Andrea Contents
When you approach combat sports you do not imagine how many gloves you can need:
- gloves,
- sparring gloves,
- gloves for racing,
- Etc.
and I don’t want to consider in this article the gloves from MMA and for MMA sparring to which I want to dedicate a specific article.
Now you don’t need everyone right away, at first you need two types, 12 Oz gloves and bag gloves.
You need to start understanding the importance of gloves because they serve to protect your hands and your training partners.
Read this simple guide on choosing the right gloves for you to use in any type of workout, sparring or competition. I hope that with this guide you will have the clearest ideas, basically I also wrote you 5 tips that you must immediately apply.
Let’s start as for clothes, what size of gloves should you use?
If you’re like me, you probably use a set of gloves for training type and sport, but it’s not a vice but it’s something important, you can’t use a couple of gloves for everything.
Depending on the type of workout you do, such as sack, focus pads, pao, sparring, etc. you have to use a certain type of gloves and weight to have a good workout, preserve your hands and your training partners.
If you compete you absolutely have to have another set of gloves specifically to fight and the size and type of glove used will depend on the weight of the glove and the weight of your body, the regulation and the type of competition.
Unfortunately every boxer has a pair of gloves that they use for all training goals.
When you go to buy boxing or Muay Thai gloves, you will see that there is ne for all tastes, brands, colors, lacings, etc.
The only gloves you need if you start playing the sport are: sack gloves and sparring gloves.
Basically, with these two types of gloves you can do all kinds of workouts required like hitting bags in the gym and doing sparring with your workout buddies.
Below are the guidelines for body weight and size of the training gloves that I recommend:
- 54kg down – (12oz or 14oz)
- 54kg – 68kg (14oz – 16oz)
- 68kg – 81kg (16oz – 20oz)
- 81kg up (18oz & up)
Bag gloves
These are gloves that have little padding and a very cheap price, even here you find all the brands and quality, but be careful that being poorly protected you do not have to use them for sparring, but only to make the sack and the focus pads.
Remember to wrap your hands well when using these gloves because hand bandage is always to be done regardless of the type of glove you wear.
Sparring gloves
Sparring gloves are basically extra-padded training gloves so that you don’t harm your opponent during sparring sessions.
Regardless of size or weight, almost no one uses gloves with less than 16oz, unless it is a really small person (less than 54 kg).
Theoretically, you could fight with 14oz gloves, but then it wouldn’t prepare you for a fight against the competition if you’re competing with 16oz boxing gloves.
If you weigh more than 79 kg of muscle (not ciccia), you have to pull with gloves with no less than 18oz or 20oz. Don’t forget to watch your opponent also use big gloves and don’t use gloves smaller than you because you have to pull at par.
Some coaches say that you should always pull with the gloves of the weight of your weight class and that you will use in competitions, to get used to it.
If your weight class competes in 10oz gloves, then you have to sparring with this.
It has its own logic and I understand it, but you have to lower the pace so that you and your training partner don’t destroy each other before the match.
A tip, beginners must use larger gloves to be “safe” and then as they gain control use the weight of the glove of their category if they manage it, because you risk getting hurt unnecessarily.
But the closing of the glove with the lace or with the Velcro?. My advice as everyday gloves with Velcro closure that are more comfortable and you can close them yourself.
Competition gloves
These are the gloves you only use to fight during official tournaments and competitions.
If you are an amateur fighter, there is a specific size based on your weight class to use, 12oz, 14oz, 16oz, etc.
Always check what the policy is, your coach knows the right size and the specifics required.
Ps. Make sure your opponent uses the same glove size.
In professional competitions the gloves are usually smaller.
For competitions you have to buy gloves only with laces,no Velcro closures.
In general, your training and sparring gloves are heavier and thicker than combat gloves.
5 recommendations I want to make to you:
- Go to a gym with lots of guys and each gloves from different brands, ask and try different types of gloves they use. Ask the more experienced, check the shape, padding and comfort. Or buy at the store you know or online but only if you’ve already tried the glove and know it. But if you can try them first, it’s important.
- Bag gloves – The sack gloves are thinner and offer less protection to your hands, making you feel good because your hands are faster. Use them as little as necessary, and remember that you only use them on the bag and pads. One of my advice is to also buy to make the bag of gloves of the weight of the competition to use to the sack and focus, a cheap glove, so you work with the right weight, the bag gloves are light and your hands move fast but then with the glove of your weight things change, do not get used to the bag glove.
- Size – Make sure the gloves fit the size of your hand. Remember that you wear them with headbands, and when you start pulling hard even doubles, therefore if you try the bare hand gloves should not be tight. Try them fastened or with felt tight around your wrist. Brands vary in size, not all of them are the same. Make sure your fist is comfortable inside the boxing gloves.
- Thai or Mexican-style gloves – They have a smaller and more compact punch for greater damage. They are good to fight in competitions, but they don’t have much padding for training. Protect your hands because over time neglecting these aspects makes you feel. Do not use them during training if you can.
- Some brands are better than others – Each brand distributes the weight of the glove differently. Some offer more protection for the punch, others more protection for the wrist. I know that the price also changes, but it is something important. A 14oz branded glove such as the Grant, Ringside, Rival, Fairtex, Yokkao, Leone, etc. from good padding and protection far more than a 16oz glove from a generic company like Century, TKO. Don’t save on gloves.
Ps. I didn’t tell you about prices because they vary a lot from brand to brand.
Have a good workout with your gloves!!
Andrea
