Your Guide on How to Choose Best Boxing Gloves?
Ahh, the best boxing gloves… Only if we had a nickel for every time, we get asked about “Best Boxing Gloves.” At Infinitude Fight, we help our customers buy boxing gloves that fit their type of usage, needs, and comfort.
Still, with so many options, narrowing your choices down can become a tedious task. You might be asking questions to yourself that;
Do I need a sparring glove or bag gloves?
How to choose between synthetic or leather gloves?
And then comes the sizing of the gloves and boxing gloves price factors too.
With all these decisions to make, how can you ensure that you are buying the right pair of gloves?
Relax and don’t sweat; Infinitude Fight has put together a guide for you of seven basic things you need to understand before you go out to purchase your next set of boxing gloves.
Note: Remember, no boxing gloves in USA are the same. Similarly, no two brands produce similar products.
Let’s discuss all the basics one by one;
Boxing Gloves – Types
Boxing gloves are divided into four major categories based on their types; Competition, Sparring, Bag and Training. For understanding each and determining which is the best option for you, always consider what the primary use of the gloves will be for you.
Competition Gloves
Competition gloves are relatively smaller and lighter than training gloves. Competition gloves are designed to primarily safeguard the wrists and knuckles while still enabling you to feel the impact.
If you plan on competing, you will need a set of competition or professional boxing gloves – as they are sometimes called – however, some competition boards and organizers will supply you with the required gloves.
Sparring Gloves
Sparring gloves are designed to protect you and your sparring partner during your practice in the ring. Sparring gloves are heavier than the competition gloves; additionally, the gloves aid you in improving your punch speed and strength.
If you are on a budget and want the same pair of gloves for both training and sparring, we suggest choosing sparring gloves. As you will always be able to hit the bag with sparring gloves, but you can’t spar with bag gloves.
Bag Gloves
Bag gloves offer plenty of wrist support and enough padding on the knuckle area – providing extensive protection from the constant impacts of heavy bags.
Also, bag gloves are a bit lighter compared to the sparring gloves, enabling fighters to throw punches for a longer period than when sparring – because sparring gloves are heavier.
Additionally, if you are willing or thinking of focusing on bag work, or need an individual pair of gloves for hitting the bag, or have an interest in fitness boxing, bag gloves are the perfect choice for you.
Training Gloves
Training gloves are meant to be all-rounder gloves for all kinds and intensities of training. Training gloves are built to provide sufficient and proper protection for sparring and bag work – as they are a bit of a hybrid between the two glove types.
Most training gloves can do justice to this hybrid model, but not all manufacturers can pin this fusion. So, if you are thinking of getting into boxing, training gloves are for you. But we always advise performing thorough research before you buy boxing gloves of any kind.
Boxing Gloves USA – Materials
Boxing gloves are generally made with either leather or synthetic materials.
While genuine leather boxing gloves are a bit pricey and require more care to maintain – they are your best bet. When leather boxing gloves are well maintained, they are incredibly durable than any other material currently in use.
When it comes to synthetic material gloves, like vinyl gloves, they are quite less expensive and also easier to maintain. However, synthetic materials are bound to wear out quite quickly.
Polyurethane leather substitutes are a less-common alternative for making boxing gloves. The material looks almost the same as genuine leather and also offers similar durability – in addition to offering a lower price and easy maintenance such as a vinyl glove.
Leather substitute gloves are worth checking out – that is if you find them.
So, if you are seriously looking to take up boxing as a sport and looking to buy boxing gloves, go for leather or leather substitutes – as they can take a lot of abuse.
However, if you are a beginner and just getting started or if you intend to do boxing for fitness purposes, synthetic material gloves will be good for you.
Boxing Gloves – Closure Type
You always need closure to the gloves so that you can secure them at your wrist and make sure the gloves fit perfectly and do not move. The primary closure types are hook and loop, and lace; however, there are other options available too.
The lace-up closures on boxing gloves are traditional and are an old-tested method of securing the gloves on the hands. A huge number of fighters and coaches go for the lace-up gloves as it is widely believed that lace-ups closures offer a secure and tighter fit.
On the other side, these gloves are not easy to put on, require the assistance of another person to tie them off properly, and also take longer to put on.
Boxing gloves with hook and loop closures usually are called Velcro gloves. Velcro gloves have gotten most popular these days in gyms. Hook & loop closures offer a convenient and fast method to wear the gloves on and off; also, these gloves do not require the assistance of a second person to tie them.
The downside? – When it comes to hook & loop gloves, they are much harder to fine-tune the fit.
