Boxing gloves are an essential piece of boxing equipment. With so many options, here’s what you need to know about training, sparring, & competition gloves.

WHAT ARE DIFFERENT BOXING GLOVES USED FOR?

Hands are a boxers’ greatest asset. This makes boxing gloves one of a boxers’ most essential pieces of protective gear. Several different types of boxing gloves have evolved in the boxing world, as well as other types of gloves designed for various martial arts disciplines, such as Muay Thai and MMA.

Since gloves are a fighters’ first line of defense against hand injuries, it’s important to choose the right pair for what you need. When you’re researching different types of boxing gloves, consider these four (4) main points.

FOUR (4) THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING BOXING GLOVES

1. Material – What the gloves are made from and their durability

2. Padding – Thickness, and location of the protective cushioning

3. Intended Use – What the gloves are designed for

4. Weight – The correct weight for intended use

TRAINING GLOVES

• Usually made of leather

• Thick foam padding over the knuckles

• Stiff wrist support with lace-up or hook-and-loop (Velcro) closure

• Good for bag and partner training

• Protects knuckles, hands, and wrist

Training gloves are an ideal all-around glove for heavy bag and partner drills. A denser foam padding provides shock absorption, and a stiff lace-up or hook-and-loop closure (Velcro wrap) around the wrist offers good stability. Leather is the material of choice for durability in premium training gloves, though neoprene is also available. Training gloves are perhaps the most important gloves in a boxer’s arsenal, protecting the knuckles, hands, and wrists during intense workouts.

BAG GLOVES

• Usually made of neoprene

• Thin padding

• Minimal support

• Good for light bag work focusing on form

• Not as much protection as training gloves

Bag gloves are the one of most minimalistic glove designs, made for technique training on the heavy bag. The padding is thin with little wrist support, allowing for boxers to feel more feedback in their hands and arms with every punch. These are most often made with neoprene rather than leather. While the minimal padding is helpful in focusing on improving technique, it also means less protection against injury. For beginners or any boxer that wants to go all out on the heavy bag, a more substantial and versatile training glove is recommended.

SPARRING GLOVES

• Softer padding for lower impact

• Good for sparring with a partner

• Heavier weight, 16 ounces or more

Sparring gloves are designed with safety in mind. Sparring gloves are bigger than training and bag gloves, with softer padding to better distribute force on impact.

COMPETITION GLOVES

• Similar to training gloves with stiffer padding

• Lace-up closure likely required

• Closely regulated in competitive boxing

The rules of competitive boxing matches are closely regulated, which includes boxing gloves. The standards regulating competition gloves are further broken down into either amateur or professional, depending on weight class and division. Investing in a pair of competition gloves that meet these regulations is a must for fighters who want to go pro.

Competition gloves are very similar to premium training gloves, but they feature stiffer padding for greater impact on the opponent. Most competitive boxing standards also require these boxing gloves to have a lace-up closure rather than hook-and-loop closure to avoid potentially snagging during a fight.

MEXICAN BOXING GLOVES