How to choose boxing gloves for training

Not a single entry into the ring and boxing sparring is possible without the use of high-quality and reliable boxing gloves – everyone who is more or less familiar with boxing will surely tell you about this. They will protect your hands from injury and your opponent from serious injury. As with any type of sports equipment, boxing gloves have a number of key features that must be taken into account by those who decide to master boxing and 'put' a punch.

Choosing the weight of boxing gloves

For beginners, this fact will surely become a real revelation, but boxing gloves do not have dimensions in the conventional sense of the word. They are versatile, and the only factor to look out for is their weight. It is measured in ounces (one ounce is approximately 28 grams), the weight of the most commonly used models can vary between the 12 and 20 ounce marks. These gloves are enough to feel confident in the ring, they are bulky enough to protect your head and body from blows, and at the same time they are not capable of causing serious injury to an opponent. When choosing gloves by weight, experienced athletes recommend having several models of different weights available, choosing specific ones for certain conditions of the battle. For example, the weight of professional boxing gloves used in international competitions is 10 ounces.

Boxing Gloves Material

Leather gloves are the most popular. Among their advantages are high strength to mechanical stress and situational impact, unpretentious care and lack of deformation due to exposure to direct sunlight, temperature changes and high humidity. The disadvantages of leather gloves include a fairly high cost;

Gloves made of leatherette (dermantin, eco-leather, sensatek) are in many ways similar to leather gloves and differ from them in a slightly smaller margin of safety and sensitivity to temperature extremes. Such gloves cost much less than their leather counterparts;

Which glove filler is better

The material used as a filler for gloves is also important. The requirements for it are simple and clear to everyone:

1. High damping characteristics – gloves should not only work out the blow, but also protect from the opponent's blows;

2. The filler should not absorb moisture and cake in a certain place;

3. The filler must evenly fill the entire volume of the gloves;

The following materials meet all these requirements:

1. Rubber shavings;

2. Polyurethane foam;

3. EVA;

4. Foam rubber;

Until recently, most of the gloves on sale had a cotton wool filling, however, due to its high hygroscopicity and tendency to caking, this filling has lost its relevance.

Fixation and form

It is necessary to pay attention to the system of fixing the glove on the hand. Depending on this parameter, all gloves on sale are divided into two conditional groups:

1. Gloves fixed with lacing. The most rigid fit, ergonomic shape, clear contact without vibrations and tendency to slip – these are their main advantages. Of the minuses – an extremely high inconvenience of fixing – it is hardly possible to tie the laces yourself, without the help of a partner;

2. Velcro fastened gloves. This fixation option is much more convenient and handy, however, compared to lacing, it is not so reliable and does not hold the glove so well during sparring;

3. As for the shape of the gloves, the only option that experienced athletes advise to buy is a glove with a thumb bent inward. In this situation, the finger is isolated from the hand on impact and is practically not susceptible to injury and dislocation;

What kind of boxing gloves are there?

1. Amateur gloves have an anatomical shape and a naturally positioned thumb. This arrangement was made deliberately – it does not allow the boxer to develop a blow of great force, which could lead to a dislocation of the finger and painful sensations;

2. Shell gloves have a high strength of the outer shell, as well as a special shape. Their main purpose is purposeful work on the punching bag;

3. Training gloves in their characteristics are close to professional models – their weight fluctuates in the region of 12-15 ounces, the thumb has a strongly curved shape, fixation is carried out using lacing or Velcro. Such gloves are not suitable for work on the apparatus and are intended exclusively for sparring;

4. Combat models are designed for serious fights and performance in professional matches. Maximum damping performance, drawstring hold, leather outer layer and foam padding, and weight up to 10 ounces – these are the inherent characteristics of these gloves.

In the following articles, our experts will tell you how to choose a punching bag, the secrets of choosing a punching bag and the features of choosing a boxing mouthguard.

Video on choosing boxing gloves

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.