How to choose boxing gloves

A popular sport is boxing, which is practiced at any age, regardless of gender. For training, it is often necessary to buy gloves, often several at once. It is they who allow you to protect your hands, and also decide a lot during the fight. In this regard, you need to understand how to choose boxing gloves in order to exclude the occurrence of injuries and to make practicing techniques more effective.

Types of boxing gloves

Before buying equipment, you need to know its types. This will allow you to choose the best option for training or competition, a real fight in the ring. How to choose the right boxing gloves by type is described below with the pros and cons of all models.

Shell

This look is perfect for working with pears and other equipment. Gloves have been specially developed for this and are sold in a large assortment. All models differ in shape, the cue ball can be thin or full-size round. The main rule when choosing is a small mass of equipment and dense filling, and it is also important that the thing is with good ventilation, so often the thumb is completely open in them.

Professional

Such a product is made exclusively for professional ring fighting. Gloves are made according to all international standards or according to the specific requirements of companies that organize fights. Professional models are equipped with lacing for fixing on the hands, and are always sold with a hard filling. Be sure to wind up under them in order to exclude injury to the limbs.

The main difference from other options is the location inside the thumb, which will bend towards the fist. This makes it possible to make the most powerful blows without injuring the joints.

Training

These models are specially made for sparring in training. The main requirement is safety for the fighter and his opponent, which is achieved thanks to the soft filling of 1 layer of foam or foam materials in several layers, no more than 5, they can suppress the force.

The training pair is equipped with elastic or Velcro fasteners, so they can be quickly removed / put on by yourself. Inside there are vents for the hands, the thumb is placed by analogy with the professional views.

Amateur fighting

This type is characterized by the placement of the thumb on the side, so with powerful blows there is a possibility of damage to joints, fractures. This decision is made deliberately, since technique is more important for amateur fights, and not knocking out an opponent. The gloves are made for beginners to control their strength without getting excited.

Top Boxing Gloves Manufacturers

Many novice boxers do not understand which boxing gloves to choose, but preference should be given to proven and well-known brands. This will provide an opportunity to get guaranteed quality, as well as be able to protect hands from injury and improve the fight. They will sit comfortably on your hands and will also last a long time.

The best models are offered by the following companies:

• Adidas;
• AML;
• Everlast;
• Clinch.

Of course, choosing equipment only by brand is wrong, so it is important to understand the main characteristics of the product.

Boxing Glove Selection Options

Knowing the features of the equipment, their basic parameters, you can understand how to choose boxing gloves for a child or an adult, for different types of fighting or practicing a specific technique.

Manufacturing material

Boxing gloves are always made of leather, the only difference is in its naturalness. Professional equipment is made of cowhide leather, which has a long service life and strength, but the cost will be very high. With this skin, your hands will be well ventilated, so you can give your best during training or fighting. The leather substitute will be much cheaper in price, but during use the hand sweats, and the shape retention is not so good.

Combined materials are a good choice in terms of cost and quality, when the outside is made of real leather, and the inside is made of a substitute. This allows you to maintain the basic properties, but reduces the cost of the product.

Fixation type

The most reliable and effective fixation method is lacing. It runs from the palm to the top of the wrist. Due to such fasteners, the gloves fit tightly, help protect the hand and keep the joint from damage, therefore, even with the wrong impact, injuries are excluded. The main disadvantage is that you cannot put on and take off your equipment yourself.

An equally popular and high-quality type of fixation will be Velcro made of textile. This option is the most common, widely demanded among amateurs, and is also approved by the international association AIBA. The outfit is easy to put on and take off without outside help, and is fixed on the hand as tightly and securely as possible. The main disadvantage of the models is the Velcro, which does not last after about 6-12 months, but it can be easily replaced.

You can also find models with a wide elastic band on sale, but such gloves are more suitable for children and women. They are not the most reliable, which is why major brands refuse it.

The size

The main question for beginners is how to choose the size of boxing gloves? Often for this you need to know the girth of the palm, and the size is taken off at the beginning of the thumb (above it or along the bone). After that, a reconciliation is carried out with European standards:

• XXS (14-16 cm);
• XS (16-18cm);
• S (18-20 cm);
• M (20-21 cm);
• L (21-23cm);
• XL (24-28cm);
• XXL (29-31 cm).

It's not scary if, when choosing and buying, the size will be chosen incorrectly by 1-2 units up. Due to the strong fixation, the glove will not fly off the hand during training or combat, but more room for bandages will appear.

Glove weight

As a rule, almost all gloves for competitions are made according to the standard, so there is no need to choose a weight, but for training, when you need to work with pears, weight is important. When choosing, you need to look at the weight of the boxer himself, his age, if the product is selected for a child or teenager.

All manufacturers indicate the mass in ounces in order to understand the main indicators, below they are presented in the usual measurements - grams. But you need to understand that this category is not used for projectile models.

