Boxing gloves come in many different shapes, sizes, and vary in amounts of padding and general weight, so how do we know which ones are the best pair for us? Well, here's a few very simple tips that will help you pick the pair that will suit you best!
Basically, the smaller gloves e.g. 10 oz, have much less hand padding but they are much lighter and less bulky, compared to the larger ones that have much more padding but are quite heavy and bulky, e.g. 16 oz, which are mainly used for sparring.
STEP 1. CHOOSE YOUR SIZE/WEIGHT!
This is the most commonly used size/weight range, from smallest to largest:
• 10 oz (smallest and lightest)
• 12 oz
• 14 oz
• 16 oz (largest and heaviest)
• 12 oz
• 14 oz
• 16 oz (largest and heaviest)
STEP 2. CHOOSE YOUR BRAND!
There are many brands on the market that sell boxing gloves, however they vary in price, quality, range of colours etc. Here is a short list of the brands that I personally use and would highly recommend for good quality boxing gloves that will last you a long time and are very reasonably priced:
• Morgan
• Ringsport
• RDX
• Twins
• Ringsport
• RDX
• Twins
I would recommend buying your boxing gloves online (PARTICULARLY ON EBAY!) because most of the time they are cheaper than buying in store!
STEP 3. SET YOUR PRICE RANGE!
Boxing gloves can vary enormously in price depending on the brand and size/weight you are after. Most 12 oz - 14 oz gloves online will cost you anywhere from $40 - $80, while the 16 oz gloves may sometimes cost you more. It's much more worth-while if you invest in a good quality pair of gloves that will last you years and years rather than buying a cheap, crappy pair that will fall apart in less than twelve months!
HAND WRAPS
In addition to your boxing gloves, it is also essential to invest in a pair on hand wraps! NOTE: YOU SHOULD NEVER BOX WITHOUT HAND WRAPS! This can cause serious injuries! Hand wraps are designed specifically to stabilise your entire hand and wrist while punching and they provide a great deal of protection for your bones and skin!
Hand wraps are very cheap and come in a wide range of colours. There are two main types of hand wraps, which are:
• 4 metre hand wraps (requires wrapping around entire hand+wrist)
• Inner/Insert/Quick wraps (Only requires short amount of wrapping around the wrist)
4 metre hand wraps PROS + CONS:
PROS
• Offers more padding and better quality protection around the entire hand and wrist
• Are cheaper than Quick Wraps
• Allows you to learn the various proper techniques of wrapping your own hands. e.g. weaving in between the fingers
• Are cheaper than Quick Wraps
• Allows you to learn the various proper techniques of wrapping your own hands. e.g. weaving in between the fingers
CONS
• Can be more time consuming
• Can be quite confusing for absolute beginners at first
Inner/Insert/Quick wraps PROS + CONS:
• Can be quite confusing for absolute beginners at first
Inner/Insert/Quick wraps PROS + CONS:
PROS
• Are very quick, easy and convenient to put on and take off, particularly for absolute beginners
CONS
• Do not offer adequate, good quality padding and hand protection
• Can rip and fall apart fairly easily
• Can rip and fall apart fairly easily
Ultimately the choice is up to you, but even if you are an absolute beginner I would highly recommend buying a pair of 4 metre hand wraps and a good quality pair of 12oz or 14oz boxing gloves so you have plenty of hand padding and protection!