There are a few other types of gloves closures available in the market;
Slip-on boxing gloves have an elastic cuff or a few elastic cords to secure the gloves on the hand. Ideally, only old-school bag gloves and beginner gloves are available in the slip-on closure types.
Quick-tie closure gloves offer the best of both worlds, the convenience of hook and loop, and the secure and tight closure of the lace-ups. Quick tie closures can be secured by only pulling the strings of the gloves until they get secured and tight.
The quick tie system offers a snug and relatively finer tune fit compared to the hook and loop. In addition, quick tie gloves also offer a fast and easier way of securing the gloves compared to the lace-ups.
So, what type of boxing gloves closure is best for me?
If you only want to use the gloves to hit the bags, then choose the hook and loop closure, as it is best for you. With hook & loop, you can wear the gloves on quickly, be done with hitting the bag and pull them off just as quickly, then continue with your other workout exercises.
When it comes to the competition-type gloves, it mostly depends on your personal preference. Consult your coach and pick the style that seems best to both of you.
Whichever type you choose for your competition gloves, remember to pick the same type for your sparring gloves. It is always better to practice with the same type of gloves as you will be using to compete with.
Except if you want to do bag work too with your sparring gloves, in that case, it is advised to go for hook & loop or rather a quick tie sparring gloves.
Boxing Gloves USA – Appearance
Boxing gloves are meant to be used vigorously, and you will be using them for every training session or workout. To that effect, as your clothes and shoes reflect your sense of style, your boxing gloves should also add to your style stock.
It does not always feel this way, but we had come along a long road from when only red, black, or brown boxing gloves were available.
Nowadays, gloves come in every color of the rainbow, and some brands, such as Infinitude Fight, offer complete customization for your boxing gloves. – Just head over to our easy-to-follow customizer and design the gloves and other boxing gear of your dreams.
Design or choose boxing gloves that you will enjoy wearing and showing off.
Buy Boxing Gloves – With Appropriate Size
Sizing the gloves is a bit tricky for people who are new to boxing and boxing gear – competition and sparring gloves sizes are always based on the weight of the gloves. Sparring gloves typically get on the racks in sizes from 14oz to 20oz; however, the competition gloves typically weigh between 11oz to 8oz.
Regarding bag gloves, sometimes these come in sizes marked extra-large, large, medium, or small. The size of the gloves that you choose with relatively scale with your size and strength.
For instance, lighter and smaller fighters will choose more lightweight gloves while the weightier ones shall need bigger and heavier gloves.
For a detailed overview, head over to our boxing gloves size chart here. Here you will find all types, sizes, and styles of gloves and other boxing gear that we offer.
How to go about it, though? As far as the sparring or bag gloves are concerned, measuring the circumference of your hands will fetch the best values to determine your glove size.
About competition gloves sizing, you should select the glove size according to your weight class and the rules of the organization you fight for/under.
Boxing Gloves Fit
The boxing gloves should always slide on easily on your hands even when you are trying them on for the first time – that too without any added force or pressure.
The fit of the gloves should also be snug, but they should not feel tight. Remember, there should always be enough room for hand wraps. No areas of the gloves should make you feel constricted or pinched.
Additionally, there should be minimal resistance when you make a fist, and your fingertips should be touching the tip of the gloves.
Boxing Gloves other Features
There are some additional and miscellaneous features/factors that you should always consider while choosing the best boxing gloves for yourself.
Let’s quickly discuss them one by one;
Breathability
Most of the sparring and bag gloves are designed with mesh vented palms to allow and ensure airflow to circulate inside the gloves while being in use. This dramatically cuts down on the moisture content that is bound to build up inside the gloves while you spar, train, or hot the bag.
Padding
A user or buyer should always know and consider what type of padding is used in the gloves to protect the hands. The traditional old gloves styles – commonly known as the puncher’s gloves to this day use horsehair padding.
Whereas many modern glove types use layered foam or injected foam to ensure the precise amount of padding required for a specific type of the gloves.
Gel Layer
Some gloves also come with added gel padding layer that offers an extra layer of protection to the boxer’s hands.
Specific to the Sports type – Boxing gloves are also made in styles that are precisely suited to particular kinds of combative sports. For instance, MMA gloves come with divided fingers, open palms, and open fingertips, aiding with grappling tricks.
Whereas Muay Thai gloves offer more flexibility in the hands and thumbs to enable fighters to clinch and grab their opponents.
So, after reading this guide, if you are ready to buy boxing gloves of your choice, do check out our selection at Infinitude Fight.
However, if you are still on the fence and can’t decide or have questions on how to choose the best boxing gloves, reach out to our customer support executives or our boxing experts at our Instagram handle.
We will be more than happy to answer any further questions that you have or any more guidance that you are looking for.