparring or bag work. 

Training gloves tend to lie on the heavier side, which adds to the intensity of your workout. Due to their large size and extra padding, they are awesome for working on the accuracy of your punch without causing any wrist pain or strain.

Training gloves are a great option for anyone looking for a multipurpose glove, to improve their skills, fitness and strength. 

Hot Tip: opt for training gloves if you're going to be working out with boxing pads. Their larger size makes it much easier to strike more accurately.

BAG GLOVES

Bag gloves look fairly similar to training gloves, only that they are smaller, lighter and have less padding. As the name suggests, this type of boxing glove was made for extended bag work, helping fighters work on their speed, power and agility. 

Bag gloves are made with lighter padding for two main reasons:

1. it allows you to feel the impact of your punch; and

2. it teaches you to handle the impact of that punch.

If your bopping on with the bag and you throw a hit that feels a little off, you should be able to feel that wearing a bag glove. If you're working on some combos and your form drops off, you should be able to recognise that with a bag glove. 

This not only improves your boxing skills, but it gives a more accurate simulation of what a real fight would feel like.

When purchasing bag gloves we recommend looking for a pair with a solid wrist support to ensure you don't experience any wrist pain or discomfort. Obviously because they have less padding, you want to maximise support wherever else you can. 

Hot tip: give it a couple weeks to break in your gloves, as they may feel a little firm during your first few sessions.

SPARRING GLOVES

Sparring gloves are lightweight and pliable, sitting middle of the road between fighting and training gloves.

Offering just the right blend of strength and protection, these gloves have lighter padding compared to training gloves, but still offer enough support to withstand long, intense training sessions. They are a bit heavier compared to your fighting mitts, but not so much that they do not misrepresent what it would feel like to strike against an opponent.

When shopping for sparing gloves we recommend choosing leather over vinyl as they tend to last a little longer and offer a bit more breathability during your workouts.

FIGHTING GLOVES

When it's time to step into the ring, you want a glove that is lightweight with minimal padding to ensure your opponent feels the full force of your punch.  

We don't recommend beginner boxers train with fighting gloves, as they impose a higher risk of injury if your form and skill level isn't quite up to scratch.

 SIZE & WEIGHT

When choosing the weight of your boxing gloves there are three factors you should consider:

1. Your body weight

2. Your hand Size

3. Your fighter weight class 

USING BODY WEIGHT TO DETERMINE YOUR GLOVE SIZE

USING HAND SIZE TO DETERMINE YOUR GLOVE SIZE

USING WEIGHT CLASS TO DETERMINE YOUR GLOVE SIZE

HAND WRAPS - YAY OR NAY?

If you're going to be boxing regularly, we always recommend using hand wraps. These little beauties amp up the wrist support, add a little extra cushioning to your knuckles, and help reduce the risk of injury. 

It's important to purchase gloves that also offer sturdy wrist support, even if you're using hand wraps. This will help prevent 'rolling' your wrist and causing any soft tissue damage.  

Ready to step in the ring? Check out our huge range of boxing equipment.