Boxing Gloves Buyers Guide

There are a lot of thing to take into consideration when choosing the gloves that you will be wearing into the ring, material, enclosure, size and weight.

The first thing to consider is the material. Boxing gloves are typically constructed of top-grain leather, or a synthetic material. The leather gloves will cost you more up front, but typically handle wear and tear better, so they will last much longer than most synthetics

Traditionally gloves are enclosed around the boxers wrist by a shoelace type mechanism, however there is also a velcro alternative which are much easier to put on. The laced style provides a much snugger fit, but can be difficult to get put on without assistance.

When picking out the size of your glove keep in mind that you will usually have a thick wrapping around your hands and wrist so, you don’t buy the glove that fits your bare hand, you buy the glove that would fit it while it is fully and securely wrapped. With that being said, gloves are offered in small, medium and large for both men and women. The average man will wear a large, while the average woman will wear a medium. Just like anything else size may vary slightly by manufacturer.

The weight of the glove should be determined by what you plan to use it for. Most professional matches use 10oz gloves, however for protection a 16oz or 20oz glove is recommended for sparring. More experienced boxers tend to lean towards 12-14oz gloves for training, but going slightly heavier is recommended for beginners.

Also, most modern gloves feature a thumb-luck, which is intended to prevent eye gouges and pokes, this safety feature is highly recommended and almost standard on gloves.