• 4 oz - the weight of gloves is 113.4 g. This option is the smallest available and it is recommended to select it for a child under 7 years old.
• 6 oz - models are suitable for ages 7-9 years, and the weight of the product is 170.1 g.
• 8 oz is the best choice for a teenager who is no more than 13 years old. The cue ball will weigh 226.8 g, and the gloves are also suitable for women weighing up to 50 kg.
• 10 oz are the most sought after in boxing, used for light weight among men and women. Product weight 283.5 grams.
• 12 oz - recommended for fighters weighing 64-70 kg, cue ball weight will be 340.2 grams.
• 14 oz - recommended for men who work in a weight of 70-75 kg, gloves 396.9 grams.
• 16 oz - such a product is suitable for heavy weight up to 90 kg, the gloves themselves are 453.6 grams.
• 18 oz is a great choice for training as well as heavy weight work. The weight of the cue ball is 510.3 grams.
• 20 oz - the heaviest models at 567 grams.

In some cases, before the competition, the weight of the gloves is not declared, in which case you can choose them at your own discretion. For training, it is recommended to make full use of the weight of the equipment. For example, a lightweight boxer may choose heavy gloves, which will accelerate the development and strengthening of the shoulder area, and will also improve the power of the punch. After that, you can wear light models to increase speed and endurance during combat. A similar effect can be obtained using conventional weights that are placed in the gloves in the pockets provided.

Excipients

Fillers for boxing gloves are selected no less carefully than other parameters. The shelf life of the cue ball depends on the composition, as well as the degree of protection of the fist and hand. For example, the surface material can be darned if it breaks, but the padding cannot be replaced.

Today manufacturers use the following raw materials as filling:

• Cotton wool is the oldest and cheapest material for gloves and is not very common. Such cue balls will quickly wrinkle, lumps appear, so there is a high risk of injury during strong blows.
• Horsehair is a little better than cotton wool, but also obsolete raw material, the features are similar, but the service life is slightly longer.
• Polymers - this filler is not only the most popular, but also one of the best on the market. For this, polyurethane foam, IMF foam and other raw materials are used. The packing is distinguished by a long service life, can withstand strong shocks, and also has excellent spring properties and retains its original shape. All this does not apply to cellular foam rubber, which not only crumbles, but also absorbs moisture, so a large number of microbes develop in the packing.
• Latex is a foam rubber with high elastic characteristics. Gloves of this kind are durable, denser than polymers, but are often used as an addition to other materials and are part of the structure of multi-layer cue balls.
• Gel is a modern type of padding that is used for many boxing equipment. A feature can be considered the fact that it does not crumble, it is optimal in terms of rigidity, which allows you to damp shocks.

Some companies offer air cushion instead of conventional fillers.This option is recommended for training or sparring, since it will be impossible to strike hard.

What boxing gloves to choose

There are several expert tips to help you buy the right gloves, they should be used and taken into account when choosing:

• For children who are just starting to engage in such sports, it is best to choose leather or combined models weighing 4-8 oz. They should have a wide elastic band, or even better, regular Velcro. Since the strength of the child is small, so you can choose soft fillers, among which the batting will be the best. If such a sport is professional for a child, there is a goal to make a boxing career, then you will need to additionally buy 1 pair with a hard filler, which will allow you to effectively train with a bag and other equipment. A combined or polyurethane foam filler is suitable.
• For an adult who is interested in getting high-quality gloves with a long service life, a product made of leather with a polymer inside should be preferred. For competitions in the ring, you should take a product with laces, and Velcro is suitable for training in the hall.
• Often, beginners do not know how to choose boxing gloves for training. It should be said that it is better to buy 2 pairs at once for this purpose. To work with a pear, it will be more convenient to use leather models with a medium-hard filler - polyurethane foam or latex. The results will have a positive effect on the presence of space for the weighting material, which improve strength. For a fight in the ring with another person, it is better to choose a pair from an air-filled leather substitute, which allows you to save your opponent's hands and face.

Boxing gloves cost

If we talk about the cost, then it will differ from the type of gloves. The range of pricing policy is as follows:

• Amateur models for sparring will cost between 1000-9000 rubles.
• For more professional sparring, gloves will be 1.5-13 thousand rubles.
• Shell models range from 800-16000 rubles.
• Professional goods can cost 100 thousand rubles, but there are also the cheapest for 4000 rubles.
• For children, gloves will be 400-17000 rubles.

Conclusion

Experts advise using universal gloves for sparring, which will be slightly larger or softer. By the way, the softness is determined by the filler. Often the best companies offer gel or solid pears, but this may not always work with hard pears as the filling can deform quickly. If you need to practice strikes, then it would be better to choose specialized cue balls or buy them with hard fillings.

If polyurethane chips are used inside, then this can be considered universal models that can be used for combat in a hall or for practicing techniques. The crumb does not break, many domestic companies offer this option.

Lovers in the field of boxing are advised to buy Velcro cue balls that are easy to take off and put on without outside help. Models with laces are more suitable for professional fighters, and are also characterized by other tailoring, where you need to turn your fist completely. You cannot put on equipment without help.

In any case, gloves should be worn on the hand wrapped in bandages, regardless of experience and age. This provides additional protection and also helps to reduce the difference if the size is incorrect.