A Guide to Boxing Gloves
If you're just starting out in boxing, the first piece of boxing equipment you'll need to buy is a set of boxing gloves.
Before you invest in any type of boxing gear, always speak to your instructor for recommendations. You may have to spend a little more cash initially to get a better pair of gloves, but it will be worth the extra spend. Remember that the purpose of a boxing glove is not only to protect your own hands, but also to protect your opponent.
Below, Newitts offers a complete guide to choosing the right boxing glove.
Which type of glove should I choose?
There are a large variety of boxing gloves to suit different types of sport, but in general, beginner boxers are better suited to a lighter glove. This will ensure they can make the biggest impact with their punches. It will also make it easier for boxers to hold their hands up to protect themselves in training. A beginner boxer will be searching for a pair of gloves for training purposes only, so training boxing gloves or sparring gloves are the best choice.
Training boxing gloves
Training boxing gloves can be used for all types of boxing training to include hitting bags and sparring. The bigger the glove you use, the more padding you'll get, therefore using a larger glove will offer your hands much more protection. Furthermore, training with a larger boxing glove initially will get you more accustomed to the weight, therefore your hands will be faster when you use smaller sized gloves during competitions.
The type of gloves you buy is determined by a person's weight. Below outlines the different weights of boxing glove available:
8 oz - 10oz: Common for competitive boxers
12 oz: Common for women and people with small hands for training
14 oz - 16oz : Common for average size people for training
18 oz: Used for larger weight classes for training
20 oz: Used for larger weight classes for training
Sparring gloves
Sparring gloves are boxing gloves that are extra-padded , to protect your sparring opponent. Regardless of your size or weight, most boxers spar with gloves weighing 16oz or more. If you weigh in excess of 175lbs, you should spar with 18oz or 20oz gloves.
How do I pick the right size glove?
Remember that the size of your boxing glove and the weight of it are two separate things. You pick the glove's weight depending on your method of use, whereas the size of the glove will be determined by the best fit. The most common sizes for boxing gloves are small, medium and large; it is possible to find 12oz gloves for example, in small, medium and large, but it will largely depend on the manufacturer of the glove. It is more common to find small gloves in 12oz, medium gloves in 14oz and larger gloves in 16oz.
Tips when choosing boxing gloves
Ensure a snug fit - the key to choosing the right boxing glove is to ensure it is a snug fit. If there is too much room inside for your hands to move around, there is more potential for injury to occur.
Gloves will stretch - like a good pair of shoes your boxing gloves will stretch to fit your hand the more you use them , so choose a pair of gloves that feel slightly tighter when they are brand new to ensure the perfect fit.
Leave room for hand wraps - remember that you'll need room in your boxing gloves for hand wraps, therefore it is unwise to purchase gloves without wrapping your hands then trying them on, to achieve the right fit.
Leather v Vinyl - in general leather boxing gloves are of higher quality than vinyl although if you shop around you should be able to find good quality vinyl gloves, and they will cost you less than leather ones, but be mindful of the fact that in general, you'll get what you pay for.
Lace v Velcro - you'll get a tighter more secure fit using lace up gloves which is why all boxing gloves used to be lace up. It is now more common to purchase Velcro or hook and loop boxing gloves as they are much easier to put on and take off, particularly if you're training by yourself - lace up gloves could prove very difficult to get on.
Maintaining boxing gloves
After training, avoid dropping your gloves in your gym bag and zipping it up. After use, boxing gloves will be sweaty and wet, and if they do not dry out properly, they will grow a smelly fungus inside them. To help maintain your boxing gloves, let them dry out properly after each use by hanging them somewhere suitable as soon as you get home. You can also buy glove deodorant that can be sprayed in the gloves after each use, to kill the fungus as well as prolong the life of the gloves.